1 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: Welcome to Aaron Manke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of 2 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio and Grimm and Mild. Our world is full of 3 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:18,480 Speaker 1: the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, all 4 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 1: of these amazing tales are right there on display, just 5 00:00:22,239 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 1: waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities. 6 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:39,199 Speaker 1: It's impossible not to cheer at a one in a 7 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:42,360 Speaker 1: million shot, whether it's an ace from across the green 8 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:45,519 Speaker 1: or a game winning half court basket right at the buzzer. 9 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:49,920 Speaker 1: People love a long shot. Well, most people you see 10 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 1: a few soldiers in Battery b first Rhode Island Light 11 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 1: Artillery during the Civil War weren't huge fans of a 12 00:00:56,720 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 1: particular hole in one. They were in Pennsylvania in early 13 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 1: July eighteen sixty three to take on the Confederates at 14 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:07,399 Speaker 1: the Battle of Gettysburg. General Robert E. Lee and his 15 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:10,679 Speaker 1: Army of Northern Virginia had already defeated the Army of 16 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:14,200 Speaker 1: the Potomac at the Battle of Chancellorsville months earlier. Lee 17 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:17,600 Speaker 1: then started moving north from Fredericksburg, Virginia, with seventy five 18 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 1: thousand men in tow. They were feeling pretty good ready 19 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:24,919 Speaker 1: to take over the northern territory. Meanwhile, Major General Joseph 20 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: Hooker and the Union side was also heading north, but 21 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 1: he wasn't so keen to take on Lee again. He 22 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:34,680 Speaker 1: was still reeling from his defeat at Chancellorsville. President Lincoln 23 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:37,000 Speaker 1: refused to let Hooker carry on in command of the 24 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:39,960 Speaker 1: Army of the Potomac. He put Major General George Mead 25 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 1: in charge instead, who took control of the ninety thousand 26 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 1: strong army and moved them northward. They had one goal, 27 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:50,960 Speaker 1: keep Lee out of the nation's capital of Washington, DC. Mead, however, 28 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 1: wasn't going to just act as a roadblock to the Confederacy. 29 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 1: He also wanted to take down his rival. By the 30 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: end of June, General Lee had already made it to Pennsylvania. 31 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 1: Spy General Jeb Stewart let him know that Union troops 32 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 1: were close behind, so Lee packed up and headed toward Gettysburg. 33 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:10,080 Speaker 1: The battle kicked off early on the morning of July first, 34 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:13,959 Speaker 1: as Confederate Major General Henry Heath took the Union cavalry 35 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:17,080 Speaker 1: while on his way to Gettysburg for supplies. Pretty soon, 36 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:21,320 Speaker 1: reinforcements on both sides arrived, and the fight was officially underway, 37 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: thirty thousand Confederates against twenty thousand Union troops. Union soldiers 38 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:30,079 Speaker 1: retreated towards Cemetery Hill in the south, where they took 39 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:32,960 Speaker 1: up a fortified position. The next day, General Lee sent 40 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: Lieutenant General James Longstreet to take on the Union's left flank, 41 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:40,919 Speaker 1: while various landmarks in and around Gettysburg became bloodsoak battlegrounds, 42 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 1: but the Union held firm against the Confederate traders, staving 43 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 1: off as Southern victory for one more day, although the 44 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:50,040 Speaker 1: final day of the battle would become the most crucial 45 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 1: of all and the most bizarre. You see. On July third, 46 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:56,120 Speaker 1: Lee picked up the fight at Culp's Hill, where meads 47 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 1: men were trying to take back the ground they had 48 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:00,960 Speaker 1: lost the day before. Smoke in the smell of gunpowder 49 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:03,359 Speaker 1: filled the air as the Blue and Gray went head 50 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:06,920 Speaker 1: to head. Bayonets pierced flesh, while musket balls and bullets 51 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:09,680 Speaker 1: found their marks or wound up in nearby tree trunks, 52 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 1: and cannons let fly with grapefruit sized balls of bronze 53 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:15,600 Speaker 1: and iron. It was one of these cannon balls that 54 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:19,919 Speaker 1: did something unexpected, as Private Alfred Gardner of Battery b 55 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:23,919 Speaker 1: first Rhode Island Light Artillery was reloading his cannon. An 56 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:27,919 Speaker 1: enemy shell struck it, killing both gardener and Private William Jones. 