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'OSiXt'OilIfnd :c n'it.m-on-3ti-ite-iin-itic i a bat cvser;irs.j L ipL. :lu-S. ! e.)The Cannon's Saga: Mudby Bill Mnjor'Ihis is the story of something slrougly r(jlt;jLed to Montnouth College ucjii very close lc the heLrt of one of the campus’ all I- i iv. e favorites. Dr. Tliiessen. It is a story Tilled with tradition aod 0lehio.rifcs dial arc sc often taJs-,«d about, it is the story of Ute csn-jnoi that intrigingly decorates the 'front lawn of the science building.| Alter about an hour's talk with “Dae” and skimming through some old bulletins, letters and clippings I was able to come up with a very inters sting biography.It starts in the soring of 1903. A field cannon of the Civil war typo Wfcs sent as a memorial to the '(13 class. Apparently no plans were trade for its transportation from the depot '.o Ihe campus for there ti stayed for several days. TJpyn orders or station authorities it was dragged to a yard on East Fifth Avc.The Great ThertNow at this time rivalry was great between the '03 and ‘04 classes. So great was it that on May 27, nine boys of the class of 1»4 slipped into the (light to pull one of the biggest pranks ever. There names were .Russell M. Story, Maurice Rees, James Peacock, Carl Pau'.I, Timothy J. Campbell, Thomas E. Swan, Adam Milter,IT e it r y Kelson, and Wallace Barnes. After borrowing 2 wagons and r,wo pairs or horses they made their way into the Fifth Ave. yard and with considerable Lrouble lifted ,h ton of cannon onto ilie wagon. The hardest part done they retreated to Cedar Creek about five miles north of here. It was near daybreak when they wrestled their load into the shallow muelc.Tb? nine nriyenterous young lads then hurried back to town and were in bed only minutes before the sun rose. It watn't un'il after lunch that the campus knew of the mysterious disappearance of the cannon. The '’1)3 class was outraged a ad spent days investigating and searching for the lost relic. The grand jury was even brought into the matter.Thieasen — DetectiveAll attempts failed as the c a linen was moved several times by the 04 boys. It seems shifting levels of the creek often times re-vcr.ls the rifle's hidiDg place.It wasn’t until almosl fill y wears later that a team led by Dr. Thiossen made the discovery. With the help of Eugene Painter of the Illinois Power Co.. Neil Verigan, Dr. Kalston and Prof. Nicholas the long lost cannon soon rested cn the banks of Cedar Crook. With the use of an electronic locator the finding was made within four hours.The cannon was thee plunged into several odd tons of cement where it remains today. A wellversed offer, quoted poem surmises this tale quite adequately: M. C. students did sob and la-lneuLO'er a cannon without blemish or dent,Tlie cannon was found.Thank Tliiessen, the houtid..It’s planted nose down in .cement.
Newspaper Details
Monmouth College Newspaper Oracle
Monmouth, Illinois, US
Sat, Oct 11, 1958
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 11 Oct 2022
Other Publications Near Monmouth, Illinois
Monmouth College Society Catalogue 1856 to 1880
Monmouth College Yearbook Ravelings
Monmouth Courier
Monmouth College Newspaper Courier
Monmouth College Newspaper Clipper
