Hartford Courant from Hartford, Connecticut • 29

THE HARTFORD DAILY COURANT: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1934. 5 Romantic Faulkner's Stirring Story Island-Scene Of Shipwrecks, Heroism, Adventures Of Hardy Yankees Who Have Kept Famous Beacon Light is Airplane view of Faulkner's Island in Long Island Sound, off Guilford, showing the lighthouse tower and of considerable history and romantic adventure. Courant Photos. a familiar sight to those who go down to the sea in ships, and the home dwelling for the keeper of the light, thoroughly startled one day to see several large men of war sailing down the Sound. The British Arrive.

The ships cast their anchors almost opposite the town of Guilford, and not a great distance from the island. This episode took place on a beautiful Sunday morning about 11 o'clock. It was the most ominous event any Guilford people then living had beheld. As the then "large ships from England came to an chor and the inhabitants living along the shore front realized the ominous procedure, they were thrown into a state bordering on panic. But the fact that the visit was on a Sunday helped the situation amazingly.

About the time the anchors were let go a goodly number of the citizens of the town were gathered in the Congregational Church then standing at the northwest end of Guilford Green. The pastor Rev. Aaron Dutton, of than they had been in the habit of doing for a great many years before. At sundown each night the keeper ascended the steep stairs of the tower and lighted the lamps. Early in the morning after watching them ail night he extinguished them, trimmed the huge wicks, struggled up the many stairs with his supply of oil and spent his spare time during the day.

when he was not sleeping, polishing and wiping the lenses and the mirrors. Sperm oil was used instead of lard oil. which was less expensive, because the latter was liable to solidify be- ment and what we now know as the Lighthouse Board was not established for many years. During that period all sorts of varying conditions were encountered and it has omy been within the memory of men now living that the efficient lighthouse service of the nation as we know it has been created. After remaining on the island until 1818, Mr.

Stone left the service and established his residence in Guilford. His sons and his daughters had now reached an age when they did not accept gracelully the outlook of spending more years on the island that looks cosy enough from the shore, but is in fact a nlace nf desolation One of his sons' oiuc JtryuilUfja in Wlrn Captain Joel Stone was interested contradictory "facts The trial vm in the steamship business, became i soon "stalemated" so far as a wealthy for those days, and erected i cessful prosecution was concerned not far from 1853 what was then There was. however, a rumn'is ere-considered the most palatial resi- a ted in New Haven society News nf dence in the town of Guilford. It is the affair soon reached official cir-now the home of Mr. J.

Harrison cles in Washington. As a result of Monroe on Whitfield Street. this the government snon fi i. Leete but no clue was then, or since, discovered. Many Owners and Sales.

Some time after the death of Mr. Leete, Isaac Parmlee of Guilford became the owner of one-half of the lsiana, ana on Apni 1 no, ne traiylerred this half to Timothy Baldwin, also Guilford, who had in the meantime obtained the ownership of the other half in a manner which has never yet been satisfactorily explained. On the same day that Parmlee sold his interest to Baldwin, the latter transferred the island to Thomas Islop of Guilford. Islop held the property for it to Caleb and Ebenezcr Stone, aLso nf a.i,,. action relating to the inland took Li nn ormi-r -n 171-, n-hn astcthw'of Caleb and 1 ,51 a Island a mile we," How the i 1ftS never atisfactorv ex- rvrUr i7ci 'mn.

'ezeT stone deeded his' half' to his Setn g'one and later Caleb sio'ne transferred h'S half to his solls Cajeb and Reube'n. Seth Stone hjs ha on Octobcr ls llso Nrsah th. ablv boueht out the other owners for on May 1800. Noah Stone paid to Medad Stone $158.34 for the -hare of the island he owned, and thn.s he became the so and the la.st private owner of this much trans ferred island. An Inside Tip? The shrewd Noah Stone had evidently secured inside information that the United States government contemplated buying the island in order to estaoiisn a ligiuhotre.

there. 33 lears A Ligm iveeper. Eli Kimberley who left Guilford in September 1818, a year memorable Capt. Brooks Won Renown For Bravery Decorated Hy Congress, Widely Acclaimed After Rescue Of Ship's Company Most Picturesque Of All Keepers An Early Predecessor Entertained Officers of His Majesty's Fleet During War of 1812 ply of liquor had been exhausted. They then departed in their chartered boat, whose skippers had remained sober.

