A Child of the Sea; and Life Among the Mormons

by Elizabeth Whitney Williams

At Cable's dock Mr. John Corlette, of Ohio, had settled, and after a fair success in business of several years he moved to Cheboygan, Mich., with his son-in-law, Mr. Andrew Trombley. Captain Appleby, of Buffalo, N. Y., took Mr. Loaney's place as keeper of the light-house at the head of the island, where his nephew, Frank Blakeslee, assisted. After a few years Mr. Harrison Miller took Capt. Appleby's place, remaining eleven years or more, assisted by his nephew, Edwin Bedford. Mr. William Duclon succeeded Miller, and after about eight years was transferred to Eagle Bluff light-house, where he still continues at this writing. Mr. Harrison Miller, after leaving the light-house, was appointed keeper of the life saving station at Beaver Harbor, and was transferred to Point Betsey life-saving station. Mr. Owen Gallagher succeeded him at the Beaver Island station.

The Mormons laid the roads out very convenient for the settlers that were in the interior of the island. One road went direct from the harbor across to Bonnar's landing, a distance of five miles. This road passed through many fine farms, and there were roads branching from this one leading to all parts of the island, with the king's highway leading direct through from the harbor to the head of the island. The king's highway was very beautiful with its wild scenery. Many of the roads were built with small logs cut the width of the road and laid down firmly close together. These were called cause-ways or corduroy. This kind was built where it was swampy and low land to go through. These cause-ways were very beautiful in summer time with their branches arching overhead in many places, with beautiful evergreens mixed in with willows, green mosses and flowers.

HORSEBACK RIDING ABOUT THE ISLAND.

I soon became acquainted with Mr. Campbell's daughter. She was a bright, jolly girl just two years older than I. They had horses, so Mary and I used to ride horseback almost every day until she had taken me almost all over the island. Oh, those delightful rides! There were roads and bridle paths going in every direction. I would soon have been lost, but Mary knew them all, and when she had any doubts about the way out from the deep woods those two horses never failed to take us right. Mary was a pleasant companion. She knew the names of all the people who had lived on those now deserted farms. Every house we came to was vacant. The little gates were broken off their hinges in several places, and in some of the houses the curtains were still at the windows. Weeds were growing all about the doors, flowers were still in bloom, with weeds mixed in among them, barns were empty with some of their doors open. There were broods of chickens around many of the barns, and one yard we rode into some pretty little kittens ran scampering under the barn. Mary was talking all the time, saying, "Such a man lived here; they were very good people. Just see how pretty the flowers grow and the lovely currant bushes. Ma and I came and picked the most of them this season, as Mrs. M—— told us to. Oh we did feel so sorry for her to have to leave her home. Now these people were awfully queer. They never talked to anybody; and just see the lovely hay in this field all going to waste." We rode along where there were several houses built close together with a large barn, and the flowers were beautiful. Roses climbing about the windows. "Yes, this is where one of the apostles lived. We didn't like him a bit. Ma says he made Strang do lots of things he didn't want to and wanted to put father high in office and have him sealed to some more wives, but Ma would not allow it. She went to the temple and did all she could do to stop it, and I believe Strang was afraid the women would mob him. At any rate he let us alone. We liked that apostle's wife. She was a kind little woman." I enjoyed the riding, but it made me sad to see all those deserted homes. I could see how much hard work had been done to make everything so comfortable.

THE HOME WHERE THE WIFE HAD BEEN DRIVEN OUT.

One day, on our last ride, we rode directly across to Bonnar's landing. Mr. and Mrs. John Bonnar had bought and settled on a very fertile piece of land. At that time there was not much cleared; later they had a beautiful home. Mr. Ray Peckham and wife also had bought a good farm near Mr. Bonnar's. This day Mary and I rode around all the homes out on that road, then came down and took the road leading out to Long Lake, near Font Lake. Our horses were walking, Mary was pointing out and telling me about the people that lived on this road. We soon came to a home that it seemed to me I had seen before. I said, "Mary, who lived here?" "Oh, this is where Mr. H—— lived; the man who treated his wife so badly because she did not like it when he brought home another wife." We tied our horses and walked about the yard. Yes, here was the home. There were the rose bushes about the windows, the flowers down the walk, a mountain ash with its red berries, the vegetable garden at the back of the house with the currant and gooseberry bushes. I looked a long time, seeing it all in my mind as the woman had told me her story. I could see the man and woman standing together in the door while the wife was hurrying away to her mother for sympathy. I could not keep the tears back. Mary saw I felt sad and said, "Why do you cry? Are you lonesome for the friends you have left in your old home?" I said, "No, I am crying because I have heard the story about the woman. She told it to me herself." "Oh yes, I remember hearing ma tell me about this woman. She says she thinks it was the most cruel joke Strang ever planned." (Strang always called such things jokes.) Over there is where her father and mother lived and way over there (pointing to the woods) is where that deaf and dumb sister of her's lived. We walked over to the woods. The little log cabin stood almost hid by the trees and bushes. It had a more deserted look than the rest of the houses. Bushes and weeds were right up to the door. Mary said no one had ever lived in it since the deaf and dumb man had died and his wife and children had gone away. We hurried away. It gave us such a gloomy feeling. We were glad to come back where the sun was shining.

TIGER'S GRAVE.

Mary said, "Come, I will show you old Tiger's grave, where the woman and her deaf and dumb sister buried him after Mr. H—— shot him for his faithfulness to his mistress." We stood beside the spot where the wronged wife had buried her faithful dog. She had planted a rose bush beside it. There were many beautiful roses on the bush that season. Tiger's grave was near the shore of little Font Lake at the place where he pulled his mistress from a watery grave. We then rode down through Enoch, and there Mary pointed to a grave with a beautiful lilac bush at its head with a white picket fence about it. That is where the mother of four young girls is buried. It almost broke their hearts to go away and leave their mother's grave. They had asked Mary to see to it sometimes, which she had promised to do.

THE JOHNSON HOUSE.

Mary said, "Now just one more place to go and see before we go home." We rode around pretty Font Lake, soon coming to a large two story and a half house, built very near the sloping shore of the lake. We tied our horses, walking down the path to the water. There were seats in among the small cedars, which grew thickly about. The house was still in good repair. "This is the Johnson House. The people were rich. He was a merchant living in Buffalo. The King and 'Douglas' went to their home and soon persuaded them to sell and come here. They built this house, and out there you can see the large barn. They brought their horses and carriages. They brought their dead daughter's body and buried it out there on that little knoll." I looked and saw the white railing about the lonely grave with rose bushes at the head. We went up stairs and saw the large dancing hall with its waxed floors which were still glossy. She told me how beautifully it had been furnished. The parlors and all the rooms were large. Rose bushes grew near the windows, flower gardens with blooming flowers. The setting sun was shining through the windows; the house was clean and it seemed the occupants had just cleaned house and not yet arranged the furniture. It had such a bright, cheerful look. Some city visitors had lived there all summer. Yes, these people were another disappointed family. They had a very handsome daughter highly educated and a fine musician. Strang and "Douglass" used to go there to the parties given, the family not knowing at first that "Charles Douglas" was a woman, that being another one of the king's jokes. Mr. Wentworth married this daughter and the king's visits became disagreeable to the young wife. This caused hard feelings and may have been one of the reasons for Wentworth's shooting the king. We hurried home as the sun was sinking in the west, and I wanted to get away from all these empty houses, for every one seemed like an open grave. I staid with Mary all night and her mother told me many things about their life on the island.