From the Nov. 9, 1934 edition of the Vineyard Gazette:

The time always comes in the fall when the balance of things outdoors shifts to the ground. It is now. Rains and wind have borne the leaves from many trees to the yards, walks and roads. The gaily colored maple leaves are thick about the feet of pedestrians, sending up their autumnal fragrance. The spreading leaves of the horse chestnuts, big stems and all, are dropping in brown disarray, and seem to bulk larger on the ground than they did in the tree. Beeches distribute a brown and yellow bounty.

Rake and sweep as you will, there is no keeping autumn out from underfoot until the last of the great fall is completed.

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Beginning Sunday, Nov. 11, the Island steamboat schedule will be changed to eliminate the trips to and from Edgartown. The last boat in the evening will put into Vineyard Haven and remain there, leaving at 6:10 in the morning as has been the custom.

William A. Smith, superintendent of the line, said the change had been under consideration for a long time. Virtually no passengers have used the early boat out of Edgartown, or the late boat to Edgartown, since so much time could be saved by going overland to and from Vineyard Haven or Oak Bluffs. It has been found expedient to carry freight overland, also. Service has been better with the boat staying at Vineyard Haven, the mail and freight reaching Edgartown earlier.

Under the new schedule there will be three boats to and from the Vineyard each day. The early boat will leave directly from Vineyard Haven, the 9 o’clock boat from Oak Bluffs as previously, and the noon boat will arrive at Oak Bluffs as always. The afternoon boats will arrive at Vineyard Haven.

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A vote only a little smaller than that polled in the presidential election two years ago was cast in Dukes County on Tuesday. The result showed traces of the Democratic Sweep which marked the elections over the country at large, although all majorities were safely Republican. The nearest to an overturn came in the race for United States senator, a total of 782 votes being cast for Senator David I. Walsh, as against 844 for his Republican opponent. Walsh actually carried Oak Bluffs and was only 19 votes behind in Vineyard Haven. He captured Gay Head by 31 to 13.

Two years ago the Island cast 583 votes for President Roosevelt and 672 for the Democratic governor, Joseph B. Ely, a summer resident. These totals may be compared with the 555 votes cast for Curley and the 782 votes for Walsh on Tuesday. The Walsh vote, it is believed, was augmented by the strong friendship for Francis X. Hurley, retiring state auditor, who did missionary work for the senator during the campaign.

Of greatest immediate interest to Islanders was the contest for clerk of courts in which James A. Boyle, Vineyard Haven attorney, defeated Cyril D. Norton by 1116 to 557. Norton, who carried several towns and was third man in the primary contest, ran on stickers, a procedure which invariably results in many spoiled ballots. Nevertheless, he carried West Tisbury, Chilmark, and Gosnold, and won almost an even break in Gay Head. Political experts who observed that this vote for a sticker candidate was complementary rejoiced nevertheless in the Boyle vote as a victory for regularity and loyalty to party lines. The percentage for Boyle ran about the same as for all the Republican candidates in the larger towns.

Two years ago the votes cast in the county for the head of the ticket totaled 1,913. On Tuesday they totaled 1,782. The Curley vote fell short of that polled here both by Roosevelt and by Ely, but the Walsh vote was probably the highest rolled up on the Island for any Democratic candidate in a great many years.

The status of the liquor situation remains unchanged, although Gay Head came perilously near going wet. On the matter of betting on horse races, some of the more sedate localities appear to possess hitherto unsuspected sporting blood. Thus Gay Head, notably dry and proper, politically at least, condemned betting on dog racing by one vote, but favored betting on horse racing by one vote. Chilmark, dry for many a generation, favored betting on horse racing, but condemned betting on dog races. Oak Bluffs favored its present liquor licensing, and favored betting on both horse and dog races, but not by an overwhelming majority. West Tisbury would have nothing to do with either liquor or betting, and showed plainly in the vote taken. Tisbury chooses to bet on horses, but not on the dogs, and Edgartown would play both the ponies and the puppies. The explanation of this rather singular vote is seen by some in the fact that numerous persons have been interested in Irish and Canadian sweepstakes of late and that the feeling is growing that much money is leaving the country in this way which might be kept at home if betting were sanctioned by the law.

Compiled by Hilary Wallcox
library@vineyardgazette.com