Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-12-26
PEIEG BUNKER sSHIP
SHE VAS NOVEL m CONCEPTION.
EXECUTION AND LAUNCHING.

Unique and Exciting Event That Marked
Red Letter Era In That Section of tha
Old Pine Tree state from Charleston to
Tidewater Mt Bangor
Talking of shipbuildinr did van era,
hear Of seagoiDg vessel being bnur * /
miles from navigation and carried an
wheels down to tidewater and launcbed,p
said L. w. Noreross 81 The Shoe and Leath.
or Reporter the other dny. ~ have. and (
was literally in il at the launching. Let
me tell you about schooner that was
built in Charleston, Ne, up in the woods |
north of Bangor.
captain Peleg Bunker was an old fish |
ing skipper, who many years ago thought |
he had got enough OF the sea, and SO bought |
him a farm up in Charleston and settled |
down to live on the land 1t didn't take |
him long to find out that that was no kind |
OF life for him, and he pinned for the sea.
There were with him on the farm his two
| grownup sons who had saved some money.
They had found sweethearts among the
neighbors' daughters and were beginning TO
plan for farms Of their own
We'll, the old captain got more and
more restless, aud at last, one July morn
ing, when the wind from the south blew
breath Of the sea up inland, Captain Bun
ker stood snuiling it in. OF sudden he
turned round TO his two boys, who were at
work sharpening their scythes for haying,
Boys he said, IL you'll build me q
fishing smack you may have the farm
1.-THE young men thought it over and
then took him at his word, They got in
Bangor all the materials that had to be
bought, All the timbers they founL almost
at their doors waiting to be cut and hauled,
| for in that day the lumber woods were all
about them. When everything was ready
at hand, they laid the keel in their farm
| yard, and in six months had built the hull
of fine shipshnpe schooner 30 feet long,
completely fitted up and painted, with the
| spars lying alongside-for her masts and
rigging were to be put in after the launch
Ing.
1.-THE next thing was to get her aaoot
Twenty-Five miles OF billy road lay between
her and tidewater. The builders took a
time in the year when teamwork was slack
to haul her to Bangor. Maine country peo-
pie were neighborly in those days, and
when the Bunkers got ready TO move their
craft all the farmers in the township were
ready to help. You perhaps know what
a pair of immense heayy wheels The
farmers came in with their OK carts, took
off the bodies from dozen of them, ranged
the pairs of wheels in line one after an
other then, all hands helping, rau the
schooner upon them, blocked her mp ON an
even keel clear Of the tires, and there she
was, ready to start
1.-The next day the farmers were all on
| hand with 20 yolies OF oxen, everybody
cooked and primed FOR Bangorand picnic,
| When they had got the 20 Jokes of oxen
strung out in a long line before the wheels,
attached TO them by one great chain used
| In booming logs, and the word was given,
| every red shirted driver swung his goad
| stick, yelled at his cxen. and the schooner,
/ uhristened the peleg Bunker, began her
voyage over the hills to Bangor From
pole in the stern fluttered m American Nag
aud from the bows another upheld a white
streamer bearing the vessels name. All
along the route the people came long dis
tances to behold the vessel moving along
the highway going like duck TO water
The schoolhOuses were empued OF their
barefooted urchins, who ran alongside the
schooner, and procession Of farm wagons
followed in its wake. Farmers along the
route opeued up barrels Of cider and passed
IN pans uiiu YIN u'pP tioi. t7,,sas ,ssrs
ana wheh nlshS ei','u ~ ,l .hn toan,stor-
opened IN iree s.s', 49, ~ NJ fstisr yyas
u was younEs s,.i,, ' t,n yates Of oxen
~ 5 %o "aiI thnt MIGHT 90 nlong. Proud
ana ne say, ~, t',e' ,,' n Nv ,bs sSbooners ton.
enough let TO rue on llg ' S,',i, AMI,
gallant ioreC i IiI, l5 bon5 an the aar.
err anu s'ana'ns Wi.n o nS " haya runnipe
stsu oyef''oA 'n0 0'H'' W.
alongside. ,,.5. a,,ort X miles
Inc lrst gay We lh lant' noon ,o The proees
On the second 3nto az ths ap city All Bangor had
sion came inIo the q' uS turned ont to re-
heard OF our coming M ,y S,. s's crowded and
ceive US, In l sue" IN IA wjndows M,