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Show I 'y&tottr-'--'- - 'y-iri- v-a w.-.-.- . ritr-v "'r,iv,'N'way TrPH Or 5ARREH ISLAND hOMCO WE1.L named is Barren island. is-land. Far removed is it from the haunts of civilized civi-lized man, though included within the geographical confines of Greater New York. And for the most part barren are the 1,500 or 1,600 inhabitants in-habitants of civic or national ideals, even of ambition to better their condition; condi-tion; to make their days and nights conform measurably to standards such as other folk enjoy who are adopted sons and daughters of Father Knickerbocker's Knick-erbocker's great and growing family, says the New York Sun. Anyone with the desire to visit foreign for-eign shores, and without traveling more than an hour or so from City Hall park, can descend into the subway sub-way near by the municipal building, take a train for Canarsie, ani at Canarsie landing step on board a steamboat which leaves there at frequent fre-quent intervals bound Barren island-ward. island-ward. In an hour, more or less, the traveler will have arrived at his destination at a land mass, as Arctic explorers put it situate in a general direction south by east from the main borough of Brooklyn. Near by, toward the west, is Sheepshead bay; to the east is Jamaica bay, and not far off is the group of Rockaways. Thus it Will be seen that Barren island, while off the beaten track of travel, is by ko means inaccessible. Yet when the tfaveler sets foot on shore there and takes one comprehensive glance around he will realize that iii all but location he is in a foreign land. The principal "center" of Barren island is its one great industry, that of handling refuse of the big city of which it is a humble part. This central cen-tral spot is marked by the work of the reduction company, upon the operation op-eration of which Barren island and its inhabitants depend. Eastward from this great garbage plant stretches the one main avenue Broadway it is ing therefrom treasures that their parents can sell or barter bits of metal, occasionally pieces of gold or silver jewelry, now and then a scarf-pin scarf-pin or cuff link, a watch charm and once in a while a diamond ring or stud. "It is hard to believe," said one Of Commissioner Goldwater's men, who has been on a trip of investigation, "but down at Barren island almost every foreman or other important personage per-sonage wears diamonds and I am told that every one of them was picked up Jn those heaps of refuse. This, remember, re-member, after the refuse has been screened, crushed and examined with minute care for just such valuable 'pickings.' " Russians, Slavonians, Poles and negroes ne-groes apparently constitute the predominant pre-dominant strains of population, although al-though other peoples are to be found, including Italians. Rumor has it, In fact, that the political leader of Barren Bar-ren island's little squad of voters is himself an Italian, and a very keen one at that. Life down there may not be all beer and skittles although if health department surmises are correct a considerable part of it may be beer or liquid cousins thereto. But so far as can be ascertained by an outsider the islanders are far from an unhappy community. They wcrk harl, it is true, in and around the reduction plant, at least the men do; and their womenfolk seem to work just as hard about their little homes, while the boys and girls, when they are not attending school, find plenty of occupation in searching for hidden treasure in those huge heaps of refuse. Happy Boys and Girls. The boys and girls of Barren island form the leading part of the population, popula-tion, so far as observation of the outside out-side visitor can detect. Of course they do not wear clothing made for PICKINO OVCR TnZ RuD&iSM called, possibly so named many years ago by someone with a keen sense of the ludicrous. For this particular Broadway is bounded on one side by a marsh, a good, representative oozy marsh at that; and along the other side are perched the one-story homes of the employees of the garbage plant. In many of these little shacks it is said that two and sometimes three families exist. In a majority it is alleged that boarders are taken. In fact, some of those who hav6 been looking over social conditions at Barren Bar-ren island seem inclined to think that entirely too many boarders are taken in some of the tiny shacks that serve as dwellings. . Filth and Diamonds. Not many months ago; two or three of Commissioner Goldwater's staff journeyed down to Barren island, made a careful survey of health conditions condi-tions and came back home with a report re-port that caused astonishment in the health department offices. They found a partial supply of good water on the island; but also found that a large proportion of the people were drinking drink-ing water from surface wells. Furthermore, Further-more, it was found that modern sanitary sani-tary conveniences are practically unknown; un-known; that babies and ducks and cows and goats wallow side by side in the muck of "Broadway;" that while there is a school on the island there is no truant officer, nd thct because of this the children may go to school or not just as they choose. Also that a large majority of them prefer to spend their days in rummaging into tne mountain-high heaps of refuse, using strong iron forks and garner- them or fitted to their years and sizes. But there is a delightful picturesqun-ness picturesqun-ness about their old shawls, the shoes far too large, when existant at all, and frankly lacking toe or upper; about the enveloping skirts, the occasional scarecrow hat a wealth of gypsylike color and a most attractive abandon, testifying to the fact that in the opinion opin-ion of these little people fine raiment occupies but a small and, unimportant place in the general scheme of the universe. And happy? Why, those sprites of the refuse heaps are as cheerful and joyous as if they were wading through fields of wild flowers up in Westchester Westches-ter county and chasing butterflies and gathering early apples instead of scurrying up a hill of refuse and then delving below its surface in the hope of discovering a bit of china or a silver teaspoon, an old watch chain or other trinket that can be polished and brightened and eventually sold. Religious life on Barren island is represented by two churches, wherein services are held on Sunday. So far as could be ascertained no resident pastor has been assigned tc Barren island for many years, if ever. It is cited as a fruitful field for sincere missionary effort by those organizations organiza-tions of cne denomination or another which so generously provide medical missionaries, teachers, preachers, as well as schools, churches, chapels and hospital service for other islands than Barren isles of the South Pacific, for example, as well as for Eskimos of the polar region, the inhabitants of India, Central Africa and many ntherp in remote parts of the world. |