Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1917-07-05
The Mysterious Sun Spot.

OF those imposing colonial eolilceS ior
which that State is famous. II was built
during the times when the southern set
Tiers, requiring laborers to work on their
tobacco plantations, were importing large
cargoes of African negroes, who were
held as slaves. II is of brick, with large
pillars in front, and, considering its age,
is in a remarkable state of preservation.
This is because recent owner has put it
in repair.
Like other houses OF its kind dating
back to the seventeen century, il was
built out OF the proceeds OF negroes cap
tured in Africa and sold as slaves IN
America. But the slave trade and its
twin brother, piracy, were not IN that day
deprecated as they are, or, rather, would
be today. He who built the house re-
ferred to became one of The most promi
nent men OF his time. Richard Granville
was not his name, but in bringing out The
antecedents of his descendants it is lar
safer name TO use than his own. He be-
gan life as sailor, visiting every country
where there was trading TO be done, and
a few OF his older slaves, who were
house servants and thus enabled the more
readily 10 become conversant with his
secrets, handed down a tradition that their
master started his fortune in piracy.
Be this as it may, up 10 the middle OF
the last century his descendants did not
deny that much Of his money had been
made in the slave trade. In his old age
his conscience troubled him, and those
who were nearest him said that he de-
sired TO make some reparation for his
misdeeds. He had a statue OF himself
made OF bronze and set il up on pedes-
tai in bay window of his library. The
left hand rests on an anchor, and the
right holds sextant-nota mock sextant;
a real one, though not OF brass, but OF the
same material as the statue. He left or
ders that no headstone should mark his
grave, and it was supposed that he in
tended the statue as substitute Tor one.
AT any rate, no one now knows where
he is buried.
Different generations OF his descend
ants discussed the statue and wondered
al the whim which led their progenitor
TO erect it. One thing about it excited
special attention. Every morning the
sun, shining in upon it, strikes the eye
piece of the sextant and, passing through
the tube, casts solar image on the op-
poSite wall. The track of this round spot
OF light changes with the season, travers-
ing a slightly different path each day.
There is another thing that puzzled the
owners of the Granville estate. The on
Iy inscription on the statue, or, rather, its
pedestal, is the date OF Richard Granville's
birth. And not only is the date given,
but the hour and minute.
or all topics connected with the statue
probably the giving OF this minute infor-
nation was most discussed. No one who
saw il could remember having seen any
memorial giving either the hour ard
minute OF birth or the hour and minute
OF a death. But one generation after
ANOTHER passed away, and no plausible
reason for either the statue or its singular
inscription was suggested.
During the civil war Ewood Granville,
the owner OF The estate atthat time, fought
for the maintenance OF the system in the
introduction Of which his progenitor took
so important part. Colonel Granville
was religious man and one OF those
who traced authority for slavery from the
Bible. After the war he returned to his
plantation and began to run itanew under
the system that had been born during the
struggle
A few papers that had belonged to the
original Granville were handed down
through his descendants. They had been
preserved time and again by different
persons, but appeared TO contain nothing
TO throw any light on The. puzzles con-
nected with the writer or receiver. One
day Colonel Granville, while amusing
himself with these documents, read
letter from the founder OF his house to a
clergyman, in which the former said that
he would like to leave at his death fund
for the benefit OF the negro race in Amer
ica, but the time would not come for per-
haps one or two centuries when such
bequest could be utilized.
Probably the statement had been read
hundred times by Richard Granville's
descendants without making any marked
impression. But Colonel Granville read
it at a time when the negro slave had
been just emancipated and called, in all
the ignorance induced by his condition,
to citizenship. The meaning of The state
ment, "The time would not come for
perhaps one or two centuries" was plain
to him. More than one century had
passed and brought the changed con-
ditions. This led Colonel Granville, who
was eager to help the negro, now that
he had become free man, onward and
upward, to think of the benefits that
would accrue from such bequest as was
mentioned in the letter.
Then suddenly two connected ideas
entered Colonel Granville's brain. The
first was Might not the writer have
secretly carried out his intention, leaving
fund for the purpose that would turn I'D
a century or two after his death? And
might not the statue have something to
do with its location?
Though he did not know il, he had
made a mental leap bridging century
since his ancestors death. He deter
mined to make study OF the statue and
everything that pertained to it. Every