The Snyder signal. (Snyder, Tex.) 1887-????, 1920-05-14
ROBIN CRUSOE'S GUN OWNED BY
AN AMERICAN.

And here is Robinson CruSoes gun. All OF
bis. no doubt, have thrilled over the adventures
bf Robinson Cusoe of fiction but few of us
|,re acquainted with the story of Alexander
Eelkirk. the real man upon whose experiences
he story was based What brings particular
w local tinge to the telling is the fact that IN
FIarch there passed from public exhibition 'he
turous old gun. six feet long quite TWO cen
uries old, with which Alexander SeIEirK sno.
God 10 exc out an existence Whhe on Ihe 'o"e''
isle of Juan Fernando.
Selkirk was Scotchman, son Of tanner
bf Largo seaboard town Of Flfeshire. Al
yavs in trouble when n boy he ran away 10 sea
o escape the consequences of youthful prank.
10 appears 70 have been as quarrelSome aHoa.
5 on shore. for he came to he the Original
Robinson Crusoe because of fight with the
aptain Of the ship. He was not wrecked as
DeFoe causes Crusoe 10 be, but was sent ashore
Ia this island, with a few personal effects.
For four years and four months Selklrk IlV'o
}! his lonely life on the island. He made clothes
ro,,, Gins when his own were worn TO rags.
lie killed goats with his gun until the po"deI
ave out and then perforce he killed the go"',
H. hand becoming 50 fleet of foot IN time lnal
n animal ON the island could outrun HIM III,
R,y ~ his loneliness. Selkirk moved heaven ana
arth 10 escape from this island oullolhg IlIts
lightly and keeping close watch iof paS'I's
| hips Far from the beaten ocean PaIh""! -
was wears before a ship came tha' wa! 70
escue the strengthening scarecrow IN the SKIN
lothes.
Selkirk was the sensation Of the day. upon
is return 70 England in l7l3. He told ms
tor, over and over again and the papers OF
hat dav devoted entire pages 10 his adventures
|Vben Selkirk returned to his fathers home me
abits of four years solitude were so strong
hat he built cave IN the rear oil the nous
Ind lived almost as recluse. Long "d-SS
long the lonliest part OF the coast were ms SOY
Measure The lure Of the sea got hun again
md he died an officer OF the British WarShip'
Weymouth. He left no children. but many de-
cendsnts Of the original Selkirk family oil elehI
,oys still live in Scotland
On the spot where Selkirk nightly built ms
Stand signal fire a tablet has been erected
l.hich reads: In memory Of Alexander Sci
l;irk. mariner. a native of Largo, IN the coul'.a
If Fife. Scotland who lived on TINS iS5uhG III
omplete solitude for four years anu d. ,o".
lrorths He was landed from the Clnque lorlS
lyallev. o6 tons, Is guns. A. u. Il tepruaIE
700 He died lieutenant Of II. NJ ) Weymouth
7ao AGED A. This tablet is erected near sell
,;rL,s lookout bv Commissioner Powell and me
lAff;cers Of II NJ s. Topaze A. ID. 1868. Inc
lERobinson Crusoe" was published IN lfl9 seven
Years after Selkirk'S story was ilrSt tod
/ The manner in which this gun came lhtO Vht
hands of Philadelphans Is interesting. ABOUT
| ( wears AGO Miss Huldah 3. White, resi-
hence then No POI North Thirty-fourth street
Philadelphia Penn, was travelling in England
she learned that the famous gun, long an hc'r-
Dom in the Sekrk family, was to oe Sod AZ
Iuction in Edinburgh, Scotland. A collector
II curios she commissioned an agent to attend
he sale. and he secured the coveted prize ior -
bounds IL shillings Miss White returned W,,n
7, 20 America. and the gun was sold to n restau-
tsnt man in Philadelphia, who placed it on eX-
bibition in his restaurant, where-untlI the
blace was closed last week.-Mrs. famous rene
Eeposed in a rare and valuable collection OF
h,iIitarv firearms. now owned by Alexander
Nan Rensselaer, of Philadelphia Penn