The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1893-04-28
4 CURIOUS OLD WEAPON.
OLDEST TYPE or THE MAGAZINE
AaE IN -EE -cEED.

In the Wortd 10 the JOnn Cuck-
son. which waa made In I-c-dc.
during ths last part Of the slx.
teenth Century. The only arm Of this
kind in the United States now known to
be in the possession OF collectors IL held
in Hartford, Conn.,, by the connoisseur,
A. f. Brooks, and can only be seen by
the collectors favorites.
A number OF inventors, including
Lieutenant III. X. White, Of the United
States Navy, have been Afforded access
20 the arm, which Is one OF romantic
interest. The story OF its los, and re-.
.overy in the city OF Baltimore during
;he war is in itself a fascinating one, not
20 speak Of the mystery that surrounded
t for years prior to tho attack on tho
Federal troops IN 1851 in tho city
founded in honor OF Lord Baltimore.
This ancient gun bears tho name aud
late "John Cuckson, fecit, London
1886" The magazine was calculated
Tor ten shots and rested at tho left OF the
oreech mechanism. The bullets were
.ound and were elected into place stimuli
.aneously with tho powder. Tho use OF
flint lock necessitated q device that
wo lid carry tho powder into the pan,
where it could bo ignited by the spark
from the steel. This was accomplished
5y peculiar mechanism that carried
enough powder from the magazine to the
tight Of tho gunstocS, from which point
,ho distribution supplying the basin took
place.
Tho magazine was operated by lever
IN the let side OF the stock, which
moved in u semicirclo at right angles
with tho magazine itself. The motion
threw tho loft hand out and away from
tho gun until tho quadrant was com.
pletcd, whom the hand in operation was
lrawn back to tho butt or stock.
1t is an intero,ting fact that the ball
ldjoined the powder when loade l, tho
paper wadding that was regarded as In
lispcnsiblc in tho cartridge that was
used for 100 years before the war being
conspicuous by its absence. The car
fridge OF the present date is Identical in
principle, with tho exception that it Is
elongated aud attached to tho sholl con-
tanning tho p"wder.
The sight, which isperhap, six iuohos
from tho muzzle, ia n crescent in form.
The muzzlc shows u plain bore hall au
inch in diameter. The stock, which is
Ii iely preserved, shows rare aud curious
carvings. The heads of the screws even
arc cmbellishci with figures of dragons
and wild animals.
The cost Of this old arm must have
been great, rs every particle Of WORK
connected with it, must have been exc.
cutod by hand. Tne gun was so expcn.
sivc in design and workmanship that 1t
could have been owned at first only by
tho rich and powerful land owner or
military leader Of the time of its manu-
facturc. 1t is a plausible theory, at
least, that it was brought to America by
one Of tho wealthy colonists under
Lord Baltimore. While thers arc no OK.
net data at hand at present sustaining
this notion rs fully as could be dosired,
thero is unmistnkablo reason for al
herring to 1t as the only tenable one.
: The history Of tho gun during the last
thirty years is not destitute OF exciting
features. After the attack on the Union
forces that were marche I through Bilti-
more in April, 1861 the oity was ordered
to bo searched by the Government
forces, and arms of every nature wero
contiscatcd by tho Provost Guard. These
Nrnis were rendczvoused at a central
point, where they were kept under guard
Tor four years. At tho conclusion OF hos
tilities, tho residents Of Baltimore, from
whom tho arms in question had been
taken in 1861, were allowed to recover
them. They were rusty, aud the sele:-
tons were generally Of small value.
Strange rs it may seem, the old mag
0znc gun of the Sixteenth Century, was
So unprcposscssing in the rust and do
Element Of its long servItude that no ono
cared for it enough to take it homo. In
the end it was actually thrown away aud
left to be carried oil by a ragpIcker AZ
old junk. IL was purchased from tho
ragpckcr for half dollar aud taken to
an old German gnnsmith in tho city, to
bc transformed, il possible from the
hntlock to a molcrh piece. Weeks af-
tcrwarI the Germ,n gunmlker decided
that the job could not y. done and that
the Old gun should have no better fato
than the junk heap. a second ira 10
was ELECTED, aud the rcpairer of old
muskcts became himself the owner, pay
ing 81. 80 for tho privilege.
It occurred to him one day, after
assuming the proprictorship, that he
would attempt 10 disa'snmblc the qua
Th0 process was slow ani intricate. The
more the man worked, the moro he be-
came absorbed with interest AMI dc.
light. Elcvea ':ays were actu,lly sp,l.
in the process. The rust WAS rem )vei
AMI the barrel polished to the Old surface.
For tho first time the guum,kcr, rs he
deciphercd the inscription, be IAN to
understand the treasure that had cane
into his hands. 1t WAS found to be a
verltaEle Cuckson, with possibly not
duplicate on this side Of the Atlantic.
So far rs known, there is no, one in the
United States.
Mr.. Brooks was in ne ,otiatious with
the Baltimore owner for three years at
least, trying to buy the arm. 1t was
not until within i i0w months that term,
could be made. A personal visit from
the collector to the old Germin gun.
smith was the only way that led to sue
cess in the negotiations. A large check
was made payable to the Baltimore d,s.
coverer before his consent was o5tairoi
TO the removal of the ancient woanon 70