But the affair could not be lightly overlooked or squelched and. in spite of all efforts to keep it quiet, ugly stories were soon floating through some of the choicest circles of New Haven society There were too manv cracked heads and mutilated faces to be explained away. In the meantime stones drifted into Guilford and there was a general sentiment that prorecutions should be established in order to preserve the reputation of the island. Lawyers Win Again. Therefore, New Haven officers at last arrested the ring leaders of the bizarre Fourth of July outing and the trial of the young scions was held in that city.

Keeper Kimberley and his wife were summoned as chief witnesses to the devastating battle of that day but whatever the Kimberlevs swnrp tn thoi nn tho sued orders absolutely the sale of intoxicating timmr in anv p0ertn changed' government lighthouse It never has been in distress. There was therefore a iictri ui suitaoie ooats in tremely dark and boisterous nisrht. In spite of the fact that the light- niurc was amuing iortn lis penetrating rays at the time two vpssi rammed each other about two deep wa'er. One sank with all ch board. Some of the crew of the doomed ship succeeded iii swimming the two miles and landed on the thin, long reef on thp east end of the island.

Two of these men were later that night washed off the reef by the waves and the tragedy was one long remembered in the coastal towns. According to a later keeper one of the ships was not damaged' but was unable to save any of the crew of the other vessel due to darkness and high seas. Mr. Kim- a night but kne.w nothing of the disaster. rtn insurance fraud.

a xaiv uai in ji.imoer.evg re- to conect tne insurance. The day this happened Keeper Kimberley was aloft in the fower looking out over the sea. Hp detected this strange vessel heading for the bar and immediately signalled two passing cutters which turned about and rushed to the island. By the time they reached their goal the New- buryport vessel had landed high and dry -on the reef in broad daylight But the wary Yankee skipper nad not expected the turn of events, The cantam. onrf ht.

ad The captains and the crews of the nwtv ui. ns nH 4, post and "went ashore" to spend in the history of Connecticut, and During the term of Mr TCimher he remained there for thirty three- i ley's occupancy of the port to years, longer than any other keep-j were as numero wreu- er in the history of the lighthouse. I around the shorVs of the island to Soon after arriving on the island i those davs the law of the sea de-Mr. Kimberley purchased from his manded that no vessel leave another Diessed memory, who neid tne post ereign then made a tour of the for forty or more years, and then in rooms and, when they had peeked terms of devotion was frequently here and peeked there, satisfying referred to as "Father" Dutton, was themselves nothing devilish existed just commencing his weekly ser- ln those silent rooms, concluded the mon. Tins usually occupied an expedition bv going to the kitchen hour or more.

It was destined to to interview the keeper. The lathe short and tragic that lovely ter stood with his wife stolidly morning. Suddenly, while the con- awaiting whatever fate was in store gregation hardly realized what was for him. According to the story of happening, a wild eyed, sweating this affair told the present author Guilford farmer appeared in the by an old man. a friend of the main doorway of the church and Stones, in 1895.

both Mr. Stone and rushed up the aisle to the pulpit, i his wife expected summary repris-He quickly whispered something in als of some sort, and were deeply "Father" Dutton's ear and then agitated when they saw the British rushed back to the door where he enter the kitchen. They were soon remounted his hor.se and rode to put a ease by the friendlv attitude the sea front which he had but of the visitors. Where they had ex-lately left in order to spread the i pected trouble thev found only predecessor wir. oiune, jixe wa and he was its owner for manyjsman years.

Kimberley spent over a gen- i Guilford ready to go to the assist-eration on Faulkner's Island; ha ance of wrecked vessels Many lives raised what was even in those pro- were saVed through this voluntary lific days a "large" family. Birth i service. The most important wreck control had not then become popu-, during Mr. Kimberlevs administra- lar on uie nuuiu ui nwiuon tOOK Place in 1823 on an pv family at the "peak consisted of himself and his wife and twelve children all of whom grew to maturity. Some of them reached extreme old age.

