Lobster Tales

From the Vineyard Gazette editions of September, 1983:

John T. Hughes joined a distinguished team of ocean scientists from around the world for a trip to the once-closed nation of China. His passport was his career here on the Island, as a leading biologist studying Homarus americanus — the American lobster. His expertise is unequalled and often sought out by those interested in the raising of lobsters. Mr. Hughes built and has managed the state lobster hatchery in Oak Bluffs since its inception in 1949.

From the Vineyard Gazette editions of September 1983:

Of all our inheritances from the late Adam, the pleasantest must be the obligation that we sweat for a living. Everybody reverences hard work and can sit for hours watching other people do it. Let’s get down to cases.

Buried Treasure

From the Vineyard Gazette editions of August, 1983:

West Tisbury salvager and treasure hunter Barry Clifford says he’s found proof, at least to his own satisfaction, that he’s discovered the pirate ship Whidah, sunk with its vast treasure off the coast of Cape Cod in 1717.

Flotsam and Jetsam

From the Vineyard Gazette editions of August, 1958:

Among the many paintings by New Bedford’s marine artist, Benjamin Russell, which are now on show, is the Wreck of the Christina. The wreck of the Christina was one of the most famous as well as one of the most tragic that occurred in Vineyard waters.

In for a Penny

From the Vineyard Gazette editions of August, 1933:

A relic of times when Edgartown was a port under the jurisdiction of the British king came to light last week in the form of an old coin found by an employee of James Lineaweaver, summer resident of Edgartown. The Lineaweaver summer home at Tower Hill is near the site of the old landing where, doubtless, merchant vessels of two centuries and more ago often discharged and fitted.

Diving for Dollars

From the Vineyard Gazette editions of August, 1983:

Every day during the summer a small band of young swimmers gathers at the beach near the Oak Bluffs Steamship Authority wharf. Wearing underwater masks, and fins in some cases, they tread water and await the arriving boats from the mainland.