The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1919-05-30
The Mysterious
Sun Spot
1t Contained an Impor-
tant Message.
By RICHARD MARKLY


On the South Carolina coast stands
one Of those imposing colonial ediflces
for which that state is famous 1t
was built during the times when the
southern settlers, requiring laborers to
work on their tobacco plantations, were
importing large cargoes Of African ne
groes, who were held as slaves. 1t is
OF brick, with large pillars in front,
and, considering its age. is In a re-
markable state OF preservation. This
IL because a recent owner has put It
In repair.
Like other houses Of its kind dating
back to the seventeenth century 1t
was built out of the proceeds of ne
groes captured 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 referred to became one
OF the most prominent men of his time.
Richard Granville was not his name,
but in bringing out the antecedents of
his descendants 1t Is a far safer name
to use than his own. He began life as
a 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 to become conversant
with his secrets, handed down a tradi-
ton that their master started his for
tune In piracy.
Be this as 1t may, up to 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 desired to make some repara-
ton for his misdeeds. He had a statue
OF himself made Of bronze and set 1t
up on a pedestal In bay window of
his library. The left hand rests Oh an
anchor, and the right holds a sextant-
not a mock sextant; a real one. though
not OF brass, but OF the same material
AZ the statue. He left orders that no
headstone should mark his grave. and
IL was supposed that he intended the
statue as a substitute for one. At any
rate, no one now knows where he is
buried.
Different generations of his descend
ants discussed the statue and wonder
ed at the whim which led their progen-
itor to erect 1t. One thing about it ex-
cited special attention. Every morn
ing the sun. shining In upon 1t, strikes
the eyepiece OF the sextant and, PASS
Ing through the tube. casts a solar
image on the opposite wall The track
of this round spot OF light changes
with the season, traversing slightly
different path each day. There is an
other thing that puzzled the owners of
the Granville estate. The only in
scription on the statue, or. rather It's
pedestal, Is the date OF Richard Gran
vilie's birth. And not only is the date
given, but the hour and minute.
OF all topics connected with the
statue probably the giving OF this mi
mute information was most discussed.
No one who saw 1t could remember
having seen any memorial giving either
the hour and minute OF a birth or the
hour and minute OF 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 Elwood Gran
ville, the owner of the estate at that
time, fought for the maintenance of |
the system In the introduction of which |
his progenitor took so important part |
Colonel Granville was a religious man
ana one OF those who traced authority
FOR slavery from the Bible. After the
war he returned to his plantation and
began to run it anew under the system
that had been born during the struggle.
Few papers that had belonged to
the original Granville were handed
down through his descendants. They
had been preserved time and again by
persons but appeared to con-
tain nothing to throw any light on the
puzzles connected with the writer or
receiver. One day Colonel Granville,
while amusing himself with these doc
uments, read letter from the founder
Of his house to clergyman, In which
The former said that he would like to
leave at his death fund for the bene-
dt or the negro race in America, but
the time would not come for perhaps
one or two centuries when such a be-
quest could be utilized.
Probably the statement had been
read hundred times by Richard Gran
Villes descendants without making any
marked impression. But Colonel Gran
vile read 1t at a time when the negro