The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-08-01
ANCIENT COMRADES.
Outing of the Venerable Gunner Associa-
ton and Propeller Club.


LONG POINT COTTAGE, |
Cape Elizabeth, July 81, 1881
The sea-gull wots not why he shrieks,
But SWoopS and skins and WotS not;
He loudly flaps his briny wings,
While off the shore the fog-bell rings,
And no one knows what's what.
The bowling winds fierce split their cheeks,
They crack their throats but wot not;
The quiet clam close shuts his Shell,
And fancies all is going well,
Still no one knows what's what.
The cunning fish play round the rocks,
Swim in and out, but wot not;
The startled squirrel seeks his hole,
And DER the rocks the pillows roll
But no one knows what's what.
The moon blood red, comes out the sea,
Rolls grandly up, but wOts not
While through the miStthe bum-bums stalk,
And spirit cunners n0iSeleSs walk lssN
YetsnO one knows what's what.
A team creeps long the rocky shore,
Creeps slowly up and W0ts it;
The cottage doors are openedwide,
While hungry Cunners inward glide,
And then It's known what's what. L
Whatever may be said about the dis
tinguished members of this antiquarian
institution the charge of being late at the
annual meeting has never been made
against any of them. In order to insure
prompt attendance at the proper time,
the club gets over to the cottage on the
day preceding the annual meeting. This
year, although the regular annual meet
ing would not be held until the. first
Tuesday in August, the boys made sure
thing of it by coming over in July. See?
and this is the forty-eighth year of the
clubs existence and still it adheres to the
old practices in this respect No one is
ever late, and none ever gets left. for rain
or shine, the true and faithful Gunner is
always promptly at his post. The advance
guard, consisting of John L. Shaw, Chris.
Way and William Ross, came over early
in the day to fill the well with water, I'M
bolt the doors, fling open the shutters,
make the beds, air the rooms and dust
up generally. The remainder of the
club arrived at about supper time. COM
ing with ravenous appetites and quite
ready to keep them up during the entire
festivities. The Executive Committee
Association were here last and left their
ear-marks as all executive committee as
sociations universally do. And vet I
doubt very much if many of your very
many readers know anything about this
particular, social organization of dis
tinguisLad ciJizens. Neither do I, ex-
copting that they are heavy eaters, and
remarkably persistent smokers, with
many evidences of generosity and good
fellowship. But that it had it's origin in
some great Masonic event fourteen years
ago is known to few who will diyulge
no more than that, and the association
will doubtless pass away one of these
days in unwritten history.
Sweeping out. getting the euchre tables
ready for evening service, filling the
lamps, shaking hands all around and ex-
changing compliments formed an i'm
portant part in the preliminary exercises
incident to the forty-eighth anniversary,
and when everything was declared to be
in proper shape, nights mantle had fall
en- over the land and far out on the crests
of the turbulent sea.
So goodnight! Tomorrow's events
you shall know all about in due course.
CTPERo