ROBINSON CRUSOE’S GUN.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2116, 15 February 1908, Page 2 (Supplement)

ROBINSON CRUSOE’S GUN.

Robinson Crusoe's gun, the identical weapon that was the mainstay of that, lonely sailor during the castaway life on Crusoe Island, isq Says the "IMlilndelphia North American,” in Philadelphia, the jenlously-ganled property ol Miss ILulda 11. White. .Miss While has had the gun for more than thirty years. The .story of her ownership is unique, ami gives tho relic, ill her eyes at least, ail added value. Forty years ago a distant cousin left Philadelphia for a tour of England and Scotland. Knowing .Miss White’s penchant for collecting old things, lie'kept his eyes open for odd hits, aiul many a piece in Miss White’s large collection came from him. While in Largo, the old-iasH-iom-d Eilexhiro town in which Alexander Selkirk was horn, lie noticed in passing by a cottage that a public sale was in progress —someone was being disnorse.soed for non-payment of rent. He went ill, and when the old gun was offered, together with the papers proving its identity, became an excited bidder, finally carrying it away with him after having paid KiOdoi to the auctioneer. (Several hours later a messenger came to the hotel where lie was staying with a letter. The (-oiiiiniiiiicatioii was from the auctioneer, who wrote that a wealthy relative of the Selkirk lnniilv had antlioriiicd him to oiler the purchaser of the gun 320d01., double the price navi. Loath to take the heirloom from the- -family that was evidently so highly prized, he said that if the would-be purchaser would meet him the next day lie would give up tho gun. The Selkirk representative did not. turn up, ami the gun sailed for America, to be given to its present owner. In the last lew voars Miss White has had letter after .letter from England, some of them offering her goodly sums lor her prize. Jntrinsicailv the gun is not worth 50 cents. It is of a pa Hern in vented in tlie year 1676, a Hivlock. In the days when such weapon:; were used the gun was loaded almost to _ tlie muzzle with powder, with a little placed in a flash-pan near the hammer. When the hammer descended it struck » piece of flint, ignited tlie powder in the pan, and the weapon was discharged.