CHAPTER IX
NO MAN'S LAND
Lying a short distance off the Maine coast is an island which belongs tonobody and is therefore referred to as No Man's Land. If you look for iton the map you will find it marked as Muscongus. It is also known asLoud's Island, in honor of the first settler. The strange state ofaffairs came about in this way:
The Lincolnshire or Muscongus Patent, granted in 1630 by the Council ofPlymouth to Beauchamp and Leverett, included the land from the seaboard,between the Muscongus and Penobscot rivers, for a certain distanceinland, but made no mention of the island on the south. The grant passedto General Samuel Waldo, and was the origin of most of the land titlesin that section of Maine.
One of the most honored names in colonial England is that of Samoset,the Wampanoag Indian, who met the first Plymouth settlers with theEnglish greeting, "Welcome, Englishmen!" He had picked up a few wordsfrom the fishermen who made their headquarters at Monhegan, an islandten miles farther out to sea. Samoset was accustomed to spend hissummers on Muscongus. If you dig in the sand on the island you will bepretty sure to find relics of the aboriginal occupation of the place.
Captain Loud commanded a privateer in the service of George III, and oneday lost his temper in a dispute over some prize money. The quarrelwaxed so hot that he declared in his rage he would never lift his handagain in the service of the king, even to save the monarch's head. Such_lese majeste_ was sure to bring serious consequences to the peppery oldsalt, so he hurriedly sailed for Boston on his brig. While coasting theprovince of Maine, he came upon Muscongus, and was so charmed that hespent the remainder of his life there. In some way that no one canexplain, the United States surveyors overlooked this island, three milesin length and a mile broad, and the mistake has never been corrected.Muscongus therefore remains no man's land.
It is well wooded and watered and has a picturesque shore, with rockycoves, white sandy beaches, and an attractive appearance from everydirection. No steamer ever stops there, and it is rather ticklishbusiness to pick your way over the crags to the dilapidated landing andso on to the firm land beyond.
The unique condition of Muscongus causes some queer things. For a longtime, the people, who now number a hundred and twenty-five, paid taxesto the township of Bristol on the mainland two miles away. Every yearthe tax collector sailed or rowed over to Muscongus and marked in chalkon each door the amount of taxes due from that family. He gave hisreceipt for payment of the same by rubbing out the chalked figures.
This was a pleasing but one-sided arrangement. Bristol gained the soleadvantage and by and by the Muscongus folks awoke to the fact. Then theyrefused to pay any taxes unless the collector showed legal authorityfor his assessment. The chalk marks were rubbed off the doors and aftersome spirited scenes the collector withdrew, since, as has been shown,he had no legal means of enforcing his demands. Since then Muscongus hasbeen the only community in New England which is not taxed, except so faras it chooses to impose the burden upon itself.
Among the islanders every man was a Democrat with a single exception. Atthe Congressional election on the mainland the Republican candidate wasunpopular, but the vote of Muscongus was cast for and elected him. Thecanvassers, however, threw out the vote because of the refusal to paytaxes. This was just before the Civil War, and in the words of thechronicler of Muscongus: "That was the end of all things here inconnection with the mainland."
You need not be reminded that as the great war went on the governmentwas forced to resort to drafting to obtain the soldiers it needed.Muscongus was included in the Bristol district, but the inhabitantswarned the authorities that any attempt to enforce the draft would causebloodshed. Some of them, however, were alarmed at the thought offighting the national government. At a mass meeting the community votedto donate nine hundred dollars toward the expense of the war, and anumber paid three hundred dollars apiece for substitutes, though nonevolunteered. These contributions meant many sacrifices to the poorfisher folk.
A man living on Muscongus had once served in the regular army, and acertain major at Bristol determined to secure him for Uncle Sam. Theofficer was taken over to the island in a small sailboat, and made hisway to the home of the veteran he wanted. He was absent, but his wifewas in the kitchen peeling potatoes. A few minutes later the major'scompanions awaiting him at the shore saw him dash through the door andrun at his highest speed for the boat. A few paces behind him, holdingthe pan of potatoes against her side with one hand, and snatching themout with the other, she bombarded the terrified fugitive. She couldthrow, too, with the force and accuracy of a short stop of theprofessional league, and every missile landed. She kept up thebombardment all the way to the waterside, by which time her ammunitionwas used up. When the battered major stepped ashore at Bristol heexclaimed:
"Thunderation! if I had a regiment of women like her I'd captureRichmond in three days!"
