Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-07
A MYSTERY SOLVED.
The Bloodless History of Those
Skunk Hollow Cannon Balls.
THEY WERE USED IN TESTING GUNS
The Charming "reminiscences Brought Out
By the Discovery.
A REMARKABLE SOUTHsIDE COUPLE

uue story OF tnose cannon balls dug out OF
the earth few days ago by the laborers Of
Booth q Finn up the Thirty-third street
hollow Ever since the discovery the most
profound thinkers of that classic valley
have been greatly agitated. They believed
they were on the eve of important histori-
cal revelations. Skunk Hollow, as the
scene of one of the early games of hide-and-
seek between the French and Indian sneaks
and the British soldiery, might even yet
change the whole face of Pittsburg' pioneer
maps. 1t is hard to tell just how much
would be lost if the Battle of Skunk Hol-
low has been really omitted from the pages
OF history. If the theory of the Thirty
| third street sages were substantiated it
might be possible to prove that Ben Venue
station sits upon the site of Old Fort Du-
quesne, instead of upon made ground over
an abandoned millrace.
But the denizens of Skunk Hollow may
sleep sound tonight. The cannon balls
have a bloodless history. There is con-
vincing proof that the French and Indians
never took scalp within the narrow con-
fines of the valley; that even the towering
| heights of Fort Heron were never stormed,
although its entertainments thrown up dur
ing the War of the Rebellion were to pro-
tect the same little hollow; and the only
bloodshed the neighborhood has ever seen
was during the railroad riots.
HOW THEY GOT THERE.
The cannon balls themselves gave no in
dications Of how many human bosoms they
had plowed through before burying them
selves in the hill alongside of the PennsyI-
vania railroad. THE DISPATCH grew dis
couraged in its search among the maps and
archives of the Western Pennsylvania His
toricel Association. French manuscripts
preserved from Fort Duquesne were eagerly
translated, but they yielded nothing.
Light broke through the cobwebs of an
tiquity at last. It came from the direction
oi the South Side. Following up the CLEAN
yesterday the writer found living at No.
705 Carson street, Mr.. G. 7. Chiverly. His
straight, agile frame, bright eyes, strong
voice and perfect health gave him the ap-
pearance of a man not more than 55. In
reality he is in his 10th year.
81 hauled those cannon balls out there
myself" he said, stroking his tiny white
imperial. 'Let's see; it must have been in
the year 1888 or 1884.
"Why, it was in 1888, for that was the
year you and were married" broke in the
old gentleman's wife,
The recollection evidently pleased her,
for she laughed lightly. 'My mem'ry is
better than yours, pap, and 1 am 70 years
DID,"
Sho looked every bit of her age STOPPED
in form, with thin face, silvery hairs
carefully brushed back beneath black lace
head dress, Mrs. Chiverly seemed Just the
kind of frail lady for the broad shoulders
and steady arms of her consort to protect.
Then Of all the charming "reminiscences
those two aged people wove around the can
non ballsl The history they gave was
bloodless, but most interesting.
TESTING FAMOUS CANNON.
''Far back in those days." continued Mr..
Chiverly, 81 was driving a team Tor Squire
Jack Sarver, one of the pioneers of Law
renceville. These cannen ball hanled from
the arsenal, and from McClurg & Wade's
foundry. 1 took them to the creek which
used to flow into the Allegheny river
where Thirty-third street now extends, then
up along the creek by what was then known
as Denny's Hollow. Up this hollow short
distance, just about where these balls have
been found, was located the proving grounds
for the testing of cannon made at McClurg
& Wades foundry. This foundry, you will
remember, was afterward owned by the cele-
| brated Knapp & Rodman, and, as the Fort
Pitt Foundry was the scene of the building
of great guns for the army, on the proving
grounds Of Denny Hollow all the guns were
tested, and"
"Yes, indeed" interrupted Mrs. Chiver-
ly, 1--WE girls used to go out there, stand
near the cannons, and watch them firing the
| r.
fore we were married"
"You see these cannon balls were fred
into the hillside. resumed the less romantic
husband. "Msjor Butler was then COM
mandant at the arsenal. Roger Jeffries,
now living in Lawrenceville, is the only
survivor of the soldiers then on duty at the
arsenal. Billy Johnston kept well-known
tavern not far from the proving grounds,
One of the cannons had too heavy charge
once, and the 24-pound ball knocked half
the root off the tavern. tell you Billy
was mad. This was long before Rodman
had invented the guns which saved the ma
tion during the Rebellion"
A MOUNTAIN WAGNER.
s'Both our fathers were butchers" once
more spoke up the kindly wife. "Ohristo-
pher Chiverly, my mans father, had his
Slaughter house in Lawrenceville and his
stall in the old-time Pittsburg market NV
fathers slaughter house was downtown, but
his stall was just next to Chiverly. Every
body knew the two butchers NV fathers
name was Francis MeBane. guess no one
is now living to whom he sold meat"
"But had been WAGNER long before
that" said Mr.. Chiverly. when l was
only IA years old'I was the driver of one of
the largest Conestoga wagons on the Phila-
delphia road. 1t took me 16 days to make
the trip from Pittsburg to Philadelphia, and
the same time to drive back from the Quaker
City to Pittsburg. 1 then drove for the Dun
bars There were three of them; John, Nose
and Alexander. We hauled general mer-
chandise, and as it was long before the
canals we had tremendous loads.
"I was the youngest driver on the road.
and was up to all the deviltry known in the
Allegheny Mountains. We had regular
stopping places for the nights during our
trips. For instance, after leaving Pittsburg
the first place we stopped at for the night
was at either Billy McCall's or the Perch
ment hostelry on the Turtle Creek hill.
About the best known place we stopped off
at east of the mountains was Sam Widle's
tavern at Brandywine, Chester county.
Everybody knew Sam. Mine host was a
hearty old German, and held his popularity
with the Quakers well.
NIGHT IN THE TAVERNS.
''Many a night laid on the floor Of
WIdle's place with the late Pittsburg iron
manufacturer, Jacob Painter. He was then
a WAGNER like myself. We carried with
us, rolled up in neat packages, small
mattress and single coyerlet On these
Painter and used to lie before the tavern
fire at night and tell stories until one or the
other of us dropped off to sleep. There"
81 stopped all that kind of work after we
got married." laughed Mrs. Chiverly.
"Home was"
cat another time drove wagon over
the mountains for a man named Tubbs In
locking over some old papers the other day
1 discovered that he still owes me a little
bill for driving. Then drove for General
| Moorhead, and after that for John Darragh,
who was shot in Pierce Brennan's place on
Fifth street very long time ago.
''That reminds me that / saw hung the
n I.