Those who did not for the protection of mariners. His i the triD ashore. These animals ap-actions at this time would abun-! narentlv never freed themselves of One Keeper Ran Barroom As Sideline Hut Government- Made All Lighthouse Property Dry After Rowdies Wrecked Faulkner's Chief Uncus Sold It To Colonists Fantastic Battle For Possession of Four Acre Tract in Sound Long Agitated States BV FREDERIC CALVIN TON. NOR- There are probably but few persons in Connecticut who have not seen Faulkner's Inland, the tiny speck of land containing four acres that lies in Long Island Sound, approximately four miles out, opposite Guilford. Thousands have visited the island through the agency of some of the coastwise skippers of the present day, also of the long ago.

There is not much on this lonesome looking island when one geU there. The first impression is that the piece of land nestling there is much smaller than it seems when viewing it from Guilford or any of the coastal towns in that see-tion of Connecticut. Visits to the island were far more frequent a century or so ago than they are now. was one of the show places 7 mpn mane a regular business of i i i i island. In those halcyon davs the keeper of the island light was al- lowed the privilege, as a sort of Sifie issue to his reeillar ioh.

of sll- 1 ing liquor to vinrors. One crowd of iew tiaen rowniPS in mp par years of the last century resulted in ending this practice, however, and the Government shortly afterwards 1 issued orders forbidding the sale of liquor on government property. Th sm 5'zed Place on a Fourth of July, and from ac- counts of it gathered from oid men, by the writer forty years ago. it was a highly modern affair and furnished food for conversation around Guilford and New Haven for som.e time. It aLo caused the passage of important government, regulaiions concerning the operation of lighthouses.

Caase of Many Wrecks. The Island has been of more than ordinary importance for two centuries and besides being frequently mentioned in the Guilford to'sn records from the seventeenth century on. it also took more or less 01 a part in tne orama 01 ine war of 1812 when the Britrh were prowling around this section of Connecticut. Butthe great importance of the Island during the past 133 years is that it has been an important station of the United States lighthouse system. On and around this kland many ships have gone to their doomv During the two centuries prior to the establishing of the lighthouse in 1801, there were probably hundreds of vessels wrecked there in which disasters an untold number of human beings met their death.

Island Wasting Away. The island is. as has been stated, about four miles from Guilford Harbor, and it is surely but very slowly wasting away. It was formerly a portion of the mainland probably connected with what is known as Hammonasset in Madison. It will, however, be a good many centuries before the island is a thing of the past, although one facetious news writer last year intimated it was only a matter or a lew years, ine united Slates uuveiiimeiiL, How ever, recently nas taKen steps ui prevent, as much as possible, the stenriv wa.shinir awav of the shores of the island.

But it Ls onlv a mat ter of time when the hgnthouse will be the only thing in sight, standing there without land or any indication VieroaHrMlts Falcon First Name. The history of Faulkner's Island rnterminus with the historv of i illiuuru Urtru. tirii r.cv. iiiinj hi cprHnn tt'ith ViiM hnnH if pioneers in the summer end tall i mm np ouia zieu uie iniiiujv 'purchase included tne lana tie instrument consummating tins niDortant transaction, a description the land involved is carefully toil OI aumiin x.iniiu, uini uca-yiotorl 00 Vnlrnu Tsltmri. This ri(lpri ie.scr bed trie lana conveyea ana ays: "And that he, the said Unca-, nhCA HA Elltri 1 Tl 1 1 I If 11,1 fill.

miii uv rati nnrt iclnMWr. y. I ari II If A Ui.VII AM.l.l.V. lip 1 1 lanri was probably classed until he vear 1677 with the "undivided 'nd'i of the town and received its a me from the Hosts of birds which muc ine Owner, Governors Son. The rst recorded private owner jpete ot secona son 01 tne mous Governor William Leete in i haM hv nvrt I1USV- lllU HO.M V.UIUU.U Jreen the Charter of Connecticut i as said to have been secreteti dur- lg the oonoxious usurpation oi Governor" Andros, whose term ps eighteen months during 1687-689.

