This article appeared in the July 1955 issue of "The Long Island Forum." Captain Griffing was a commercial fisherman and Banker of Southold town on long Island's North Fork. When he retired and moved to Florida he continued to send his reminiscences to "The Long Island Forum" for many years. The last of them, "Blinkers By The Million," was published in the Jan.1959 issue.

     Fisherman  from East Marion set their traps all along the shores of Gardiner's Island, and some of them built cottages on the bluffs or in the valleys. These cottages were neat and well kept, but because they were small and cheaply constructed they were called shanties or fish houses.
     My first visit to the Island was in the year 1890. I was a guest of Henry Rackett, who was about three years my senior. He was the son of Captain Clinton Rackett, who lived three houses east of our little farm and homestead. My visit of two weeks was a most wonderfull experience. The Island was so different from my birthplace in East Marion, which was quite flat and all under cultivation. I felt as if I were a long way from home; though it was less than twenty miles.
     Here there were high hills and rough shore lines, with vast reaches of pastureland, a square mile of dense woods just north of the manor house. Wild deer, pheasants, quail; black ducks in the ponds were very plentiful. Also wild turkeys at one time.
     Several large salt water ponds, viz: Ooose Pond, Home Pond, Tobaccolot Pond and Bostwick Pond were stocked with hard clams, scallops, eels and fish.
 Fish hawks in great numbers built their nests on the tops of large rocks on the shores, and sometimes beyond the shore line, also in the tree tops. Hundreds of sheep fed out on the hills and grass covered fields. Blackberries, equal to cultivated ones, were in abundance.
     A large herd of cows, also a stock farm. Mr. Gaddiner raised some famous horses which he sold throughout the eastern section of New York State. Clark T. Larisphear, of East Marion, a retired Fulton Fish Market man, bought one, which was a beautiflil horse and very fast; also Anton Furst and Sons, a fine pair of farm horses, to be used on their most productive farm.
     Jim (a negro) was the foreman of the stock farm and very competent; he was held in great esteem by John Lyon Gardiner and family for his ability and faithfulness.
 Upon request Jim was always glad to show his best horses to visitors, especially the fishermen who lived on the Islind in their fish houses; which I will later describe.
 Mr. Gardiner was very glad to have the fishermen located in their various spots along the coastline. He said their presence was the equivalent of a watchman, for they very often kept the poachers from landing on the Island. These thieves would land in the dark of night, steal sheep, kill black ducks and dig clams. In fact, anything they could get away with before the break of day. In later years when the Island was under  lease  to  F.  Augustus Schermerhorn for hunting purposes things were different.
     Mr. Schermerhorn employed a Hiram Miller and his wife to watch over and feed the game with which he had stocked the Island. A high observatory tower was built, and by the use of an excellent spy glass either Mr. Miller or his wife would spot a strange boat in the offing very quickly.
     On one occasion I saw Mr. Miller come galloping over the hills to Eagle Field Point, on his fine horse, with his trusty rifle over his shoulder. He arrived about the same time a poacher started to land. The intruder changed his mind very quickly.
     Except around the Manor House, which was of course the center of all activities, all was peace and quietness, like a Sunday stillness. A very primitive place, just where you could expect to find little Jody Baxter fishing and dreaming, the little hero of Marjorie Kinnan Rawling's book, "The Yearling."
     There were five locations where the Captain and some of his crew lived ashore in their cottages, as described in the begining of this article. The fishing season began the latter part of March and all the traps were out by Thanksgiving Day.
     Capt. Clinton Rackett's cottage was located on the northerly side of the Island, called Bostwick Bay. It was an ideal spot, on a high hill overlooking the harbor, with a salt water pond at the foot of this hill, also a nice cool spring of water. Caatain Rackett kept his small boats intheoudet ofthe pond. Thissaved pulling them upon the beach every night.
     The cooking was done in a separate building. The cottage was large enough to house the crew; also rooms for the family, who always spent the summer with the Captain.
     I mention this one first, as it had the best location of all the five.
     Captain Joseph A. Clark had his cottage on Cherry Hill Point, a good location, but very sunny and hot because there were no shade trees.
 However, a fine southwest breeze every afternoon and evening made it such a delightfiil place that Deacon Clark's mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Davis, was a frequent visitor. I have no doubt that many of her sea shell ornaments are still in existence, for they were beautitully made.
     She was so happy in doing this work, although well advanced in years. Aunt Elizabeth was a wonderfiil woman, held in high esteem by all who knew her.
 Captain Charles H. Gardiner's house was on the west side of the Island, called Cherry Harbor. His cottage was on level ground about four feet above sea level, no hills or trees for miles around. Captain Gardiner rarely ever stayed on the Island over the Sabbath, as he was an ordained minister and preached regularly for several years in Hashamomuck, besides filling in as a supply preacher in the eastern Long Island churches. His nephew, Counsellor Leroy G. Edwards, now resides in East Williston.
     I paid Captain Gardiner and his crew a visit one evening. I was much amused in watching Steve Macomber patch his trousers with a large molasses jug to hold them in place while he performed this bit of tailoring.
     Captain Daniel and Frank J. Tuthill had a rugged location on the east side of the Island, just west of Eagle Field Point. Off this point was the best place of all for fishing traps.
     They had two fish houses; the new one was built in 1896 by Aaron Youngs and Bradley Horton. Captain Frank represented the fishermen many times in the Legislature at Albany.
 The writer of this article was Captain of the Oratongo for this company; also later mate of the Wm. T. Seward.
 The fifth cottage was that of Captain Andrus Rackett, with his sons Edwin and Winfield, located in a ravine of a very high and rocky bluff. The most rugged and lonesome spot of all, situated on the stormy northeast side of the Island. Very often their smack was forced to run for a harbor in the middle of the night.
 The Reverend Fenimore Cooper and his wife spent several summer vacations as guests of Captain Edwin and his wife Anne Rackett.
     There were other fishermen who set traps off the shores of Gardiner's Island. Captain Everett and Ernest Vail, Captain Dave and William Patterson, George Udell, Alva Brooks, Eugene Griffing and Everett Bennett. These captains with their crews lived on their smacks.
     On one occasion our smack lay at anchor under the lee of Gardiner's Island off Goose Pond, waiting for the northwest gale to subside.
     Our cook, Wayland Caulns, getting rather tired of salt beef, suggested we have some mutton for a change.
     As Wayland was the oldest member of our crew we listened to his plan; for we had no knowledge of how mutton could be lawftilly procured in this lonely place.
 After a good breakfast of flapjacks and molasses, two of us agreed to follow the leader.
     We walked about five miles over the hill to the Manor Hossse. Wayland made a request to Mr. Gardiner, through a servant, for the purchase of a sheep. Mr. Gardiner's answer was "Take a three-year-old" naming the price (which I cannot recall).
 On our way back we found a large flock of sheep. Our cook called to them. When they pricked up their ears we could clearly see the number of holes in each ear. Three holes indicated the three-year-old we had paid for.
 This one we caught and took it aboard the smack. Weyland proved to be not only an excellent cook but a good butcher as well. Oh boy! we lived high for a while.
 As previously stated, Gardiner's Island was primitive in those days, and a delightfiil place it was.