The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1881-04-06
A Diver for the Dead.

At No. SO Cranberry street, IN a small,
old-fashioncd cottage, painted white, with
green shutters and a small portico in front
with green-painted lattice-work, over which,
an ivy trails itsirregular course, lives John II.
Brewer, who has been engaged in the bust
ness referred to for almost lifetime. A
Tribune reporter found the old man in the
small courtyard adjoining his humble
home one day last week. All the objects
in the yard were strongly suggestive Of nau-
teal pursuits. An old weather-b beaten four
Dared yawl occupied the greater part of the
little Enclosure, while one corner was taken
up by couple of oars, another by small
rusty anchor, some chains and scraps The
only living occupant of the yard at the time
OF the reporters visit was decrepit-looking.
white-haired old man, engaged in tinkering
at the old boat He said he was John H.
Brewer, the person the reporter was in
search of
"Pve been in the business of grapplin' and
divin' for over fifty years, for began when
| wasabout twenty, and L m nigh on to seven
ty-four now. L was born and brought up in
this State, and so were my father and grand.
father before me- Pm an American to the
backbone. Eve done grapplin' and wreckin'
in the East and North Rivers, in the Long
Island Sound, at Sandy Hook, and at He'll
Gate, and have always succeeded in maxim
a pretty good Twin out of it, can tell you.
I've raised thousands of tons OF railroad iron,
anchors, big and little, chains, cables, besides
canal boats. bodies, and rings, watches, lock-
cts and other jewelry. One of the best jobs
I've ever had was durin' the War, when the
Government was buildin an iron
clad at the Navy-Ya Eghty-four steel
plates, each fourteen feet long, four feet
wide, and three inches thick, were lynn
near the dock. The weight was too much
for the old pier and she broke down, sendin'
the plates to the bottom of the East River.
They sent for me, and asked me to get the
plates for 'em. | said would, but wanted
$40 for each plate l got out. They were
satisfied, and / went to work. We'll,
Brewer said the Capt'in, L 's'pose it'll
plates up Days? said /. Jest you
come back in an hour or an hour and a-half,
an I'll show you somethingr He laughs
kinder, and walks of, thinkin' I'm blowin.'
Well, jest got my grapplin' hooks round
them plates, and when the Cspt'in came
back had three on the pier. jest tell you
he opened his eyes.
"a canal-boat full of coal lying in her dock
got hole stove in her by steamboat run
MIN into her, and was sunk. got the job
of liftin' her and gettin' out her cargo. il
her up / did, and, by bucketsfull, every
pound of coal in her. I've done some treas
ure liftin, too. A Spanish brig dropped a
Gag of dollars that she was takin' out to South
America overheard in the harbor here Dod
many years ago. There was a very strong
tide runnin' at the time, and the divers that
were sent after the Gag soon gave it up a.
bad job. Somebody told the Spanish
Captin about my luck in findin' things, and
he sent for me- He offered me 500 20 get
up that Gag. went down, and, KNOWN the
harbor so Intimately, soon found it. But
here was FIX; the bottom of the Gag had
fallen out, and the dollars were strewn
around it. Well, jest went aboard shir
again, got my scoop-net, an went down
again. Then put the dollars oil back IL