Historic Nantucket, October 1956, Vol. 4 No. 2

Historic Nantucket

SAUL'S HILLS. NANTUCKET From a lithograph by Ruth Haviland Sutton

OCTOBER, 1956

Published Quarterly by

NANTUCKET HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

NANTUCKET, MASS.

Officers 1956 - 1957

President George W. Jones

Vice Presidents Howard U. Chase Burnham N. Dell Stokeley W. Morgan

Everett U. Crosby Miss Grace Brown Gardner W. Ripley Nelson

Secretary-Treasurer

Auditor

Miss Ethel Anderson

Ormonde F. Ingall

Councillors George W. Jones, Chairman Term Expiree

Earl S. Ray

1957

James A. Norcross Mrs. Joseph King Robert C. Caldwell Mrs. Cyril C. Ross

1957 1958 1958 1959

Albert Egan, Jr Mrs. William L. Mather Mrs. William Perkins

1959 1960 1960

Honorary Custodian of Collections Mrs. Walton H. Adams

Custodian of Collections Mrs. William L. Mather

Finance Committee Earl S. Ray

Stokeley W. Morgan, Chairman Howard U. Chase

Historic Nantucket W. Ripley Nelson, Editor Mrs. Harold P. Page

Harmon Tupper

Associate Editor

Associate Editor

Publicity Committee Stokeley W. Morgan, Chairman

HISTORIC NANTUCKET Published quarterly and devoted to the preservation of Nantucket's antiquity, its famed heritage and its illustrious past as a whaling port.

VOLUME 4

No. 2

OCTOBER 1956

Table of Contents Editorial

-

——

Our New President

4 5

Sixty-Second Annual Meeting

-----* 7

Annual Report of the President

11

The Challenge of an Island Heritage

16

Moody Ahab and His Heaven-Insulting Purpose

23

History Making Events

-

Keziah Coffin Fanning's Diary

-

-

Joseph C. Hart

- -

28

-

35 39

Membership Report

-

Quiz Yourself on The Whaling Museum

41 -

44

Historic Nantucket is published quarterly at Nantucket, Massachusetts, by the Nantucket Historical Association. It is sent free to all members of the Association.

Membership dues are — Annual-Active $2.00; Sustaining $10.00; Life—one payment $50.00.

Entered as Second Class Matter, July, 1953, at the Post Office, Nantucket, Massachusetts, under Act of August 24, 1912.

Copyright 1956 Nantucket Historical Association.

Historic Communications pertaining to the Publication should be addressed to the Editor, Historic Nantucket, Nantucket Historical Association, Nantucket, Massachusetts.

3

Enclosed is my check to the order of the Association in the amount of ?

as

my contribution to the special fund being raised to cover

the cost of essential structural and restoration work at the Whaling Museum.

(Note: Counsel advises such a gift is an allowable deduction for Federal Income Tax purposes.—N. H. A.)

4

EDITORIAL The 300th birthday of a town is an historic milestone espe­ cially when a town, county and island, all in one, played in its early days a leading part in the growth of the country. Such is the case with Nantucket, for July 2, 1959, will mark the 300th anniversary of the signing of the "30 pounds and two beaver hats" deed, by which Thomas Mayhew conveyed to the "nine original purchasers" all right and interest by patent in the Island.

Many articles feature the Island's history for its whaling and the islanders as descendants of whaling masters. True in part but how many realize that these whaling masters in following the elusive whale were explorers of the oceans of the world, record­ ing in their logbooks their discoveries of islands, lands, peoples and even new ocean currents? Then there were the sealers who sailed into the unknown Antarctic discovering a new continent.

How many persons realize that at one time Nantucket stood third in rank in Massachusetts with only Boston and Salem ahead in the field of commerce? Importing all its needs for its ships and exporting oil and candles to England and the Continent it played a major part in the trade of the Colonies. And who remembers that it was a Nantucket ship that first carried the Stars and Stripes into an English port after the Revolution? Many other Islanders played their part in the development of our country in scientific, religious and other fields, to say nothing of their de­ scendants who from all over the United States continue this contri­ bution to our nation's prestige and growth.

And so about a year ago your Council decided that the year 1959 should be marked by an appropriate celebration in which the Association should take an active part, a celebration in which all island organizations should participate but a celebration digni­ fied and in keeping with Island tradition and its historic past.

We therefore welcome the Board of Selectmen's suggestion that preparations be started without delay for such a celebration.

We know that our members will do their share to make this occasion not only a local and state but a nation-wide event and an answer to "The Challenge of an Island Heritage" so ably pre­ sented by Edouard Stackpole at our Annual Meeting, and to quote the words of Colonial Williamsburg "that the future may learn from the past."

5

Our New President George W. Jones is a man of such varied experience and activ­ ity that we can indeed consider ourselves fortunate in securing his services as President of the Association. Businessman, engineer and surveyor, public official, war veteran, and native-born Nantucketer, Mr. Jones has that excellent combination of natural and self-developed qualities which is essential to leadership. Let us tell you about him.

George William Jones was born on Nantucket in 1901, the son of John and Sarah (Chadwick) Jones. He was educated in Nan­ tucket schools and entered Massachusetts Institute of Technology,

6

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

where he received his civil engineering degree in 1924. He then joined the Public Service Electric and Gas Company of New Jersey, with his headquarters in Merchantville and, subsequently, Trenton, N. J. In 1925 he had married Rozelle Brayton Coleman, also Nantucket-born and, like Mr. Jones, a descendant of one of the original settlers. Of this marriage were born the present Mrs. Alice Folger, of Nantucket, Mrs. Charlotte Lincoln, of Read­ ing, Mass., and Mrs. Anne Stinnett, of Tulsa, Okla.

In 1932 the pull of Nantucket became too strong for Mr. Jones and he returned to the island to become proprietor of the South Boat Yard, on Washington Street Extension, which he owned for 20 years. During this time, 1932-52, our President at various periods was Chairman of the Nantucket Finance Committee, VicePresident of the Coffin School Association, and member of the Committee on Outlying Lands. In World War II he entered the Navy as a Lieutenant (j.g.) and saw service in the Atlantic area of operations and at the naval base at Norfolk, Va., earning pro­ motion during service to Lieutenant senior grade. At the end of hostilities he returned to Nantucket civilian life and the manage­ ment of his boat yard. He was elected a Trustee of the Nantucket Cottage Hospital in 1948 and was Treasurer from 1954 to 1956.

His trusteeship ended this year when he had served the maximum number of terms allowed in the by-laws.

Mr. Jones has been President of the Nantucket Rotary Club, Secretary of the Nantucket Memorial Airport Commission, Di­ rector of the Nantucket Institution for Savings, Junior Warden of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, of which he is now a Vestryman, and Past Master of the Masons. A long-time member of the Nantucket Historical Association, he is at present also a member of the Historic Districts Commission. Other activities include his chairmanship of the Nantucket Transportation Committee and membership on the Nantucket Board of Assessors.

According to reliable sources, Mr. Jones' principal hobby is the repair and restoration of antique furniture. He is also an avid reader, with emphasis on — and how could it be otherwise in a President of our Association? — books of history and biog­ raphy.

7

Sixty-Second Annual Meeting The sixty-second annual meeting of the Association was held on Tuesday afternoon, July 17th, at the Unitarian Church. Presi­ dent Nancy S. Adams opened the meeting by extending a cordial welcome to over one hundred members who attended the meeting.

Minutes and Reports

The minutes of the sixty-first annual meeting were read by Miss Ethel Anderson, Secretary, and were approved. Since the an­ nual reports of the Treasurer, Finance Committee and the Chair­ men of the various buildings and other activities had been published in the July issue of "Historic Nantucket", the Association's quar­ terly magazine, it was voted to dispense with the reading of these reports and to accept them as presented in the quarterly magazine.

President's Report

Mrs. Nancy S. Adams then read her annual report (a copy of which is presented in full herein), on the activities and accom­ plishments of the Association during the year. Her report in­ dicated, as in the previous year, the Association to be a strong, growing and active organization not only with respect to preserv­ ing Nantucket's antiquity, its famed heritage and its illustrious past as a whaling port, but as doing its part in helping to develop a wholesome and prosperous economic future for Nantucket. Spe­ cial tribute was given to the work of Mrs. Alma Backus now in her twenty-fifth year as receptionist at the Historical Museum. She spoke of the loss by death of Wallace Long, who contributed so much to the enlightenment and enjoyment of the visitors to the Whaling Museum, and also of the good fortune the Association had in securing Archibald Cartwright to serve as Custodian.

In closing her report the President announced that for personal reasons she felt it time for her to retire. Needless to say this pro­ nouncement came as a surprise and a shock to a large majority of those present, even though Mrs. Adams had given to the Council advance notice of her intentions.

Historic Districts Commission

On behalf of the Board of Selectmen of Nantucket, the chair­ man of the Historic Districts Commission then presented to Mrs.

,8

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

Adams for preservation by the Association a copy, certified by the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, of Acts and Re­ solves of 1955, Chapter 601 known as the "Historic Districts Com­ mission of Nantucket", together with the quill used by Gover­ nor Herter in signing the Act. It was explained that these had been obtained through Senator Edward C. Stone, whose indefati­ gable work with respect to the passage of the bill by the Legisla­ ture was largely responsible in its final enactment. Both the cer­ tified copy of the Act and the quill, Mrs. Adams stated, will be placed in the Historical Museum.