Leete made his formal appli-atlon to the General Court of the 'olonv at Harnora in ier ana aur-ng October of that year that leg-Uative body gave him the requested emission to purchase the island, low much he paid is not mentioned ii the record of the transaction in lie Colonial Records. From that imp, October 1677 until 1801, this land remained in private hands, luring the lifetime of Andrew pete the Hand was his property nd upon his death in 1702 a trans- It was tradp to an unknown per- Inn. the deed for which was pre- I marry ann go asnore spent, a tne south of the island, in very dantlv suggest the possession of sllrri knowleriee. Noah Stone was prosperous Rnd an influential citizen of the town. Besides being well to do and a large owner of land he was also the proprietor of a spacious tavern for those days located at the northwest corner of Guilford Green.

tir, 1 century later that The General, the; Marquis De Lafayette, was enter- tained when he visited Guilford Manv nersons now liv ng remember thia Taricient tavern. mWg rememwr An tariy Keaiior a day, therefore, early in the i 1800. soon after Mr. Sione be-i On year came the sole owner of Faulkner's i portion of their lives on the lour acres of island, which illustrates the fact that it does not take a very i large spot of the earth's surface to; produce comfort or enjoyment. Their lives were lived in the ordin-1 ary they participated in the customary festivities and rituals of; the period, and yet they were four miles from the mainland during the, Rreater portion of their lives.

News and newspapers were almost un- known to them. A Boating Rendezvous. It was during the administration i of Eli Kimberlv that the practice I i came into existence of boatmen; iw rouuumiic 4 AJi ni. t. lis.

a few occasions animals and all on board were upset and later reached the island the best way they could under the circumstances. When the crops were planted, which did not consume any great amount of time, the iarmers returned to the sh0re. They made it a practice to ieave the cattle on the island until the spring work was concluded. The men themselves went ashore on occasions and during one of these visits two oxen and a horse made records in long distance swimming. This particular farmer, long before the year 1800, went ashorg one night and left his cattle as well as a horse marooned on the island.

Long Distanre Swimmers. When he started for the island the next morning he found his horse -r, 1 Waltmg t0T hm HaIf ACrC RCk in Guilford harbor, which indicated fnnr miln culm tnr tio intrpnirt animal. The farmer got the horse nnrl tftpn rptumpn tn Katl k'. nei Island. Both oxen were miss- ine.

Thev were never found 1 was always supposed the pair started on tne 11 'P with the horse but faiIed t0 make snor'" and I Prished. Captain Oliver N. Brooks the most distinguished keeper of the light for a century or told the writer in J89a that ion several occasions he sorely donke5" 'm byJwlm: no matter how long a cow was kept on the island the animal never relinquished its apparent intense desire to swim ashore. The urge was so strong that Captain Brooks never left his cows alone without securing them because on several occasions he found them at the land ing ready to plunee in and make homesickness after they were taken to their island home. Island Dark 200 Years.

For a period of approximately two hundred vears there was no signal l'," It nrt There were doubtless scoies of bad Msf Pntirel' conjectural. Tiaditions have from generation to gen- fratioii froni father to son among of furious storms, great blows, arid deaths as a result, of these tempests. The island was for a great many uiuuuiu nv. vears considered one of the most correct catalogue 01 tne i.us.iftwi culminating on this small island previous to May 1801 would probably fill several pages or any newspaper But the tragic toll will never be known. Building The Light.

So soon as was passible after thp title deed "was given to the govern ment, work was commenced on the lighthouse by the new owners. The stone for the tower which is 94 feet high was secured on the island, or in close proximity to it, and that it was an excellent job Is attested to by the fact that now, after a cen tury and i a third of service, it is still tly as strong and as capable apparen as when completed. The tall white tower, the Eifel Tower of Long Island Sound, is one of the best known sights along the Sound on the trip from New York to Boston. There have been precious few nights in the centurv and a third when the light has not shown forth across the 4 waves to assist mariners in piloting their ships. On the completion of the tower a small wooden dwelling was erected nearby for the keeper of the light.

First Light Keeper. This small austere looking house served lor a good many years. The first, keeper of the light appointed by the government was Joteph Griffing a member of one of the oldest and best, known families of the town of Guilford. He went to the island and commenced his duties in the early summer of 1801. Of course the nnlv thiny for this k-eenrr tn nllenfi to was to see that the light was kepi tmniincr pnrh tliotit nnri that, it never went out.

The apparatus at i Ihnr time tic rnirin anr riiihpr olo- i mentaiy compared to the present i equipment. But crude and impro-; vised as it was the light was a con-i sineraoie improvement over tne utter darkness that, had shrouded the island during the night season I centuries before. The 'light" con-i sisted of two large, round tables arranged one above the other, the top one holding four huge lamps and the lower one eight. Sperm Oil Lamps. These lamps were filled with sperm oil, ior kerosene was not to come into li until half a century or more had elapsed.

