Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-08-29
A HARD MAN TO SURPRISE.
One ot Bis own Experiences on ship
board az Related by Himself

One of His Own Experiences on Ship
board az Related by Himself.
A party from the village where old
Uncle Bill Williams lived camped out
few years ago on the Hudson's bank
about a mile above West Point Their
stay was cut short by an incident which
was not over welcome. The cadets at
the Point had been having a mortar
drill and had been firing at the target
on the face of Gro Nest, the mountain
that towers half a mile north of the
military academy. There was a cessa-
ton of the fusillade, and one of the
camping party was collecting firewood
In the rear of the tents The unexpect-
ed report of large gun at West Point
broke the stiffness of the air. Almost
Immediately following came a whirring
sound. Looking up, the camper saw a
black object coming straight at his
heard from the direction of the Point.
He didn't stop to examine into the
nature of the flying mass, but made for
the bushes with all speed. He had not
gone fifteen feet when the missile struck
and buried itself three feet in the earth,
Just beyond the spot on which he had
been standing. BY great good luck he
had cleared the tents and no one was
injured. After much labor the mystic
rious messenger was dug out of the
bank and turned out to be an iron
shell, weighing 176 pounds.
Fortunately it was empty. If it had
been loaded it would not, in all proba-
bility, have been carried home, as it
was, for a souvenir of the trip.
With singular unanimity, consider
ing the circumstances, the party that
night voted to return home the next
day The reader may have some diff
Guilty in seeing what connection this
tale of the camping party has with
Uncle Bill Williams. Here it is;
The shell was taken home In one of The
boats, and was shown TO the old man,
and its story was told him. The mar
rator of the tale expected that it would
astonish him, but he reckoned without
his host.
"Humph" grunted Uncle Bill, that
amt much; why, Cap'n Broat an me
es had lots o. them things go through
our mains'l while passin the Pint. One
time we was comm down ther river on
ther slop (sloop) with load O. wood,
an when we got down opposite ter Col
Spring the wind guv out. There was
big tide runnin down, and so we
KEEP movin. The fellers on the Pint
was affirm at their targets on theI
water. Some of their shots hit pretty
clost to ther targets, an some of 'em
didn't. We was lookin at 'em SO hard
that we didn't see where we was goin
when all of suddent somethin come
kerthrash through the mains'l, al
dropped inter ther water on ther tothei
side O. the slop.
"'Lor, Bill, what was thatT sing
out the cap'n.
Looks as though it mought be 6
shell from the Pint, cap'n, ses 1. Just
then mother shot come through the sail
'Look-a-here, Bill, yells the cap'n,
we've got ter git out o. this, or there
won't be nothin left o u.s.
InaUS SO, cap II, seS 1, OUT Wna'
yer goin ter do about it2'
"'Why, there amt narthin we kir
do, Bill, but sit an cuss.'
IAN kin tell yer we did cuss then
West Pint fellers, while they sen
shells through our mains'l an jib, al
knocked off more'n half our load O
wood. One O. the shots come within
er foot O. my head, an its wind knocked
me over fiat on ther deck"
Didn't you try to get some explana
ton from the officials at West Point
Uncle2" inquired the listener.
"Ya-as, went to ther commandant
but he laughed at me. "Taint no use
tryin to git anything out o them fel
lers. New York Tribune