The foregoing facts Captain Alvin Landon related to Chester Haynes andMike Murphy one sunshiny forenoon as the _Deerfoot_ swept past thenumerous islands between Cape Newagen and Pemaquid Point, and rounded toat the rickety landing on the southern side of Muscongus. The boysstepped out upon the rocks, leaping and climbing to the wabbling supportover which they picked their way to the solid earth. A few rods distanta goodly sized sailboat was moored, the passengers having already goneup the sloping bank and inland. Hardly a fair summer day goes bywithout bringing visitors to one of the most interesting spots on thecoast of Maine.
Since the excursion was likely to take most of the afternoon, our youngfriends brought their lunch with them. At the crest of the slope, theysat down on the grass under a group of trees, and with keen appetitesate the last morsel of their meal. Then followed a stroll, with ears andeyes open. They found the islanders courteous, hospitable and ready toanswer all questions. One of the first interesting facts learned by theyouthful callers was that nearly all the people were blue-eyed, and themen straight, tall, rugged and with a physique superior to that of theirneighbors on the mainland. Several descendants of the Loud and otherpioneers were met, one or two of whom were approaching the century mark.Contentment was everywhere, and all were proud of their independentlives with not the slightest wish to change it. Some of the men seektheir wives outside of the little model republic, and more than onehusband has been drawn to the island by the attraction of a pair ofviolet eyes and the sweet disposition of a coy maiden. It has beencharged that there is a mental and physical deterioration because ofintermarriages between relatives, but nothing of the kind seems to haveoccurred.
Muscongus knows little, except by hearsay, of crime and pauperism. Allthe doors are left unlocked at night, and a drunken person is neverseen. Should any fall in need of charity it is given cheerfully. Yearsago there was an aged couple whose five sons were lost at sea, and whowere unable to provide for themselves. They were supported in comfort intheir own home as long as they lived.
Of course there has to be some form of government. It is of the simplestnature. All general meetings are held in the little schoolhouse, theonly public building on the island. The presiding officer is chosen byacclamation, and is always the school agent and superintendent ofbusiness of the community. An open discussion follows of the measuresneeded for the public welfare, and whatever rules are adopted areobeyed without protest.
In former years the porgy industry was the chief support. But thatdeclined and was succeeded by lobster and mackerel fishing, which doesnot pay so well. Every family owns a little farm, the soil is good, andall live in modest comfort. The neat, tidy houses nestling among thefirs are surrounded by fruit trees trim and productive. The smalllibrary in the schoolhouse is free to all.
As to religious services, a prayer meeting is held every Sunday eveningin the schoolhouse and Sunday School in the afternoon, but there is noresident minister. Occasionally the clergyman at Friendship, nearBristol, comes over to preach, and the faithful coast missionary whoworks among remote islanders and lighthouse keepers brings readingmatter and ministers to the spi
ritual wants of the people. Among theislanders are Free Masons, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias and Red Men,who conduct the funeral services.
"It calls to mind the ould counthry," said Mike Murphy, when the_Deerfoot_ had started homeward.
"How?" asked Chester at his side.
"It's so different; think if ye can of any part of Ireland living for awaak, lit alone months and years, widout a shindy."
"There are few sections in our own country of which that can be said."
"It taxes me mind to thry to draw the painful picter; let us think ofsomething else."
Since the weather was favorable, Captain Landon made a circuit farthersouth, leaving the small White Islands on his left, the Hypocrites onhis right, and so on into the broad bay, whose western boundary isSouthport.
"I say, Captain," suddenly called Mike.
"What is it?" asked Landon, looking partly round.
"If ye have no objiction I should like to take a thrick at the wheel."
"All right; come over here."
In a twinkling the two had changed places. As Mike assumed his duty, headded:
"I've been obsarving ye so close that I belave I can run the battleshipas well as yersilf. I have noted that whin ye wish to turn to the right,ye move the wheel around that way, sarving it according whin ye wish tohead t'other way. 'Spose now ye find it nicessary to go backward?"
"Pull over the reversing lever; the wheel has nothing to do with that."
"I'll remimber the same. Hullo!" added Mike in some excitement. "Iobsarve a ship ahead; do ye think it's a pirate?"
His companions laughed and Alvin answered:
"That is the steamer _Enterprise_, which runs from Portland to EastBoothbay and back on alternate days, calling at different points."
"I mustn't run her down," said Mike, swinging over the wheel so as topass her bow; "she's right in our path."
"Don't change your course; she has plenty of time to get out of yourway."
"Begorrah! do ye maan to say _she is moving_?"
His companions scrutinized the lumbering craft for a minute as if indoubt. It was Chester who said:
"I think she is."
"Better make sure," remarked Mike heading the launch to the south, thuscontributing his part to a joke which has been fashionable for years inthat section of the Union over the sluggishness of the freight andpassenger steamer named.