Immediately back of each of these twelve pyramided lamps were powerful reflecting mirrors with thick French lenses. This was the most that the geniuses of those days could do in the shape of providing powerful search lights. It was a "fixed" light that was thus provided p.nd could' of course be seen on all sides. The improvement from the safety standpoint was so great that the new lighthouse was not only the talk cf residents of Guilford and adjacent towns, but also of the many mariners who nightly picked up the Faulkner's Island" light and subsequently breathed more contentedly Island, an agent of the government dangerous menaces to navigation story of the ship or the identifica-entered Guilford by stage and in- from New York to New London. A 01 the crew.

parties to tne lsiana. in is grew rap- gime a capram jonn Brown of New-in idly and it became quite the fash- buryport. deliberately ran his 'on- The practice fairly resembled, i vessel 8shore on the island in order low a temperature of 18 degrees During the incumbency of the early keepers of the light they were not furnished with assistants. Therefore ine Keeper was jacea wiwi me iiaiu task of personally seeing that the lights did not expire or get into trouble during the night season. The keepers of such lights neces- Mrily cured their slee, during the jUfl) auu tutu cuatj t.v.-vi.

it- shifts" closely rembled the schedule of preient day renorters on Metropolitan morning newspapers. A Grim Tragedy. A ghastly event took place during Keeper Griffing's years of service which was talked about in Guilford and surrounding towns for a generation or more. During the progress of a frightful storm in the winter of 1805 a ship went ashore on the rocks of Goose Island, a tiny piece of land and rocks a mile west of Faulkner's Island. The wreck took place at night and Keeper- Griffine first, discovered the catastrophe next morning wnen he descended the tower and glanced westward.

He immediately went in a small boat to the scene of the wreck and the story, as told for a great many years, was that he found seven men on board, all dead, frozen one to another, as if in their agony they clasped each other in futile effort to keep warm. Keeper Griffing spent the rest of the day transporting the bodies of the sailors to the small patch of sandy gravel on Goose Island wnere he du a 'ave and these unfortunates. No de- npnrtnhiP infnmaiinn qq Rathered concerning the ship or company. The vessel was so snattered that her name had been torn froln tne stern and nothin? of ja llature suitable for an indenUfi- cation couia De iound. All tne var- tous details of the tragedy were dis- cussed along the shore for vears hut nfnPmnn ceived which sheri nv lipht.

on th A Second Burial. Many years later another keeper of the light on visiting Goose Island one summer's day found a collection of human bones in a shallow grave where the high waves of midwinter had torn asunder the crude grave dug by Mr. Griffing. This keeper had been told in his vouth of the tragedy of 1805, so he dug a new grave, reinferred those bones of the long ago. and worked all day to erect a crude barrier of stones about the last resting dace of the sailors.

His work was awarded with success for the riawahtor nf td. keeper said manv years later that the second burial place had thus far withstood the onslaught of the re- lentless waves, wind and tides. Solomon Stone, Keeper. By the year 1809 Keeper Griffing evidently had experienced enough of lite on Faulkner's Island so he re t'-e rest of his oays recounting to his neighbors and friends around uuuioicl ureen tales of his eight years of service on the desolate island. He died at a ripe old age.

He was succeeded by Solomon Stone, wiiose son Joel Stone was for many years one of the foremost and best, known navigators on Long Island Sound and a wealthy steamship owner in New Haven. The son's home which lie established on what was then "Harbour" Street in Guilford in the early fifties was the outstanding mansion of the town in the last half ol the last centurv Solomon Stone had a large family. uHiiMerung uiem to uieir lu- tlire island home Was a hard nnn x'1 ne a boat of sufficient. SlXe and durability to SCrve him nnrt made the trip with success and no lossps- For ten years Mr. Stone lived wlUl nis family on the island as the vi ffvice covered the second war with or tn? so-called War of iB.lz- wunng nose ten years his salary was $auu a vear.

A Bloodless Victory. On this small sum lie maintained t.he family and mnct ih. I Stone hastened their boys to the small barn where they were told to bury themselves in the hay and to stay buried until further orders. When the father had settled the boy problem he returned to the house to meet his wife and to dispose of his two daughters. This was in every way a more serious job.

