The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-07-28
THE COPPERING PET.

THE COPPERING PET.
I was wandering through the suburbs
OF one of our smallest and most vener-
able seaport towns, when came upon
the graveyard. One of the graves par
ticularly attracted my attention. 1t was
covered by large and fiat stone, which
bore an inscription reading as follows:
Here lies the body and worldly slb-
stance of Capt. William Mereen, skip
per of this port, and father of Polly Me-
reen, who sailed from here in the Coz
pering Pet, in July, 1869. In 1901 he
was born in this town, where he died in
1871. The body shall remain here until
resurrected by the last trump, and the
worldly substance shall stay with it I'M
til his daughter Polly shall raise this
stone and take from under it her own"
As was turning away from the grave
/ saw on the road an elderly man ap-
preaching. had met him before. He
was q weather beaten parsonage with
Bea-faring demeanor, and his name was
Wonderment Sanchez. saw he was in
8 hurry, but l stopped him and asked
If he could explain the inscrip ion on
this tomb. |a
sits GURUS" he said, "that YOU
should ask me such thing at this time.
The Copperin' Pet is lynn off the bar
I've been q watchin' fur her fur years,
and | can't be mistook in her. She'll
come over at high water, and I've been
TO hunt our pilots, but all three of 'em
have gone up the river fishing. Tn no
pilot but I'm goin' out to the Pet In my
boat The Captain ought to know the
bar, fur he was raised here, and perhaps
he'll bring her in himself. If you like
I'LL take you out with me- and I'll tell
yol all about that TOMBSTONE on the
way"
Ireplied that nothing would please
me better, and in fifteen minutes we
were rowing over the water toward the
bar.
"Billy Mereen," said Wonderment,
"was an old friend of mine. He made
many v'yges and brought back MANY
Gurus things, principally made out of
whales lawhones. He had O great likin'
fur such matters, and he'd a had his own
bones made of whales jaws if he could
done 1t. He had one child. named
Polly, and her mother died when she
was hit Q. Nine years ago, when Polly
was about IL, she married young Alba.
OF this town, and sailed away as is
stated on that stone. Two years after
that the old man died, and he left all he
had to Polly. AS I've been told every
thin was turned into money,
which was put into an iron
box, and buried under his grave
stone. Accordin' to directions he left.
the money is to wait there fur her fur a
hundred years, fur some of the women
Mereens live long time. If she don't
come fur it in hundred years, the
money is to be given to the Oldest man
In the town, and when he dies to the
oldest one left, and so on until it's all
gone,
thought Billy Mereen was the most
foolish testator / had yet heard Of;
but | did not say so, 1 suggested,
however, that the iron box might be
stolen.
Some folks Think" said the old
man, stthat there's nothing much in
shat box, and some folks thinks there's
lots. But, however tbs, there's no man
n this town would touch that grave"
| was greatly interested in this story,
and was almost as anxious as old Won
derment himself to get out to the Cop.
perlng Pet and see what would come of
it all.
We were soon out at sea, and as we
approached the vessel / saw that Won
derment had not been mistaken. Her
name, "the Coppering Pet" was
painted In fresh white letters on her bow.
AS she lay to, before moderate breeze
we were soon on board.
When we reached the deck Wonder.
ment asked for the Captain.
All right, sir r said sailor, "she is
coming"
She the old man and I opened wide
our eyes, but none too wide for the sight
we saw. Up short companion. way
there stepped young woman, who with
quick and sea-trained step came toward
US She wore close-ftting dress of
blue and broad straw hat.
why, If this isn't Wonderment 1"
she exclaimed, advancing toward the old
man with outstretched hands.
I'm real glad to see you, Polly"
SAID Wonderment, "you're looking fine
ly. And how's 2"-
"He is not living, said Polly, quietly.
81 am so glad you came on board. This
is your friend, suppose"
Wonderment introduced me.
"Come into the cabin" she said
"and will tell you everything that has
happened"
When two glasses of grog had been
brought, Polly told her story. 1t was
not very long one. Her husband had
died about three years after they first
sailed away in the Coppering Pet This
happened when they were in the Japan
ese seas. She would have sold the YES.
sci and returned to her home, but she
founo it was not easy to make suitable
arrangements of the kind; and then. be-
fore any plans could be carried out. she
heard OF her fathers death. When she
recovered from this new shock she did
not want to come home, and if she sold
her vessel, she felt that she would have
no abiding place in this world. so she
determined to keep the Coppering Pet
the only home she had and having a
competent mate and good crew. and
being accompanied by a middle aged
Scotch woman, who acted as both maid
and comp VI iDn, she had sailed and trad
ed in tns( Eastern waters until few