The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1909-05-14


that history is a dreadfully duh sub
iect. and IL is no wonder that they do
because most OF the persons who
write histories for children seem 10
try 10 make them as uninteresting as
possible. But IL sometimes happens
that history Is just like fairy tale.
and this story is going TO be one OF
he fairy tales OF history.
II happened in the most unlikely
place in the world. In stern Puritan
New England. where the children
never heard any fairy tales. but had
to listen 10 long sermons instead.
with a terrible ogre OF a man going
about 20 see that they didn't fall
asleep. and prodding them with pole
II they did. Here on February 2.
1851. in a small settlement In Maine.
was born boy who was named Will
am Phipps. He had twenty brothers
and five sisters. and so his parents
,ould not have given him very much
care. even II they had both lived.
But his father died when he was
quite young, leaving the mother and
children To struggle alone with the
wilderness and the Indians William
was put 10 tending sheep. and grew
up without even learning to read.
But he was OF an adventurous dispo-
sition and could not content himself
with keeping sheep. So when he was
eighteen he left home and learned
to he ship carpenter. Then he
taught himself TO read and write. and
vhen he was twenty-five he married
widow with considerable fortune.
with her help he went into business
Tor himself. but his usual good luck
failed him and he lost all his wife's
money and became poor man again.
But still he was not discouraged. He
was sure fortune would yet smile on
him. and he tried 10 console his wife
by telling her that no would yet be
the owner Of fair brick house in
the Green Lane OF Boston"
That fair brick house" was rather
slow I'm coming. Ten years later IL
was Just about as far away as ever.
and William was tired waiting for
Il. Something had TO be done: so
he thought out n get-rich-quick
scheme which no sensible person
could have been expected to approve
Of
At this lime the SpanIards had
been growing enormously rich on the
wealth OF South America. and II hap
pened sometimes that their treasure
ships were wrecked. So people used
TO talk a great deal about the won
1erful wealth that might be scooped
up from the floor of the ocean II one
>nly knew just whore 20 look for it.
william Phipps began TO dream of
this wealth. and at last went in search
of Il. lie found n Spanish wreck on
the Bahamas. but the amount OF gold
and silver he rescued from the waves
was not enough TO pay his expenses.
But he heard OF another ship much
more richly laden. which had been
wrecked among the West Indies nifty
years before. and he determined 10
look for it. Not having money enough
to pay the expenses OF the expedition.
he went 10 England and told the
King. James H.. about the wrecked
treasure ship. The King, too, thought
Il would be nice TO get some of the
gold and silver which had lain so
long at the bottom OF the sea, 80 he
gave William Phipps n man-of-war.
the Rose Algier, and told him To go
and look for the wreck.
For two years the Rose Algier
crulsed about the West Indies. but
no treasure could be found. The
crew grew weary OF the search. IL
would have been simpler, they
thought, TO rob Spanish vessels afioat
than 10 hunt for them at the bottom
Of the sea. And when they could not
make the captain see the superior ad-
vantage OF this plan they laid plot
TO take possession OF the ship and
leave him to perish on a barren key.
The plot did not succeed. but Phipps
knew it would not be safe 20 remain
longer anoat with mutinous crew.
so he sailed at once for Jamaica.
where he discharged most OF the men
Continuing the search with smaller
crew, he found an old Spaniard who
showed him the exact reef OF rocks
where the treasure ship had been
wrecked. Phlpps went TO the place