Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-07-21
HOW GRANDPA CAME BY The MEDAL.

''What is this, grandpa?' asked
Kent
He had picked up from the floor a
large silver medal that baby sister
had been biting with her teethless lit
tie gums.
"That? Why, it's the medal that
the United States government gave
me in 1S51-before your mother was
born," answered grandpa, as he stud
led the inscription absently.
''Did the government give you
that?" cries Kent, surprised that his
grandfather had been on such familiar
terms with the government of the
United States. "Why, what for?"
$50 I never told you that story, did
II" says grandpa, with some pride in
his voice. "That was for helping to res
cue the crew of the brig Zilica, bound
for Bay of Fundy and shipwrecked of
this coast. And it astonishes me to
this day to remember that we did not
every one of us lose our lives trying
to save them"
''Oh, tell it! tell it! Please tell it!'
urged Kent, now fired with interest to
hear about real adventure by his
own grandpa. e
"That happened in the days before
the United States life-saving service
was organized. That branch of the
until the year 1871. Some time before
you leave the Cape will take you to
the back shore to visit the LIES -savin &
station and show you some OF the won
derful appliances they have nowadays
for saving life-lifeboats, life buoys,
petticoat breeches, mortars for throw
ing the lines, red fire to burn and all
the numerous traps besides. I think
you will find these more interesting
than the story, my boy"
''But the story, grandpa; the story.
Tell. that now, grandpa" insisted
Kent, impatient for grandpa to begin.
'How many men were there with you
when you rescued the salors?"
''Let me think! There was Steve,
my brother; Jesse Freeman, Robert
Judson-well 1 think there were six
of us all told"
"And did they all have medals like
this9'
eyes, every one of us.
''Do tell the story, grandpa"
"Well, it was about dark wher we
took the last ones off the brig" says
grandpa, beginning at the end of the
narrative. ''Poor fellows, they had
lashed themselves to the rigging. where
they hal remained all day, hungry
ouJ vat ood ol;IIa.1 70 tha hnna rThax
couldn't have stood it much longer
night a-coming on aud the vessel fast
going to pieces.
"Half the men in Wellfeet had
been up to the back shore that day to
see the wreck aud the men. They
would just go an look at the grew
some sight for little while aud then
turn about aud go home."
'Why did yon wait all day before
you tried to get them of?"
Because the wind was blowing q
terrific hurricane all day, my boy.
The sea was raging like fury, seeth-
ing with foam and dashing over the
wreck every moment. The breakers
were booming and crashing on the
beach, and nobody wanted to brave
their fury. The most experienced of
them thought it was foolhardy to ri SIX
their lives with the certainty of being
drowned or dashed to. death by the
waves.
SIT was the first day of December,
and smothering snowstorm ragged all
day. My, how the WIND blew that
dayi
81 was ont OF town in the morning
and did not hear OF the disaster to the
Zilica until l came home about in
the afternoon, went on grandpa, now
fairly back at the opening OF his
story and beginning to stir with awak-
ened memories.
+" Have you heard the news?' your
grandma asked, as / came into the
house. There's a ship ashore up the
back side. Eight men, they say, lashed
to her rigging AID no hope OF saving
them.
'Thunderr said 7. and rushed out
again into the gale and started to walk
up to the beach.
''How far?" asked Kent.
'.rhree or four miles. I was young
then and didn't mind a little walk as l
do now. / ran half the way, guess.
As went along Iovertook three other
men, acquaintances of mine. One of
them called:
'Hullo, Ben; haven't seen We be-
fore. Where ye been?'
Been to Provincetown. I an
swered. Just heard about the wreck.
We've been up once before. But
it's no use trying to do anything.
Going again, because we'd like to
know if the poor fellows are still hold
ing on. Cad, it is an awful sight,
thought
~ thought so, too, little later,
when we ran down to the beach,