Election of Officers and New Council Members The Nominating Committee report was presented by Mrs. Rozelle Jones, a member of the Committee recommending nomi­ nations as follows: President Vice Presidents Sec'y Treas.

Auditor Councillors

George W. Jones Howard U. Chase, Everett U. Crosby Burnham N. Dell, Miss Grace Brown Gardner Stokeley W. Morgan, W. Ripley Nelson Miss Ethel Anderson Ormonde F. Ingall Robert Caldwell term expires 1958 Mrs. William L. Mather " " 1960 Mrs. William Perkins " " 1960

The report was accepted and the nominees were duly elected.

Mrs. Adams then stated that in the thirty years she had been connected with the Association, and especially the three years as President, she had learned to know and love the collections housed in the various buildings and felt that she could almost call them by name. In retiring from active work with the Association, she said she would not lose interest therein and would always be at hand to help in any way she could. She then called upon Mr. Jones to step forward to receive the gavel as the new President of the Association, saying that she did not know of anyone she would rather see as President—an island-born Nantucketer who had married another island-born Nantucketer. Before Mr. Jones could do more than say "Thank you," it was moved that the meeting give Mrs. Adams a rising vote of thanks which was promptly done, after which Mr. Jones laughingly said that the proposer had

SIXTY-SECOND ANNUAL MEETING

9

"stolen his thunder", but he then proceeded with the remarks he had started to make which were in part as follows.

Mr. Jones Accepts Presidency Dear members and friends, as you will probably all agree, one of the finest things in this life is the attainment of friends. Our relatives have to be our relatives whether they like it or not, and the fact that friendship is an optional matter is one of the causes of its value. So I maintain that friends are desirable things to have on most occasions. However, there are times when friends can get one into a deal of trouble, and this seems to be one of those occasions. There I was serving quietly on the Council (or as quietly as my nature allows) when all at once things began to hap­ pen.

Mrs. Nancy Adams, who has served this Association faithfully and loyally as its President and whose ability and knowledge of the subject peculiarly fitted her for that position, regretfully announced that for a number of reasons it would be necessary that her name be withdrawn as a candidate for re-election. Well, the fat was in the fire, and it became necessary for the Nominating Committee to find someone brash enough to accept this position which had been so ably filled.

You now know who that gullible person was. I stand before you convicted. Not having the ability to observe the future, I can­ not say how successful I will be in this office. All I can and do say to you is that I accept this position and that I will try to carry on as my predecessors have—to the best of my ability.

I wish before closing these remarks to congratulate our most recent Past President on the work which she has so ably and willingly performed. Many things have been accomplished during her term of office, and the Association has grown in size, in strength and in interest. May she be as successful in any other endeavors in which she may from time to time be engaged as she has in this one. I here and now extend to her an invitation to the next Council meeting, so that the members of that body may be given the opportunity to express to her more fully their apprecia­ tion of her accomplishments.

And now I thank you for your confidence in my ability to ad­ minister this office, for in spite of my earlier remarks in a lighter

10

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

vein, I am much interested in the work and welfare and aims of this organization. Now, as one of my first acts in this office, it affords me a great deal of pleasure to introduce our speaker, Mr. Edouard Stackpole.

Edouard A. Stackpole Speaks

"The Challenge of Our Island Heritage" was the title of the talk given by Mr. Edouard A. Stackpole, former President of the Association, a Nantucketer and now Curator of the Marine His­ torical Association of Mystic, Connecticut. His talk, which is here­ inafter reported, was given in his own inimitable manner for which he is noted.

Our readers' attention is called particularly to it not only be­ cause of the content but because of the sincerity in which it was prepared and presented.

Adjournment

Following Mr. Stackpole's talk there being no further busi­ ness, Mr. Jones adjourned the meeting.

11

Annual Report of the President 1955-56 Members and Friends: Your Council has held monthly meetings all through a very active year. Two Special Meetings have also been held. At all these meetings matters of importance have been discussed and much work has been accomplished which has kept the Council members more than busy.

Again we have had changes in membership of the Council caused by the resignation of the Treasurer, Mrs. Elizabeth Worth, and the Chairman of the Oldest House Committee, Mrs. Lewis Edgarton, both of whom have given many, many hours of devoted service to our Association. Our appreciation and thanks are extended to them at this time. Mr. George Jones resigned as Secretary in favor of a working secretary who could give more time to the increasing office work.

New Elections and Appointments The position of Secretary-Treasurer was filled by electing Miss Ethel Anderson to double-duty, and we are happy to report that she has rendered valiant and willing service to these combined offices. As Chairman of the Oldest House the Council appointed Mrs. William Perkins, a young woman who has an eager interest in old Nantucket and its history, and who has started the season with a growing interest in the work.

We were most fortunate to secure Mrs. John H. Bartlett, Jr., to serve as Chairman of the "1800 House" to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mrs. William Voorneveld, who found it necessary to resign owing to stress of other duties. The duties of the Chairmen of these buildings are much more arduous than one realizes. To each and every one we extend our thanks and appreciation.

We were saddened by the death of Wallace Long, who had given many years of happy service as Custodian of the Whaling Museum. We miss him greatly. His knowledge of coastal waters and the sea in general can be matched by few other persons.

By a turn of good luck, we secured Archie Cartwright as his

12

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

successor. Mr. Cartwright's first-hand knowledge of whaling is invaluable, and he entertains our many visitors with tales of the sea as well as with his own experiences in whaling.

Your President has indeed had a difficult year, as these new members of our official family have necessarily had to be in­ structed in their duties, and it has fallen on her to add this extra time and attention to her already full agenda.

At this time I call your attention to Mrs. Alma Backus who, as Receptionist at the Historical Museum, is now entering her twentyfifth year of service. Her knowledge of the vast amount of material in that building is of great importance to your Custodian of Col­ lections, and I am sure you all wish to congratulate her for her long years of faithful attendance to her duties.

In the Whaling Museum Library Mrs. Ellen D. Chace has ably filled the position of Librarian as successor to Miss Helen Winslow, who gave hours of hard labor to the cataloguing and rearrange­ ment of the Library. We are grateful to them both.

Whaling Museum Reconstruction Fund

The most important action of the Council has been the en­ deavor to raise the sum of $20,000 for the repairs to the old Candle House which houses our Whaling Museum. Much of the intended work has been accomplished, both interior and exterior, but the full amount of the money desired has not been forthcoming.

A full report of the work has been printed in the July issue of "Historic Nantucket". The Association members should recog­ nize that this work has been accomplished through the efforts of Mr. W. Ripley Nelson and his committee who have given time and attention to this tremendous piece of work. To them we extend our heartfelt appreciation and thanks. A letter has gone out to every member asking for contributions, small or large, to help pay for the work which has been accomplished.

Membership

The membership in our Association has remained about the same. The only changes are that new members offset the resigna­ tions and the loss by death of some of our members. At present we have 143 Life members; 63 Sustaining, and 857 Annual Active members, making a total of 1,063.

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT

13

Summer Activities of the Association

In August we sponsored a lecture, "Treasure Hunting in America", by Mr. Roland Robbins, featuring the uncovering of the ruins of America's first iron works, in Saugus, Massachusetts.

On Tuesday afternoons during July and August, eight infor­ mal talks were given on Nantucket subjects. These were well at­ tended and much enjoyed. These talks were held in the Friends Meeting House, which was also used on Sundays during the season for the Friends meetings.

For the third season we are again holding the Tuesday afternoon talks and have already had the pleasure of rambling with our own Dr. Will Gardner through the year 1659, when the Island was bought for 30 pounds and two beaver hats, "one for me and one for my wife".

We had the rare pleasure of a visit from Mr. Arthur H. Jack­ son, District Clerk of the Urban District Council of Milford Haven, Wales. Mr. and Mrs. Jackson were the guests of Miss Margaret Harwood, who had visited Milford Haven during her travels in Europe. Mr. Jackson came bearing gifts, and presented a scroll with the Greetings of the District Council of Milford Haven to the Nantucket Historical Association, and a complete chart of the genealogy of the families which went from Nantucket to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and thence to Milford Haven after the Revolution to start a whaling colony. Also among the gifts was a beautifully carved Welsh Love Spoon. All these were accepted by your President in behalf of the Association.

Publications

Again we express our gratitude to Mr. Nelson, who is the able editor of "Historic Nantucket". Four issues of this maga­ zine have been published and have gone to all parts of the United States, plus Ceylon, India, and England. One bulletin has been published and is on sale at all the museums. This is a reprint of the article in last July's magazine "The Nantucket Whaling Museum .

New Bequests

The Association is a beneficiary of the will of Miss Helen McCleary, who bequeathed the sum of one thousand dollars. Miss McCleary had already given the Association many valuable Nan-

14

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

tucket books and a fine collection of china, glass, silver, and furni­ ture to be known as the Barnard-Cartwright Collection. Miss Margaretta Hinchman bequeathed three fine paintings of Nan­ tucket scenes done in gouache tempora. These are the original paintings from which the illustrations for her mother's book, "Early Settlers of Nantucket", were taken. We are most grateful to Mrs. Harriet Ross, of Nantucket, from whom the Association has received a gift of one thousand dollars as a nucleus for a fund for the preservation of the Old Mill. We trust that others may be interested to add to this fund.

