The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-09-17
A BEN BUTLER
SPOON ANECDOTE
Veteran John Budd's Defence Of
His Old Commanders
Memory.

|
| AUBURN, Me-, Aug. 30.-John Budd, of
Wiscasset, the Oldest and quaintest toll
gatherer in Maine, now has a more sin
gular tale to relate than the story of his
| life, and just one little chapter in his life
! is strange enough for most people.
Budd was one of twin brothers. His
parents died when he was an infant. and
| the two little shavers were taken in hand
by charitable people. No one family de-
sired both of the twins, and SO the boys
| were separated. John Budd was adopted
by a French-Canadian family and was
taken to Canada and there reared. His
brother Thomas was taken into a Scotch
family in the provinces. and there ar
rived at manhood. After they had be-
come men the brothers traced each other
out and met, but they required an inter-
prefer before they could converse John
had lived among French Canadians all
his life and had not then learned to
speak English; the brother had a broad
Scotch accent that might bother even a
Yankee ear.
For years John Budd has been the toll
gatherer at the end of the Wiscasset
bridge the longest in the State of Maine
1t is built of trestles and Is something
over a mile long. Whenever Chief JUS
tice Peters, now retired, held court at
Wiscasset each April and October. he
never allowed day to pass without call
ing on John Budd at the toll office. The
chat of the old man amused the justice
very much, for, as the most noted wit
and raconteur in Maine, he loves p!ctur-
esqueness of character more than any
other attribute. He knows intimately
every quaint old chap in the State.
A few days ago Budd was sitting in
the sun at the door of his little booth
smoking his pipe. Two young men, evil
IDENTIFY city boys on pedestrian tour,
came along across the bridge and stopped
| to pay their toll. They eased their KNAPP
sacks off their shoulders and sat down
on bench at the side of the booth for
moments rest. Budd naturally asked
them whence they had come and with
er they were going.
| "Our home is in New Orleans" said
the older of the young men. I'VE are
up here In Maine for the summer"
IT stopped In New Orleans once" said
Budd.
when was that2
when I was with General Butler"
The faces of the two young men hard
ened. The older one said, with much
bitterness of tone:
"Well. you can't be very proud of
that
And why not, you young snippet?"
tpeFity. =
1 Because Butler was an insulter Of
women, a tyrant and an old thief; that's
what he was, and the boys of New Or
leans who never saw him hate him just
as much as the men and the women
who suffered from his orders. And, be-
sides, he stole all the spoons out Of my
grandfather's hotel"
He did, eh?'' snapped Budd. What
was the name of your hotel?"
1.-The st. Charles"
you just wait a moment, young man."
Budd went upstairs into his living room
, and brought down a heavy canvas bag.
He opened 1t and took out a. handful
of spoons. On the handle of each was
engraved. "St. Charles"
What do those look like?" demanded
Budd
why those are some Of the spoons
from my grandfather's hotel!' gasped
the young man. Where did you come
on those?'
ST stole EN-" said Budd, placidly. "And
know who stole the rest of 'em-and we
all did 1t at the risk Of our lives, for II
General Butler had known 1t he would
have had us strung up NOW, you tdhe
, back what you said about him. Take 1t
back, or I'll dump you both over the rail-
there
Daunted by the glare in the eyes of
the old man, the boys apologized for
their hasty words. Then the older said:
'.Sir, my father will pay any price for
: those old spoons. don't know just how
} much money 1 have with me, but / viii
give 1t to you, every cent, If you will
give me those memorials of my grand
father. They can be worth nothing
, more to you now"
Let me tell YOU replied Budd that
: you couldn't bring money enough In a
| two-horse wagon to buy one of them.
2 I'm not thief; I'm not trying to make
money by stealing. I took those spoons
as plumber of war, and I am going to
keep 'em. You can't buy 'em and you
can't tease 'em away. No use to try.
And If you want to save your spoons
that you've got now down there don't
a you ever declare war against the North
again. These spoons staying up here In
Maine viii be a jog TO your memory.
And in spite Of all their arguments and
protests, the young men were obliged
to trudge away without the spoons that
belonged to their grandfather.