The narrator is investigating a historical tale about a race between New York and New Jersey over the islands between them, with Staten Island being the prize. The race was won by Captain Christopher Billopp, who used empty barrels to catch the wind and make his ship faster. This story has been passed down through generations, but the narrator is skeptical and tries to verify it.
The narrator finds inconsistencies in the story, such as the time it took to complete the race, the ship's identity, and the existence of Captain Billopp. The narrator also discovers that the story has evolved over time, with different versions of the tale being told. The narrator traces the story back to Reverend Disosway, who is believed to have told the story first.
Despite the narrator's efforts to verify the story, they are unable to find any physical evidence or records that confirm it. The narrator eventually concludes that the story is a tall tale, and the only "ghost" they can find is the memory of the tale itself. The narrator is left alone on Staten Island, with the only evidence of the story being the Billopp Museum, which is closed.
1. The story revolves around a race between New York and New Jersey over islands between them.
2. New York proposed the race, with the winner getting all islands that could be encircled in less than 24 hours.
3. Staten Island was the prize, described as "the most commodiousest and richest land".
4. New Jersey initially thought the island impossible to encircle in under a day, so they believed it would be theirs.
5. Captain Christopher Billopp, a young New Yorker, was determined to expand his state's empire and thought he had the man for the job.
6. Billopp lashed empty barrels to his ship to help catch the wind and make haste, which made the difference in the race.
7. Billopp encircled the most commodiousest island of Staten for New York in just over twenty-three hours.
8. This event earned Billopp historical immortality in books and articles and on Wikipedia.
9. New York gifted the captain an estate, on Staten Island, which still stands today, a historical museum and park for the local Staten Island Yorkers.
10. The story is nearly a hundred years apart, with the article stating it happened almost three hundred years ago from 1913, which would be around 1620.
11. New Jersey only became New Jersey in 1664 via a royal charter.
12. The Supreme Court dealt with New York and New Jersey island ownership in the 90s.
13. The story of the race is considered a "Lady Godiva story", told long after it supposedly happened, and has evolved to be cleverer and cuter as it passed along.
14. The tale of the race is a meme, surviving the centuries by being clever and cute.
15. The story is believed to have been told for the first time by Reverend Disosway, a local chronicler.
16. The New York Public Library is the only place on earth with surviving physical copies of the Richmond County Gazette, where the story originated.
17. The Billopp Museum, where the historians who never got back to the author are located, is closed.
18. Captain and Colonel Christopher Billops were real people, connected to the founding and freedom of the country.
19. The story of the race has helped Disosway’s tale survive over the centuries, from his mouth to Clute's ear and book, onward to others, eventually the New York Times, to be sourced in the Wikipedia, to be found by the author.
20. The story ends on the southern tip of Staten Island, alone and locked out of Billopp's house.