Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1908-07-10

In 1872 Yankton had a brass Noun
tain Howitzer and VermilliOn a brass
siege gun, both furnished the territory
to kill the Indians with. That year
the Elk Pointers were patriotic and
wanted a gun to celebrate with and
Is there were only two, as stated
above, a crowd of Elk Pointers enter
ed Vermillion during a dark and
stormy night and stole Vermillion's
gun and hid it. Vermillion vowed
vengeance on Ringsrud's town down
the road, but their vengeance is still
%smoldering unsatisfied as the gun is
still kept under lock in the county
Jail at Elk Point.
Vermillion must have a gun and
under the inspiration Of Charlie True
and Si}as Kidder, both of them dead,
a forlorn hope was organized to steal
the Yankton cannon and the warlike
mission was successful, as they found
the gun where the writer hid it after
breaking nearly all the window glass
in Yankton in celebrating the fall of
Paris in 1871. Yankton at that time
having a numerous German popula-
tion and of course they were wild
with delight owe the victory. The
Vermillion boys captured the cannon
during the early hours while the old
capitol city slumbered and took it
home with them, and to make sure
of their prize dug a hole in the ground
and buried it, and it was we'll they
did as nearly a hundred enraged
Yanktonites were organized into a
military company whose purpose was
to march on Vermillion and ecove
the gun at any cost. Charlie True,
then editor of the Vermillion Repub-
lican, sent word to the writer that
the gun was buried and absolutely
safe from capture. Then Yankton
was determined to 90 down to Yer
million and lick the whole town and
make them give up the gun, but
wiser counsel prevailed and the mat
ter was dropped; but Yankton has
never seen her dear old cannon since.
This introduction is necessary to
show how Canton got her cannon in
1876.
The Centennial year was noted for
its patriotism all over the country and
Canton in her glory and pride wanted
a cannon to celebrate with. The
writer learned that the Elk Point
cannon was hid in the basement of
Hoffman's hardware store from a tin
ner who had worked for Mr.. Hoffman.
A party was organized in Canton to
make a night raid on Hoffman's cellar
and they started N evening expect
ing to reach Elk Point before day
light and capture the gun. w. M.
Cuppett, Dan Hawn and the writer
were of the party but the boys never
got to Elk Point. After fording the
Sioux at Fairview the driver missed
the road and the gun stealers became
demoralized in the intense obscurity
Of the night and camped out until
daylight revealed their proximity to
the home of Captain Wheelock who
provisioned the outfit and they re-
turned home Disguised. 1t vas for
tunate the boys got lost, only six of
them, for twenty men couldn't have
carried that big brass gun out of
Hotfman's cellar, and the boys un-
doubtedly missed a serious scrap be-
sides.
Canton's hope for a cannon in this
direction failed but a cannon must be
had to properly celebrate the one
hundredth anniversary Of our indie
pendence. 1t was then decided to
have a cannon made for the occasion
and Col. Cuppett started a subscrip-
tion paper which was signed by
enough toguarantee full payment. Mr..
Cuppett made arrangements with the
foundry firm of j. P. Dennis of Sioux
City to cast a gun and have it ready
for the 4th of July, 1876. The gun
was made and it reached Canton in
time for service. On the night of
July Bird Mr.. Cuppett, Mr.. Hawn and
the writer got the gun mounted and
ammunition ready and at midnight
opened up the llveliest celebration
ever seen in Canton.
From 1876 to 1891 the famous old
n n did all kinds of work in the
powder burning line and finally an
o~vercharge caused a small crack near
the trunnion and the gun was consid-
cred unsafe. In 1891 the writer fred
the last shot to prove the gun was
safe enough but people were afraid of
1t and after the last shot filled the
vent with lead and since that time the
famous old gun has had it's home on
the court house square until last week
when it was mounted on a cement
base made by H. Fl. belong, where
1t is liable to remain through the
coming years as a relic of pioneer pa
triotism and cherished in the memory
of those who had it made, and left for
future generations to protect and
care for.
Canton had another cannon but
that was carried away year ago.
John Smith of Parker made a hand
some little cannon and presented 1t
to the writer who in turn presented
1t to the city and turned it over to