Milford chronicle., 1919-10-24
UNCLE TED'S
BEDTIME STORIES
Current Events for the Children
and Crown-UPs, Tool
ao.Ts. NUTS. SHIPS AND TRADE


Gloom o'er-spreading the usually sun
shiny face of little Jack?"
n was Uncle Ted coming up the
walk and expressing surprise at the
snpearance of his nephew sitting alone
On the bottom step of the porch, his
elbows on his knees and his chin rest
ing in his hands. whats gone wrong
with the world nOw?" inquired Uncle
Ted.
"Oh. nothing much" replied Jack
"but it does make me sore to see a
boy as selfish as Fred Strong. You
remember. Uncle, over on the hills
across the river north of town, there
are a lot of nut trees. The trees are
on sort Of waste land and anybody
can go and get nuts. There's bridge
across the river down south of town.
but the road runs back a long way
from the river and it's too far to
walk. | had counted on gathering a
lot of nuts and selling them to get
some Christmas money, and I thought
Cred Strong would let me use his boat.
Several of the neighbors told me they
would buy nuts from me But when |
went to see Fred last night he said
he and his two brothers were going
after nuts today-this is Saturday.
you know-and that there wouldn't be
any room in the boat The boat will
hold four easily but he said they would
need all the room for their baskets
and lunch. That was just an excuse
to keep me from going. He knows
he can sell more nuts if / don't 90.
And then. too, if he gets nuts for peo-
pie this year, they VIII be the more
a1r 70, ntrNr frsnp bF
where's your papa's boat" asked
Uncle Ted. He had one, know. for
l used it to go fishing once. two years
ago"
Eyes, daddy did have boat" an
swered Jack, "and he took Ruth and
me over to gather nuts last year; but
we didn't use the boat often and ne
elected it, and the high water last
spring carried it away. I hope we
have one next year before the nuts
fall"
Il hope so, Jack, and since it is sort
of all in the family, I'll make a boat
if you'll help. If yod want to put in
some of the money you made out of
your war garden to help pay for the
lumber and boards and paint, all right,
and we'll own it together Then YOU
or anybody else" To this Jack agreed
and then asked Uncle Ted for story.
Il haven't any story in mind lust
now" said Uncle Ted but do you
know, Jack, your trouble over a boat
reminds me that this country of ours,
the United States, has had very much /
the same trouble in regard to ships to
carry goods across the ocean and to
raorsf
when we were in war Years and /
years ago, before you were born, there !
were lots of men in the United States /
who not only built ships but sailed |
them upon the ocean. Yankee sailors /
were about the best in the world, and /
in some of the rivers and bays along
the Atlantic Coast there's were ship
yards where they made ships as good 1
as any that were then sailing on the
ocean anywhere.
''You see, when this country was
first settled, all up and down the At
lantic Coast, the best way to travel
was by water, and people had 20 have
ships to get goods from Europe and
to trade with the West Indies. So
they began building ships as soon as
they came here, and they planned bet
fore. They invented the schooner
which could be more easily sailed in
the harbors and rivers and later the
clipper, which was the fastest sail
ing ship ever built When the Col
onies started the Revolution against
Great Britain they had no navy OF
fighting ships but all the ships car :
ried guns in those days to fight pirates
and the Colonial government sent out
what were called 'privateers', owned
by people who were glad to fight for :
America. These privateers played hob :
with the British merchant ships and
really made it possible for the colon :
lists to win the war by keeping the sea :
free enough to bring supplies for the
war.
when the United States became :
free, the very first law passed by
Congress was one that levied a tax
on goods coming from other countries
but making the tax less if the goods
were brought in American ships. :
Other laws encouraged ship-building
in this country so that in about eleven
years nine-tenths of our commerce was :
carried in our own ships. And our
ships carried goods for other coun-
tries.
But way back in 1S49 Great Britain :
got us to let her ships bring in goods
on equal terms with our own, and in
1858 Senator and Congressman from
the Southern States induced Congress :
to repeal the laws that had helped
American ships by what were called
mail subsidies, and then our people :
couldn't afford to keep ships so they :
sold them and went out of business.
Since then we have paid other people :
for carrying our goods and lots Of :
times when we wanted to send things :
to South America we had to send them
to Great Britain or Germany first, 5
and, because Of the delay and expense, :
we could not get our share OF the :
trade. Just before the European war :
started, very little of our foreign trade :
was carried in our own ships, and :
while we were in the European war, :
IS also when we were in the war with :
Spain, we had to depend largely upon 8
he ships OF other nations to take our 3
soldiers across the ocean and carry =
supplies to them. You see, we were :
dependent upon other countries for :
ships just as you were upon Fren :
Strong for boat, and the other coun- =
ries looked after ther own trade first :
ust as Fred Strong used his boat for :
lis own nut-gathering.
But I've often heard papa talking :
bout ships being built in this country :
ately," remarked Jack. :
Yes" replied Uncle Ted, we've :
luilt lots Of them, and l do hope that :
congress will pass some kind of laws :
hat will make II nOssihla for Ampri- :