Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-12-02
PELEG BUNKER'SSHIT
sac WAS NOVEL IN CONCEPTION
EXECUTION AND LAUNCHING.

SHE MAS NQSEA ~ SStS
i EXECUTION AND LAUNCHING.
4 Unsaae and Exciting H..~s That Aazsss
! IL Red Letter Era In TA~s Section Of tn
Old Pine Tree state Fre- CAarlestsa
rfd<~.ter At Bangor.
/ Talking OF shipbsiliing. did you eve
hsar Of a seaSoinz vessel being built :
ni,es from navigation and carried OF
Wheels down 10 tidewater and launcheds
.s,,a s W Norcross of The Snoe and Leath
~ Re,,osser The other day Il have. and
was literally in It At the launching. LIE
me tell You about schooner that wa
ts,ilt in Charleston. Me-. up in the wood;
north of Bangor.
..csptain Peleg Bunker was an old iiie
ing skipper who many years ago shough'
he had cot enough of the sea, and so eougn'
mir, a farm IN in Charleston and settiee
DOWN to live on the land. 1t didn't take
hin, long to find out that that was no Aine
az life for him. and he pined for the sea
Ther,. were with him on the farm his two
/ ,,rawnup sons, who had saved some money
They had found sweethearts among IN,
lpaisrhbor>' daughters aad were beginning ~
plan for farms of their own.
= well. the old captain got more ane
more restless. aud at last, one July morn
ing. when the wind from. the south blew "a
breath Of the sea up inland. Captain Ban
ker stood shutting it III. OF sudden he
.tnrn,d round to his two boys, who were at
work sharpening their seythes for haying'
Bows he said, if you'll build me
fishing smack you may have the farm
The Young men thought it over ane
then took him at his word. They got II
naps,nr all the materials that had to tie
l,ou.,ht. All the timbers they founs. almost
- their doors waiting TO be cut and hauled
fur in that day the lumber woods were al
about them When everything was ready
at hand. they laid the keel in their farm
ward and in six months had built the hull
~ a fine SiiDshane schooner 50 feet long,
completely fitted up and painted. with the
suars living alongside-for her masts anu
rigging were to be put in after the launch
ing.
THE next thing was to get her afloat.
Twenty-Five miles of hilly road lay between
her and t:dewater. The builders took u
time in the year W hen farmwork was slack
TO haul her 10 Bangor. Maine country peo
ple were neighhorly in those days, ana
when the Bunkers got ready TO move theii
craft all the farmers in the township were
ready 10 hclp. You perhaps know what q
Maine OK cart is-that wide, tieup affair on
a pair of immense heavy wheels. Inc
farmers came in with their OK carts, TOOK
off the bodies from Il dozen of them, ranged
the pairs Of wheels in line one after an
other, then, all hands helping, ran the
schooner upon them, blocked her up ON an
even keel clear of the tires, and there she
was. ready TO start.
The next day the farmers were all on
hand with - yokes of oxen, everybody
cooked and primed for Bangorand a picnic.
When they had got the 90 yokes of oxen
strung out in long line before the wheels,
attached to them by one great chain used
in booming logs, and the word was gwen,
every red shirtcd driver swung his goad
stick, yelled at his oxen, and the schooner,
christened the Peleg Bunker, began her
VOYAGE over the hills to Bangor From "A
pole in the stern iluttcred AN American Tag,
and from the bows another upheld a white
streamer bearing the vessels name All
along the route the people came long dis'
tauces to behold the vessel moving along
the highway going like IA duck 10 water.
The sehoohouses We're empticd OF their
b,refooted urChns, who ran alongside the
schooner. and II procession Of farm wagons
followed in its wake Farmers along the
route opened up barrels OF cider and passed
it in pals and tin clippers along the Inc
and when night came their houses were
opened IN free hospitality To the teanSters,
Il was Il yoiingster then My father was
| in the procession with two yokes of oxen,
| aud he said that might 20 along. Proud
enough felt To ride on the schooners top
gallant forccastle alongside Captain Bunk
| er, and standing with my hand on the nag
staff overlook the other boys running
alongside.
The first day we made about Is miles.
On the second. mt about noon, the process
sion came into the city. All Bangor had
heard of our coming and turned out to re-
| ceive u.s. The sidewalks were crowded, ana
| there We're faces IN all the windows. The
| public schools were adjourned that the
pupils and teachers might see the sight,
and they were all there, you may be sure.
The teamsters did their prcttieSt at
| welding the goad stick and shouting to the
| oxen as down Main street and the Hump
| den road the schooner passed 70 the river
side landing. There the rollers had been
| hid and with the help of many willing
| hands the peieg Buukcr gilded INTO the
| penobscot and iloated with the appearance
| for the first time of being at home. 1t WAS
| the old days Of open rum drinking, and the
| transfers were SO Hospitality treated by
| the citizens of Bangor that they returned
to Charleston in scattered order, and it WAS
| "A week before the last straggiers arrived
home but all We're happy, and there was
| nobody to find fault.
| Captain Bunker staid by his vessel
| With DO loss of time he had her rugged,
provi-ioned, and with a crew OF or 10 men
was off for the winter fishing on the New
| foundand banks. After that he sometimes
came back 10 the farm for a visit, but he
| followed the sea to a green old age. The
| Peleg Bunker proved II seaworthy ana
| lucky vessel, and for all | know may be
still afioat. although her captain, for whom
she was named, has long since paid the
| debt of nature New York Sun.