The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-10
CAPT. JOE BUCK AND HIS TEAPOT
He Went to China for New Tea for His
Town and Saved Fleet.
From Cooper's 'Homeward Bound.'


as many listeners as possihle-for he ex-
cessively disiked lecturing to small audi
ences when he had anything to say that
he thought particular cleyer-''you must
know that we had formerly many craft
that went between the river and the
Islands
The rivera" interrupted the amused
Mr.. Sharp.
Certainly; the Connecticut, I mean ;
we all call it the river down our way-be-
tween the river and the West hides, with
horses, cattle and other knicknac-1s of
that description.
Among others was old Joe Bunk, who
had followed the trade in a high decked
brig for some twenty-three years, he and
the brig having grown old in company,
like man and wife.
About forty years since our river ladies
began to be tired of their bohea, and as
there was good deal said in favor of
souchong in those days, an excitement
was got up on the subject, as Mr.. Dodge
calls it, and was determined to make an
experiment in the new quality before
they dipped fairly into the trade.
well, what do you suppose was done
in the premises, as Vattel says, my dear
young LADY,"
Ewes eyes were still on the grand and
portentous aspect Of the heavens, but she
ClVllly answered
No doubt they sent to shop and pur-
chased a sample.
Not they; they knew too much for
that, since any rogue Of grocer might
cheat them.
When the excitement had got little
Roadway on it they formed a tea society,
with the parsons wife for presidentess
and her Oldest daughter for secretary. In
this way they went to work until the men
got into the fever too, and project was
set afoot to send a craft to China for
sample of what they wanted"
"China!n exclaimed Eve, this time
looking the captain fairly in the face.
China, certainly; it lies off hereaway,
you know, around on the other side of the
earth. Well, whom should they choose to
go on the errand but old Joe Bunk The
old man has been so often to the islands
and back, without knowing anything of
navigation they thought he was Just the
man, as there was no such thing as losing
him.
"One would think he was the very man to
get lost, - observed Mr.. Ehngham, while
| the captain fitted a fresh cigar for smoke
he would, and did in any company, that
was out of the cabin, although he always
| protested readiness to cease if any per
son disliked the fragrance of tobacco.
the Indian Ocean as he would be here, for
he knew nothing about either.
well, Joe fitted up the brig; the Seven
Dollies was her name; for you must know
we had seen seven ladies in the town who
were called Dolly and they each of them
used to send a colt or steer or some
other delicate article to the islands by
Joe whenever he went; so he fitted up the
Seven Dolfies, hoisted in his dollars and
made sail
"The last that was seen or heard of the
old man for eight months was off Mon
tauk, where he was fallen in with, two
days out, steering southeasterly by com
pass"
Il should think" observed John Eflng-
ham, who began to arouse himself as the
story proceeded, that Mrs. Bunk must
have been very uneasy all this timer"
Not she; she stuck to the bohea in
hopes that souchOng would arrive before
the restoration of the Jews. Arrive it
did, sure enough, at the end of eight
months, and capital adventure it proved
for all concerned.
"Old Joe got great name in the river
for the exploit, though how he got to
China no one could say, or how he got
back again; or for long time, how he
got the huge heavy silver teapot he
brought with him"
"A silver teapot"
Exactly that article At last the
truth came to be known; for it is not an
easy matter to hide anything of that
nature down our way; it is aristocratic,
as MIR. Dodge says, to keep a secret.
AT first they tried Joe with all sorts
of questions, but he gave them guess for
guess
Then the people began to talk, and
finally it was fairly whispered that the
old man had stolen the teaDOt
This brought him out; for it went so
, far as to be got up before the meeting-law
was out Of the question, you will under
stand, as there was no evidence-but the
meeting don't stick much at particulars,
provided people talk good deal"
And the RESULT" asked John Ef1ing-
ham. 81 suppose the parish took the tea
pot and gave Joe the grounds?"
"You are as far out of the way as we
are down here on the coast of Spain. The
truth is Just this:
The Seven Dollies was lying among
the rest of them, at anchor, below Can
ton, with the weather as fine as young
girls love to see it in May when Joe be-
gan to get down his yards,,to house his
masts and to send out all his spare an
chors. He even went so far as to get two
hawsers fastened to a Junk that was
grounded little ahead of him.
This made a talk among the captains
of the vessels, and some came on board to
ask the reason. Joe told them he was
getting ready for the typhoon, but when
they inquired his reasons for believing
there was to be a typhoon at all, Joe
looked solemn, shook his head, and said
he had reasons enough, bu5 they were
his own.
Had he been explicit he would have
been laughed at, but the sight of an old
gray-headed man, who had been at sea
forty years getting ready in this serious
manner set the others at work. too; for
ships follow each others movements like
sheep running through a breach in the
fence.
well, that night the typhoon came in
earnest, and it blew so hard that Joe
Bunk said he could see the houses in the
moon, all the air having been blown out of
the atmosphere"
But what has this TO do with the tea
pot, Capt. Truck"
1T is the life and soul of it. The cap
tains in port were so delighted with Joe's
foreknowledge that they dubbed in and
presented him with this pot as testimony
Of their gratitude and esteem. He'd got to
be popular among them, MIR. Dodge, and
that was the way they proved it,"
The Kidneys.
Persons of sedentarV habits often suffer