Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1916-07-06
"CHUMMY" JOHNSON IS
THE HAPP|EST man ALIVE
Fourth of July Gunner at Elk
Rapids for Years Till
Fatal Day Arrived

| ObdnulllS OH Tue CuID last utSud.
watching the spectacular street pa
geant wend its way up through tn,
crowd, that lined the street from
store front to curb, was an old man
He was dressed as any other cele
brator might have been, with summer
clothes and all the fixings. A straw
hat rested at an acute angle on his
round, partly bald head, and he car
ried a willow cane-one of those
Fourth of July affairs-under tn,
stump of an arm. No one was attract
ed to him for he was just an old fel
low and one sees old fellows every day
He was old in years, as people say
but he was having the time of his life
Of course he wasn't jumping around
like some of the beautiful young
buds" yet every once in a while he
would chuckle to himself as if medi-
tating upon the days when he used to
go to the celebrations, all dressed up
in his best "bib and tucker" a ridin'
on the high seat of the wagon along
side of his pa. He didn't seem at all
dissatisfied because he couldn't join
in the hilarity of the celebrators,
and he smiled cheerfully when he told
the following interesting story:
Twenty eight years ago last Tues
day "Chummy" Johnson was living in
Elk Rapids, then thriving town of
Northern Michigan. Every time the
Fourth rolled around the fathers of
the city, came to him and requested
him to fire the big cannon, that cit
izens had sent to reside in the city
park, and "Chummy" had responded
for many years. And so every
Fourth the big gun at Elk Rapids
awoke the inhabitants of the city and
so "Chummy" became famous through
out the northern part of the state as
the gunner of Elk Rapids
"In '8S they came to him as usual,
simply as matter of form, and ask
ed hip to fire the gun. Suddenly a
premonition came over him. He felt
that he ought not to do it again. So
he told them that he would have to
refuse, that he would have to give up
the old custom. But the city dads
wouldn't take no for an answer. 1t
was the custom. So it was that
"Chummy" Johnson met his fate.
The Fourth dawned. bright and fair
IN July 'SS. 1t was just the sort of a
Fourth that makes everyone just puff
right up with patriotism. But
"Chummy" couldn't act natural, and
he went to his task, for it was a
task this time, fearful that something
was going wrong.
Willing hands ran the old gun down
to the lake and set it on the mound.
The charge was put in and every
thing arranged for the morning
saluate. "Chummy" grasped the fuse
cord with trembling fingers and pull
ed. There was a roar, burst of
flame and the old relict flew into a
Inousand pieces.
1t was just thirty-fve days after
the accident that "Chummy" regained
and was able to talk
a little. He had lost one arm com
pletely and the other was so badly
that there was only finger
and the thumb left. The sight of one
eye was lost and great cash in his
head was still tender That was the
condition "Chummy" found himself
in when he awakened
After he was able to be up and
around "Chummy" carried on little
business in Elk Rapids, but five years
ago he came here to be a resident at
the Michigan Masonic home. You
'an find him there every day at meal
times and at night The rest of
he day he spends making his
regular calls. He is just about the
lappiest man alive, if you can say
nan is really happy with such a hand
cap.
What "Chummy" thinks of the
Masonic Home and Alma would take
more space than can be given to this
short story. what more does a fel-
ow want than three good squares a
lay, on schedule time, and a good
place to sleep and lots Of friends? ?"