Winter Gam and Special Meeting

The Winter Gam was held as usual in the library of the Maria Mitchell Association last February, with Mr. George Jones as Chairman. These Gams are really fun, and we wish more people would attend and hear the reminiscences of old-time personalities and activities.

A Special Meeting of the Association was called in April for the purpose of voting to grant an easement to the town and county of a corner of the Whaling Museum land on Broad and South Beach Streets, for the purpose of widening the corner at that point. The vote in favor was unanimous. Ground was broken July 17th for the start of this work. In digging post holes there was strong evidence found of the probable ashes and residue of the Great Fire of 1846.

"Off-Island" Activities — and "Moby Dick"

As a Delegate from our Association and a Delegate-at-Large of the Bay State Historical League, your President attended four quarterly meetings through the year. The local historical so­ cieties were hosts in October at Groton; in January at Brookline; in April at Wellesley, and in June at West Bridgewater. The contact with these other societies is of great value in spreading friendly relations, and I trust it may be continued in the future.

In March I was an invited guest at a luncheon at Spouter Inn in the New Bedford Hotel, given by John Huston, director of the film "Moby Dick". About thirty people with a whaling background were the guests. Mr. Huston was a delightful host.

It was with great surprise that I received in May a gold ticket from Warner Brothers to attend the world-premiere of the film

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT

15

at the State Theatre in New Bedford. I attended many of the festivities during a two-day celebration and watched with pleas­ ure the wild greeting given Gregory Peck and John Huston. It was exciting, and I wish there could have been more Nantucket people to enjoy it with me.

Widespread Interest in Nantucket

Our museums have been visited once more by delegations from "off-island" schools, and Boy and Girl Scouts in groups, as well as by our own local school children.

The Association has been one of the sponsors of the new Historic Districts Commission which the town has adopted, and we are glad to announce that all five members of the Commission are members of this Association. The Historic Districts Commis­ sion has created great interest from other towns and cities, and we trust it is a start in the right direction for both our own town and other historic localities all over the country.

President Announces Retirement

It is with the deepest regret that I announce that this will be my last report as your President. For personal reasons I feel it is time for me to retire, not that I desire to shirk any duty that a loyal Nantucketer ought to perform, but that someone may be elected whose interest is no less intense than mine in the welfare of this Association and who is better able to suggest and carry out new plans for the increase of interest and more efficient accom­ plishments of the purpose of the Association. ,.a

Nancy S. Adams, : President

16

The Challenge of an Island Heritage

BY EDOUARD A. STACKPOLE

A legend of the Greeks tells of a wanderer who arrived, weary and aged, at the world's end and stopped to quench his thirst at a clear spring. After one draught of the enchanted water he realized that this was the same spring that had refreshed him in his youth.

In our uneasy American world today there are only a few spots which are imbued with this peculiar quality to refresh— and Nantucket is one of these favored places. They recapture that illusion of past — they wreak a magic in one's memory.

Other seaport towns may compete with Nantucket in beauty.

You may find beaches for swimming in a dozen other summer resorts; you may enjoy sailing to better advantage at numerous stretches along the New England coast; you may discover equally well-appointed hotels and guest houses at other places. But what sets Nantucket apart is something you cannot find in these other places. It is that awareness that in this island-town we are in the presence of a compelling tradition—a tradition unique in the annals of America—a heritage bequeathed by a generation of sea kings, the like of which the nation will never see again—mariners who made the name Nantucket known all over the world.

As we wander through the streets and lanes of this historic town we are close to the physical evidences of this past, immers­ ing ourselves simultaneously in today and yesterday. Here we are reminded of the courage, persistence, daring, and self-reliance of that breed of Quaker seamen who evolved a unique kingdom in the sea.

Writers have extolled the quality of Nantucket's peculiar architectural perfection. Artists capture the many appealing vistas of town and harbor. Talented orators have praised the story of the island's past, and journalists find a variety of material supplying their pens and their journals.

And now, only in recent months, with an inspiring rush of good fortune, the Historic Districts Bill has provided the imple­ mentation for a legal protection of the architectural inheritance of the old town.

THE CHALLENGE OF AN ISLAND HERITAGE

17

But tradition so bequeathed to us as islanders is not alone confined to the sturdy houses and winding lanes which make up the so-called "historic districts" of our island. Our heritage is far greater than ancient wood and brick, and locale; it is a human symbol, not a material one.

Suppose a disaster (heaven forbid!) should destroy to a large degree our old town? Suppose a great campaign enabled us to rebuild or reconstruct. Would it be the same? Of course, it could not be so to us, but perhaps another generation would not com­ prehend the wide difference or realize what had been lost. In fact, another hundred years hence might add the illusion of great age, so that only the historian and the archaeologist would comprehend that the irreplaceable was gone forever.

On the other hand, no disaster can ever destroy the true heritage of Nantucket — that potent force which created the old town in the first place. Those Nantucketers of the 17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries gave of their minds and hearts as well as of their hands. They built something stronger than dwellings and warehouses; they stood squarely and confidently on definite principles whether within their homes or counting houses or on the decks of their ships. Though their empire has vanished, their legacy remains, for it is woven into the history, economy, and geography of the nation.

What Is this Heritage?

History is to a nation what memory is to an individual. In this island town we have a people who are actually living closer to the community's past than any other similar group in America.

If we pause to reflect amid these visible evidences of our heritage we are aware of the deeper significance of our relationship with the past. It is like a psychological cocktail.

What is this heritage—this Nantucket tradition? As much as I would like to present the romantic I am afraid that the basic parts are more fixed and less emotional. The several elements are composed of determination, self-reliance and ability on the one hand, and religious faith, devotion to duty, and love of home on the other. These are the component parts of the inheritance bequeathed us by our forefathers.

Tradition is not a documented history. Yet, on the other hand, is it not true that much of written history is merely appar­ ent illogical deductions of what writers may have believed were

18

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

the facts? Tradition is the tested, tried-out opinions, statements, and beliefs which have been handed down from generation to gen­ eration by oral transmission, the knowledge of which is communi­ cated in most cases within written memorials.

It was Hawthorne who said: "Nobody can make a tradition; it takes a century to make it." I may add, it takes a living gener­ ation to continue to transmit it.

Our Nantucket tradition is unalterably a blending of whaling, Quakerism, and family trees. Such an incongruous mixture was placed in the try-pots of this island, during two centuries and a half of life, and the product, fused by fire of action and cleansed by love and despair, is like the white, crystaline spermaceti wax which made Nantucket famous—a pure substance unlike any other.

Tradition and history are so closely allied that one cannot live without the aid of the other. We cannot handle them as we might the exact sciences, like mathematics or chemistry. There is no series of figures in tradition which we may check for accuracy or hold up as a proven sum. Tradition is like the devotion of a mother for her child, unfathomable and unlimited, and impossible to fully describe.

We who are privileged to live in Nantucket know that this island tradition is as strong as the tide and, like the tide, always returns. To analyze it would take a longer time than is available this afternoon and so I must give you merely what I feel are the high-lights.

Old Ghosts and New Spirits I once read an article on Nantucket in which the islanders were described as descendants of whaling masters. Somehow, I wish the writer could have met Charlie Brown Cathcart, or Joe Fisher, or Peter Hoye — or some of the other ordinary sailor men whom I knew as a child — and made the statement to them. I know what they would have said, but I can't repeat it here.

What a ship-master might have remarked, I will never know as they were then all gone, but I do know they would have laughed heartily.

Yes, whaling is so strongly the mainstay of our tradition that no part of the one is without the other. But there are ordinary sailors as well as captains, coopers and blacksmiths; as well as

THE CHALLENGE OF AN ISLAND HERITAGE

19

ship owners, clerks and longshoremen; as well as store keepers, and there were mothers and sisters as well as fathers and brothers.

To find a way to trace the very origins of our tradition is to thread one's way back through the labyrinth of history. The ghosts of our ancestors — who linger in the shadows of the old houses, whose shapes suddenly appear in foggy patches in the lanes, whose voices are often heard in the surging of the surf, and the howling of the wind — would not like to be considered prim and proper heroines and heroes. They were living people with the usual allot­ ment of triumphs and defeats, successes, and failures. When they came as the first white settlers of this island, they never realized they were founders of a unique and lasting settlement which was to become a virtual kingdom in the sea.

The story of their first years, featured by the subsequent alignment of the family groups into divided political camps, set up the beginnings of the tradition. Can we forget Mary Coffin and think only of her father Tristram? Can we neglect Richard Pinkham and concentrate on John Gardner? Can we overlook Richard Swain and devote all our attention to Peter Folger? We cannot. They were equally the parents of the first generation of whalemen and their initial struggles were as nothing as compared to their sons! It was the creation of the second generation that gave the delineation of the character of those ancestors of ours.

