Democratic Sentinel, Volume 21, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 July 1897 — GRIGGSVILLE’S CANNON. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

GRIGGSVILLE’S CANNON.

RIGGSVILLE was very sorry, indeed, but it didn’t see how it was going to have a Fourth of July celebration. Not that Griggsville wasn’t anxious to set off firecrackers and have a balloon ascension, with fireworks in the evening. Quite the contrary, for the Fourth of July in the past had always been the

greatest day of the year. Griggsville had thought it all over, remembering that crops were bad, that the times were hard aud that taxes were high, and had come to the conclusion that it would need nil the money it could get for winter fuel and buckwheat flour and bacon. AH of the older folk agreed with this decision, not without many mournful shakes of the head, but the boys of Griggsville were much displeased. “It’s what I call a burning shame,” sniffed Jack Morris when he heard the news. “Yes.” chimed in Ruddy Wilson, “Alden’s Mills and Norcross and Simpson’s Landing and nearly every town in the county is going to have a celebration, and now Griggsville has backed out.” “Course all of our games are off,” remarked Dick Lansing, disconsolately; "no team will come here to play unless there is something going on.” Dick was the manager of the Griggsville Baseball Club and he felt the disappointment deeply. For a moment all the boys were silent, as if the weight of the affliction was too great for expression. Presently Will Spencer blurted out: “Let’s have a celebration anyway. I've got a few dollars I’ll put into it and we can get enough more among the boys to make something of a show at least—and we’ll leave the old folks out of it, too.” “That’s all very well,” returned Dick, “but it’s easier said than done,” and there the matter dropped. The next day when the boys met at the bail field Will came rushing up the street, evidently much- excited. As soon as he was within hearing he shouted: “I’ve got it, fellows, I’ve got it.” “Well, out with it, old man; don’t keep us in suspense,” replied Dick, who didn't think much of Will’s many plans. Fo Will had only lived in Griggsville a shor time and Dick was a little jealous of hit popularity. As soon as Will recovered his breath h< unfolded his schemes. It was to go down to Sullinger’s Hole and find the cannon and muskets that were supposed to lie hidden in its depths. During the war the part of Missouri in which Griggsville is located had been overrun by roving bands of marauders, belonging to both the Confederate and Union armies, and it was on one of these raids that the Southerners had pounced down upon a quantity of stores and ammunition held at Griggsville and, being unable to get entirely away with their plunder, they had dropped it into Sullinger’s Hole. All this had been long known to the boys of Griggsville, whose fathers and mothers often told of the wild day of the raid, and pointed out the buHet-furrows in their homes. And they knew, too, all about Sullinger’s Hole. It was said no one had ever found bottom, although more than one of the men of Griggsville had sounded the pool. The earliest settlers in the county had called it the “haunted pool,” but ever since old man Sullinger had scoffed at the idea and had gone bathing in its waters, never to return, it had been known as Sullinger’s Hole. All these things the boys knew, and it was, therefore, not at all surprising that Ruddy Wilson shrugged

t.B shoulders and laughed when Will made the suggestion. “None of that for me,” he said. “Oh, well, you needn’t go along unless you want to,” responded Will, impatiently. “All this talk about Sullinger’s Hole being haunted is foolishness.” Will was very much excited, and several of the boys at once grew interested. “I’d help,” said Dick Lansing, “if I was sure there was any way of doing it.” “AU right, Dick, we’ll show ’em,” put in Will, whase eyes fairly glowed with excitement. “We’il have the old guns ali up here by the Fourth and it will be a celebration worth seeing.” When Dick went over, all of the doubters except Ruddy went with him. That night and the next evening they dragged or rolled a number of big dry logs and poles down to the edge of the pool. These they cut off into equal lengths and fastened together In the form of a huge raft that would support a dozen or more boys. As early on the afternoon of the third day as possible the seven slid quietly out of the town and down the hall to the pool. They carried with them ropes and a crowbar of twd and a number of long poles cut in the woods, besides hammers and nails and other implements. On reaching the shore of the pool they mounted the raft and pushed it out Once out on the pool they poled themselves along

until they were about twenty feet from the shore. One of the ropes with a big iron book on the end was let down in the water and dragged back and forth. As long as tfie?e was light they poled about the edges of the pond with their drags, but with the exception of snags and weeds and mud they could find nothing at all. After two more discouraging afternoons of work “Lank** Everson said he wasn’t going to waste any more of his time. Three of the boys agreed with him, but Will Spencer was able to persuade Dick and Jack to make one more trial. The next night Will was handling the drag rope. Suddenly it began to pull, and, assisted by Jack, he drew it carefully in. At the end was a mass of snags. “What’s that?” shouted Dick, suddenly. WHI pulled the rope nearer and Jack lifted cut a long, narrow object It was a gun barrel, rusted beyond recognition. Forgetting that he was on a raft, Will threw up his cap and shouted at the top of his voice: "We’ve found ’em! We’re found ’em!” But although they dragged an hour they could bring up nothing else. “I don't see how we can ever get the things up even if they are there,” said Dick. “Dive,” answered Wil], quietly. The ether two boys looked at him with horror. But when they parted for the night Will had expressed his firm intention of diving to the bottom to see if he could find the cannon. And the next day all seven of the boys came back very much excited. The finding of the gun barrel had reassured them. Carefully they poled out so as not to make the water muddy, and then Will stripped and stood poised for a moment on the edge of the raft. Dick had insisted that he tie a rope around him. The word was given, and, wita a look at the blue sky above, Will splashed head-first into the Sullinger’s Hole. They saw has white body go down and down through the water and then fade out of sight. No one moved nor uttered a sound; every muscle was strained and every eye was fixed on the water. It was a critical moment. What would Will find? Would he be sucked down to hb death as Sullinger had been? But the rope had ceased to spin through Dick’s hands. Then it pulled again and a dozen feet away from the boat a wet head popped out of the water. Will shook himself, sputtered and shouted: “It’s there, it’s there; I touched it!” Then he struck out for the raft, dragging something along in his hand. When he crawled out he laid an old. worn, rusted musket on the logs. All the boys were wild with excitement. Dick insisted on stripping and making a dive, and he, too, brought up a musket. Then Will went down with one end of a small rope in his mouth. Tais he ran through the fork of the cannon. A larger rope was dragged down and before dark the boys were on shore ready to begin pulling in their prize. But it would not stir. It was too deep in the mud. The next afternoon they came down with Tom Fisher’s old white-faced team, fastened it to the rope, and with one strong pull the cannon came loose and then it was no trouble to pull the battered and rusted and wholly worthless old piece of artillery out of the water. Somehow, in spite of all the boys could do, the news spread about like wildfire,

ind every one in town came out to see .vhat Sullinger’s Hole had given up to the light of day. A hundred willing hands dragged the old cannon to the top of the bluff, and on Fourth of July morning it was loaded with powder—but t!hat is getting ahead of the story. For when Griggsville heard what the boys had done Will Spenc?r became the hero of the hour, and the money for a great celebration was quickly subscribed. And on the morning of the great day Griggsville was out in her best with flags waving and firecrackers popping and anvils booming. The news of the great find had spread, and men and women and children came from all over the county to help Griggsville celebrate and to see Will Spencer. And Dick Lansing’s ball team won two games. About the old eannon? When it was fired it split from end to end, but Griggsville still keeps it as a proud trophy. And she is probably celebrating around it today, for Will Spencer made the dive which brought him fame all over Missouri many years ago.—Chicago Record.

“A HUNDRED WILLING HANDS DRAGGED THE OLD CANNON.”