The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-01-23
A Bottle and a
Message
BY F. A. Mitchell

was fisherman / was seafari man
So can truly say that I'm water
man all over. But now I'm Twin In
clover.
There be stories of bottles with mes
sages In em dropped from ships goin
down. that the messages bein' written
for Joke. This has made pussons
think that all messages found In bot
ties are jokes, But this isn't so, as |
can prove, for picked up one of them
bottles myself. and the pussons that
the message was written to are livin'
and can vouch for my story. But the
message I'm thinkin' Of was differ
ent kind from the jokes.
One day when | was pullin' in my
net with catch o mackereI | saw a
bottle bobbin' up and down. 1t doated
near me, and had only to put out an
oar to take 1t in. The cork want
sealed, but 1t was driven In so tight
that | had to cut 1t out. There was
paper inside and message on 1t, writ
ten with a lead pencil. This is the
way 1t read:
On Steamer Ellen Hathaway
/ Ship goin' down in gale kidnapped
Stephen Cartright. He's Twin with Math-
ew Drake, No 49, Bennett Street, Baiti-
more. Maryland. SAM SHARKEY.
1t didn't seem to me that if Teller
was goin' TO make joke he'd write
that sort OF one. So the next day
takes the message to Boston and hands
1t In at police station. They called
1t fake or something like that, but
said they'd see that 1t got to the party
what 1t was written to.
Not hearin' nothin' from 1t for some
time, forgot all about it. jist kept
on tishin'. One day young Teller
come down ON TO the dock where
was mendin' my net and looked at me
and asked IL was Jack Bunker.
said that was my name.
He stood lookin' at me kind o. queer
for awhile; then be said;
| 'Mr. Bunker, If you had wish
granted what would the wish BET"
MY friend" said. I'm nothin' but
a fisherman. ! hain't got no time to be
thinkin' about whether or not I'd like
the sky fer a blue bandannar."
The felIer was a-studyin' me all the
while, and when I'd said that he says:
"Mr. Bunker, is that your boat tied
up alongside the pier?"
Il reckon 1t is" | says.
How would you like a new one?"
s'How would like a new one7 What
dye take me fer--a lunaticf or course
I'd like new boat in place o. that old
trap. I'm thinkin that the next time
| git caught out In gale she'll let me
down into the brine"
rs there anything else you'd like,
Mr.. Bunkerg"
looked up at him. wonderin' eff he
was loony.
Young feiler." | says, II reckon IL
I'm goin' to get these nets mended I'll
have TO shut you OF all to oncet. I'd
like a new house ON the bluff over
there. all furnished. with garding.
Id like a thousand dollars year to
keep 1t up. Id 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 mad.
! was sorry. but didn't see why he
should take up my time askin fool
questions, SO thought no more
about It.
Less'n month after that somebody |
begun to build a house on the blufr. |
When 1t was finished 1t was the pur- |
tyest little shack ever seen. And one
day when | come down to the dock / |
found a single sticker about thirty feet /
long. bran new and rugged out with |
everything needed. anchored out about |
a cables length. And the queerest
thing about 1t was that on her stern
was painted the same name as my ole
tub. ! asked who was her owner,
but nobody seemed to know anything
about her
That afternoon come in early from
ishin', not havin' no luck, and as |
'ounded up to the pier who should see
standin' on 1t but the unatic that was
lskin me how many things I'd like
% have II | could get EN-. When I'd
hrowed the painter around a post the
'eller said to me:
"Mr. Bunker, when was here some
lime ago think you said you'd like a
house."
Yes. and garding. Are you goin'
o begin that racket agin?"
do you see that house up on the
,luff?"
''In course do. My eyes are as good
Is when | was at sea and could take
n a bird on the horizon"
THAT house is yours. The cellar is
veil stocked with grog. and there is
,lenty of room for a garden"
MY friend" said |. I'D better do
ou favor From what madhouss
i'd you escspe?"
You also said" be went on. not no
icin' my reilark. that you'd like a
,oat There she is out there"-pointed
o the new boat, still ridin' at anchor
and in a deposit company's vaults In
,oston are some per cent bonds that
vill give you a thousand dollars year
See here. stranger" was beginnin'
then he stopped me.
I'm stephen Cartright. Your ind
lg the bottle with the Sharkey mes