The Washington bee., 1907-06-29
No OLD GUNS GONE
ANGELES. CAL, WORRIED
20 THEIR DISAPPEARANCE.
..st.nu History Attached to Ere
..,+a Cannon-Formed Link Be-
tween Bear Flag Days and
Old Glory.

r.s Angeles, CaI-What has be-
nj the two old Fremont" can
ding ODD By workmen at CONNER
and Main streets some time ago?
\, one seems able to reply. 1t is
a the canu0ns were taken to the
Mill summit and placed near the
oa'a where Gen. Fremont once
--,aF his forces, but the cannons
mi visible in that vicinity, and no
the neighborhood knows about
4 ~.sa cauuOns were a valuable ac-
.-.or 20 CaIl0ruia's archaeological
-..s.sfors. and .c.med a connecting
4 = between the old days of the Bear
70 and the final rising of Old Glory.
i interesting history is attached to
.sr of which perhaps no man in
rbern California is more familiar
IN Uncle Billy" Workman, pioneer
mixer and real estate man of Los
r5sras Uncle Billy" is interested
4 The preservation Of these cannons,
! nj sraaks of them in earnest, en-
caring terms. The very mention of
5..n assemblies a host of romantic
collections of pueblo days.
The TWO calnons dug up at the
,rsr of Main and Commercial
rz4rg said Mr. Workman, Il think
pre- brought from Mexico by an old
E-s1tsh uammuadiug vessel in 1919.
Far probably were sent to the peO-
here by the Mexican government
rsa against American invasions.
ra inhabitants Of this country even
hen did not call themselves Mexi-
ans but native Californians.
.Whan Gems. Fremont and Kearney
anne 10 Los Angeles these same ma
gs Ca.isoulals. used the two can
ms TO attack them. When COmmO-
lore Stockton vas bringing his troops
rom san Pedro he met the natives
near the Uamlu-uez rancho where an
|ancouater easael and in which the
|r8npols were captured. They were
hauled into Los Angeles on carretas.
We Americans spiked both guns and
iater threw them into the ocean at
San Pedro where lor years they lay
|0rgoueu
after the Americans took posses
El of the country r.. cannons were
|uad and HslaI 0uL Fifty-three
Fears ago. when first came to Les
IlgeLes. the. Wer. hidden away in a
0u Also street, When I became
member ot the city council, several
later we decided TO preserve
ese weapons rs uementOs of the
Isl. and r1 make them useful as well.
e placed them at the corner Of
|um.rc.aL and Main streets as a
aIa -o protect q building from turn
J. Wagoas. They were firmly embed
there and attracted considerable
I-u-.al -ur some years. As ] recall
-aH This building was torn down,
+. .-. street somewhat changed
orb ... result that the cannous be
a deeply buried under the dirt and
us and iu the rapid progress OF
r- civilization were at las fOr-
Aa summation of the two guns re-
ss That rley are considerably over
YEATS old. Local historians esti-
a ....r age al from three TO six
a and it is pointed out that
. the tspe used by the early
.. ...ru..1's. Crr.az and 9th
Is . cannon of the same pattern.
p " ."res bore. said 20 have been
".s-az i'm his famous stand
- the forces of -ICrreZuma, and
stunned from ruins on the
a. Ie.am.alec. now is ON eE-
a lle National museum in the
" lleE.eo. This leaves The infer
chat .Ea G-. oa--als found here
. et q contemporary vintage. hence
is My to- be a.u.seJ i'm how many
-h-Aztec or INSTRUMENTATION
"..ers the guns have figured.