The Daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1845-1850, 1850-04-04
PETER FLENN'S LUCK WITH THE CARGO
OETEA

7 eiiOiS
Isle, y'clept Peter Finn. poor hardtoiling, hon
est, and jolly man was Peter Finn His vocation
was that OF the most honorable, because of its useful
ness to the commercial world, driving dray Peter
owned very ancient and nowse spry horse, equal
y unstable dray, by means whereof he essayed, and
by dint of great physical exertion, succeeded in OBJ
tanning for his large and growing family toerabe
living.
Stephen Girard lived and carried on his immense
mercantile transactions about the time which write,
and was principal performer in my little story.
The one-eyed little Frenchman, the great pet of
Dame Fortune, was not man ofany very wonder
tul development Of heart soul or sympathy in the mis-
fortunes crosses losses of his fellow beings; but
now and then he was known, more through eccen-
trlclty than aught else, perform very credit
able and really muniGCent acts of kindness and gen.
erosity towards those falling in his way One day,
said he to Peter Finn, whom he had oft and for a
long time employed upon his wharves, in hauling
goods from his large ships to his spacious ware
houses.
''Pe-tair, you have worked VERY hard
8 es, sir, be my sowl have,' responded Peter.
''Veiry long time you no save anything :" said
the banker, the merchant prince, the millionaire.
''Be my conscience, Misther Ge-rad, it's divll
hap urth save at ALL the devil hsself might dance
his hornpipes in me pockets of Monday mornin',
without disturbn toe-nail NV his ut agin the silver
at all, there''
''Two, five, seven eetle chider at home, Ell? -
"taN, it's yersilf that's guessed it exactly, Msth
er Ge-rad; I've sven as brave boys and gals as liver
yersIli clapped an eye upon, sir p said Peter.
'Ah yes, see, see; very veil, Petiir, you shall
nave you chance prezen-ly, by and by directly, to
do sumtng bettaire drive re ole boss and dray,"
responded the banker.
''faix, Msther Ge-rad, it's mesef that's sayin' it,
as should not be saying it, praps, but it's few men
labor for the Bread mate, praties, and hay we ate
than meslfand Barney the ole boss there's and shure
1t would be God-send that would put US both, me-
sell and the poor old beast there, our ills and
miseries, % said the dray-nlan.
'EAh ha very well, Peair you come into my
countlng-house by and BY sail show you re road
to make fortune, by andb and the little old French
man, with his hands locked behind him, stalked off
to his counting house, leaving the poor man consider
ably IN doubt and mystery us to what the result of
this conference was to be-
''Be dad" says Peter to himself, smay be it's
the old tellers whlm to set me up in a shop or be
gorra, to buy me new dray and horse 0, be my
conscience, there's telling what the oud inteman
will do whn he takes the turn and thus sooquizing
after respectful delay, Peter presented himself at the
door of the millionaire's counting room; dong his
hat, in he walked.
E'Petar,'' said the merchant prince, 'sze Canton
packet packet ship Mozart lay at my wharf,
! eyes, she does, Mr.. Ge-rad, said Peter
| t1He nave one grand cargo OF Tea, continued The
banker.
'Fax, she have,'' said Peter
'To-morrow, Petaire, whole cargo be put I'M
der re hammer, to be sold to re highest bdder''
'tYls," Peter replies still deeper in mystery as to
what or how that could interest or in any way con-
Germ him.
'Very well, Petaire, continued the banker. sto-
morrow morning, when re sale begin, you be dare
re tea be put up in two tree lots one of the mer
chants bid, zen you bid next
Me! U, be gorra, saving yer prisnce Misther
Ge-rad, would 1t be for the likes of Peter Finn to be
standn there among the merchants an bidding for
a whole cargo of tea It's mad ntrely they'd think
l wus p
: ''Nevar mind; you bid on re tea-When re tea
knocked down, you take re whole, zen you cum to
me, fix 'em. Good morning Petair-And sunni
ling and awkward with astonishmen, Peter cot ont,
and the rest of the day he went about muttering to
himself, over the strange and entirely bewildering
part he was TO enact the morrow at the grand tea
sale.
Next day, the merchants of the city assembled on
one of Girard's quays, where huge piles of chests of
tea were ready for the auctioneers hammer and the
bids OF the merchants. 1t was a conssnee's sale
cash was to be raised in short metre and the whole
cargo was put up IN three separate lots half cash
and balance at four months with approved endors-
ment.
| Snow, gentlemen said the auctoneer opening
the sale, I'VE put up 500 chests of this Young Hy-
son tea, warranted all through as per sample, or no
sale. How much do ] hear start it gentlemen-we
shall not dwell long upon this tea Forty cents
pound hear bd-f5rty forty forty forty cents
pound only, is bid; 2 IL did hear?''
''Yis, forty-two AN half, bid, y said Peter Finn
in tone of voice that fairly startled some the mer
chants. The auctioneer paused
''Your bid, sir?
s'Yis, it's me; goahead''
"We're not selling single pound or box 500
chests?'
'Be dad, know that, sir ? go on wild it,
The merchants snckered, the auctonecr arinned
no more bids were made and down came the tea
eight hundred chests.
''The name sir :" said the auctioneer.
''Pe'er Finn
"Where's your house, Mr.. Finn? 20
"hle house ~
eyes slr-your place Of business
'Sle house fax, I've no house; it's two rooms
an cellar have, III Wather Street, me place Of bls
ness is here upon the wharf"
/ "Your endorser's name, if you pease2 2"
| "Stephen Ge-rad, sir p This dubious declare
ton produced another stretch of the phzzes of the
merchants, and the auctoneer, in great doubt, put
up another lot Of 500 chests Down quickly went
to Peter Finn! And so likewise went the third lot.
When the sale concluded, the merchants glided of.
believing that the auctioneer was certainly ssold'