The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-02-09
A Bottle and a
Message
By F. A. Mitchell

So ! can truly say that I'm a water
man all over. But now I'm livin' In
clover.
There be stories of bottles with mes
sages in 'em dropped from ships goin'
down. that the messages bein' written
for q 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 a differ
ent kind from the jokes.
One day when | was pullin' in my
net with a catch o. mackerel | saw a
bottle bobbin' up and down 1t tioated
near me, and had only 10 put out an
oar TO take 1t In The cork want
sealed. but II was driven in SO tight
that had to cut it out. There was
paper inside and IN, Ssa"e on it, writ
ten with lead pencil. This is the
way 1t read:
On Steamer Ellen Hathaway.
snip goin' down in a gale, | KIDNAPPED
Stephen Cartright. Hes livn' with Math-
ew Drake, No. - Bennett Street. Balti-
more, Maryland SAM SHARKEY
1t didn't seem TO me that IL feller
was goin' 10 make a joke he'd write
that sort of one. So the next day |
takes the message to Boston and hands
It In at "A 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 IL for some
time, forgot all about It, jist kept
on tishin'. One day young feller
come down on TO the dock where |
was mendin' my net and looked at me
and asked II | 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 wish
granted what would the wish bef"
MY friend" said. I'm nothin' but
fisherman. hain't got no time to be
thinkin' about whether or not Id like
the sky fer blue bandannar."
The feller 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 pierf'
81 reckon 1t is" | says.
How would you like new one?"
How would like new one? What
dye take me fer-a lunatic? OF course
Id 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"
"Is there anything else you'd like,
Mr.. Bunker?'
looked up at him, wonderin' ef be
was loony.
young feller," says. II reckon II
I'm goin to get these nets mended I'll
have to shut you or all to oncet. I'd
I like new house on the blum over
there, all furnished, with a garding
Id like thousand dollars year to
keep 1t up. Id like the celler stocked
with good grog. Now I've tole you ali
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 a month after that somebody Y
begun to build house on the bluff
When II was finished 1t was the pur-
tyest little shack ever seen. And one
day when | come down to the dock l
found 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
6shin', not hayin' no luck, and as l
rounded up to the pier who should see
standin' on it but the lunatic that was
, askin' me how many things Id Hike
to have If could get 'em. When I'D
throwed the painter around q post the
feller said to me:
"Mr. Bunker. when was here some
time ago | think you said you'd like a
house"
Yes, and a garding. Are you goin
to begin that racket ag'in9'
DO you see that house up on the
blufff"
"In course do. My eyes are as good
as when | was at sea and could take
IN a bird on the horizon"
That house Is yours. The cellar Is
well stocked with grog. and there Is
plenty OF room for a garden"
'My friend" said |. I'D better do
you a favor. From what madhouse
did you escapey"
You also said" be went on. not no
ticin' my remark, that you'd like
boat. There she Is out there"-polnted