The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1910-12-01
A SAILOR POET.

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/ A SAILOR POET.
Capt. George w. Bunker Takes Pride
in Writing Verse.
From the Portland Press]
Man of fortune, child of poetry, crea-
ture Of imnulse. sea captain, life saver,
Civil War veteran, Oldest active mer-
chant commander on the Eastern coast,
all these and even more is Capt. George
w. Bunker of the schooner George E.
Walcott. He has spent nearly 80 years
on the sea, and is from race OF sailors.
Few of the captains who come into FORT
land harbor are better known tnan ne.
He began life as sailor when many
of the older men in the Shipping business
were infants in arms. his title salt
pervades manv Of the pieces Of verse
that Capt. Bunker has written true,
poetic spirit. Capt. Bunker was born at
Cranberry Isle, near Bar Harbor, but
how MANY years ago he does not say.
He has passed his 10th milestone, he
frankly admits, but his exact age he will
not tell. A distant relative of the poet
Longfellow, he never tired in his boyhood
days of hearing about his great relative.
To his boyish fancy the boats plying
back and forth off the coast of Maine
meant that somewhere there was world
that was grander and broader than the
little isle on which he lived, and in his
teens he decided to find that world, as
had his ancestors. That was three score
and ten years ago, and in that time Capt.
Bunker has realized every dream OF his
infancy.
Capt. Bunker smokes cigars, but says
he has yet to take his first drink OF in
toxicating liquors. He is the last of six
brothers, and his home is in Portland
when he is not aboard ship: The early
part of his career was sailing between
Maine ports and Hayti. He built and
was part owner of the Alexander Camp
bell, and for Ia years commanded her.
While off Block Island, with cargo Of
stone the Campbell sprung aleak. There
was heavy gale, and Capt. Bunker saw
there was no hope of saving the vessel.
He lowered the life boats just as the
barkentine went down and managed to
reach shore with the crew.
Capt. Bunker commanded the big
Bath-built schooner Alicia B. Crosby,
the night the steamer Portland went
down in Massachusetts Bay, the King
Philip was lost and many other vessels
all along the Atlantic coast. He was 40
miles off shore, but rode into the harbor
of Portland late at night, and his schoon-
er was the only one that arrived there
safely.
RESCUED MANY CREWS.
Years ago he found coal schooner off
the Nova Scotia coast. She was disabled
and covered with ice. Owing to the YES
sells condition his crew had great diff
Guilty in taking off the crew Of the dis
abled craft, Tut, as the captain says,
ave rescued so many crews and saved
SO many ships in my day that just can't
recall the names of all Of them"
During the Civil War Capt. Bunker
kept constantly at sea in charge of a
vessel 81 kept the flag flying through
it ALL" says he. He.tells of how he ran
the blockade and of many narrow es-
capes he had.
During the Spanish War Capt. Bunker
visited the waters in which Spain had her
warships, and he takes great delight in
telling how one night he almost ran into
one Of Spain's big cruisers, but saw her
in time and made good his escape.
The Onward, owned and built by Capt.
Bunker and his brother, was caught in
the big hurricane of 1873 at Cow Bay, off
Cape Breton. She parted her chains,
and, like other good craft, was cast upon
the rocks. Capt Bunker and his crew
were in the water for hours before they
finally reached shore.
Nowadays it is getting quite tame
and uninteresting, said the aged skip
per with a sigh. Zone day we see a
ship and the next day we ship sea.
Nothing in particular happens now. 1t
is not like the old days, when we used to
fight our way about the SEAS"
Before the war with Spain. Capt
Bunker helped to save some of the crew
of the steamer J. w. Hawkins, which
was chartered by Cubans to carry 120
men from New York to Cuba with a
cargo of military supplies to the patriots
then fighting against Spain. The Off
Gals of the United States were evaded,
but storm arose and the old steamer
was doomed. Capt. Bunker with his
schooner, was close by, and saved many
of those on board the Inflated Hawkins.
at was dangerous work. said he. 1.-THE
sea was tremendously high and the wind
at hurricane pitch. The Hawkins cap
sized by the side of my boat. Eleven
men were drowned and the rest | took
aboard"
Since the death of his wife, several
years ago, Capt. Bunker has written
many pieces of verse on his wife and
children and his old home. Nearly all
the captains verses were composed
aboard the schooner which he has COM
manded for eleven years.
SOME OF HIS VERSE.
His sonnet, "Relief In Tears" was
inspired when storm bound at anchor off
Nantucket Shoals while playing on the
organ in his cabin the hymn Il Hear To-
night the Old Bells Chime" This was
favorite hymn of his wife. Here is a
part of the poem:
Think not it's weak to shed tear, o thou
heroic man,
weighty cross is hard to bear; relieve it il
you can.
Then let thy tears of sorrow flow when grief
be thy deep portion.
Nor heed, though others see thee bow in ten
derest emotion.
Oh brave heart. SO gentle thou, when grieving
for thy loved,
AS sorrow deep oerwhelms thee, now thy 10y
atty is proved.
Nor thou alone with moistened eye, the tender
bound oerstep'd-
Think thou of Him of Calvary who bowed His
head and wept
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