Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-11-22
SPRAGUE'S CANNON.
Seen from Railroad Trains Passing
Through Winslow.
The Story Of the Cannon Told BY Railroad
Commissioner Chadbourne.

Rahroad Commissioner Benjamin Chad
bourne was In a mood for spinning yarns
Saturday, and every one who knows him
realizes what that means. 1t means that
there Is going to be something good 1t
Is IN the manner that he tells them, and
In the story too, but no attempt can
make them sound the same in retelling
as they do when he spins them Off, in
his jovial off handed manner.
There was one in particular that he
told. Saturday. that is worthy of an at
| tempt at retelling so that all may enjoy
| it.
You have no doubt seen that old can
non on the terrace in front of George
| Sprague's house in Winslow. 1t is right
in signt of the trains that pass in front
of it. There is good story connected
wT,n that gun, about how it came there,
and all that.
1.-The gun was the property of tne Con-
| federate army once, and it was captured
| by the Yankees in one of ,...e first fights.
You see, Cooper Smith, late of Concord,
N. H., who was the agent of the Union
Pacific Railroad in the East for num-
Der of years, had a stepson of whom he
| thought the world. This son went to the
war and Cooper felt very. badly over it,
He wept and told the boy he was sure he
woulu get killed. bu, did not attempt to
stop him all the same. The young man
was an officer and before he went he
promised Cooper he would send him Il
souvenir of the first fight he went into,
provided he came out alive. He was as
fond of joking Cooper as the rest, so
after the first fight he sent Cooper this
field piece at Concord, N. Fl. Cooper
went to the station, and there he found
the gun with an immense freight bill at
tached. He paid the bill and took it to
mis- grounds, where he placed it facing an
academy building.
Now for the part where George
Sprague enters the story. There was a
large party of people OF Nova Scotia, 60
ing West, number of years ago, and
the agents of the various routes. gath
cred at the meeting place of the party to
attempt to sell them tickets over their
respective roads, for the trip. Cooper
saw that the leader was an elder, of some
sort, and that he was holding revival
meetings among those who were to go
Nest. Cooper engaged the man in con-
versation, and drew him to talking about
religion. Cooper said he was glad 10
meet the man as he often preached
little himself. He was fellow who could
drink or preach, meaning nothing by
either. Well, the result was that the
next evening the other agents of the
roads missed Cooper, and they went off TO
hunt him up. They found him in the
midst of these people preaching good
sermon and firing the scripture at them
at a great rate. Before the evening was
out, he had sold them THE tickets over his
road.
HE was not a narrow fellow, so he in
vited the other agents to come to ms
house in Concord, and celebrate with
him. AS luck would have it, only George
Sprague was able to attend, the others
being busy Cooper had mixed up il
great amount of punch, and SO the two
set about to do their best to make up for
what the others would have drank. Along
about 10 in the evening. Cooper said he
must have some sport of some kind and
he decided to fire off the old cannon,
which had never been fired since 1t was
captured from the Gonfederates. He
took a six quart pail. went and reused
dealer in powder, and bought the pail
full of powder. They filled the old piece
full almost to the muZZle, with powder
and grass, and then drew lots to see who
would touch it off The lot fell to Coop
err. He made a fuse by twisting up
piece of paper, and then touched II OIL.
The two did not go far enough off, ana
when the explosion came, they were
knocked end over end, and the Old can
non was turned completely over. That
charge did terrible damage. 1t broke ev-
cry square of glass out OF the academy
building and also out OF Coopers mousse.
A great crowd collected, among whom
was Cooper's wife. She was frightened
half to death, and she asked if there was
anything she could do for him. NO ne
answered, not now, but when l die l
want you to give that cannon to George
Sprague.'
Later she followed out his wishes, and
today the cannon can be seen on the ter
race of Spragues home in WINSTON,
Maine. from the railroad trains