The problem was soon solved, however, by hiding the girls in large ovens which were built into the wall on each side of a huge fireplace. Accordingly the Stone girls. I who were renorte'd vears afterward to have been extremely comely in appearance, were soon entirely out of sight and hearing of any British callers. Soon afterwards the officer and his men entered the house without the usual English formalities of knocking at the front door an inexcusable infraction on the laws of good manners smce the founding of Guilford in Connecticut or Guilford in Surrey. The party which represented their Sov i noneved Words and Tittme exam- pies of the far famed, but hitherto unexper.enced, English politeness.

Wanted Only a Light. Mrs. Stone's nervousness attracted the attention of the officer in charge and he kindly laid his hand on her shoulder, and assured her that neither she nor her usband need fear any unpleasant experiences during their presence in the Sound provided that a good, clear light was kept burning every night in the tower. Assurances that this request would be rigorously ob i. I .7." i mpn in lha -w ij miming mm so to their ships.

Keener Stone quickly went to his barn and turned loose the boyes while the girls en sconced in the ovens stepped gayly iorin. ah in ail tne defence of Faulkner Island was quite tame in nature, and harmless consequence, as the activities snore. Fleet Stayed On. The British ships -remained in that vicinity for a long period as they were evidently awaiting orders which never came to them. But as time wore on the British otficers soldiers made frequent visits to i island and became friendly with i members of the keeper's family.

Sione had the mtefort. me the Summer to en on tone no? fir mm hm2 tone not lar irom his home Keeper late in rolling stone and the result was a badly sprained ankle. This soon became unbearably painful and one of the British surgeons being asked for assistance visited the island where he was able to reduce the swelling and ease the pain. The keeper's two handsome daughters apparently met with especial favor with the English officers and on a day some weeks after their firt visit to the island the girls were inviied to visit the ships and be guests of the ship's company. Keeper Stone, a sagacious man who left his impiint on succeeding generations, quickly accepted this invitation for his daughters.

He probably thought it altogether uic tri luwae iiu ikbuit now much he may have objected to the proposition on general principles The Stone oirU were siifimn.iiilv it pione gins uie sumptuously entertained by their English friends and it was said at the time no "stones" were left unturned to make the occasion one long to be remembered in the lives of the partici pants, ii is not surprising, mere fore, that stories have come down that the War of 1812, as exneri- meed bv the occtmnni.s of Fatitir. ner's Isinnd, was one of the hap- piest in the lives of the entire Stone family. It was, therefore, with feeling of deep regret that the is- land family saw the enemy ships of war sail awav one dav never to return. As the last sail disappeared in the mists off Savbrook the am- ily turned awav with sadness. No Foe Sienal at First I tog Menai at first.

"8 Ule J'-ais oi weeper slonP's service there was nothing in 1 ln? ftrm a signal to warn the V. llub was one of the worst aspects of the sit uation, for a fog in any country is as bad as the blackest kind of a flight. It is almost inconceivable to us oi tne present ctays tnat a fog noin apparatus wormy oi tne name was not established on the island until 1878. For a long time previously sailors had been "warned'' of the island's dangerous asDPCts through the agency of a huge bell i which was rung by the keeper or memcer.s oi ni.s lamily during a fog or blinding rain. This d.d about as much good as a child trim in a Chicaeo bank roundup.

In tho-e days the lighthouses of the United States were directly under the su-I pexvision of tho Treasury Depart-1 as on i i i in a mucn smaller way oi course, tne current amoiuotis rxi-uisiiius to Bermuda and the Bahamas. Hundreds of picnic parties were taken to the island every summer by enterprising boatmen and the "traffic" assumed large propositions. As a matter of fact a great deal of the time of both the keeper and his wife was consumed during the warm 1 weather period in meeting the de- mands of the excursionists. Kim-1 berly evidently- gratified the wishes! th dinner of manv of the visitors in setting aside a room in his house as wo cuiirrs at once to set placp of entertainment. He estab- I the wrecked ship off the bar.

It was hshed a well stocked bar. as well. a long and an arduous task. Thev M.inv brought their own liquor were assisted by Keeper KimberlpV but the demand was strong for and after a hard struggle succeeded a larger supply than could be i in towinjr Captain Brown's ship into obtained through the hip pocket deep water. Captain Brown was svstem of transportation.

