The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-10-04
BOAT AND WAGON TOO.
Ingenious Craft Which Marine Cob
bier Up in Maine Uses by
Land and Sen,

Land and Sen.
The queerest craft that sails the
coast of Maine in summer and cruises
the country roads in winter-for she,
or it, does both--is the Scow boat
Yankee Notion, owned, sailed and OPP
Grated by Uncle Nat Cottle, familiar
iy known as 'Cobbler Cottle." He is
cripple, more than 80 years old.
One of his legs is wlthered and minus
the foot, while the other leg is so
twisted at the ankle that locomotion
is painful, almost impossible, for the
old man, even with the aid of
crutches. To add to his misfortunes,
one hand is almost useless, so that
any work he undertakes is performed
slowly and laboriously. Yet a stout
heart and fine stock of Yankee in
genuity have enabled Cobbler Cottle
to go ahead in the world better than
many of his able-bodied neighbors
have done, says the New York Sun.
Cottle's parents were so poor that,
crippled as he was, he was obliged
when a mere child to go boat fishing,
and in the course of several years
at this he became a good sailor-so
good that, despite his physical short
comings, he became mate of the
schooner Sea Breeze. After some
years sailing as mate and second
mate he took to cooking as some-
thing easier, and it is the testimony
of many coaster that he was a good
cook. Finally, he abandoned the sea,
and took to cobbling, and that trade
he has since followed
Twenty years ago Cottle took up
his residence on Swans island, with
two little dogs, Snip and Sank (San-
cho) as companions. Sank is dead,
but Snip has continued as the cob
bler's faithful friend and companion,
and is now as much of a sailor as
any dog ever gets to be. The people
at the fishing village of Atlantic
built for the cobbler q neat shop
and house combined, wherein he lived
for time. But although comforta-
bic and prosperous there, he lenged
for the sea and made few more
trips. Then he conceived the idea
of building sort of scow boat, in
which he could have a floating cob
bier shop In summer, cruising along
the coast, and which in winter could
be placed on runners, like a smelt
boat, and hauled across the country.
Alone and unaided, Cottle built the
boat, scow 20 feet long and six feet
wide, with a house ten feet long and
extending the entire width of the
craft. She is sleep-rigged. and car
rles Weatherboards on either side to
hold her up in beating to windward.
All sheets and halliards and down
hauls trim aft, so that the cobbler
skipper can make or trim sail with
out leaving the wheel and he gets
along very well in any weather. In
the house is a cobbler's bench, a
bunk, table and stove, and it is
comfortable enough. The sloop is
painted bright red, and across her
stern is painted in big letters her
name-Yankee Notion.
When the Yankee Notion made her
first trip alongshore she created a
sensation, and Cottle got more work
than he could dc. Business is never
duh with him, and he makes more
than living. He saves so cents
every week to take care of Snip and
himself VIXEN they are old, When
winter eemes ON and the sailor-cob-
bier does not care to face the fierce |
gales that sweep the coast of Maine,
he puts the Yankee Notion on run
ners and cruises over the roads to |
the interior, or, if he feels inclined,
hauls her up in some sunny cove, |
builds high board fence on the |
north to keep Off the winds, and |
banks her sides with fir boughs. |
There he lives with plenty to eat and |
read and smoke, while his visitors,
the boys from miles around, call ev-
cry Gay to hear him tell stories of |
the sea or sing songs in his strong
bass voice.