The evening times., 1896-05-27

Il IL -414$ A-AN M
500 degrees. when it will slip over the
inner. and then as it cools 1t grasps and
holds the inner SO as to make perfect
union.
..None OF the new cannon are on the
condemned list, for every gun has to be
tested by firing five times on the proving
grounds before the work of the contractor
for the forgings is accepted. The new
method of making a cannon, by wrapping
a core OF steel with wire, think, has
not yet been tried anywhere on this con-
tinent 1t has worked successfully in Eng
land
PLENTY OF CANNON ON HAND.
Not only have we hundreds of the con-
demned cannon still on hand, but the
problem with us is how to get rid Of them.
We have auctioned them off several times,
but the buyers have so far failed to take
them. They find il would cost more to
take them away and break them UP than
the old metal would be worth. Some Of
them have been sold, / believe, as high
as five times.
''The same difficulty has presented itself
In giving them away. The applicants find
they have a sort of white elephant on
their hands. Every bill specially provides
that the government shall he at no expense
In the matter. The smallest of the ca mon
condemned and available for donation are
the eleveu-inch. Even these weigh 1000
pounds and it costs 81 80 to $500 to take
them up and carry them to the grounds
that are to he ornamented with them.
When II is added that most of them have
no mounting and this would have to be
paid for by the recipients the case is made
still stronger.
1T is true, however, that the War De-
partment's supply of condemned cannon is
t,nn tt,I al. fi.sng ic "a m
be made up by the manufacture OF guns
just TO condemn them and give them to the
posts. l know these facts, because L
asked~a Representative why he did not 20
| to the War Department for his cannon
He said they were out and now recourse
must be to the supply OF the Navy. The
land guns were mostly field pieces now
| out of date and as they are much smaller
| they have gone freely ever since the war
There is a story of Il Grand Army COM
mittce who " ere almost ostthunderstruck when
| they first beheld the four cannon that had
been donated to them They pluckily under
took, however, TO get the pieces home.
| They chartered three cars. for two were
of such size that Il single ear would not tcarry
them together, and finally, after good
deal OF plauning and labor in which they
developed engineering skill that surprised
the trained engineers here, rs well as them
selves, they finally landed the lot at the
little town where they lived. Their friends
and the comrades of the post especially We're
surprised, not to say dumfounded, both ut
the size of the cannon and the size OF the
bill for transportation.
THE CANN ON ACCEPTED.
There was n town meeting and the action
of the committee came very near being
rcpudiated. II was finally decided for the
honor of the place that the guns should be
retained, and the money was raised to save
the committee and keep the cannon. II
was decided however, that so much money
ought uot To be spent for purely decorative
purposes. and one or the big cannon was set
aside for the defense OF the place in case
of war aud for firing Fourth OF July salutes.
1t was long time. though, before small
boy could mention cannon anywhere in the
vicinity of any OF the committee without
| laying himself liable to get into trouble.
Usually the work OF getting one OF these
bills through begins with some enterprisinr
member of Grand Army post-most OF
the cannon go 10 these posts for one purrOSc
or another. The proposal is brought up at
a meeting and, OF course. everybody is in
favor OF It. A resolution passes calling on
the member representing the district, or
maybe on the Senator, II the member $
politics or personal relations do not happen
to fit, to secure the desired gift
Then frequently, IL the post has money. a
UP W w uy ii
sary TO present the resolution with proper
force. The leaders OF the post are usually
members OF the committee and the enthU-
sastic men who find their most pleasing
pastime in recounting war "reminiscences,
grown more striking with age. foot the bills.
The committee. of course, travels in good
style and lives well while here. 1t would
not be in keeping with the dignity of the
organization if they did not.
Once here a rOnud of sig hi seeing occtl-
pies the time when they are waiting for an
opportuniUyior aninterview " with the mem
ber, and sometimes some of thede!egation
| get lost in trying to find the places they knew
when here during war times. The city has
grown clear beyond their recollection.
Then il was an iil-kept town OF 10000,
| with mud streets and malarial flats all
| around it. The proportion OF fine business
| houses and residences was very small.
| Several OF the great public buildings, as
| the Capitol, the Postoffice and the Treas
| ury were here, but there was no State,
War and Navy; no Washington monument.
| Whole blocks OF modern business houses
| and many OF the grandest mansions in the
| city have arisen during their absence, the
| streets have been laid out and paved, the
reservations beauGrled aud the flats re-
| claimed. All this engages their attention
! and admiration.
A story is told OF one man who was ap-
pointed pu CDinmlttee ana missed the rest
| of the crowd at the start. He determined
| not to forego the trip aud so came on n
later train. He got in at the Pennsylvania
| depot in the evening and was taken to the
residence of friend up beyond the State,
| War and Navy Building on New York avenue.
| A farmer at home, he was up early next
| morning. and while his city host was
dreaming, he slipped out for an early morn
| ing walk.
| EXPERIENCE OF AN OLD SOLDIER.
His first two squares brought him dowr
| between the big War building on Seven
| teenth and the new Corcoran Art Gallery
After gazing at the splendid white marble
| pile for a time he walked under one of
| the arches of the other building and passed
+, the watchman, who took him for another
| employe in the building who had recently
been put on duty and passed that way
F, regularly. The old gentleman walked UP
| the steps, wandered around looking at the
| stuffed soldiers, and making comm ents of a
sarcastic nature, strayed over to the Navy
| side and criticized the models of the wal
| vessels there.
| As he noted the liberal way in which
money is expended for things thatappeared