The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1917-01-25
A Bottle and a
Message
BY r. A. MICHEL

I'm a fisherman myself, anu peio'e
was fisherman was seatarin man
So / can truly say that I'm a water
man all over. But now I'm Twin In
clover.
There be stories OF bottles with mes
sages In EN- dropped from ships soh
down. that the messages bein written
for a Joke. This has made pussohs
think that all messages found I'D DOT
tles are Jokes. But this isn SO, as
can prove. for | picked up one OF them
bottles myself. and the pussons tbat
the message was written 10 are hVlh
and can vouch for my story But the
message I'm thinkin' OF was diner
ent kind from the jokes
| One day when | was pullin IN my
net with u catch o mackerel ] saw
bottle bobbln up aud down. 1t hoated
near me. aud | had only TO put out an
,ar 10 take IL In The cork want
sealed. but It was driven IN so ught
that F, had to cut II out There was
paper inside and message on H. VIII
ten with lead pencil This Is the
way II read:
on steamer Ellen Hathaway
ship goin down In gale J kiahapeu
Stephen Cartright. He's Twin with Math-
CIV Drake. No - Bennett Street Balt-
more Maryland. SAM SHARKEf.
II didn't seem to me that II teiier
was goin TO make joke he'd write
that sort OF one SO the next day
takes the message 20 Boston and hands
II In at police station. they calieu
IL fake or something like that, but
said they'd see that 1t got TO the party
what II was written TO-
Not hearin nothin' from 1t for some
time, / forgot all about 1t. Jist kept
on tishn'. one day young feller
come down on to the dock where
was mendin my net and looked at me
and asked If | was Jack Bunker.
said that was my name.
He stood lookin at me kind o queer
for awhile then he said;
"Mr. Bunker, If you had WISE
granted what would the wish BET
my friend" said. I'm nothin' bnt
n fisherman. hain't got no time TO be
thinkin' about whether or not Ia IKE
the sky fer blue bandannar'
The felIer was a-studyin' me all the
while. and when ia said that lie says
MIR Bunker is that your boat tied
up alongside the piery
u reckon 1t Is" | says.
How would you like new oneT
How would | like new onef What
dive take me fer-a lunatic! or course
I'd like a new boat In place o that ola
trap. I'M thnkin that the next time
l cit caught out In gale she'll let me
down into the brine
lis there anything else you'd ike
= Mr. Bunker"
Y 1 looked up at him. wonderin' ef he
g was loony.
o young feller," ! says, 81 reckon II
Pm goin' to get these nets mended III
r. have to shut you off all to oncet' &c
" like new house on the blum ovel
IT there. all furnished. with garding
It I'd like a thousand dollars year e
N keep il up. I'd like the celler STOCKED
with good grog. Now I've tole you al
IN this perhaps you'll let me alone 70
ps awhile"
10 He turned away without sayin' noth
70 in more, and | thought he was mad
er | was sorry, but didn't see why IL
n. should take up my time askin' ZOO
or questions. so ! thought no NOR
Is. about it.
Is Less'n month after that somebod
N begun to build house on the bun
so When 1t was finished II was the pun
o tyest little shack ever seen. And on
at day when | come down to the dock
"a found d single sticker about thirty zee
he long. bran new and rugged out wit
everything needed. anchored out aDou
he a cables length. And the queeres
Mt thing about 1t was that on her ster
was painted the same name as my oil
tub. asked who was her owner
but nobody seemed to know anythin
about her
That afternoon come in early froI
," fishin'. not havin' no luck. and as
rounded up to the pier who should Sc
o' standin on ii but The lunatic that wa
w askin me how many things Id liz
- to have II could get en- When |
* throwed the painter around post tn
- feller said TO me.
VI "Mr. Bunker. when ! was here SON
- time ago think sou said you'd like
az house
" Yes, and a gardng. Are you gol
'' TO begin that racket ag'inf"
W DO you see that house up on Il
W bluff"
~ in course ! do, My eyes are as GOO
ne as when was at sea and could tai
M In a bird on the horizon.
ea THAT house is yours The cellar
me- well stocked with grog. and there
plenty OF room for a garden
ia My friend" said |. I'D better
eh you a favor From what madhou
~, lid you escapeT
ed You also said" he went on. not u
" tcn' my remark. that you'd like
mt. ~. a.. ma 81 I