New Britain herald., 1930-08-12
ATTORNEY IMPOSES
 EXILE ON HIMSELF
Lives Alone On Island in
 Chesapeake Bay


 Hardenberg has been playing soli- taire for g years. It isn't very exciting, and he doesn't much care how it comes out; but then he doesn't care very much about any thing, and playing solitaire seems to him about as good a way of put ting in the time as any, so he is still at it, day after day and year after year.
 Charles Hardenberg is a hermit the Robinson Crusoe Of Chesa peake Bay, living all by himself on tiny Little Watts Island, 15 miles off the Virginia shore and near Tangier Island with it's quaint Cornish com munity, founded three centuries ago.
 He is the sole inhabitant of his island, which is just about the size of an ordinary city lot. He has lived there since 1908, and he says he's going to stay there to the end.
 Dissatisfied with Life
 In 1908 Hardenberg was 33 years old, a successful lawyer in Jersey SitS' Nltii ci 6ood pi uStlSN' jiio father and his older brother were lawyers. The family had a good social position; there seemed no reason why the young lawyer should be dissatisfied with life
 But he was. He explains it to an interviewer:
 My father was very i'll for a 1onc hafo ho l,o +o spend hours and days with him. I had a lot of time to think. When l. was all over l was tired: tired of everything, of the way We live and of the cities. I wanted to go away from everything. My brother owned this island and Big Watts Island, next to it. He suggested that l ccme down here and rest.
 There was a house on each island. l came here in 1908 and lived on Big Watts. l liked the life a. first. It was so quiet and there was no one to bother me. Then my law practice called me. I went to Georgia to try a case, but I didn't stay long only three months. I vas glad to get back to the island life. Here l stayed and here l am"
 While he was away somebody tore down the house on Big Watts Island to get firewood. Hardenberg moved over to Little Watts, where he has lived ever since.
 Big Watts is more than a mile long, and is separated from Little Watts by narrow strait which is a strip of mud at low tide. The house on Little Watts is made of brick, and was built in 1S47 by the government as a home for the lighthouse keeper. Now the light is automatic. needing no keeper, and the house had been sold 10 Hardenberg's brother some years before Hardenberg first went down.
 Two big trees, brought from France by early settlers, stand be- side the house. There Hardenberg has lived alone for % years. He has there chickens-they run wild and are the only animal life on the island. He does not keep a dog and he refuses to install a radio.
 He has never bothered to plant d garden, although the soil is fertile. His provisions are brought over from Onancock, Va. Oysters grow on the half submerged rocks about the island. and there are plenty Of fish in the waters a few feet from his front door. When he gets tired Of canned goods he catches few fish or rips a few oysters off the rocks.
 Furniture Is Scant
 'I don't like to cook" he says, land I hate housework."
 His home bears witness to this statement. It has no furniture ex- eept that which is absolutely neces- sary. There are a folding card ta- ble, a rocker and half a dozen fold ing chairs in the living room. Up stairs is a plain wooden bed. One room has a grass rug. That is all.
 Hardenberg as no books and reads magazines only occasionally
 "I used to have a big library" he says. "One of the finest in New Jersey But now Pm away from it all and have no desire for books. ] thought about getting a radio, but"
 When he feels the need of exer- else he gets his row boat and goes over to Big Watts Island to take a