57 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:30,680 Speaker 1: And not only were the two men killed in the blast, 58 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:34,680 Speaker 1: but the impact also dented the cannon's muzzle. Sergeant Albert 59 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:37,440 Speaker 1: Straight had been behind it waiting to fire it when 60 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 1: it happened. He hurried around to the front in an 61 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 1: attempt to reload it himself, but quickly realized that the 62 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 1: cannon wasn't just damaged, it was burning hot. It seems 63 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 1: that when the enemy shell has struck the muzzle, it 64 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 1: caused the barrel to rapidly heat up, and as Straight 65 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 1: tried to push the new melon size twelve pound cannon 66 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 1: ball down its shaft, the heavy sphere melded with the metal. 67 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 1: He tried every thing to get it to go in, 68 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 1: including hitting it with an axe and then a hammer, 69 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:06,480 Speaker 1: but the shell refused to budge. It was now a 70 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 1: part of the canon. Luckily, this one cannon was not 71 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: meant to decide the fate of the Battle of Gettysburg. 72 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 1: Union forces successfully defeated the Confederates and eventually went on 73 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:21,240 Speaker 1: to win the war, but the cannon remained unaltered today, 74 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:24,680 Speaker 1: the Gettysburg Gun, as it's now called, now resides in 75 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:27,640 Speaker 1: the Rhode Island Statehouse, where visitors can see it on 76 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:30,960 Speaker 1: full display. It still bears the axe marks made by 77 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 1: Sergeant Strait, as well as the dent in the muzzle, 78 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 1: and the cannon ball is still there too. Just don't 79 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 1: try to fire it unless you want to end up 80 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:57,440 Speaker 1: looking like Yosemite Sam in a bugs Bunny cartoon. Politics 81 00:04:57,440 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 1: can be tough for even the most seasoned veteran nasty business, 82 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 1: with mud flying in both directions, sordid pasts coming to light, 83 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:08,720 Speaker 1: and heated debates that can quickly turn ugly. People enter 84 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 1: politics for a number of reasons, such as helping their community, 85 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:15,360 Speaker 1: gaining power over others, or even just to get rich. 86 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 1: Money doesn't just talk in Washington, it screams. But before 87 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:23,680 Speaker 1: they became senators or members of Congress, many politicians got 88 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:26,919 Speaker 1: their start at the local level, as representatives in towns 89 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:29,880 Speaker 1: and cities where they could hopefully do the most good, 90 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 1: and not just in America, but all over the world. 91 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 1: In fact, in one small town in Ecuador, two mayoral 92 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:38,920 Speaker 1: candidates went up against a third party choice who had 93 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:42,520 Speaker 1: come out of nowhere a candidate who had swept everybody 94 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:46,440 Speaker 1: in town off their feet. It was nineteen sixty seven 95 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:49,680 Speaker 1: and a small Ecuadorian village was facing a dilemma. It 96 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:53,479 Speaker 1: was called Picawasa, a parish near the Pacific coast. Today, 97 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 1: it's known as a prominent historical site, home to several 98 00:05:56,680 --> 00:06:00,440 Speaker 1: archaeological discoveries, including an ancient settlement dating back to before 99 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:05,560 Speaker 1: Christopher Columbus was even born. Unfortunately, Picawasa was also an 100 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 1: impoverished area that lacked many of the basic necessities its 101 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:12,320 Speaker 1: residents needed to thrive, including clean drinking water in a 102 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:16,040 Speaker 1: proper sewage system. But nineteen sixty seven marked a time 103 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:18,440 Speaker 1: of change in the town. They were electing a new 104 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 1: mayor that year, one who would hopefully usher in a 105 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:23,800 Speaker 1: new era of success and prosperity for the people who 106 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:27,040 Speaker 1: lived there. The voters, on the other hand, felt differently. 