THE WALL STREET JOURNAL Monday. November 24, 1975 Down East in Maine, Clolstered Cottage The decided!y unpretentious clubhouse is Most residents of Great Cranberry Island The Cranberry Club but a three-room gray-shingled cottage either smile about the Cranberry Club or lg. perched on c knoll overlooking the sea. more t-but maybe that's because they're Is for Brahmins Only Woodlands surround the age, which is almost never asked to join. One resident reached by a dirt road leading 100 yards was asked to join, but local savants suggest from the island's only paved road. that It was because her family was from And if You Want to Be Privy In the clubhouse kitchen, only recently Northeast Harbor. the most exclusive of the provided with hot running water, is a tub resort villages on Mount Desert. To the 'Most Unique' Club, sink and a tiny refrigerator. There's also a Indeed, it's suspected here that new tiny bedroom and a larger living room, fur- members aren't even considered these days 'You Can Just Go Fish' nished haphazardly with wooden tables, unless they're at least summer residents of cane chairs and cushioned benches. Over Northeast Harbor. "Mrs. Astor moved (her the fireplace is a "Cranberry Club" sign, summer residence) from Bar Harbor to By Liz ROMAN GALLESE and portraits of unsmiling dowagers peer Northeast Harbor just so she could join, Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL down from the walls. one person familiar with the club maintains. GREAT CRANBERRY ISLAND, Maine- The clubhouse is little changed from its Women whose mothers are members Washing dishes isn't necessarily what humble beginnings in the 890s. when a have a much easier time of it. The prevail. makes Mrs. Nelson Rockefeller happy. But group of matronly birdwatchers used to ing wisdom is that 8 daughter automatically when she was a guest of Mrs. Vincent Astor picnic on the rocks overlooking the ocean Inherits her mother's membership upon the at the Cranberry Club here in August, she of and thought it would be a nice spot to have a mother's death. But this rule tends to create course followed custom by pitching in with shelter from the rain. the cleanup of the chowder bowls. a generally older membership. A set of club rules adopted in the early A resident remembers Mrs. Fay once Meantime, the Vice President napped on days still is posted by the fireplace, local a pillowed bench nearby. He had declined a saying in the library that It was "so nice residents say, admonishing members not to car ride from the beat that brought the that Josephine could finally join." Jose- leave crumbs behind, not to rearrange the Rockefellers to the island, preferring to phine, who is in her sixties, became a mem- furniture, and to sign the club's datebook walk the 21/2 miles to the small, rustic club- ber a few years ago when her mother died. and inform the caretaker If they should house at the other end of the Island's only The club nowadays combats the gerlatric want to engage the clubhouse for a private road. image by inviting a few youngsters into the party. club for a single season, after which they "Roughing it" is de rigueur for members "Members like things the way they are evaluated for permanent membership. and guests at the exclusive women's club, were," Gail Colby, the club's caretaker, told Chosen chiefly from "The Red Book," an and folks like the Astors and Rockefellers a reporter before club officers imposed a unauthorized "who's who" of Mount De. have been roughing it there in summertime gag rule on her. sert's summer society, prospective mem- for some 80 years. Former Harvard Presi- Says Robert Pyle, president of Mount De- bers must come from proper backgrounds dent Nathan Pusey and entertainer Gary sert's Chamber of Commerce, "It's a bas- and also have "something intellectual" to Moore have been guests there "You go in tion of a way of life not currently in vogue. offer. It is said your sallor pants but It's stuffy." Mr. But it's a closed club: it has its mysterious Invitations to join are ardently sought by Moore). and the membership of only 25 in aspects." Mr. Pyle, who is also the librarian the aristocrats of Mount Desert Island. and obviously highly selective. of the Northeast Parbor Public Library, refusels to join are almost unheard of. But Indeed, the Cranberry Club is "the most says many of the Cranberry Club members one fortyish Philadelphia initiate stopped unique club in the world, says Mrs. John are also board members of the library. going after a few meetings. "It's supposed Simonds of Peterborough N.H. the club's Local folks say the club members hold to be a great honor," she says, "but I don't president weekly meetings, and one ritual is for the like snooty things. They wore hats and But Its unique features are carefully women to make presentations, usually dresses, and I wanted to wear blue jcans. I guarded from the outside world. Thus, al- chronicling trips they have taken. Desig. felt as If I was just wasting beautiful sailing though this island of 200 residents is just 21/2 nated members bring various dishes to days." miles off Maine's large Mount Desert Island make a lunch, and "wildflower committee" (which includes such posh resort villages as members gather centerpiece blossoms. Bar Harbor and Northeast Harbor) few Mount Desert Island residents have ever Although the membership typically fends heard of the Cranberry Club. for itself at the meetings and lunches, Mrs. Colby sometimes acts as cook. And for the Lobbying for Silence annual meeting each August, she makes fish So protective are Cranberry Clubbers of chowder. Mrs. Colby also keeps busy clean- their privacy that when they learned of ing the cottage and chauffeuring guests. plans for a newspaper story about them, When she went to meet Mrs. Astor's they began lobbying for this paper to call off guests at the public marina in August. Mrs. the story. Colby was swept aside by Secret Service And women with Mayflower-type names men as Vice President and Mrs. Rockefeller began slamming down telephones when they set off to walk the length of the Island to found the voice at the other end WAS a re- the clubhouse. "He seemed just like a neigh- porter. "You can just go fish!" said Mrs. bor," an elderly resident says Actually, the Malcolm Peabody of Cambridge, Mass., the Rockefellers are practically neighbors, as mother of former Massachusetts Gov. Endi- they have a summer place n nearby Seal cott Peabody. Harbor. Mrs. W. Rodman Fay of New York City showed considerably more restraint. if not cooperation: "Oh! I know who you are, you're that reporter." she said when reached by phone. "You sound like a lovely person. But I won't tell you anything, or my name would be mud." Cantri buted by The reception was even cooler at the clubhouse Itself, which now is closed for the winter. A reporter trying to peer in the Eileen Richard HAROCK club's windows was ousted from the prop- eriv by a mustachined man who Identified himself as Great Cranberry Island's con- stable.