Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-08-19

In front of the City Hall, slumber-
ing in the shadows of the sailors and
soldiers monument, is a little orphaned
cannon--a brass field gun-having the
royal monogram Of Charles Nv. of
Spain.
He is diminutive little fellow,
compared with the huge and murder
GUS guns OF our more civilized days, yet
IN spite of his meagre size he has
wrought an almost untold amount of
slaughter and destruction. He was
born amid a cataclysm of blood, and
from that time on he was galloped and
hurried from battlefield to battlefield
over nearly all the provinces of Spain
and Portugal, until he was sent to the
far-off Philippines in 1874 to assist in
putting down the revolt led by Sam
aego.
He has witnessed, perhaps, more de-
ISOLATION than any other piece OF ordn-
ance in the United States-more than
was seen by all the cannon combined
that were engaged in the late Spanish
American war.
OF course this little warrior cannot
be blamed for the blood that he has
shed, for this is the business of cam
non They are designed and created
by good Christian people for this pur-
pose.
This piece of ordnance is now out of
service with nothing to do but dream
and being very old his dreams turn
backward to the past.
49,
One evening, while in one of those
retrospective moods, he told this story:
i was born in Seville over a hun
dred years ago. In Seville, the beaut-
iful, that rests upon each side of the
ripping Guadalquiver. In the great
smoky, noisy arsenal where the brass
and bronze ordinance of Spanish kings
were cast-there l was born Then l
was beautiful my sides shone like gold.
With others l stood in a dazzling
row in front of the arsenal. l could
see the great tower d'Oro shining like
a pillar OF gold in the sun. | could see
the white cascade Of old King Pedros
palace, the Alcazar with its broad
nile eff frontage glistening with oar
wings of marble and alabaster. Rising
for the magnificent buildings shone
the Mansion House, where all the ar
chives of Spanish America were kept.
And upon the Guadilquiver saw
strange sails from all the nations of
the earth-and lighters laden with car
goes from the vessels that anchored
down the river below. l could hear The
shouts from the great bull-ring, where
ten and fifteen thousand people watch
ed the torro di fiesta-the bull fight.
/ listened to the silver chimes from
the many lowered Cathedrals. l drows-
ed in the sunlight and watched the gay
Sen0ritas go by clad in rich black man
tillOS-the student, the priests, and the
Brightly dressed soldiers and the laugh
ing black eyed children.
I was happy then. The bright rich
pomgranite blossoms were in bloom,
the sweet carob were ripening and
the air was fragrant from the almond,
orange and fig.
That was years and years ago.
Charles the Nv was on the throne of
Spain, George the III was king of Eng
land Louis Capet, known as Louis
XVI of France, with severed head had
scarce begun to purify in his coarse
wooden coffin. At this time above
everything and overshadowing every
thing was the mighty colossus-Napo-
leon-standing in sea of blood.
was born to fight him.
But ere | had received the finish
ing touches peace had been arranged
with France, arranged by Manuel
Godoy, a young dissolute Of 25, who
held the reins of government. He was
elevated to this high estate by the lis
centious queen, Marie the wife of the
imbecile old king. He managed things
badly. No sooner had peace been ar
ranged than he entered into an agree
ment with France to invade Portugal.
Seventeen thousand Spanish soldiers
accompanied Junot's French army of
invasion-I went with them, after bat
ties and skirmishes, the Portuguese
king fled to Brazil. THE house Of
Braganza had ceased to reign in
Europe" The French instead of va
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