Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-10-23
STOVER'S MACHINE GUN.

When Smith had finished his story old
Bolder spoke up
II would have liked 70 have seen your fire
work display he began. 1T must have been
rather interesting. 1t reminds me OF the
time was used for bait
'Used for baitT exclaimed several Of Us in
astonizhment.
YES, bait for Indians tell you, gentle
men, about the most unpleasant tnlng in this
life Is TO be used for Indian bait. II has
made me nervous ever since 1t is exciting
and gives a man ali the horseback exercise be
wants. yet it is not as a general thing
healthy occupation. | would not care to
choose IL as steady business.
THE first time met Slower had no idea
be was crazy He would talk Us nationally
as any man here"
(which wasn't saying much for him" OBJ
served the man from St. Paul
II was out ~ a JOB in Kansas City and was
looking round for work OF any kind when l
stumbled in on Slower. He seemed TO have
a sort Of machine shop. There was lot of
gun barr. lying round and a portable forge
stood in the corner, with the usua. tools mere
and there. He said he was going west and
be wanted man who knew howto take care
Of horses and wasn't afraid Of work told
him was just his man and ne took me on
the spot. asked him IL he wanted to start
q machine shop further west, and he smiled
grimly and said that that was just what he
was going TO DO. We packed up lot Of fix
lures that he had there in some boxes and
there was a lot Of other boxes already packed,
of the contents Of which | was ignorant
"Well. we got away with another fellow
who deserted us when we were out on the
plains, and 30 it was no small work looking
after the horses that carried the things, for
we had three wagons and, when the other
fellow eft only two TO drive and take care
Of them It was the usual overland business.
Travelling slowly all day and camping out at
night. We kept on the LOOKOUT for Indians,
but didn't see any, and we kept on so long
that began TO think old Slower was going
clear through to California, but the old man
knew where he was going and he went there
In bee line. One afternoon when we were
days and days from civilization We came TO
a bluff close to q small river
"'Hereis our spot, said Slower.
"'Why,' said |, you don't expect to start
machine shop heref
"'You bet | do replied Slower.
"'Weil,' said, where will you get your
custoni There isn't anybody but Indians
for hundreds OF miles around
"'We'll have lots Of business when We get
ready for it. Besides intend to send you
out to drum up trade If it don't come in by
itself
al began to suspect thsu that the old man
wasn't just right, but What was | to do'
He kept the firearms and the provisions and
he owned the horses OF course could have
stolen one Of them and got away, perhaps,
trh thn old Hnt didn't
care to do that sort Of thing. Besides
knew that the chances were ten to one that
the Indians would have me before got ten
miles off. Although Slower wasn't very so
ciable, he was heap better'n an Indian.
~ took the horses down to water and
when | came back | said to Slower: See
| here, there's been some Que ahead of you on
this hero claim. There was a cabin down
there by the river that's been burnt down.
eyes, said Slower quietly, that was my
cabin
Nonsense, l said, now thoroughly con-
WINGED that he was crazy; you don't expect
me to believe that you were ever out here
beforer
aft YOU 20 to the other side Of the bluff
he said, as quietly as ever, you will see four
graves with n rough wooden cross above
them, if the Indians have not taken it down.
Those are tie graves of my wife and three
children, murdered by the redskins. Ono
day when came home from hunting in the
foot hills | found them there and the cabin
burned dowu
81 wouldn't think you would want to
come back here | said.
II came back to settle up with the In.
dams
"'Then you'll never leave here alive
Never expect to-
"'ADd how about mer
Don't expect you will, either. hired
you
"'Great heavens,' cried, jumping up.
DO you think hired to get killed for SIG
month";
SOLDIERS do it for about that MUCH said
old Stovcr, as calmly as if it were an every
day bargain.
"'Ecs. trt soldiers know what they are
hiring for didn't
"'Weli, you can give me a months notice
and quit if yeu want to-
"'A mouiA's nottcei~ Where will we be in
amonth If t:c Indians get on to usf
Blamed Ii | know said old Slower
"Wel, next day the old man laid out a
system Of f1rt GCations and set mo at dig
ging. lie ran shallow trench down to the
river and took out of one Of tho boxes n coil
of lead pipe and uncoiled it down the ditch
into tue RIVER and fixed up natty little
pump inside tho lines, SO that if tho Indians
did come they could not cut US Off from tho
water. 4heu he covered up tho trench, and
there we wete-all right as far rs water was
concerned. which is an important thing when
you're fighting redskins One of the boxes
was fixed SO that it was water tight, and that
We pumped full of water Then Slower left
me working at the embankments, went down
TO the timber belt and got out some logs,
which be sna5ed up to the top with the six
horses, and III the center of the Notifications
no framed his timbers together, making q
mighty solid structure, partly sunk into the
ground.
when | had the earthworks finished
Stover had his machine set up, and it was the
queerest looking arrangement ever saw. 1t
had all been made in Kansas City and put
together there. Then he had taken it apart.
numbered each piece, and it went together
again withcuta hitch. There were four rows
Of short ride barrels, about ten barrels in a
row, and oue row Under the other. The muz-
zles of the barrels were slightly further
apart than the butts, so that the battery had
a sort OF n fan look The next row Under
was the Same way, but tho barrels we, not
exactly under each other | saw that if the
thing would shoot 1t would cover quite a bit
OF territory. and cover it pretty well at that
The whole AFFAIR was very clumsy losking,
but it turned quite easily on swivel and
could be made TO sweep the whole horizon
Then the old man made me get lot of poles
and sent me out around the fort and had me
set up the poles at different points ali around
while he sighted the machine gun. There
was one disadvantage about the thing, and
that was that i. could not be raised or low
ered, and if the enemy once got within its
range it would be useless pointed this out
to old Stover. but he merely smiled in his
superior way and said he would ike to see
any one get past his battery. After the poles