Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1903-03-05
CHAPTER TX

you say the cannon has not been
fired for rs years?" Marlowe inquired
That's what | said-an' it may be
longer n that. You see that particular
piece of artillery has history. And
Jep expanded with the Importance OF
his communication Ed O'NeiI
brought 1t here from way down south
Some'rs-sometime fore the war. He
was an Irishman-an' an OF Jacksonian
Democrat 1t was him told you bout
said he wouldn't scratch his ticket to
save Christ from the cross.
He used to run a tradin' boat from
this river to New Orlens; an on one
trip he brought back this cannon. He
said him an his crew tackled a pirate
ship at the mouth O. the Mississippi an
sunk it; an that he jest brung the can
non along to prove his story.
But lawzee! He was such an Of liar
nobody could b'lieve a word he said.
Wy that OF codger d ruther tell a lie
on 80 days credit than the truth fer
cash, any time. He was a regular OIL
pirate hisself; dint b'lieve in nothin'
but drinkin', an gamblin', an such
like. FUSED to say that tobacker was
the staff O. life, an whisky was life
itself. An I've seen him stand up to
the bar an down half pint O. raw
liquor, an never take drop O. water r
bat an eye When he'd see fellers taxi
In water with Their liquor, he'd cuss an
ask 'em what they meant my building
a fire an then drowndin' 1t out. He
said he was an OF thoroughbred-an |
guess he was.
Ills partner in the tradin' boat bust
ness was man named Mulrain. He
had folks Twin out bout Chapel Ridge,
nigh the Perry County line an when
ne died they took him out there to
bury him. or Ed went along-an' wen
the funer'l procession was passin'
through Foxtown, one O. the storekeep-
ers come out to see it go long. An
Known OF Ed, he ups an asks:
who's dead, Mr.. O'Neil?'
1.-THE man in the hearse,' answered
Ed. An on they drove.
But pshaw! I'm gittin' clean off n
my subject-as | alluZ do. The only
reason wouldn't make good preach
er is, couldn't stick to the text. Well,
wen O'Neil brought that cannon to
Babylon, he give 1t to the Democrats to
use at Their political meetin's an jolllf-
cations. 1t hadn't been here a month
till the Republicans up an stold 1t from
'em. Then the Democrats raised a
crowd an captured 1t back; an purity
soon the Republicans stold 1t ag'in.
An so it went on fer years. Their has
been more bruise heads an bloody
noses over that oil gun, than you could
shake a stick at
FINALLY the war broke out; an that
put an end to the quar'lin' fer while.
An wen Morgans Raiders come
Through, the first thing people thought
of was that OIL gun. | can remember
all bout it. First the news come that
Morgans men was goln' to cross the
river at this place; an everybody was
Bkeered to death. Then Jim Rush an
another Teller went out toward Deaver-
town, an learnt that the rebels was go
IN to cross at Eageport, above here.
"Say!" - Chuckling explosively. i
you ort to ave seen Rush when he
brought the news here. He was tall,
ganglin' chap-an' set a boss like
elo'espin sets line-an' wen he come
ridin' in that mornin' he was a sight.
He had lost his hat, an his brains un-
der il, fer that matter; an was skeered
plumb into a compton it, He said, as
soon as he could git breath to talk, that
Morgan would try to ford the river jest
below the Eagleport dam, that after
noon; an advised that we send the wo-
men an children to the hills. hide our
bosses, raise q company. an go up an
head the rebels off. Some people-an'
they was the sensible ones-thought
we'd Jest better let 'em cross an be
gone; but others was in favor Of Rush's
projecll. The upshot o the matter was
that the men gathered up Their gu IS
an axes, loaded the OIL cannon on the
steam ferryboat, an set on up the
river.
ION the way up they charged the Of
piece with few pounds o. blastln' pow
der. an rammed 'er full to the muzzle
With pieces o. logchain. kingbots, an
other pieces o. scrapiron. Then they
stood back an Laughter themselves most
sick. thinkin' how they'd NOV down
them rebels an send 'em to kingdom
come.
"But when they got up to Eagleport
10 an behold you Morgan an his
men had crossed the river a'ready-an'
was gone. So Their was nothln' to do
but turn round an come back. That
they done, growlin' an threat'nin' what
they'd ave done, II they'd got there in
time
when they got in sight o town
eomin' back, some one says:
lies shoot off the cannon an let
the women folks know we're all safe
an sound
"Well, sir, they put a match to the
touch hole. An what do you s'pose
that OIL rip Of cannon done"
Tucker paused for a reply.
Failed to go off, Ralph yentured.
Jep shook his head.
at didn't explode, Of course" Mar
lowe said, "or you wouldn't be consid-
ering the advlsability OF using II at
your political meeting"
mo, II didn't explode" Jep explain
ed: IAN It went off all right enough
but not hard enough to shake the flies
oif'n II, 'er wake up Ben Mason that
laid drunk long side Of It. II jest give