Soon Mr. prosecuted in the Massachusetts Kimbcrlev's bar was doing a busi- otirts and Keeper Kimbprlev filed ness in the summer months that i claims for his work and salvage with wou'd do credit to manv a fair i tne United Statps Circuit Court S'zed town. His custom increased which were in due time paid. raDidlv and it was no unusual af- In the summer of 1851 after a fair to entertain a hundred men Period of thirty-three years on the and women on a pleasant day in Island serving the government, and midsummer. On occasions large jefter a highly successful career picnics were held by people from! there, barring of course the Fourth surrounding cities or towns, esneci- of July celebration described previ- maim.

j.u unci wuius an. jjuu-uu told the audience that the British were anchored in the Sound no far from Guilford and were on the very eve of starting a landing expedition. He exhorted his hearers to do their duty. The congregation was badly startled but it did not take those Guilford men long to decide on a course of action. The farmers in Sunday dress hurried home to secure their guns hile the militiamen went to their cannon.

Then commenced a wild scramble down South Lane, or Harbour Street as it was variously called, to Guilford Point where there had been established a summer hotel since liSi. It was not long before a crowd of Guilford men had assembled in warlike spirit, and they had not long to wait. As the British took to their boats and started for shore they discerned the uncommon activity prevailing and soon saw the hundreds of determined citizens along the sea lront. The representatives of King George The Third did not care to risk their lives with this crowd of Guilford men so they exercised good judgment in turning their landing boats about and returning to their ships. The farmers of Guilford, most of them wearing their Sundav clothes, had won a victory without the firing of a gun or the cracking of a skull The Aftermath.

Immediately after the "victorious" citizens had been assured there would be no further activities for the moment they formed in small companies and retraced their steps up South Lane to the Green which was soon well populated. These hardy souls who within a short period had furnished their own generation as well as their descendants abundant material for winter tales and firr.t, page history for, the annals of the town, hen returned to their homes. The Church was closed the remainder of that dav and Father Dutton meditating in his home on the east side of the Green was told the events of that memi r.t'-jMa TJu! ii-Kila ukii their signal victory, Solomon Stone with his wife and family had been anxiously watching events from his sunny ishmd home. He had seen the boats set out from the ships with the evident intention of landing at Guilford, he had observed the gathering of the men at the sea front. and he had also witnessed the return of the British seamen and soldiers to their ships.

There was no other conjecture in his troubled mind but to expect the thwarted representatives of His Majesty would soon proceed to wreak their i vengeance and smothered emotions on the occupants of Faulkner's Island. As the family stood there that day wondering what would happen next Solomon Stone was thinking and thinking hard but succcssful- ilp nad not long to wait to see apfd'v over the i of a' summer's lallUly. Gliding shimmering waters a big boat spanned the i u.sifuuv- ui-iwi-t'ii uie tuiipi ana me i landing at Fauikners Island. An officer wearing much gold lace and many "trimmings," accompanied by several soldiers, lightly jumped ashore and walked up the path to the home of the keeper. Mrs.

Stone was at work in her kitchen when the warships first came in sight and her husband was busied with his work in connection with the light, he having evidently postponed his morning nap. Hasty p'ans worked out by the Stones. Hiding The Chi'dren. Wi'h characteristic Yankee Ingenuity, always obtaining when the occasion demands, Mr. and Mrs.

oi ins aays w.in nw inenas fnnf1 fm.m or u.ct quuru tum-ciuiuK uic wneirauuuus of Mr. Stone. He was naturally di- reeled to the grim, old white hostel' ry, the front of which fairly resembled General Washington's famous home at Mount Vernon, After partaking of a good dinner the Federal gentleman made himself known to Landlord Stone and asked for the facts regarding the ownership of the h1 ZZlriJl? informed the government emissary concerning its ownership and intimated he would aLso freely assist him in any plans he may have regarding the property. Mr. Stone was then told of the desire of the government to purchase the island, whereupon, after a lengthy talk, the landlord announced that Uncle Sam uel could become the proud owner of the island for the tidy but highlv probably little if any government Duagetmg those lar away davs.

but the U. S. agent was not easily persuaded on the matted for Long Island Sound real estate, so he dpft-ly but politely informed Mr. Stone that he would consult with his superiors in Washington about the deal and the price, and soon wished the more or less' dejected landlord a very good afternoon. As he mounted the coach headed for Now Haven the agent dropppd the news to a bystander he would be hack later.

