St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-11-27
CAPT. QUACKEHBOSS.
New York Recorder.

New York Recorder.
When Capt. Peter Quackenboss at
tanned the age of sixtY-five years lie
made up his mind to leave the sea and
settle down to quiet, rural life in the
heart of the Paramus valley, IN the state
of New Jersey. Not that he was in any
way unsound or decrepit. On the con-
trary, he was hale and healthy, with no
intention of becoming a candidate for
Davy Jones' locker for many a long
year.
He was splendid old chap, good
hearted, generous to a fault, and with
an open, sunny disposition that in this
era of avarice and general meanness is
delightful to contemplate. He had
amassed quite a little fortune dur
ing his long career at sea, having
been sailor since the age
of ten, when he shipped on a
clipper bark engaged in the Atlantic
trade. He was captain at twenty-five,
and many a celebrated packet he COM
manded, for he had the happy talent of
making fast passage from port to port,
and his services were in great demand.
he was left an orphan at six, and he
hadn't living relative in the world.
No woman was ever pretty or winning
enough to fascinate him. We was we'd
ded to the sea, and a simpler man in
everything that appertalned to the land
never strobe the earth.
Force of habit had sharpened him I'D
so far as the making of charter parties
was concerned, and no Liverpool land
! shark ever got to windward of him or
defrauded him of any well-earned
freight.
One bright morning in May, after
docking his ship in the East river. he
settled up with the owners. and, when
he came to overhaul his accounts. found
that he was possessed of a nice little
nest egg of 600. the savings of half a
century'S hard work on the ocean. The
firm for which he had made so MANY
successful voyages had invested the old
mans money with so much shrewdness
and sagacity that it rapidly Increased.
Besides, his wants were few and lie
rarely spent his dollars after the fashion
of his kind. who so frequently indulge
in roaring good times ashore.
After his owners had shown him where
to plant his money safely they shook his
hands warmly and wished him success
in his new life.
The cottage which he had purchased
in NewJerSey was an old-fashioned stone
structure covered with Virginia Creep
ers and wiStarias. 1t looked delight
fully cool and picturesque. 1t was we'll
furnished. Fifteen acres, consisting of
woods, meadows and arabic land. went
with the house. Capt. Peter would
never tell how much his little estate cost
him. but no DOUBT it came high. Jer-
seymen can give Jews points in driving
hard bargains. In front of the house
was a green. inviting stretch of lawn,
shaded by giart chestnu tree, whose
gnarled trunk showed that it had braved
the wear and tear of more than q CEN
fury.
Not far from the cottage was a rustic
bridge, under which a Drawing little
stream murmured. Near by was peace
ful-looking church, and around this were
clustered the houses of tile .JerSeyites,
with their well-trimmed dooryards
Astounding with old-fashiOned flowers
ana shrubbery.
Capt. QuacRenboss entered into his
new habiIatiOn, his sole companion be-
ing young Portuguese named Manuel,
whose life he had saved at sea and who
was duly grateful for fayors conferred.
He had been the old shippers faetotum
for several years on shipboard and was
trusted implicitly.
For the first few days the captain
contented himself with walking around