The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-01-09
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! SIN OF THE FATHER. !
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BY EDWAFD b. CLARK.

luore is tradition IN the American
army that the secret OF percussiof
uulminatel and it's practical applc1'
ton to firearms was discovered by q
young continental officer and impaired
to the commander ia chief George
Washington. Theft and death inter
iened to give the old flint locks a long
or lease Of service and TO make the
utilizing Of the percussion cap the mat !
ter of a new century.
John Barton was captain in the
colonial service. He was given to re-
search "a all sorts of fields, but after
tho first year Of the var he confined
himself to one branch of Investigation |
His fellow officers never knew what be
was up to- but that il was something
that they did not care to share in was
evidenced one day when Captain JOHN
Barton was blown out bodily through
the door of a hut in which he was con
Quoting some experiments. lt took the
army surgeons a month to get the cap
tain round to his normal condition, bat
of the cause of the explosion which rad
made a proiectlle of him the captain
would not say a word. II was only a
Frenchman had discovered illuminate.
The discoverer however, had the ex'
plosive in such dangerous form that
1t was of no practical use. and, As a
matter Of fact he never thought of it
in its possible application to firearms.
The American army officer had taken
the Frenchman's discovery and was
endeavoring to combine some admiN
ture which would make the illuminate
a more tractful servant and one that
could be made to do various kinds Of
work
Now Captain John Barton had a
comrade in arms named Phillip Mas
ters. If we are to believe the multi
plicity Of colonial historical romanccs
every young colonial soldier had &
sweetheart. and Barton and Masters
we're no exceptions to the rule. The
only difficulty in this case was that
they both of them loved the same
sweetheart, Mary Travers, who lived
In South Carolina where Marion, sum
Der and the rest were doing their besi
20 give Clinton an interesting time. II
is rather a hard thing to have to say
about young American girl OF the
colonial period. for according TO al
that had been written. every 1ne %
them was a paragon of virtue. lowell
ness and strength of character. but al
truth must be the handmaiden OF his
tory, Mary Travers was as fcBle mInd
el as she was beautiful. She did PIE
fer John Barton to Phillip Masters, bu
there was not a great preponderanc
of preference and Mary was not of tn
kind who could appreciate thorough
the difference between the worth Q
Barton's character and the weakness q
Masters
George Washington was at Wes
Point. At that post both Barton an
Masters were stationed AZ place
close to the rock which the great cha,
uFed for az obstruction to the rive.
navigation was anchored, stood Two
story log structure. In it the con
mander in chief was Quartered durin
his stay at the Point Captain Mastei
had been detailed as an aid to Wast
ington. He occupied a room next
that OF the chief 1t was nearly miC
night on a second day OF Washington
visit. Masters had been dismissed fC
the night and was stretched out on n
cot in his room. There was nothiu
but the frailest kind of 2 partition b'
tween him and his chiefs sleeptr
apartment The young officer had n'
yet fallen asleep when he heard Il
outside door of Washington's apar
ment opened Then came the voice
the commander, You are on tu
Captain Barton. can give an hour
this matter for l confess that fro
what you said In your letter am dee
lv iaterested"
syeral cases Ne.e su--s 49, bfa ,ll,,,
following attorneys were admitt.sam
3 practice q
J. b. A. Robertson, Chandler q
Austin ]. Rittenhouse Chandler a
H. J. sturgis Enid. @
Fred A. WAGNER, Chandler b
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