Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-17

OF the city. why, you see them every
where. Maybe they've grown out OF TIT
soil"
mo, couldn't be that" replied thu
Waxallaxian, because some OF then
bear inscriptions Of birthdays and bat
ties. I saw one from the Philippines
and another from Spain"
well, well, maybe you Texans know
more about them than we dove
who've been living in the Capital since
Lincoln took oath of office up on the
HILL"
That's possible"
"Seems to me-" reflected the George.
towner, those field pieces were planted
BY unseen hands. None of us can re-
member a parade or celebration In
honor of a shootin' iron. Take the
muzzles that scare you on the steps OF
the State, War and Navy Building
They've got the craziest inscription;
you ever saw"
"Crazy?"
''Still worse. They're plumb loco
oney."
Hard by these haranguers sat ar
eavesdropper. a man with sleepy eyes
and sensitive ears. Warming bench
tening to this dissertation on guns
ATuLl6s 4Al0b W0Aa S0AA SS~N ~~SNN-
through a mans ear drums.
Guns that bark, guns that roar, guns
that flash and speak louder than words
Look at these pieces flanking the eques-
trian statue of Old Hickory. Rotting
and rusting. Wooden wheels powdering
into fertilizer for the park grass.
! Gen, jackson, the bronze du1er, SltS
triumphantly on bronze mare balanced
on its hind legs. ready to spring over
the cannon and out OF the picture
Thus thought the man as he warmed
the bench. And, he continued think
ing, should Old Hickory and his mare
make that threatened leap, the Presi-
dent of the United States would be the
first one to discover their absence. For
every morning as Mr.. President de-
scendS from chamber to breakfast table
he looks out the window and pays his
respects to the Tennesseean who graceo
q throne in the White House-king
jackson I. In history Old HICKORY S
disappearance would be known as
"Gen. Jackson's cannon dive.
! Strolling over to the pedestal, the
man found a rusted inscription-rusteo
almost beyond repair, but still visible
to searching eyes. 1t read: This
field piece was used in the Mexican
War in 184e."
He found similar inscriptions on all
these pieces. "Ahl" he remarked, his
tory hides inside their muzEles. And
rs little light streams through can
mons muzzle, chances are such history
Is dark-dark, dark, dark dark as
war secret"
"A FTER examining Gen. Jackson's
A private armament for further iden-
tification marks and finding none, the
man cogitated: Whereas there exist
no less than several hundred cannon on
the streets, tlloroughfareS. public build
ingS, squares and parkways OF WASH
ington; whereas each and every one OF
these cannon was nodded for the pur-
nose of shooting; whereas these cannon
have been fred: therefore, let 1t be
noted that history has been written;
that these cannon have played leading
roles in its making, and that they bear
earmarks and birthmarks Of respectable
ordnance"
Therefore, he resolved, first, to inves-
tigate their history, and. secondly, to
let it be known.
He began inquiries at the War De-
partment. Of course.
what" he said, lis the history OF
w hCl1lllAtOkl . lAlQt1OAllIhOhA LcsAAAAOAs
History Of Washington'S cannon
they exclaimed in surprise. "How
should we know? Did we fight in the
Revolution or the pirate wars with
Tripoli? Did we make the attack on
earatoga, or Stony Point, or Fort Sum-
ter? For the history Of these engage
Raents we refer you to 7.419 different
books. But as to the history Of these
cannon--no one can answer that, be-
cause no one ever answered 1t"
This. replied the seeker, must be
history unwritten. And It must be
Gatk, as nocturnal as the Middle Ages. :
Exactly But II you would be posi-
tire about this mystery, then visit other
government bureaus concerned with
G4ns and cunning. I'll give you q list
c& 10. such places. Ifyou exhaust them
and still lack data concerning the Capt.
tails cannon pieces, give UP the quest:
fer then it Is certain their history is
lost forever"
Some attic may hide hand-written
account. II people would open their
Uaics. would conduct the search"
Feeling it patriotic duty to resur-
rect any sort of record from oblivion
he made conscientious visits to 10 Gov
eminent bureaus. One by one. each
promised to overhaul their records COM
pletely, and turn over the least
clue. Forthwith, he invaded the city'f
libraries. He browsed through books
pamphlets, manuscripts, monographs
Biographies, clippings, compendiuins
and encyclopedias. Printed records were
bare. And everybody shook his head.
THE cannon" people said, ARE fins
things to have around the Capital
First, they remind legislators to keep
the Nation out Of wars. Secondly, they
add to the ornamentation and solid dig.
nifty Of Federal buildings. Thirdly, ir
case Of an assault on the city Congress.
ulen could lead the people and hold
attackers of with these ferocious
Waeces."
But their history"
That" said the people, belongs tc
the ages"
Greatly vexed, the man resolved no
- to ask further questions about
Washington's cannon. Their mystery
surrounded him as It shrouds the city
What the cannon themselves knew, wal
part of them; what he felt, was par
OF himself Hence history must bs
written between them. He would reat
the lannon's battle scars as geologis
reads mother earth from moods Of he
iwrinkled, weary face.
How long he searched and studied
nobody knows. Whittier the quest led
nobody knows. More to the point
tne fact that he has uncovered storie
having to do with the city's brazel
lHnouthpieces, her silent, steel spokes
men.
We found him on a bench at Me
ridian Park, hard by the statue o
Dante. I'm case Of attack" he remark
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