I could give you the full story of the whaling eras but that is not to be today. I have written it in "The Sea Hunters". But I must say we can do no better than cherish the whaling tradition, as it is so much a part of our nation's past as well as Nantucket s. It brought wealth at a time when both country and island needed it.

But before I leave it, let me remind you of the great contrasts in whaling; The necessity of the business — The excitement of the chase — The utter boredom of the cruisings — The courage of officers and men — The unfeeling brutality of the treatment — The avarice of some owners and fairness of others — The rewards for service well done — Spectacular success — Dismal failure.

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

Captain Nicholson buried his child on one Pacific Island and saw his wife ashore at another, to return and find her dead. Lieut.

Reuben Chase became a privateersman after he had been forced to become a spectator at the great sea battle of the "Bon Homme Richard" and "Serapis"; then adopted a packet captain's role before returning to invest in an island grocery.

What about those who went away — I could tell you of Richard Pinkham, a prisoner of war at Halifax — Obed Hussey, the whaleman blacksmith whose invention of that vital part made the reaper possible — (Here Mr. Stackpole spoke of many other Nantucketers who made outstanding careers for themselves, both "on" and "off" the island. — Ed.)

There Is a Tide

A few weeks ago I sat in a crowded theatre in New Bedford participating in the audience's share of the world premiere of the new motion picture "Moby Dick". Within a few minutes a deep suspicion became a fact — the "Pequod" of this modern version of "Moby Dick" was sailing not from Nantucket but from New Bedford. The director had given the old ship a different home port.

It was like a problem in mathematics. Taking a wrong premise it was impossible for any producer to reach the right answer.

Melville had selected Nantucket as the "Pequod's" home port for a basic reason and the whole significance of that was entirely lost.

If ever there was a written document of praise for Nan­ tucket it is "Moby Dick", and yet, incredible as it was, the name "Nantucket" was not once mentioned in the entire picture. What of Starbuck — what of Ahab himself? How could such a stagger­ ing mistake occur? And yet, such a decision was made. Can we think of a dramatization of Greek history without mentioning Athens or Socrates? Can we visualize a picture of Trafalgar without the "Victory" or Nelson? Give the Hollywood boys time and they will again film the "Ten Commandments" and decide to use only five because the picture should only run two hours and a half.

THE CHALLENGE OF AN ISLAND HERITAGE

21

If a natural claim to fame, so firmly established in an American classic, can be ignored by the experts, think of how quickly the lesser lights can despoil an island heritage!

What Now? If we learn nothing else from history we are struck by the fact of its essential continuity. The character which is the old town of Nantucket is founded in its simplicity and in its mellow­ ness of age, and hovering over it is that heritage of the past.

Nantucket cannot remain static. A community which resists change is an insecure community. There are, after all, only two courses: First, to accept change and adapt it to Nantucket tra­ ditions in a realistic and appropriate manner; secondly, to let things drift along, avoiding the obvious and be suddenly over­ whelmed with it. By the first course we may evolve the adapta­ tion through the democratic processes of law; by the second, we invite disaster.

The passage of the "Historic Districts" Bill was a major step.

But, with the functioning of the Historic Districts Committee, we cannot sit back and become complacent. By so doing we would look only inward and survey, as it were, a walled town. We cannot turn our backs to what is going on behind us on the other side of the wall. Nantucket's waterfront is too much a part of its history to be relegated to the mill-stones of so-called progress. These wharves and streets have survived storms, fires, and depression but they cannot cope with that tyrant called "progress". The town once turned its back on an opportunity to preserve one major por­ tion. I hope this will never happen again. There is no substitute for public support. Let the average person know and then appeal to him for help. The true economy of Nantucket is not a matter of new steamboats or new airplanes, neither is it a question of new ramps for old wharves — it is the faith of Nantucketers in Nan­ tucket and the willingness of islanders to invest in that kind of future we earnestly believe is best for this island town.

It is one thing to protect the outward while letting the inner force disintegrate. We can do no better than paraphrase a classic utterance — We cannot consecrate or dedicate Nantucket. The brave men and women who gave it to us as a heritage have conse­ crated it far beyond our power to add or detract. Once we lose the

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

full significance of this heritage we also lose the value of pre­ serving the physical evidences. But I know that we will not lose it so long as we mind the admonition of a devoted American — . . that in this place there has been collected the wisdom, the patriotism, the devotion to principle, from which sprang the institution under which we now live."

As the repository of the outward manifestation of this rugged simplicity of our great heritage we have the old town of Nantucket, which glows with the reflection of an "inner light". As the guard­ ians of that "inner light", which contains the hopes and fears, the triumphs and defeats, the successes and the depressions, of our great heritage we have only ourselves. Let us accept that challenge!

23

Moody Ahab and His Heaven-Insulting Purpose

BY A. STUART PITT

The revaluation of Melville's "Moby Dick" occasioned by the centennial of the novel has been, in the main, ingenious, challeng­ ing, and useful, but it has left some readers, at least, with the uneasy sensation that the criticism seems, at times, to be nudging the book itself off the stage. One thinks of Emerson's account, in "Illusions", of his visit to Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, where he was prevented from enjoying the "dignity that belongs to all natural objects" by being compelled, by the guide apparently, to make all sorts of "foppish" comparisons. A certain "niche or grotto made of one seamless stalactite" had to be fancied "Serena's Bower"; underground streams had to be, of course, Lethes and Styxes; and one particular cavity, indirectly lighted, had to be the "Star Chamber". The cave was rather spoiled for him, he indicates, by this "eking out its sublimities" with the endless "illu­ sion". It seems to me that we are in danger of obscuring the integrity of the novel by a similar concern with the endless "illusions" (in the Emersonian sense) of "Moby Dick". I am not the first to suggest that "Moby Dick" makes superb sense of itself and that the core of meaning is explicit in the pages of the novel.

The motivation for Ahab's relentless purpose in seeking out and destroying the white whale is clearly established in the wild and intense scene on the quarter-deck of the "Pequod" in Chapter 36 of "Moby Dick". To his assembled officers and men, beside themselves with terror and excitement, the impassioned Ahab announces, ". . . this is what ye have shipped for, men, to chase that white whale on both sides of land, and over all sides of the earth, till he spouts black blood and rolls fin out".

The sensitive and religious Starbuck, Ahab's first mate, is all but un-nerved. "Vengeance on a dumb brute!" he cries, that simply smote thee from blindest instinct! Madness! To be enraged with a dumb thing, Captain Ahab, seems blasphemous .

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

But Ahab's mind is long since made up, and the philosophical basis for his hideous purpose has long since been determined. He has a very explicit rejoinder ready for the horrified Starbuck: "All visible objects, man, are but as pasteboard masks. But in each event . . . some unknown but still reasoning thing puts forth the mouldings of its features from behind the unreasoning mask. If man will strike, strike through the mask! How can the prisoner reach outside except by thrusting through the wall?

To me, the white whale is that wall, shoved near to me. Sometimes I think there's naught beyond. But 'tis enough. He tasks me; he heaps me; I see in him outrageous strength, with an inscrutable malice sinewing it. That inscrutable thing is chiefly what I hate; and be the white whale agent, or be the white whale principal, I will wreak that hate upon him. Talk not to me of blasphemy, man; I'd strike the sun if it insulted me."

Starbuck can only mutter, "God keep me! — keep us all!"

He can only hope desperately, "His heaven-insulting purpose, God may wedge aside."

Certainly Ahab's apologia here is clear enough, but, as if to make sure that it may not escape the reader, Melville has Ishmael, the narrator, restate, and analyze the reasons for Ahab's wild quest in chapter 41. Ishmael tells us: "Ahab had cherished a wild vindictiveness against the whale, all the more fell, for that in his frantic morbidness he at last came to identify with him, not only all his bodily woes, but all his intellectual and spiritual exas­ perations. The White Whale swam before him as the monomaniac incarnation of all those malicious agencies which some deep men feel eating in them. . .. That intangible malignity. . . . All that most maddens and torments; all that stirs up the lees of things; all truth with malice in it; all that cracks the sinews and cakes the brain; all the subtle demonisms of life and thought; all evil, to crazy Ahab, were visibly personified, and made practically assail­ able in Moby Dick. He piled upon the whale's white hump the sum of all the general rage and hate felt by his whole race from Adam down. . .

This defiant vindictiveness, as we have seen, Starbuck calls "blasphemous" and "heaven-insulting". Why? Once again, the answer is to be found in the pages of the novel itself, and that

MOODY AHAB AND HIS HEAVEN-INSULTING PURPOSE

25

answer is that Ahab is guilty of sinful arrogance—of an intoler­ able impatience which is contrary to the highest wisdom of Christian ethics, certainly, and of most ethical systems that we know of. Melville has dared to conceive of a character who is courageously insolent enough to defy the gods themselves. Ahab believes that the gods are bullies—he refers to the "Pequod" as a "God-bullied hull"—and that submission is, in Melville's own word, "flunkeyism."

The enormity of Ahab's blasphemous defiance is made clear in Chapter 119, called "The Candles", when, exulting in the fury of the storm, Ahab grasps the links of chain attached to the lightning-rod of the mainmast, and dares the fires of the heavens to strike him. He informs the "clear spirit of clear fire" whom he addresses that it has met its match, and that its bluff is called.

