The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1914-10-15

passin to you, son? There was Uncle
Solomon Davis, West lndiaman, VINO
never asked no better food than corn
bread. Aunt Nabby used to say OF him:
HIN! Sol Davis! He eats Johnnycake 300
times a year with his silver-cow butter
dish at his elbow!'
.sThen there was Icy Parsons. down
to tn head of tn harbor. IL used OF
play Yankee Doodle and whole lot OF
other tunes on his chin. Law! l Dunno
how he did it, but it sounded just IKE
cornet.
'.Then there was old shaking Granny
Steele, who kept tn leetle store with
bell on tn door which jingled when any
body came in or went out. Granny used
to sell US kids baked pear all covered
over with pear sauce for penny, or
strainer full of nuts for tn same sum.
"Old Billy Boynton was clam dlgger
who lived in one room shack IN work.
house Lane. He was over eighty ana l
know tn story was that he had never
shaved. He usually dug his clans near
tn Cut Bridge. His home was on Vine
gar Hill. Us boys used to shout after
him, old Billy Boynton! Old Billy Boyn-
ton! Fresh clams-high water! Billy
would shout back IN fresh clam ye,
durn We, and how he would chase us!
Captain Sam Fears, formerly tn
skipper of an old time pinkey schooner
named Sea Flower, was an old Georges
man, a Bay of Chaleur mackere! killer,
a reg typical Gloster salt. He was
an easy goin' old fellow, moderate OF
speech and reg 'lar.walking encyclopedia
for all nautical knowledge. He taught
me and all tn rest of tn Gloster boys
how to tie all kinds of knots such as
square, single Marthy Walkers, double
Marthy Walkers with crown on EN-,
turks heads and SIGH. He had byword
that he used whenever things dldn,t 60
Just right. 1t was 'Seebaccoboo! Then
he d look up and grin.
"Fitz Winter was an old-time Fore
street grocer. He wore a kind of dusty
miller suit and hat to match. He used
to deliver tn groceries himself to tn
customers in broken old basket. He
was a small man, short of stature. Very
snug and sayin', he smoked cigars all
tn time and seems to me l never saw
him have one unless it was down so
short ne had toothpick run through it.
| don't remember of seem him start
cigar but do remember tn butt and tn
toothpick. His store was headquarters
for tn old sea captains, but don't re-
member that tn grocery bins or shelves
was ever burstin' with goods. In his
latter days Fitz ulster go away to visit
and when he did he hung up sign on
his door that read, Gone on Tower!
"Uncle Charlie Gaffney, another old
time retired fisherman, lister take his
reg liar daily sun bath. and also shower
baths when it rained,n near tn old Gloster
House. He allus wore black sou west
er and an lie jacket even in hot weather
He was terribly fond of spinnnin' long
yarns bout his fishing trips to Georges
and tn Grand Banks.
"Young Charles Wood was Gloster's
expert Whitewater half century back.
He was afflicted with nervous muscular
action and reaction, a sort OF st. Vltus
dance. He would give long stroke OF
tn brush ard then look in tn mirror, If
one was handy, to see If his face was on
straight. Then he would dance nervous
ly about tn room before applyin' tn
next stroke of his whitewash brush. On
one occasion he said to tn woman he
was workin' for, Mrs. Helen, what are
your boys latin at? Be they maxim
fun of me?' No, indeed, Mr.. Wood,
she replied. don't take no notice OF
them at all. That's only foolish fash
ion they have of getting acquainted with
strangers
can old Captain Wood ulster take out
parties sailin' and fishin' and he hired
young scamp named Joe Murneezer to go
along as sort of mate. Joe was a
great Joker and he made tn shippers
life miserable. When all was ready to
cast off tn bow line from the wharf
spile after tn mains'l was h'isted, Joe
had very annoyin' trick of collin, tn
line up ard at low water when TIL sloop
would be way down below tn level of tn
wharf he'd let go tn whole coil, gen raj
ly managin' to drop it wet and Shiny
square on tn shippers head! Then old
Cap'n Wood would glance up, shakln'
his clenched fist at Joe, and shout, You
yarller dog! You double yarller dog!!
You yarller dog on top of yarl!er dog!!!
If | had you now I'd keel haul you! Cuss
your eyesv Joe would greet this sally
of anger with slentorian Ho! Ho!!
Ho!!! Then he would make flynn leap
for TIL shrouds of tn sloop and slide
down aboard like an eel. Tn cap'n
would take after him, tumblin' over bait
tubs, blocks and ropes, all tuckered out
and winded. AS tn people in tn party
would be impatient to go out to tn fish
in grounds outside Eastern Pint, tn
cap'n would have to take tn wheel,
where he would fin'lly cool off. But Joe
gen rally stayed away out on tn bow
spirit until he thought it was safe tc
make tn deck"
My communicative friend from Glou.
cester paused to refill his pipe before he
continued his "reminiscences. When the
blue smoke was coming thick and fra
| grant he told me the story of Ann Phip.