The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-02-13
MANDAN'S OLD
CURIOSITY SHOP

Mandan, n. D., Feb. 13.-It was a
good many years ago that Charles
Dickens wrote the Old Curiosity
Shop, but had he lived until today and
should he visit Mandan he would have
as good a subject for such a title as
the one he chose. Mandan has an old
curiosity shop and one day this week
tales were told of the early days and
relics exhibited hat were the writer
of a talent like Dickens, would make
for Mandan people far more interest
ing reading.
The Mandan curiosity shop is the
E. P. Roby machine shop in the
east end of town, and the ~curiosities
boarded through the past thirty-flve
years is a collection Of guns, some Of
present methods by Of time
and improvements. All of the guns
have histories.
According to Mr.. Rohy many Of
them were brought here in the early
days by pioneers who believed the
gun to be the one necessary asset
above all others for earning a liveli-
hood in the golden west. Some Of
these guns were even then relics,
but were brought along because they
might be made to shoot. Some of
THESE guns "uuIu SILL "OIb IL que
could be found who would risk his
life in the operation.
The guns may be examined by
anyone who desires to call upon Mr..
Roby, but for the many who will be
unable to do so, herewith is given a
brief description.
In this gun family there is an old
great grandfather f1intlock. A
weapon of the old type used at the
time of the revolution. Scared and
battered with age, it remains as a
mememto Of early days. This gun
was found near Fort Clark over forty
years ago and is believed to be one
lost by members Of the Lewis and
Clark expedition party, when they
Camped there in the early part of the
nineteenth century. This gun has a
forty-two inch barrel and the modern
hunter would not consider toting a
u One-half it's weight even on a
mountain lion or grizzly bear eXpedi-
ton.
One of the most curious of the col
lection Is a gun weighing eighteen
and a quarter pounds, built heavier
than some Of the modern cannons.
1t a a bore larger than a forty
eight caliber and is also Of the muz-
zle loader type. The barrel in this
gun is an inch and three quarters in
diameter. 1t is of the same type as
many brought west in the early days
by .Kentuckians. An almost n
decipherable date stamped in the
stock, gives the birth year of the gun
as 1881. That it was used for
west is shown by the stamping on
the barrel, which reads, wv. H. Cal
vert, Beloit, Wis" Mr.. Calvert, &C
cOrding to some of the old timers, was
in Mandan in 1875.
"Harpers Ferry 1927" is stamped
in the barrel of another old gun.
This n is a rebuilt flint lock, which
was changed to one of the percus-
sion cap variety. This gun was
ly days. whose name is now long for
gotten. According to him it was
taken from a member of John
Browns renegade army, who before
the Civil war stormed the govern
ment arsenal at Harper's Ferry, Va.
From the standpoint of the man in
terested in the development Of the
modern highpowered gun what is
probably the most interesting speci-
men in the collection is mo. 579,"
manufactured by the American Ma
chine works, Springfield, Mass. the
concern purchased later by the United
States government for the manufac-
ture of rifles. This gun is believed to
be one Of the first ever made of the
breech loading variety. A paper shell
fired by a percussion cap was used.
There are several of the old style
guns which were fired by the use
Of percussion caps and then there are
some not so ancient. Included in the
collection are several old army rifles
of the breech loading variety in the
days when the Indians were on the
warpath in the Dakotas.
There are in the city other guns of
historical value. One in particular be-
ing the rifle used by Red TomahaWk in
killing Sitting Bull, which is owned by
G. A. Render, but it is doubtful IL there
is in n place in the west a collection
of guns that will compare with that of
Mr.. Roby.