"With fixed upward eye, and high flung right arm" Ahab declaims: "I now know thee, thou clear spirit, and I now know that thy right worship is defiance. To neither lover nor reverence wilt thou be kind. ... I own thy speechless, placeless power; but to the last gasp of my earthquake life will dispute its unconditional, unintegral mastery in me. . . . Come in thy lowest form of love, and I will kneel and kiss thee; but at thy highest, come as mere super­ nal power. . . . there's that in here that still remains indifferent."

In these words we can comprehend Ahab "in all his fatal pride".

"Who's over me?" he asks.

Our touchstone for testing the monstrous wickedness of Ahab is, as Howard Vincent demonstrates in "The Trying-out of Moby Dick", the sermon of Father Mapple, which Ishmael hears in the Seaman's Bethel in New Bedford before the "Pequod" begins her cruise. This sermon forms chapter 9 of the novel, and seems clearly introduced thus early in the book to serve as a standard by which to evaluate Ahab's sin. Drawing his sermon from the story of Jonah, Father Mapple urges upon his hearers the religious duty of submission and obedience to God. A man must live so that he "can say with his final breath—0 Father! chiefly known to me by Thy rod—mortal or immortal, here I die. I have striven to be Thine, more than to be this world's, or mine own." Jonah's sin was "his wilful disobedience of the command of God". He could not obey at first because "if we obey God, we must disobey ourselves. . . ." But Ahab only obeys himself; like Jonah, he "flouts at God".

He will not be "only a patriot to heaven", but proudly flaunts his

26

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

independence. Thus, by the standards of most God-fearing men (Starbuck is their representative in the novel), Ahab is doomed.

A sense of this doom haunts Ahab; he knows that he is "damned in the midst of Paradise". But there is no turning back now. "The path to my fixed purpose is laid with iron rails, whereon my soul is grooved to run". The gods do not play fair, and Ahab will never forgive them for that. He hurls down his gauntlet, and defies them to pick it up. "I laugh and hoot at ye . . . ye've knocked me down, and I am up again; but ye have run and hidden. Come forth from behind your cotton bags!" Ahab cannot understand the "horrible vulturism of earth"—where disembowled sharks eat their own entrails—and he will not tamely submit to what he cannot understand. The only outlet for his frenzy must be to kill the white whale—"I now prophesy that I will dismember my dismemberer".

How has Ahab become thus inextricably involved in these horrible complications? What irrevocably doomed him to travel the road to certain and futile self-destruction? The best answer is to be found, I think, in chapter 96, called "The Try-Works", in which Ishmael relates a frightening experience he had one night when he was steering the ship. As he faced forward, he could not help staring at the flames from the try-works, that seagoing bar­ becue pit in which the oil is tried out of the whale blubber in huge cauldrons. Hypnotized by the fierce glare, he found himself, when he came to, completely turned about, and only in the nick of time was he able to turn around and save the ship from possible danger by resuming control of the tiller. Ishmael points the moral for us. "Look not too long in the face of fire, 0 man! Never dream with thy hand on the helm! Turn not thy back to the com­ pass . . . believe not the artificial fire. . . ." Is not this precisely what Ahab has done? He has gazed so long into the hell fires of speculation that he has maddened himself. "Give not thyself up, then, to fire," Ishmael exhorts us, "lest it invert thee, deaden thee. . . . There is a wisdom that is woe; but there is a woe that is madness." In short it is possible to think too much, as Ahab has done. He who probes the riddles of life must say farewell to the tranquil mind. Melville quotes Solomon: ". . . the man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain ... in the con­ gregation of the dead." In like vein we are warned again in chap­ ter 58: "For as this appalling ocean surrounds the verdant land.

MOODY AHAB AND HIS HEAVEN-INSULTING PURPOSE

27

so in the soul of man there lies one insular Tahiti, full of peace and joy, but encompassed by all the horrors of the half-known life.

God Keep thee! Push not off from that isle, thou canst never return;" The eleventh commandment of Stubb, the happiest man in the "Pequod", is "Think not".

Ahab's fate, then, is that of him who dares to meddle with things inscrutable. Needless to say, Ahab does not solve the riddle of the universe, and the mystery of the existence of evil in the world remains a mystery for all of Ahab. Moby Dick, that embodi­ ment of inscrutable malice, rams and sinks the "Pequod; ". . . then all collapsed, and the great shroud of the sea rolled on as it rolled five thousand years ago."

A new contributor, A. Stuart Pitt, Professor, Department of English History and Government, United States Naval Academy, the author of the above article is welcomed not only as a new contributor but also because his article is timely. The showing of the spectacular motion picture, the critics' widely published re­ views, and Mr. Pitt's revaluation may well prompt many of our readers to read or reread Melville's "Moby Dick", the classic now celebrating its centennial. Those who do will appreciate also Mr. Stackpole's criticism of the filming which resulted in the omission of Nantucket as the home port from which the "Pequod" sailed.

We are hopeful that Mr. Pitt's contribution may inspire other members to submit ideas and articles for consideration for publi­ cation.

28

History Making Events Gift to Ex-President The July meeting of the Council, following the Annual Meeting of the Association, was a happy occasion. The members had asked the attendance of Mrs. Nancy Adams, their late President, and sur­ prised her with the presentation of a diamond-studded wrist watch.

Senior Vice-President Everett U. Crosby in a few friendly and laudatory remarks, which preceded the presentation, explained that the gift she was about to receive was to prompt her to keep in mind daily the fond regard of the members of the Council, in addition to their respect and appreciation of the exceptional success in office of the Association's first woman President. Miss Grace Brown Gardner then presented the gift to Mrs. Adams who ex­ pressed her thanks and appreciation.

Committee Chairmen The Council of the Association, at its July meeting, elected George W. Jones Chairman of the Council, in which position he will serve in addition to that of President of the Association.

Stokeley W. Morgan was elected Chairman of the Finance Committee, succeeding W. Ripley Nelson, who had asked to be relieved of this duty, having served in that position since 1952.

Earl S. Ray and Howard U. Chase were re-elected committee members.

Chairmen of the various committees in charge of the As­ sociation's buildings and various other activities were elected also, namely: Historical Museum Whaling Museum Oldest House Old Mill Old Jail 1800 House Publicity Old North Cemetery Old 'Sconset Pump Historic Nantucket

Mrs. William L. Mather W. Ripley Nelson Mrs. William Perkins Earl Ray James A. Norcross Mrs. John H. Bartlett Stokeley W. Morgan Burnham N. Dell Albert Egan, Jr. W. Ripley Nelson (Editor)

HISTORY MAKING EVENTS

29

The Membership Committee chairmanship and personnel is to be decided upon at a later date. Pending its organization the Committee's work will be handled by the Treasurer, with Mrs. Nancy S. Adams, the former chairman, acting as supervisor.

Mrs. Nancy S. Adams, who, over a period of many years, served as Curator, Librarian, and Custodian of Collections, was appointed Honorary Custodian of Collections. Her knowledge of the Association's collections and exhibits will be of inestimable value and help to Mrs. William L. Mather, who, at a subsequent meeting of the Council, was appointed Custodian of Collections.

Historic Nantucket

Miss Helen L. Winslow and Burnham N. Dell have served faithfully since 1954 as Associate Editors, so with genuine regret their requests to be released from these positions have been approved, as both have found it necessary to curtail their ac­ tivities so that they may concentrate on other important work in which they are engaged. We are happy to say though, that both promise to contribute articles for publication.

We are most fortunate in being able to announce that Mrs. Harold P. Page and Mr. Harmon Tupper have agreed to accept appointment as their successors. Mrs. Page, with experience in publicity and club magazine work, and Mr. Tupper, a free lance writer, will provide new ideas in the publication of our quarterly, the Editor of which was reappointed by the Council.

Historical Museum

Mrs. Nancy S. Adams and Mr. Robert Caldwell have accepted appointment as members of the Museum Committee of which Mrs. Mather is Chairman. The transfer of the display of shells to the new show case has been completed resulting in a vastly improved exhibit which has received favorable comment.

Whaling Museum

With the election of Mr. Jones to the Presidency of the Association, the Museum lost an active and valued member of its Committee. Mrs. Kent King, a Nantucketer by birth and whose forebears were Nantucketers, has accepted appointment as a Committee Member. Her keen interest in historical research will

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

be of special value in the library work and in tracing and present­ ing the genealogical and historical facts of the persons whose portraits are on display. Mr. Albert Egan, Jr., will continue as a member of the Committee.

Archie Cartwright's explanatory comments about the various exhibits, his step by step story of whaling, and his anecdotes on the life of the old time whalers have held many visitors entranced. At least in part they are now preserved for future generations, thanks to Henry C. Carlisle, who, with his recording machine, made a tour of the exhibits with Archie making a tape recording of his talk to visitors. This, together with the typewritten record of ques­ tions and the late George C. Grant's answers, gives us two authen­ tic records of whaling by Nantucket whalemen.

Summer Lectures

Seven informal talks were sponsored again this summer by the Association. Given in the Friends Meeting House and open to both members and the public without admission charge, they proved, as in past years, to be a popular attraction.

MILFORD HAVEN.