107 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 1: It seemed that no such person existed. It's hard to 108 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:32,040 Speaker 1: know why they didn't vote for one of the two 109 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:34,680 Speaker 1: main candidates who had been vying for the position, but 110 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:38,520 Speaker 1: one must assume that people just didn't like them. Maybe 111 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:41,719 Speaker 1: it was their policies, or perhaps they simply didn't understand 112 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 1: the plight of the Picawasan people. Whatever the case, the 113 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:48,680 Speaker 1: citizens drifted toward a third contender, a newcomer who entered 114 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 1: the mayoral race late in the game. His name was Pulvapis. 115 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:55,280 Speaker 1: He was new to the political scene and decided to 116 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:58,080 Speaker 1: get his feet wet in this local election. He started 117 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:01,920 Speaker 1: by distributing literature throughout the town, such as leaflets and flyers, 118 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:04,919 Speaker 1: and they bore the slogan vote for any candidate, but 119 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:08,480 Speaker 1: if you want well being and hygiene, vote for Pulvapis. 120 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:11,360 Speaker 1: It was an odd message for someone running for mayor, 121 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:13,840 Speaker 1: but it made an impact on the people. They bought 122 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:17,080 Speaker 1: into the straightforward and wholesome nature of his campaign. This 123 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 1: wasn't someone looking to drag others down to get ahead. 124 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:23,240 Speaker 1: Pulvapis only cared about the voters and their well being, 125 00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:26,880 Speaker 1: and it worked. Come election day, the people of Pikawasa 126 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 1: knew who they wanted to be their new mayor. But 127 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:31,920 Speaker 1: there was just one problem. He wasn't on the ballot. 128 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 1: But as anyone who has participated in a democratic election 129 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:37,440 Speaker 1: would tell you, that wasn't the end of the story 130 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:40,680 Speaker 1: for Pulvapis. Rather than default to one of the other 131 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:44,160 Speaker 1: two candidates, voters began to fill in this dark horses 132 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:47,200 Speaker 1: name as a rite in choice. One by one, the 133 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:50,800 Speaker 1: Pikawasans added Pulvapi's name to the ballot, and when the 134 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:53,200 Speaker 1: election had ended, the votes were tallied up and the 135 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 1: winner was declared. There was no denying it. Pulvapis had 136 00:07:56,720 --> 00:08:00,920 Speaker 1: been elected mayor of Pikawasa. Unfortunately, he was unable to 137 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 1: fill the position. Despite fighting a clean and hard won campaign, 138 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:08,160 Speaker 1: Pulvapis was not eligible to serve as the town's mayor 139 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:12,640 Speaker 1: because he was not a person. He was a foot powder. 140 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:16,360 Speaker 1: You see, during the election cycle, the company that made 141 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:20,120 Speaker 1: Pulvapis started advertising in the town, and their efforts bore 142 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:24,160 Speaker 1: a striking resemblance to an actual political campaign. It was 143 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:27,720 Speaker 1: enough to influence the local population into ignoring the two 144 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:31,640 Speaker 1: actual human being candidates and write in their foot powder instead. 145 00:08:32,559 --> 00:08:35,560 Speaker 1: We don't know if Pulvapi's success led to an increase 146 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:37,880 Speaker 1: in sales of the product, but it's clear that when 147 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:40,959 Speaker 1: voters are unhappy with the choices they're given, they won't 148 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:44,280 Speaker 1: settle for anything less. They'll think on their feet and 149 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:47,640 Speaker 1: look for a better option, one who cares about the people, 150 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:55,600 Speaker 1: heart and soul. I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour 151 00:08:55,720 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 1: of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, 152 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:03,360 Speaker 1: or learn more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast 153 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:07,400 Speaker 1: dot com. The show was created by me Aaron Mankey 154 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:11,200 Speaker 1: in partnership with how Stuff Works. I make another award 155 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:14,800 Speaker 1: winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series, 156 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:17,440 Speaker 1: and television show, and you can learn all about it 157 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:21,960 Speaker 1: over at the Worldoflore dot com. And until next time, 158 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:23,479 Speaker 1: stay curious.