Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-04-20
Surprising Adventures OF Master
Charles Summert0n.
BY BRET HARTE-

ing OF Saturday, August 2S, 1860, Master
Charles Summerton, aged five years, dis
appeared mysteriously from his residence
on Folsom street, San Francisco. At
twenty-five minutes past nine he had been
observed by the butcher amusing himself
going through that popular youthful exer-
else known as turning the crab," a feat
in which he was singularly proficient. At
court of inquiry summarily held in the
back parlor at l0:15, Bridget, cook, de-
posed to have detected him, at twenty min
utes past nine, in the felonious abstraction
of sugar from the pantry, which, by the
same token, had she known what was
a-comin', she'd have never previnted.
Patsey, shrill-voiced youth from
neighboring alley, testified to having seen
"Chowley," at halfpast nine, in front of
the butchers shop round the corner, but
as this young gentleman chose to throw
out the gratuitous belief that the missing
child had been converted into sausages by
the butcher, his testimony was received
with some caution by the female portion
of the court, and with downright scorn and
contempt by its masculine members. But
whatever might have been the hour of his
departure, it was certain that from ten and
half a. m until nine p. m, when he was
brought home by a policeman, Charles
Summerton was missing. Being naturally
of reticent disposition, he has since re-
sisted, with one exception, any attempt to
wrest from him a statement of his where
abouts during that period. That exception
has been myself. He has recited to me the
following in the strictest confidence:
His intention on leaving the doorsteps
of his dwelling was to proceed without de-
lay to Van Dieman's Land by way of
Second and Market streets. This project
was subsequently modified so far as to per-
init visit to Otaheite, where Captain
Cook was killed. The outfit for his voy-
age consisted of two car tickets, five cents
in silver, fishing line, the brass Gaping
of spool of cotton, which, in his eyes,
bore more resemblance to metallic cur
rency, and Suday School library ticket.
His garments, admirably adapted to the
exigencies of any climate, were severally
a straw hat with pink ribbon, striped
shirt, over which pair of trousers, un-
commonly wide in comparison to their
length, were buttoned, striped balmoral
stockings, which gave his youthful legs
something the appearance of winter-green
candy, and copper-toed shoes with iron
heels, capable of striking fire from any
flagstone. This latter quality, Master
Charley could not help feeling, would be
of infinite service to him in the wilds OF
Van Dieman's Land, which, as pictorially
represented in his geography, seemed to
be deficient in corner groceries and
matches.
Exactly as the clock struck the hall
hour the short legs and straw hat of Mas
ter Charles Summerton disappeared around
the corner. He ran rapidly, partly by way
of inuring himself to the fatigues of the
journey before him, and partly by way oi
testing his speed with that of NORTH
Beach car which was proceeding in that
direction. The conductor not being aware
of this generous and lofty emulation, and
being somewhat concerned at the spectacle
of pair of short, twinkling legs so far il
the rear, stopped his car and generously
assisted the youthful Summerton upor
the platform. From this point hia
tus of several hours duration oc
ours in Master Charles narrative. He i:
under the impression that he rode out
not only his two tickets, but that he be
came subsequently indebted to the com
pany for several trips to and from the op
posite termini, and that at last resolutell
refusing to give any explanation of hi
conduct, he was finally elected, much t.
his relief, on a street corner. Although
as he informs us, he felt perfectly satisfied
with the arrangement, he was compelled
under the circumstances, to hurl after tn,
| SohuNStOi dA OPpiODiiOho dPpSAAotAOA
: which, he had ascertained from Patsey
was the correct thing in such emergencie
and possessed peculiarly exasperating pro
perties.
We now approach thrilling part of tn,
narrative, before which most of the ad
ventures of the "Boy's Own Book" pal,
into insignifcance There are times whel
the recollection of this adventure cause
Master Charles to break out into coli
sweat, and he has several times, since it
occurrence, been awakened by lamenta
tions and outcries in the night season b,
merely dreaming of it. On the corner o
the street lay several empty sugar hogs
heads. A few young gentlemen disposed
themselves therein, armed with sticks
with which they removed the sugar whicl
still adhered to the joints of the slaves, ant
conveyed it to their mouths. Finding
cask not yet pre-empted, Master Charlie
set to work, and for few moments rev
elled in a wild saccharine dream, whenc'
he was finally aroused by an angry voic
and the rapidly retreating footsteps of hi
comrades. An ominous sound smote hi
ear, and the next moment he felt the casl
! wherein he lay uplifted and set uprigh
against the wall. He was prisoner, bu
as yet undiscovered. Being satisfied il
his mind that hanging was the systemati
and legalized penalty for the outrage h
had committed, he kept down manfull,
the cry that rose to his lips.
In a few moments he felt the cask agail
lifted by powerful hand which appeare,
above him at the edge of his prison, an,
which he concluded belonged to the fero
cious giant Blunderbore, whose feature
: and limbs he had frequently met in colore
! pictures. Before he could recover fron
his astonishment, his cask was placed wit
, several others on a cart and rapidly driver
away. The ride which ensued he describe
as being fearful in the extreme. Role,
around like pill in a box, the agonie
which he suffered may be limited at, no
? spoken. Evidences of that protracte
struggle were visible on his garment:
which were of the consistency of syruI
and his hair, which for several hours, ur
der the treatment of hot water, yielded
thin treacle. At length the cart stoppe
on one of the warves, and the cartman bt
l gan to unload. AS he tilted over the cas-
in which Charles lay, an exclamatio
broke from his lips, and the edge of tn
, cask fell from his hands, sliding its LAT
occupant upon the wharf To regain hi
, short legs, and to put the greatest possibl
? distance between himself and the cartmar
were his first movements on regaining hi
, liberty He did not stop until he ha
reached the corner of Front street.
: Another blank succeeds in this vera
e cious history. He cannot remember hoy
: or when he found himself in front of tn
( circus tent. He has an indistinct remen
? brance of having passed through lon
street of stores, which were all closed
and which made him fear it was Sunday
q and that he had spent miserable night i
d the sugar-cask. But he remembered heal
$ ing the sound of music within the ten
and of creeping on his hands and knees
; when no one was looking, until he passe
= under the canvas. His description of tn
wonders contained within that circle; G
the terrific feats performed by man on
S pole, since practiced by him in the bac
e yard; of the horses, one of which wa
r spotted, and resembled an animal in Noah
8 ark, hitherto unrecognized and underlined
a of the female equestrians, whose dresse
81 :. sEa.. A