It seemed most fitting that the first talk should be by a visitor, Mr. Arthur Jackson, Deputy Clerk of the Urban District Council of the Township of Milford Haven, Wales. He brought with him as gifts from the Town a scroll with the seal of the Township conveying cordial greetings, a genealogical table of Nantucketers who went to Milford Haven to establish there a whaling industry and a "Welsh Love Spoon" elaborately carved and rarely produced today. His talk included explanations of interesting pictures taken by Miss Margaret Harwood on her visit to Milford Haven.

A RAMBLE IN 1659.

Dr. William E. Gardner made the second talk, his subject being "A Ramble in 1659 and Nantucket Bought for Thirty Pounds and Two Beaver Hats". "Dr. Will" explained the title was chosen because dry dates and documents would be avoided and visits to some old houses and locations would humanize the first settlers and help discover why they left pleasant Merrimac Valley and tame to an unfertile island surrounded by treacherous shoals,

HISTORY MAKING EVENTS

31

to make a new start in life. Thus, in turn, he presented the character, life, and living conditions of the first settlers. In closing he suggested the appropriateness of a 300th Anniversary three years hence when he said: "What better Memorial to our first settlers could we provide than a three hundredth anniversary starting July 2, 1959, the date of signing of the '30 pounds and two beaver hats' deed. All over the United States are Nantucket families who write us about their yearnings to see Nantucket.

The idea is worth consideration—an anniversary period, at this time of confusion, when we revive the past and live with our ancestors who sought the Island as a refuge."

GOLD RUSH DAYS.

"Nantucket Forty-Niners" was the subject of the third talk which was given by Miss Helen L. Winslow. The Islanders of that day, as she pointed out, were accustomed to traveling great distances in search of wealth in the form of whale oil and to be away for long periods of time, even up to six years. Therefore it was quite in character for them to embark on the six-months' voyage around Cape Horn. Over 600 men left Nantucket for the gold fields, mostly by sea although a few went by the overland trails. An article by Miss Winslow under the same title was pub­ lished in the January, 1956, issue of Historic Nantucket which may be obtained from the Association for fifty cents a copy.

ISLAND LAND IMPROVEMENT.

Charles. Clark Coffin, Town Clerk of Nantucket, gave the fourth talk and spoke on the Development of Island land. An authority on this subject resulting from many years of official research, Mr. Coffin said it all began in 1641 when the Island was deeded to Thomas Mayhew and his son by an agent of the Earl of Sterling. Tracing through the subject of proprietor owner­ ship, common lands, and privately owned lots the audience at the end of his talk appreciated how true his opening words "The development of Nantucket land has been a very unique and un­ usual process, as far as I know entirely different from the usual development of real estate anywhere else. . .

THE STORY OF AN ATTIC.

"Rummaging Through an Attic" was the subject of the fifth talk which was given by Henry Coffin Carlisle, a descendant of a long line of seafaring Nantucket ancestors. Many interesting

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

"finds" were discovered by Mr. Carlisle, when he inherited the stately red-brick house at 75 Main Street. Constructed by his grandfather in 1833 of granite and brick brought from the main­ land, it cost, according to a detailed account, $4,200. Other inter­ esting items found in the attic treasure trove were letters and accounts pertaining to the over 80 whaling voyages of the Coffin owned ships. Subsequent ventures in land developments, the rail­ road and a steam plow were told by letters, accounts, pictures, and maps. Here in his own attic Mr. Carlisle proved he has found a real and valuable link to the Island's past, to say nothing of the part his family played in it.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN'S MOTHER.

For the sixth talk Mrs. Leroy H. True, Regent of the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, was the speaker. Her subject was the "Mother of Benjamin Franklin" of Nantucket, for whom the local chapter is named. While little factual information is available about Abiah, Mrs. True told an interesting story of her forebears and family history and the few letters known to be in existence, which passed between Benjamin and his mother and his sister Jane in which Abiah is mentioned with deep affection.

SEALERS DISCOVER ANTARCTIC CONTINENT.

The seventh and last talk was given by our former President Edouard A. Stackpole who told about the discovery of the Antarctic Continent by the Sealers. So much has been written about whalers, Stackpole pointed out, it is not generally known that Nantucket and other New England seaports sent a large number of ships to hunt seals and bring back their valuable pelts. Due to keen competition three New England ships sailed in 1820-21 into the unknown Antarctic Ocean. All three ships, the "Hero", Captain Nathaniel Palmer; the "Huron", Captain John Davis, and the "Huntress", Captain Christopher Burdick, of Nantucket, sighted the tops of lofty mountains rising through the clouds, a part of the Antarctic Continent, and so reported in their log books but only the "Huron" landed a boat's crew on the continental ice shelf.

The discovery and landing were made at the extreme northeast corner of Antarctica on what geographers later called the Palmer Peninsula in the belief that the original discovery was made by Captain Palmer and the ship "Hero". Only in 1947 did the finding

HISTORY MAKING EVENTS

33

of the log of the "Huron" show that the first actual landing was made from that ship, and the American claim to a part of the Antarctic Continent is based on that log, and the discovery is now credited to Captain Davis. However, Captain Burdick in the "Hunt­ ress" appears to have been the first to see the mountain tops, which he noted in his log with the comment that he "supposed" they were part of a new continent.

These sealing captains made valuable contributions to geo­ graphic knowledge and ran great risks in so doing. They were as truly pioneers of the ocean as their ancestors had been pioneers of New England and their contemporaries were pioneers of the Far West.

Illustrated Evening Lecture.

"Trust Territory and Islands of the Pacific" was the subject of an illustrated lecture given at Bennett Hall in the evening of August 25th by Lt. Commander Dorothy E. Richard, U.S.N., under the sponsorship of the Association. Her lecture covered a two and a half month official trip of inspection which included the Palara Islands, the Marshall and the Marianas, an area familiar to whalers of the bygone years of Nantucket history and where many of them wintered.

These islands, once German and later Japanese, are now under United Nations trusteeship with the United States as Ad­ ministrator. The extent of the work and responsibility, as pointed out by Commander Richard, can be appreciated when one real­ izes that the expanse of ocean in which these hundreds of islands lie is greater than the whole continental United States while the total land area is about the size of Rhode Island.

Commander Richard undertook the journey at the request of Admiral Arthur W. Radford, Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet at that time, who commissioned her to write a history of the islands. The lecture was supplemented by beautiful color photos, showing the gorgeous scenery of the territory, the natives in all stages of civilization, their homes and villages. The pictures were highlighted by Commander Richard's comments and amusing anecdotes.

President Jones to Visit Milford Haven.

Our President George W. Jones and Mrs. Jones left on Sep­ tember 23 for a motor trip through England, Scotland, and Wales.

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

A visit to Milford Haven is planned and looked forward to by both of them. A report on their visit is promised for the next issue.

During our President's absence Senior Vice-President Everett U. Crosby is acting as Chairman of the Council.

New Members of Official Family.

Mr. Stokeley W. Morgan at the Annual Meeting was elected a Vice President to fill the vacancy created by George W. Jones elected to the Presidency. Mr. Robert C. Caldwell was elected a Councillor to serve until 1958, thus filling the unexpired term left vacant through Mr. Morgan's election as a Vice President.

The terms of office of Mrs. Lewis S. Edgarton and Mr. John W. Grout expired by limitation and as provided in the by-laws, they could not succeed themselves as Councillors. Mrs. William L. Mather and Mrs. William Perkins were elected as their succes­ sors to serve until 1960.

Season Closing.

As this issue goes to print "Operation Mothball" becomes fully effective with respect to all our buildings, the Whaling Mu­ seum being the last to close on October fourteenth. This is not true of the work of the Association for it is during the long winter months that plans and preparations must be made for the next season and needed repairs made to our buildings and exhibits.

Plans are afoot for establishing in the balcony of the Friends Meeting House a year-round office for the Association which, because of its steady growth, now becomes imperative. During the "off season" Historic Nantucket will keep the membership in­ formed of interesting plans and events and, it is hoped entertain­ ment by timely articles. In turn, the editorial staff will appre­ ciate suggestions from members as to how it may carry to them items of interest and Association news in brief form. Articles on Nantucket history will be welcomed and promptly considered for publication.

35

Keziah Coffin Farming's Diary ( Continued)

1790 EDITED BY NANCY S. ADAMS

Jan. 29—Mr. Shaw gone to Falmouth. Mr. Lincoln to be ordained next Wednesday.

Feb. 10—Went to John Cartwright's to buy a hogshead of molasses and sugar. (Psalm singing seems to be a regular thing.)

March 5—Went to Perkins to buy a firkin of butter.

April 1—Reuben Giles died this eve.

April 15—Parney Annis had child born this morn.

April 20—Spent afternoon at Mrs. Chase's. Capt. Elisha Pinkham drank tea there. Mrs. Chase's mother's son-in-law has been absent 14 years, has now come home to the Island on a visit, has been Capt. of a whaling ship out of England.

May 1—Cos. Eliza Coffin (Aunt Abigail's daughter) died 10 a.m. of consumption.

May 4—Daniel Coffin came home to-day after 18 mos. absence.

May 8—Jonathan Coleman found a whale this morn the south side of the island. Mr. Fanning and myself rode down there to see her, she is a large whale very much blasted, 'tis supposed she has been ashore some time as she is very much buried in the sand.

