A Child of the Sea; and Life Among the MormonsWilliams, Elizabeth Whitney
History
A Child of the Sea; and Life Among the Mormons
Williams, Elizabeth Whitney
Beaver Island (Mich.); Latter Day Saints -- Michigan; Strang, James Jesse, 1813-1856
There were always good schools at the island, having several teachers
from the city at different times. I will mention a few of our city and
island teachers. The city teachers were Miss Ann E. Granger, Detroit;
Clara Holcomb, Fremont, Ohio; Miss Belle and Hattie Buckland, Buffalo,
N. Y.; Miss J. Voas and Miss J. V. Wilkes, both of Buffalo, N. Y. Our
island teachers were C. R. Wright, Michael F. O'Donnell, Miss Effie
McKinley, Miss Sarah O'Malley, Miss Sarah J. Gibson, Miss Annie Gibson,
and many others. There were two brothers. Charles and George Gillett, of
Detroit, Mich. They came several summers. Both were fine musicians. They
were sure to be on our first boat in the spring, remaining until fall.
One spring Charles came alone. The younger brother had died during the
winter. We missed his pleasant face and sweet music. When the other
brother returned home that fall he took a bride with him, marrying Miss
Clara Holcomb, of Fremont, Ohio. Life on the island was never dull. Our
summer friends were pleasant, friendly people, making the life happier
by their coming. Good books were sent us for winter reading, and many
little tokens of remembrance were often sent us. We gladly hailed the
first boat in the spring because it always brought some friends from the
outside world.
GOING TO MACKINAC ISLAND.
I was again on board the steamer Michigan. The same captain, the same
crew; Jane, the cabin maid was there with her pleasant smile. There were
several passengers from Green Bay going to Mackinac Island, for it was
payment time. Among the passengers was Mr. Scott, of Green Bay, who once
lived at Mackinac Island. Another was Mr. Michael Dousman, he being
another that had lived many years on Mackinac Island. His home then
being in Milwaukee. When we landed at Mackinac Island the entire beach
from Mission House Point to the place where the "Grand" now stands was
filled with a row of Indian wigwams.
There were Indians wearing their blankets and the women dressed in
bright gay colors with their papooses strapped on their backs in their
Indian cradles. The cradles were trimmed with gay colored ribbons. Dogs
and children were all mixed up together. Many squaws were pounding
Indian corn to make soup for their supper. The streets near the water at
Mackinac looked very bright in their gay colors. Indian women and their
children were strolling and chatting together looking at the bright
colored goods, while the men were most of the time walking about the
streets wrapped in their white blankets, they talking together in low
tones. Perhaps telling about how their grandfathers had met for councils
of war at this same place so many years before.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account