The Republican journal., 1905-05-18
"POLLY."
The Tale of stanch Little Schooner.
BY ALLEN DAY.

The Tale of a stanch Little Schooner.
BY ALLEN DAY.
From the harbor of Belfast in Maine
sails a little schooner which is known
to mariners as the oldest vessel that
plies upon the Atlantic. The Polly
is probably the oldest craft in the world
in term of service on the seas for, in
August next, she will be one hundred
years of age, and the good people of
New England are hoping that she will
meet with no mishap which will end
her famous career before that time.
This unique centennial will be cele-
brated at Amesbury, Massachusetts,
near the spot whore her keel was laid
and her stout oaken ribs set in place,
for the Polly was built in Massachu-
sets and for many years claimed Bos-
ton as her home port, going from it not
only to engage in peaceful commerce
but also as an armed prlvateer.
Contrasted with Old Ironsides, the
Hartford, and other ships that have
made American history, the Polly is
indeed small in proportions but her
record, in the eyes of the New Eng
landers, makes up for her diminutive
size. She is sixty feet in length, TWEEN
ty feet in breadth and draws only nine
feet of water when loaded, but she is
still strong and stanch, as has been
shown by her almost continual service
in the coasting trade for the last quar-
ter of a century. During her voyages
she has weathered many of the worst
storms on the Atlantic, but, thanks to
her strength and the skill of her Yam
kee crew, she has thus far met with no
serious injury.
The principal alterations to the ven
cradle craft are new deck and the
remodeling of her cabin, so the Polly
can rightly be regarded as the salier of
the seas for century.
When the War Of 1912 began, the
Polly was not only fair-sized sloop
for the times, but was also noted for
her speed. Before being armed as
privateer she had her first encounter
with the enemy, being captured off the
Maine coast.
The prize crew, however, drank too
much of the New England rum aboard
and Captain Grant, her master, man.
aged to free himself and his crew from
their irons and put them on the British
sailors. Then he set sail for Portland
and delivered his prisoners to the
American commander there.
This exploit formed the first chapter
in the Polly's history, but another
was soon added. Capt. Jed Upton, her
owner, fitted her out with suitable guns,
manned a crew of bold spirits and
started out as privateer in December,
1912.
The miniature commerce destroyer
captured several English merchant
men of more than twice her size before
being captured herself by the frigate
Phoebe.
Captain Jed and his men were taken
across the Atlantic and the captain was
kept in an English prison for nearly a
year before being released. His war
ship" however, was sent to an Ameri-
can port and there was laid up for sew
eral years. Finally she was bought by
Maine skipper and, by the addition
of another mast, changed into schoon-
er. Since then she has peacefully voy-
aged along the New England shores,
where she is as well known as in the
harbor of Boston ITSELF
During "Old Home Week" celebra-
ton, last summer, the Polly was the
guest of honor of her rthplace-Ames-
bury.
ALCHoIcu OIL Vlle loNH she Was uecO-
rated with flags and bunting, saluted
with salvos of cannon while her history
was given in both poetry and prose by
the orators of the occasion
Nearly all of the Polly's voyages
of late have been made between Bel
fast and Boston as she is now engaged
in the rather commonplace business of
carrying Maine hay to the Massachu-
setts metropolis.-The Four-Track
J News.