From the June 12, 1924 edition of the Vineyard Gazette:

Our first ride over the new road from West Tisbury to Edgartown reminded us that the name is still unsettled. Probably it always will be, and if it were fixed by law, people would continue to call it whatever they jolly well pleased. But it really is worthy of a distinctive name of its own, and our opinion is that Takemmy Trail is the best of those suggested. We should vote most ardently against tagging it with a modern and inappropriate name, even if the object were to do honor to the president of the United States or others in authority. Several years ago when arguments for and against its rebuilding waxed hot in the pages of The Gazette, Charles H. Brown of Vineyard Haven begged that the road be left to its solitude, to its great plains, to the vanishing heath hen which now and then hop across the road. It is a solitary road, even in its twentieth century coating of tar, and it deserves a name reminiscent of its historic past.

There can be nothing but praise for the ease and comfort of a ride over the smooth black surface of the road as it is now — a great contrast to the tortuous twists and curves which infested its sandy soil on the Edgartown end, and the muddy stretches which threatened to mire the strongest motor car toward the other end.

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The wood tick now flourishes in all his glory along the North Shore of the Vineyard. His visits seem to abide strictly by the calendar regardless of cold or heat, rain or drought. Speaking regretfully of his attentions to various city dwellers, we can find none, who has not visited Martha’s Vineyard, who knows the very first thing about this persistent little pest. It has always been a matter of wonder that he is so terrifically indigenous to the woods of the North Shore, but even when transported wholesale to Edgartown territory on long-suffering dogs and humans, he refuses to set up housekeeping or even keep on living. Probably he is known in many other parts of the land, but we should be truly grateful if someone would supply us with his pedigree, habitat, etc. We know his cunning habits well enough.

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Our first trips on the Islander — we should like to refer to them as a round trip ­— were highly satisfactory. The big boat seemed all she had been described, and a little bit more. Of course we think it extraordinarily strange that the ladies cabin should have shrunk to the proportions allotted it on the Islander, with a single couch as its solace for weary and sea-sick passengers. We forgot to ask the pleasant stewardess, who keeps her part of the boat as spic and span as she did her quarters on the old boat, what had happened to those wise goldfish of hers, which added a spot of gorgeous color to that comfortable cabin. Obviously there is no crack or corner for them now. We vaguely remember that some official of the company assured an anxious questioner that “whatever the ladies wanted they should have.” They would surely speak as one woman in requesting an extension of their cabin space.

This seems almost ungracious in view of the wonderful glass enclosed deck, the comfortable chairs and the general spaciousness and sea-worthiness of the new boat. We should have liked, we repeat, to make the round trip on her. But that was not to be. For the steamboat company ran her from Oak Bluffs to Woods Hole the Sunday following Memorial Day and called that a good day’s work, although she was jammed with travellers from Nantucket and the Vineyard who would have justified her continuing on to New Bedford. There was quite unnecessary delay in disembarking at Woods Hole, largely due to inadequate facilities for taking tickets and speeding passengers on their way.

Passengers bound for Boston boarded a train and stayed there until they reached their destination. Those who wished to reach New Bedford were not so fortunate as they were obliged to leave the train at Wareham and endure a rolling, curvetting trolly car, until they reached New Bedford only four hours after departing from Oak Bluffs.

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Steamer Sankaty made a special trip from New Bedford to the Vineyard Saturday morning. The regular 8 o’clock boat on the summer schedule was not due to start until Monday morning, but the steamer City of Lowell has so many passengers and so much freight for the Vineyard when she docked after her first trip from New York this summer, it was necessary to have an extra boat to take care of them.

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Mrs. Grafton Devine’s new addition to the North Shore line dining room at Gay Head has been recently completed, and much credit is due Carpenter Symonds of Vineyard Haven for his excellent work.

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There is much excitement in the summer home on the so-called wilds of the Vineyard, over the installation of a bath tub and appurtenances. The proud owners-to-be, appreciating the treasure they have, are thinking of issuing tickets for the bath, with the line forming on the right, patrons to supply their own soap and towels.

Compiled by Hilary Wallcox
library@vineyardgazette.com