The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-12-22
The SIN oF THE FATHER.

army that The secret of percussion tful-
/ minated and its practical application 10
| firearms was discovered by young con-
/ tinenetal officer and impaired 10 the COM
nnander in chief George Washington.
Theft and death interTened to eive the
old flint locks. 4 longer lease Of service
and TO make the utilizing CT the ,ercus-
| sion cap the matter OF a new century.
John Barton was captain in the colonial
service. He was given to research IN al
sorts OF fields. but after the first year OF
the war he confined himself to enc ora nCh
Of investigation His fellow officers
never knew what he wss UP TO. but that
1t was - nothing that they did no. care
10 share in was evidenced one DAY when
Captain John Barton was blown ou- bOdi-
~ through the door OF 4 hut in which he
was conducting some experiments. It
/ took the army surgeons a month 10 get
| the captain round 10 his normal condition
! had made . projectile of him the captain
would not say a word. IL was only
Frenchman had discovered illuminate. The
discOYercr. how ever, had the expi 0sive
in such a dangeroJs FORM that il was of
no practical use and, as matter OF fact
he never thought of il in its possible
application 10 firearms The American
army officer had taken the Frenchmans
! discovery ard was endeavoring TO com
bine some adnlixt1re which would make
the illuminate q more tractable servant
ana one that could be made to do various
kinds Of work.
Now, Captain John Barton had a COM
rade in arms NAMED Phillip Masters. If
We are to believe the multiplicity of col
onial historical romances every young
colonial soldier had a sweetheart and
Barton and Masters were 10 exceptions
10 the rule. The only difficulty IN this
case was that they both Of them loved
the same sweetheart, Mary Trayers, who
| lived in South Carolina, where Marion.
Sumter and the rest were doing their best
to give Clinton an interesting time. 1t is
rather a hard thing TO have 10 say about
4 young American girl of Jhescolonial per
iod for according TO ali that has Leen
written every one of them was a paragon
of virtue, loneliness and strength OF char
acuer. but as truth must lie the hand
maiden OF history. Mary Travers was as
tickle minded as she vas beautiful She
did prefer John Barton to Phillip Masters
but there was not a great prepond srance
of preference. and Mary was not II the
Kind who could appreciate thoroughly the
difference between the worth Of Barton 5
character and the weakness of Masters.
George Washington was at West Point
At that post both Barton anG Masters
were stationed. At a place. close 10 the
rock TO which the great chain used for
an obstruction 70 the rivers navigation
was anchored, stood two story log
I structure in it the commander in chief
was quartered during his stay at the
Point. Captain Masters had been detail
ed as an ala tC Washington. He occu-
pied rooom next to that Of the chief
1t was nearly midnight on the second day
of Washington's visit Masters had teen
dismissed for the night and was stretched
on his cot in his room. There was moth
ing but the fraiiest kind Of q partition
| between him and his chiefs sleeping
apartment. The young officers had not
yet fallen asleep when he heard the out
SIDE door OF Washingtons apartment
opened. Then came the voice of the COM
mander, You are on time, Captain Bar
ton. ] can give an hour to this matter
for / confess that from what you sad in
Your letter 1 am deeply interested
Masters raised himself on his elbow. He
felt d sort Of 4 pang of half shame but
listened. lie heard Barton give detail
ed account Of experiments with explosives
which had lasted through a number Of
wears. Then he heard a discussion On the
subject o. flint locks, and some new and
simple continuance to take the place of
the clumsy device. There was talk also
of a further application of a certain force
which should make the powder ard the
bullet of one piece and work d complete
/ transformation of the method of loading
weapons. Masters knew from the tone Of
the commander in chiefs voice that he
was deepely impressed.
Barton was heard finally TO say: IN
this Theoretically sealed copper casket
is a quantity of the illuminate and with
it is d complete account OF the discovery
and receipts for making the explosives. %
Leave the casket here. Captain Bar
ton, said Washington, and We VIII go
into the matter eXperimentally and i'm de-
tail as soon rs ] can gather together the
proper officers. Ny belief is that this dis
covery holds for you fame If not fortune. -
Phillip Masters heard the outer door
close aud then he sank down to his pillow
with something much like "A jealous pang
at his heart. He tossed for an hour on
his little cot. Then. moved bv an over
mastering impulse. he rose. and taking his
light army shoes In his hand, he passed
softly into the room where mis- chief slept
\ hickering flame from the fire showed
him an oblOng copper box on the rude
table. He took it with a half-shu5der
and went outside. avoiding the sentinel
by a way known TO himself. The river
front was patroled else he would have
stolen down there and dropped his burden
{ into the waters Of the Hudson. He reach
"a a little gully running athwart the forts
bomb proofs The gully was filed With
/ a heavy growth of underbrush. he let
himself down carefully from the face OF
the rough roadway and slipped the metal
box under the cover of q ledge and thu
protection Of the thick growing vines and
bushes Forever safe from discovery"
he muttered and then he went back as he
had come, reaching his room unseen The
/ loss OF the box was discovered the next
morning. There was a thorough inyesti-
cation but OF IL nothing came. Captain
1 john Barton conferred with the couman-
der in chief and said that in a rnOnth :
time he could reformulate from memory
his receipts and cculd remake his expert
mental devices. That very night. by the
fortunes of war. ne was ordered south,
and two days after his arrival in the Car
olinas he was lea0 at the Cowpens. The
perfected use cf percussion was put or
for half century.
Mary TEavers did not wear the willow
long. She married Captain Phillip Mast
ers. who STAYED IN the regular establish
mont long after the revolution and IL 1875
was gray-haired colonel Deep IN Col
onel Masters heart was regret II was
a gnawirg regret that was past al root
ing out. His wife was still living They
had but one child-a son Captain Phillip
Masters. Jr.. ar army officer
Captain Masters was stationed at west
Point then struggling school but little
more than q decade ola. Re was IN com
mand one day Of "a fatigue party, brcaTing
a new ROAD 70 ffownins Fort Fft1. NJ
( The men were ~ work with axes. picks
and SHADES Thlv had reached g place
where q boulder larger than most was
/ hold FL its place by tEf tWis-ius roofs - "a
great tree Tie men had struggled nlth
( tao obstruction FOR some time. C..pr4la
( Masters was : POWERFUL man He ~ g1-
I cd I'll the ea3rts ~ the enlisted mea. and
s. tzine a nicN FROM one Ct tben- he drove
- -. -. IN - l-.-. tl-.. --.--.--l