The old whalemen say she would have made 70 bbls. when she was fresh, but now she will not make more than 30—she is 60 feet long—there was a thousand people on the shore, all ages, sizes, ranks, and denominations of people.

May 13—Mrs. Johnson had a son born to-day. (already had 5 daughters) May 16—George Chase came to the Bar this forenoon with 600 bbls. of whale oil, 60 sperm. Eunice Cole's husband is there.

May 17—very sickly in town. Influenza.

June 1—Mrs. Crocker had son born Thursday, lived an hour.

June 20—Lot Cottle has bought Esq. Hussey's house at Squam and lives there. James Cottle died this forenoon at Quaise. (Rev. Mr. Lincoln married Sukey Crocker since Feb'y) July 7—Zebulon Butler died to-day after long sickness.

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

Oct. 2—Rode to Mrs. Bunker's, she was very strangely seized a fortnight ago, sleeps the most of her time has almost lost the use of her limbs, she is hearty to eat and is well of her stomach, the doctor thinks it is a Lethargy.

Oct. 19—Had fine son born at 4 a.m., Doct. Bartlett attended.

Dec. 2—Elizabeth Long & her children & her sister Sally Goodwin moved into the East room of this house, we live in, the two women belong down East. Long married Elizabeth and brought her here.

Dec. 25—A number of French people came to the island last week with Micajah Coffin, they are bound to some part of the Continent to settle.

1791 Jan. 12—"a boat came in to-day & tells that a Brigg was seen a wreck off the Vineyard yesterday, people went off to her & towed her into the Vineyard, she is a Brigg that belongs here, sailed some weeks ago after a load of wood, she had wood in her hold, but not a soul on board, her mainmast was gone & some of her top masts, tis supposed that she overset in the storm on Monday night & that every person perished. John Kelley, George Pinkham son of Wm., Jonathan Coffin son of Abner & a boy went in her from here.

Jan. 15—Several vessells in to-day with wood, they ask 5 dollars per cord, no account of those poor souls that sailed in the Brigg.

Feb. 9—Henry Wood died in Halifax of small pox, had a relapse.

Feb. 28—Wm. Butler died about midnight last night.

May 1—Mr. Willis married to Betsy Clark by Mr. Shaw.

May 17—Cos. Eunice had son born 10 a.m.

June 5—Mrs. Riddle had twins, son & daughter born last week.

July 1—Mr. Woodruff of Connecticut preached. He married Dr. Bartlett's oldest daughter.

July 21—George Chase & George Pollard came to the bar yester­ day loaded from the Brazils.

(Note: these dates belong to 1792.)

August 29—Mrs. Johnson's child died this morn. Daniel Whitney had one buried this P.M., 2 weeks old.

Sept. 6—"Last Sunday morn George Chace went over the Bar in his ship all fitted for a voyage to Brazil & anchored waiting for a fair wind, the weather being stormy Sunday she dragged her

KEZIAH COFFIN FANNING'S DIARY

37

anchor & ran ashore on the Cliff the west side, the Capt. & Mate were on shore & she very slim manned-on Monday morn the Capt. & Mate got on board, found her to leak very bad, were obliged to get men to pump her all the time.

Sept. 7—George Chase got his ship off before dark & got her into the wharf—she leaks much.

Sept. 18—Geo. Chase's ship went over the Bar to-day.

Nov. 29—Lydia Coffin had daughter born A.M. Sally Hodge (Hedges) had son born about midnight.

Nov. 30—Newcomb Cole died in July. News came to-day.

Dec. 10—Last Saturday, Lucinda Wire, Hugh's wife, died very suddenly in bed.

1792 Jan. 11—Sim Ellis died to-day, sick a week with colic.

Feb. 3—Mrs. Willis had son born to-day.

Feb. 4—Abagail Green died day before yesterday.

Feb. 18—Betsy Delano (Thomas Wife) died P.M. has left 2 chil­ dren. one 18 mo's. one 4 weeks old.

April 3—Mr.' Mrs. Simpson bound to Oyster Island to live on farm.

Tenty Weeks went with them. Sailed Apr. 4.

April 6—Married 15 years—have six children.

April 9—Sarah Coffin (Ephraim's wife) died last night.

May 7—Lydia Austin had daughter born A.M. May 22—Nathaniel Wood, Senr's wife died yesterday.

May 27—Elizabeth Long had a son born. P.M. June 9—Henry Clark (butcher) died Thursday.

July 30—Uncle Daniel & Eliza Williams published to-day.

Aug. 14—Blym arrived with a good fare of oil at Bedford.

Aug. 25—Yesterday morn a large Brig belonging to Francis Rotch all fitted for a whaling voyage was bound up—she came out of Biddeford some days ago, bound to sea—they were—some of the people were ordered down in her—to stow away her small stores etc. it being dark a candle was carried down in a wooden candle stick, there was soon a call for all hands on deck, to get the vessel, the man ran up out of the hold and shut down the hatch & not remembering any more of his light till the vessel was all on fire & smoke, they endeavored to quench it but all in vain, there being some powder & spirits where the fire was. deterred them from

38

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

making much stay, they took to their boats, saving scarce a rag of their clothes. Ben Glover of this place was the Capt.

Aug. 26—Sally Whitney had daughter born to-day.

Aug. 30—Uncle Daniel Folger & Elizabeth Williams married in friends meeting to-day. Ben Worth spoke a few words.

Sept. 10—Rice of Connecticut married Elizabeth Long's (widow) sister last eve.

Sept. 13—Went to see new Quaker Meeting House—large number of people lathing it. It is a little below Jethro Starbuck's Jr. Oct. 19—Edmund 2 years old to-day.

Oct. 26—Reuben Swain of Polpis died to-day.

Oct. 28—Whutney's youngest child died to-day, 2 months old Heppy Bunker, daughter of Sylvanus buried P.M. Nov. 12—Jedidah Joy, wife of Francis Joy Jr. & only daughter of Micajah Coffin died last night after a long illness. Jethro Hussey's wife died 3 o'clock a.m. been sick 3 months with consumption.

Nov. 25—Old Mr. Nat Cary died P.M. Kept house but a short time—dropsy.

Nov. 29—Charles Coffin & Miriam Parker (widow of Timothy) Jo Clasby &—Chadduck. Thomas Marshall &—Dow married in Meeting today. —Colesworthy & Polly Coffin married eve.

Dec. 8—Thaddeus Hussey's wife died suddenly after 2 or 3 days sickness with black Ganders (Jaundice) was 6 mos. advanced in pregnancy.

Dec. 28—Joseph Bunker died to-day.

Editor's Note: Many readers have queried the relationship of Keziah Coffin Fanning and Miriam Coffin. The first mentioned was the wife of Phineas Fanning. She was born January 5, 1759, the daughter of John Coffin and Keziah (Folger). The mother was known to be a Tory and a very strong-minded woman who was depicted as "Miriam" in the book entitled, "Miriam Coffin", written by Colonel Joseph C. Hart. In the next article Mr. Ev­ erett U. Crosby presents some interesting comments on Mr. Hart and the book.

39

Joseph C. Hart Author of "Miriam Coffin or The Whale Fishermen"

BY EVERETT U. CROSBY

At Nantucket there has always been speculation about this man where next to nothing has been known about him except that he was the author of "Miriam Coffin or the Whale Fishermen", a tale which first appeared, according to title page, as published at New York in 1834 by G., C. & H. Carvill, 108 Broadway, James VanNorden, Printer, 49 Williams Street. The name of the author was not given in this first edition which was in two separately bound volumes, in brown cloth, with leather labels. The size of the pages was 71/2X414; inches. A peculiarity of this book is that in many instances the two volumes were of somewhat different height.

The first edition was quickly sold and was promptly followed by a second, also in two volumes, cloth bound with paper labels.

The title page stated that it was a second edition, 1835, New York, published by Harper & Brothers, 82 Cliff Street. There were later editions of which one, on title page, is called "New edition, 2 vol­ umes in one, San Francisco, 1872, re-published by H. R. Coleman, A. L. Bancroft & Co., Printers". This edition, on title page, states: "By Col. Joseph C. Hart".

The North American Magazine, published in Philadelphia, in issue of July, 1834, has a review of the book of some length, and mentions that it was "unpublished" but nevertheless spoke of the Carvills as publishers. It did not give the name of the author.

The first edition, first volume, had 209 numbered pages and the second volume had 206 numbered pages.

Needless to state, this is a "must" for any collection of old Nantucket books. It is Nantucket's first historical novel and gives great detail about the people, the Island and the whale fishery as well as chapters about the voyage of a whaleship. It has been spoken of as the basic American whaling item.

It has always been understood that Mr. Hart was on Island for a time but his was not a Nantucket family. The 1926 Proceed­ ings of the Nantucket Historical Association recount that "Two particularly fine portraits have recently come to us; one is of

40

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

Mary Coleman Hart, mother of Joseph Coleman Hart, the author of 'Miriam Coffin', and the other is of his aunt, Anna Coleman Clapp. The latter portrait was painted by Jerome Thompson". Anne Coleman was the sister of Mary and they were daughters of John Coleman, born at Nantucket February 8, 1732. Joseph was of Nantucket stock on his mother's side. At the Historical Museum is a colored print of Abram Quary published in 1839 on which is written, "Presented by Col. J. C. Hart of New York."