But he never came. There was no more haggling or parleying concerning a sale price. After a firm and apparently final offer of $325 made bv the ftovernment in the spring of 1801 had been mads Landlord Stone evidently gave un anv posible chance for a freatpr profit. so on Mav 12th of that vear the tTnitorf fitateir. hncmo tha the island.

A liehthoire was soon established and thp history of the pronertv since that important davj is highly interesting. First I'sed For Farming. Prior to its being acquired bv the government the island was used for mt minty mnn onrl He OLtVvvOOl owners treated it exactly the same as they did any other portion of their farms in Guilford. One farmer in the dim past erected a small nouse on the island which stocd theie until well after the government became the owner. This house was used, probably, for much more than a century and the men who tilled the island's soil made it their home during their annual visits.

Old men whom the writer interviewed late in the last centurv said the practice of Guilford farmers owning the island in the eighteenth century was to take a pair of oxen or one or two horses to the island each spring in -a large scow. If everytning went wen tiie cattle or the horses landed on the island all right and they furnished the power trim- A berley's reputation, his fine bar and Jaues A ri all sorts of people visiting thai Island for annual outings. Rowdies End It. Frequently there were drunken fights. but as a rule thev were kept small proportions aud never were heard of along shore excpt at rare intervals.

But a natty of New Ha ven rowdies who visited the Island: for picnic purposes cn the Fourth of Julv. 1834. during the second term of President Andrew Jackson, estab- lished a equalled. It abolished the tar at-! tachmcnt to a lighthouse keeper's: home. Soon after their arrival on; the island the voting men, scions it i as Mid of fm of forenst of tne Elm cilv began to imbibe too much honor so that bv early afternoon the keeper had last control of the situation.

The early program of this party was to destroy the keeper's fine garden, damage; government property, and raise a perfect Bedlam. Keeper Kimberley; stood the onslaught as long as pos- I nble and then assembled his family and nut un a stiff resistance. His efforts, however, amounted to about as much a.s the la re resistance riiri to quell the Paris riots. The island soon was a scene of wreckage. Dur ine thp atfernoon a never endinir I to advanced uses Durm the would happen to him and to those former neighbors who were yet olive.

The old man lived 21 years after that and died "full of as the saving is in Guil- was tne recipient government pension it was understood during the years ier he icit the Island. A Colorful Keeper, Foilo.inr Kimberlv 'pt Oliver Brool-" a man who distiireuheV rUrnself' In anv wavs and was bv all odds and any sort of a test thp most important and far the mast picturesque keeper the is'and ever had. His administration misht properly be called the "new deal" in lighthouse affairs His deeds of bravery and excellent administration of tiie island raised the work to an exceedingly high standard. Cantam Brooks was a member of an old seafaring family and was born West brook in 1822. Early in life he took to the sea much as the traditional duck does to water and at the ace of 17 years was ac- counted competent to handle an or- dinarv vessel.

He was a regularly qualified captain at the age of 21 years ana nw aoniry was a con- slant tonic of "sea front" conversa- (Conclmded on Next Pm) nf 1812 hp nanirinatH i Dericnces than hX had nnftrtn.rt As a matter of fact he was soon satiated with the job. and friends were told he would eladly go ashore if he could. But he remained on the island during that crucial period and had many a good storv to relate to friends in later years. While the Eritish were not far away on several occasions Mr. Stone managed to maintain friendly relations with them and the result was that no harm overtook the keeper or his family.

An atmosphere cf good will always existed between the British and the keeper. Somp time after actual hostilities hefwppn Great Britain and the United States had commenced the people of Guilford living tlong the shore froni were row wps in prorrrers and stories cir-1 tion. Soon atter ne was ot aee ne ciliated in Guilford a half century had charce of a ship that mad" after the battle, described Keeper successful trip from Maine to Me-Kimberlev and his family as having iro. pn accomplishment of th first been badlv varoulshed." The dt- i order. All aline the coast CaptAifl trraceful affair dirt nnt.

rnme to an Cnnvi hoM the envish'e renuta- iimr.mv jot mere is now no inr tne spring Once in rord of it. The present writer ln about so however, trouble de-595 made an exhaustive search for veloped, due to frightened animals he name of the owner next to Mr. 'or unruly winds and wave, and on end until the rowdies had fought! themselves to finish nd the 1.