NATIVE BllOOKS. Hi 



On the banks of the branch that crosses the Turnpike to the 

 northwest of Four Corners, there stands a large white oak with 

 wide spreading branches, and the fern Poiypodium finds a home 

 there growing on top of a large boulder. This is a rare plant on 

 the Island though so common northward and on higher ground. 



There is an old Indian that wanders often about the woods and 

 occasionally along this stream, carrying a book of songs under his 

 arm, and when he gets tired of walking he sits down and sings. He 

 says he can sing better than he can do anything else. One day he 

 had a great bundle of catnip, which he had gathered for a family of 

 his acquaintance in the city, who had a cat. As he walked along lie 

 gave an account of his people : "Among Indians, no education. Fath- 

 er take child to another tribe — he learn to speak language. Go by 

 horse, across great prairie — only see grass and little bushes — great 

 blue sky — nice." The idea of sky was expressed by throwing his 

 arm over his head and looking upward, and the little bushes were 

 compared to one near by. 



Willow Brook is one of the best known streams on the Island, and 

 also one of the largest; rising near the highest point, it empties into 

 that arm of Fresh Kill known as "Main Branch," having in all a 

 course of about four miles. At various times its water has been used 

 by mills and small factories, the best known of these being the gun 

 factory near the Willow Brook road, and the Crocheron mill near 

 the Bull's Head, or Phoenixville. This mill was standing in 1884, 

 though much decayed, and the Italians employed on the proposed 

 cross Island B. II. made the building their home. It is now fallen 

 down, most of the timbers removed, the wild flowers growing over 

 the remaining ones and through the shaft-hole in the mill stone. By 

 the pond that once served as a head of water for this mill there 

 stands three trees of the River birch, which is not a common kind on 

 the Island, though so plentiful along some of the New Jersey rivers. 

 Since these trees were discovered some others have been found, and 

 along the Annadale road, by a brook side, there are quite a number. 

 They always seem dissatisfied, as it were, with their bark, apparently 

 wishing to get rid of a portion of it, for it hangs in loose pieces that 

 Hap in the wind. Perhaps this bark is useful in retaining the rain 

 that falls on it, as the tree is a particularly moisture loving species. 



A shag bark hickory grows near by, and the nuts are remarkable 