The only account of Joseph which we have been able to un­ cover appeared in the Oxford Companion to American Literature, New York, 1941, page 309 and read as follows: "HART, JOSEPH C. (1798-1855), New York lawyer and journalist, lived for a time in Nantucket, and wrote 'Miriam Coffin; or, The Whale-Fishermen' (1834), the first American novel on whaling, written to obtain congressional support for the industry, of which it gives a vivid picture."

Another book by the same author is "The Romance of Yacht­ ing" (1848). It is a farrago of travel and literary essays, including one of the earliest analyses of Shakespeare's plays intended to prove Bacon's authorship. Hart was later U. S. Consul in the Canary Islands, where he died. It was published in 1848-1849 by Harper & Brothers, and the book was written entirely by Joseph C. Hart, alluding to his authorship of "Miriam Coffin". He ex­ plained both books as "semi-romances of the sea, closely historical and including incidental subjects".

Today the word "yacht" designates a pleasure craft, but this was not so in older days. The yacht used by Joseph Hart was built for carrying merchandise and for cruising and exploring. So was the "yacht" "Restless" (Onrust) of 16 tons belonging to the Dutch when its Navy was based at New York. From there in 1616 it made a cruise of exploration through Long Island Sound and eastward as far as Nova Scotia. Its commander, Captain Hendrickson of Holland, as described by Hart in the "Romance of Yachting", reported having discovered and explored certain lands, a bay and three rivers of which he made a descriptive map.

41

Membership Report October 1, 1956 This membership report indicates the continued and healthygrowth in our membership to an all-time high of 1,129. We are still hopeful of increasing materially the number of Island resident members who, because of year-round residence, can participate actively in promoting the work of the Association and helping to develop new fields of activity beneficial to the economy of the Town.

One does not have to wait to be asked to join. Just write the Association telling the class of membership in which you wish to enroll. There are three classes, namely: Annual Active Life

$2.00 Sustaining one payment of $50

$10.00

The following report speaks for itself.

New Members Life Freeman, Joseph Starbuck

Freeman, Harrison Crowell

Annual Sustaining Armstrong, George W. Bliss, Harry F.

Hecker, Christian H. Ritchie, William L. Yost, Mrs. Mark

Annual Active Arnoff, Mrs. Arthur E. Bartlett, Mrs. Grace DuBois Bartlett, Mrs. Irving Beinecke, Mrs. Edwin J., Jr. Beinecke, Edwin J., Jr. Blumenshine, Miss Nina Brogan, Mrs. Arthur Block, Miss Melinda E. Cameron, Mrs. George A., Jr. Cammeron, Oswald Cammeron, Mrs. Oswald Carter, Capt. Horace A., 2nd.

Carter, Winthrop, Jr. Carter, Mrs. Winthrop, Jr. Coffin, Dean Crichton, Miss Ruth Cylke, Frank Kent

Davidson, Louis S. Da vies, William D., Jr. Davies Mrs. William D., Jr. Davis, Mrs. B. H. Daume, Selden S. Dickenson, Seldon S. Dundas, Mrs. John Elkinton, Mrs. J. P. Flask, Mrs. F. L. Flynn, Miss Anita Fowler, Miss Ella C. Fowlkes, George Allan French, Marjorie Gigon, Miss Georgette N. Guest, Mrs. Helen R. Hall, David Hall, Mrs. David

42

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

Hamel, Robert Hanlon, C. Raymond Hawley, Miss Helen Hendrick, Mrs. Douglas J. Hettinger, Mrs. Mary L. Jamieson, Francis Kalquist, Harry Kalquist, Mrs. Harry Kauffman, Mrs. Elizabeth Macy Kelley, Mrs. Priscilla L. Kennedy, Mrs. J. W. Kozlowski, Theodore T. Lewis, R. V. Lewis, Mrs. R. V. Lewis, Mrs. Sheldon Loring, Kimball Loring, Mrs. Kimball Loring, Miss Linda Lucket, Mrs. Frank Ludolph, Mrs. Helen Hussey MaePherson, Miss Helen Marshall, Mrs. R. H. Matthello, Garrett McArthur, Osborn Mitchell, Richard M., Jr. Murray, S. W. Newibury, Mrs. Thompson Newman, Henry L. Wilson, Mrs. Bull

O'Neall, Mrs. Walter H. Peirce, Barker H. Phillips, Miss Dorothea Richard, Lt. Com. Dorothy E. Riordan, Miss Alice Robbins, Miss Alma Royce, Dr. Jack R. Rosenberger, Mrs. William, Jr. Russell, Frank Dean Russell, Mrs. Frank Dean Schoenfeldt, Rev. Arthur Sears, Edwin Short, Vincent Shuman, Miss Sylvia Smith, Mrs. Raymond Smith, Mrs. Sydney Starlbuck, Ferdinand Lowther Stevenson, Mrs. George L. Stewart, Mrs. William T. Stewart, William T. Stone, Miss Sylvia Stunzi, Mrs. J. Jacques Thomas, Cyril S. Topham, Leland Waring, Mrs. Ellis A. Williams, Miss Madeline Williamson, M. C. Williamson, Mrs. M. C. Plok

Changed Status of Membership Buttrick, Alden (Life)

Loines, Miss Elma (Life)

Resigned Armstrong, Mrs. Franklin Folger Congdon, Mrs. Charles E. Steinmetz, Miss Elizabeth

It is with sincere regret that the following report of the loss f members by death is made: Barnes, Cyrus Chatfield, Mrs. Harold G. Greene, Howard (Life) Hazeltine, Frank A.

Mitchell, Richard, Sr. Otis, Charles Praeger, Mrs. Louis J. (Life) VanAlstyne, Fred

Present Membership Total, 1,129 Life Members -- 148 Annual Sustaining — 66

Annual Active — 915

Answers to Whaling Museum Quiz 1.

The Whaling Museum, built in 1847, is 109 years old.

2. The Whaling Museum was originally a candle factory, constructed for Richard Mitchell & Sons.

3. Over 250,000 persons, not counting thousands of children, have paid admissions to see the treasures of the Museum.

4. The Whaling Museum has no Endowment Fund. In this respect it is unfortunately unique among many museums of far less historical importance and popular interest.

5. The Whaling Museum is largely dependent on private donations and special legacies and bequests for recon­ struction and preservation. It depends on your generous support.

6. Every bit of every contribution you make to the Recon­ struction and Preservation Fund of the Whaling Museum is used exclusively for this purpose. Not a penny goes for administrative or other expenses.

7. Contributions to the Whaling Museum Reconstruction and Preservation Fund are legal deductions from Federal personal and corporate income taxes, according to counsel.

8. Help yourself to a perfect score on this quiz by making your contribution now.

9. The first answer, in addition to the second, is correct IF you find that checkbook and make out your check to: NANTUCKET HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION, fill out the insert and mail both simply to WHALING MUSEUM, NANTUCKET, MASS. Remember, your cancelled check is legal receipt for income tax deduction purposes. Please put your name and address on the insert so that we may thank you for your gift.

Don't forget, every amount however small or large you send is urgently needed to guard and preserve the Whaling Museum and its irreplaceble treasures. If you have already made a sizable contribution this year, we shall greatly appreciate your telling relatives and friends, who have not yet contributed, of the Whal­ ing Museum's need.

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Quiz Yourself on the Whaling Museum HOW MUCH do you know about the Whaling Museum, one of Nantucket's most popular historical landmarks? Try this quiz and see: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

The Whaling Museum is how many years old: ( ) 76? ( ) 94? ( ) 101? ( ) 109? ( ) 136? ( ) 152?

The Whaling Museum was originally: ( ) a rope walk? ( ) a general store? ( ) a candle factory? ( ) a carpenter's shop? ( ) a shipowner's counting house ?

How many persons have paid admissions to the Whaling Museum: ( ) over 50,000? ( ) over 100,000? ( ) over 150,000? ( ) over 200,000? ( ) over 250,000?

Has the Whaling Museum an Endowment Fund? ( ) Yes; ( ) No. For reconstruction and preservation is the Whaling Museum chiefly dependent on (two answers): ( ) the Federal Government? ( ) Admission fees? ( ) the Rockefeller Foundation? ( ) Private donations? ( ) Martha's Vineyard? ( ) Special legacies and be­ quests ?

If you contribute to the Whaling Museum for Re­ construction and Preservation, will all your contri­ bution be used exclusively for this purpose ? ( ) Yes; ( ) No. Are your contributions to the Whaling Museum Fed­ eral tax free? ( ) Yes; ( ) No. Have you contributed this year to the Whaling Mu­ seum's Reconstruction and Preservation Fund? ( ) Yes; ( ) No. Is your checkbook handy? ( ) Don't know, but will find it. ( ) Yes, and will write out check right now for the Whaling Museum Reconstruction and Pres­ ervation Fund.

FOR THE ANSWERS, see preceding page. Peek, if you like, before X-ing your answers, but don't forget to send in your con­ tribution. Why not do it now, while you're thinking about it?

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