Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1907-07-11
TWO OLD GUNS GONE
Los ANGELES, CAL, WORRIED
OVER THEIR DISAPPEARANCE.
Interesting History Attached to Sire
mont" Cannon-Formed Link Be-
tween Bear Flag Days and
Old Glory.

Los Angeles, Cal.-What has be-
come of the two old Fremont" can
mons dug up by workmen at CONNER
cial and Main streets some time ago?
No one seems able to reply 1t Is
said the cannons were taken to the
Fort Mill summit and placed near the
flag pole where Gen. Fremont once
are not visible in that vicinity, and no
one in the neighborhood knows about
them.
These cannons were valuable ac-
QUESTION To CALIFORNIA; archaeological
possessions, and formed connecting
link between the old days of the Bear
Flag and the final rising of Old Glory.
An interesting history is attached to
them of which perhaps no man in
southern California is more familiar
than Uncle Billy" Workman, pioneer
banker and real estate man Of Los
Angeles. Uncle Billy" is interested
in the preservation of these cannons,
and speaks of them in earnest, en-
dearing terms. The very mention of
them assemblies host of romantic
recollections of pueblo days.
The two cannons dug up at the
corner of Main and Commercial
streets" said Mr.. Workman, Il think
| Spanish tramp-trading vessel in 1919
They probably were sent to the peo
pie here by the Mexican government
| for use against American invasions
| The inhabitants of this country even
| then did not call themselves Mexi
cans, but native Californians."
When Gems. Fremont and Kearney
came to Los Angeles these same ma
| tive Californians' used the two can
mons to attack them. When Commo-
| dore Stockton was bringing his troops
from San Pedro he met the natives
near the Dominguez rancho where an
encounter ensued and In which the
cannons were captured. They were
| hauled into Los Angeles on carretas.
| rhe Americans spiked both guns and
later threw them into the ocean at
San Pedro, where for years they lay
| orgotten.
After the Americans took posses
| sion of the country the cannons were
| ound and fished out. Fifty-three
years ago, when first came to Los
ANGELES, they were hidden away In u
| OF on Also street. When | became
| member of the city council, several
years later, we decided TO preserve
| hese weapons as mementos of the
| last, and to make them useful as well.
| We placed them at the corner Of
| Commercial and Main streets as a
| suard to protect building from turn
| ng wagons. They were firmly embed
| led there, and attracted considerable
attention for some years. As | recall
now, this building was torn down,
| and the street somewhat changed
| with the result that the cannons be-
came deeply buried under the dirt and
| iebris, and in the rapid progress OF
incoming civilization were at last for
| gotten"
An examination of the two guns re-
| reals that they are considerably over
| 700 years old Local historians esti-
nate their age at from three to six
centuries. and it is pointed out that
hey are of the type used by the early
Spanish conquerors, Cortez and 9th
ars. A cannon of the same pattern,
but of larger bore, said to have been
used by Cortez in his famous stand
| against the forces OF Montezuma, and
later exhumed from ruins on the
shore of Tehauntepec. now Is on ex-
hibit in the National museum in the
city of Mexico. This leaves the infer
ence that the two cannons found here
we're of a contemporary vintage, hence
il is only to be surmised in how many
| Spanish-Aztec or INSTRUMENTATION
encounters the guns have figured.