To the editor:
“Listening to an Island” by David D. Platt (WWF, April 2006) appears to be an account of a tour group, called “Two Roads Maine,” visiting a barrier island in Georgia in March 2006. The group was “dedicated to helping people through transitions in their lives.” It was interested in helping its members re-connect with nature. The members of the group explored the island and “themselves.” Making an analogy between island exploration and self-exploration was a nice touch. Mr. Platt is not unaware that among the island’s previous owners were some very wealthy American businessmen. Platt’s contributions to the historical past included these statements:
“Very wealthy people get to indulge their fantasies” and “Thomas Carnegie…chose a fantasy that was…old fashioned…: a baronial estate on an isolated coastal island, where he could entertain guests of his choosing, on his terms, at his expense.” And: “The results, even the burned-out ruins of Carnegie’s once-grand house, are impressive.” And: “early 20th century robber-barons who used their wealth to create a refuge for themselves.” These are some of the rather silly statements made by Platt in his short article.
As it happens, I know Cumberland Island very well. Platt spent too much time with his group walking around the truly dreary ruins of a spectacularly ugly mansion, now mercifully destroyed by arson. Speaking of ruins, among the interesting sites on Cumberland Island are the still-standing slave cabin chimneys. They remind us that residents of Cumberland included a large work force of slaves, with their hopes and aspirations. How come he failed to mention them? Now there’s a reminder of an interesting past.
Of course, there’s no accounting for individual tastes. I would have mentioned Cumberland’s beauty. It is just dad-gummed beautiful! Why did not Platt mention Cumberland’s beach? the marshes? the creeks? Its beauty beats out its history any time.
Mary R. Bullard
S. Dartmouth, Massachusetts
Bullard is author of Cumberland Island, a History (University of Georgia, 2003) — ed.