The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-06-02
HORACE ARMSTRONG'S
FIVE DOLLAR BILL,
1900
=
He Lost the Precious Paper on the
Penobscot Rivers Re-
cent Flood.
DoINes DOWN IN MAINE.
Egg Crates Were Delivered and
There Was No Freight to
Pay-NO Grindstones
Sent.

Old Town. Me-. June IA fve-dollar bill
floating down the Penobscot River in a
cracker box was pursued by people in all
sorts Of conveyances on both banks Of the
river in the recent food times in the Penob-
scot Valley.
The village Of Saltwater is divided by the
saltwater branch Of the Penobscot River.
The bridge across the branch was carried
away by the ice and log jams. The stores
are all on one side Of the river. and an en-
terprising merchant. in order to supply his
customers on the other side. rugged a sort
of trolley by4 double ropes running through
pulleys. Attached to this rope was a stout
box. with closely fitting cover. The Gus
toners came down to the opposite bank and
~meKaphoned their wants across the torrent.
The merchant would do up the bundles and
place them in the box. which would be
hauled across.
Horace Armstrong ordered the Sunday
dinner for his boarders. also a pair of 8
trousers for his hired man. and sent back
nve-dollar bill in the box. When the box
was about midway in its Journey across
the beckets which held it to the trolley
rope got loose. and the box started for the
Atlantic Ocean at ten miles or better an
hour.
Bob and Bert Fielding. smart young men.
mounted their bicycles and sped down the
river road. Eben Bursley and Nate Reed
got q bateau below the falls. and Mt. Arm
strong hitched up his horse and set OF in
pursuit OF the runaway. The box sailed
eayly down the current in plain sight Of
the pursuers until 1t dived under the COW
cred bridge at Orono. when IT disappeared.
The box was well mig given up for lost
when the men in the boat discovered 1t
caught upon one of the bridge piers. eau
tious1y they padded down toward II. and
were about to reach 1t when an electric
car came along. shaking the ancient struc-
ture Tn slight jar was enough to start
the box along. and away 1t went down
through the rapids and over the dam, out
into the broad Penobscot.
Tho pursuers went home ~empty-handed,
and the box sailed down stream toward
The next day Judson Peabody. who lives
on the shore at E~ddineton Bend, was out
In his punt steering stray logs and drift
wood into / little eddy when he saw q
thought It might come in handy, and picked
Il up. When he had reached the shore he
Examined II. and was surprised to find the
Peabody is a deacon in the church. BY
the address on the envelope and the marks
On the box he Judged that the fotsam might
word to that village by the next egg col
lector bound that way: In due time MIR.
{ several days s0S before n the m PenSbscot vent
IN the rampage Asa Clark Of veazie was
up river and purchased OF Higginson Bros.
OF Costigan some egg cases. three in
number. The Hlggfnson store at Costisan
81 ON the low river bank and the sudden
rise in the river flooded out the place. Thu
n cases were upon the store platform all
tagged Asa Clark. Veazie," and ready to
be taken to the depot the next day. The
cases. as well as everything else not nailed
down. hoated of down stream.
veazie IL on the Penobscot. forty miles
down river from Costigan. Asa Clark's
poultry farm il on the banks Of the river.
II ice and driftwood came and battered
his henhouses. When the tide receded Clark
started out to survey his yard. There was
all sorts Of wreckage scattered about. but
in the heap were the three egg cases which
had bought in Costigan. Then Asa wrote
OF q postal card as follows: |
sHiggfnson Brothers, Costigan: 1
The egg cases arrived at hand o. X. New |
er mind about the freight. I'll pay II.
yours truly.
las ACLARK. |
'P. S.-Please don't send The grindstone I |
bought by the same route. Wait till the
trains are running" |
: After pondering the matter for two days. ]
one Of the Higginsons came down to Yea
HE to eco about it He said It was the first
time his firm ever shipped goods by water.