Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1917-03-15
A Bottle and a
Message
BY r. A. Mitchell

nun All over. bUt now IN TWIN IN
clover.
There he stories Of bottles with Mes
down. that the messages bein' written
for Joke This has made pussons
think that ali messages found IN bot
ties are jokes but this isn't SO. as ]
eau prove. for I picked up one OF them
bottles myself. and the pussons that
the message was written 10 are Twin
and can vouch for my story. But the
message I'm ,hinkin OF WAS n differ
ent kind from the jokes.
One day when was palm III my
net with catch . mackere saw a
bottle bObbin up and down. IL fioated
near me, and ] had only to put out al
oar 10 take it in The cork want
sealed, but it was driven la so tight
that had 10 cut il out. There was Il
paper inside aud a message on It, writ
ten with lead pencil. This is IN,
way II read
On steamer Ellen hathaway
Ship goln down IN "a gale. kidnape
stephen Cartrieht Hes Twin with Math-
ew Drake, No. Bennett Street Balti-
more. Maryland SAM SfiARKEY
IL didn't seem 10 me that VI felles
vas goin' 10 make a joke he'd write
that sort of a one so the next day
takes the message 10 Boston and hands
II IN at police station. They called
II fake or something like that, but
said they'd see that It got 70 the part,
what it was written TO-
Not hearin nothn' from il for some
time. | forgot all about H. | list KEEP
On hshin one day young Teller
come down Oh TO the dock where
was mendn my net aud looked AZ M
and asked if | was Jack Bunker !
said that was my name
He stood lookin AZ me- kind o. queer
for awhile; then he said
Mr. Bunker, if YOU had wish
granted what would the wish be?"
My friend" ! said. m nothn' but
"A fisherman hsn't got no time 10 be
thinkin' about whether or not Ia lik,
the sky fer blue baudannar."
The Teller was a-studyin' me all the
while, and when III said that he says
Mr.. Bunker is thai your boat tied
up alongside the PIER
Il reckon il is" SAYS
How would YOU like new one:"
How would like new one! What
dye take me fer-a lunaticr OF course
I'd like Il new boat IN place q that old
trap. I'm thinkin that the next time
git caught out IN "a gale she'll let me
down into the brine
rs there anything else YOU'D like.
Mr. Bunker"
looked mp al him. wonde,in ef BIZ
was loony
Young Teller, says, Il reckon ii
III goin' 10 get these nets mended III
have 10 shut YOU on al to oncet Id
like new house on the blun over
there all furnished, with Rar,ling
I'd Ike a thousand dollars a year TO
keep IL up. III like the celler stocked
with good grog. Now I've tole you all
this perhaps you'll let me alone for
awhile"
He turned away without sayin' moth
in more. and thought he was mao
I was sorry, but didn't see why he
should take up my time askin fool
questions. So thought no more
about IL.
Lessn n month after that somebod,
begun To build house on the bluff.
When IL was finished IL was the pur.
tyest little shack ! ever seen. And one
day when | come down 20 the dock
found a single sticker about thirty feet
long, bran new and rugged out with
everything needed, anchored out about
q cables length. And the queerest
thing about it was that on her stern
was painted the same name as my oil,
tub asked who was her owner
but nobody seemed 10 know anything
about her.
That afternoon ! come In early IRON
iishin', not havin' no luck. and as ]
rounded up 10 the pier who should see
standin' on ii but The lunatic that was
askin' me how many things Ia like
to have IL could get en-. When ia
the painter around post The
Teller said 10 me-
Mr. Bunker, when was here son.c
time ago think you said You'd like
house"
Yes. and a sariing. Are YOU soin
TO begin that racket ag'in?"
do you see that house np On the
blunf'
In course do. My eyes are as good
a Nxrh / NJ t.tls
In bird OH the horizon
THAT house is yours. The cellar il
well stocked with grog, AMI there IS
plenty of room FOL garden
MY friend said l. I'D better 40
you favor. From what mhdhou>e
lid you escapef"
You also said, he went Oh. not m0.
ticin my remark, that you'd like Il
boat There she Is out there" pointed
TO the new boat, still ridin' at anchor
"and in deposit company's vaults IN
Boston are some ) per cent bonds tina
will give You q thousand dollars year
income"
See here. stranger" | was beginnn
when he stopped me.
I'm Stephen Cartwright Your find
Ing the bottle with the Sharkey mes
sage In il has resulted IN my being
restored 10 my parents, who are very
rich. Go up to your new house on the
blum and you'll find them there wait
Ing 20 thank you for being instru
In giving them back their son
Well, now. mebby I'm not bsvIn' .
)ally old agei