Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1862-01-02
From OrCc-a-Wcck.
A STORY OF CORNISH WRECKERS.
now NED SMITH Won MS MEDAL.

Some dozen years ago, before the railways
now throhbing like arteries through the land
were in existence, | went with two friends to
lodge in Cornwall. The place was the most
retired I ever saw. Far removed from the
cross.coun,ry road, and only reached ty ventur-
inc over ,racl--ior it could not even he call
cd Il path- winding along the edge OF ellis otep
,wo or three hundred feet above the beach, 1t
was n place to delight all whose good fortune
had carried them within sight Of it.
Thc ,,n,hcrnmo>t end Of the bay closed in n
steep sloue ,f living green, caused by land
l;o in Which the turf had slid down ike a vel,
n hide the ruin it left behind, OF which nothing
was seen from the beach but background of
towering rocks. Like some old Norman castle,
sc Elncied ttcin still resisting step by step the
advance of decay. 1t was near this southern
poipt that the traces Of former Iawless dongs
were still to he seen. A small hole, apparently
only fox den, led into cave where thousand
kegs Of French brandy had often been stored IN
single night,
WE wore anxious to learn whether the tales
we had heard Of Cornish wrcckers were true,
and it was some questioning on this SUBJECT
which drew from the old miller the following
story:
Il can't say never hcerd OF such things, but
never seed no such things myself. | have lIved
here. man and boy, these seventy years he
said many and mauy's the night we've been
watching on these bleak cliffs tor chance to
Ihelp til. Door creature, as had only traI plank
between hem aud death. Scores OF Ilves We
seen saved but never one took ; no, not even OF
a brute beast that cane to shore from all the
multitude of wrecks I've seen. Im not gong
to say that when the ships, poor things, are all
broken up and the tlmbers come oShore-i m
not clear to say, there is not some small matter
as never gets reported to the kings men. Little
blame them that take it, fer, as the Lords
above US, believe it is more the fault of those
that keen back the honest dues for the salvage
i remember, in the time that barwood' I and
f he pointed to some pretty things made by lis
son, of the bright-colcred ogwood) was c,mng
in, there was those as worked night and day
landing il. and after all their toll they wanted
TO pay them oil with just quarter OF what was
the RIGHT mouey. So if they that are so wei
Of ,ry to cheat like that, Id ask your honor'
$ if it is not setting an example to the poor!
There's Ned Smith now-hc as got the fine
medal from that grand place up 10 London
I'm sure he is as tenaerhcared as child, bu
Il you'll never make him believe there is any sir
in taking stray bauk or two the tide bring
in, and nobody owns: while, after he'd beer
working for whole week, they wanted to pa.
him with a little more than nothinr-That
, what call stealing
but my old head is forgetting the story
" We'll, well, you must lease to excuse It. |
l. does make my blood boil TO hear such taIstles
y "Twas seven wears last Novcmber--l mini
t it wcll-mc and Ned Was standing ns your hon
e. or and me is now, by my old hut here. 1t ha
N been bitter night o. weather, and was still s
dark we could not see even the clods Of ioar
that kept h,ng in our faces. I'd just put th
mill agoing with some barley, and was minde
= to lie down for nap Gor you see [ a'way
wake when the corns doun, aud so don't irot
., bic about the mill) when | thought | heard
" gun. could not make sure, for the wind va
laslng the waves mountains high, and the rak
o. the beach was most enough to stun bod.
Says to Ned, Ned, you're more spray ma
than me, Just take a look out to sea- We.
he'd not gone but step or two when the
MS port came again full and true, aud even m
old eyes could see the flash. | stepped up AT
turned off the water, and Ned and me went al
r, called Up the ueighbors. | sent a boy on hors
G. back to Trebartcot to bring more help; al
T. getting tie ropes and things We should want
anything could be done for the poor crcatur
on board the distressed ship, we went to t
point We thought she would strike on. We HI
no help from our eyes, but were guided by o
X. knowledge Of the wind and tide.
1T might be about five, or between that .
ak o'clock, VIXEN NC sott SA!'stolc. '