The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-03-17

But from the school of military tactics, sur
prised this Hero of Hunters who may be said
10 have conquered the Alleghanies with the
old long rifle by the display of little pol
ished twentyinch gun, as easily welded as a
pistol. which he and the whole tribe of hun
iers, after repeated experiments, were obliged
10 confess excelled all the rifles they had ever
seen. 1t was the breech-loading, selfpriming
ride. invented by DR.. MAYNARD. a gentleman
who. probably, had his mind turned to the i'm
provement of weapons by his military studies
at West Point His genius has certainly con-
centrabed triple the power in less than half the
material which once was thought indispensable
10 constitute the formidable arm which, borne
on the person, could extend a mans deadly
stroke with the greatest certainty to distant OBJ
iects. The old rife, to be effective, was held
necessarily to be from three TO four feet in length
Of barrel, and from eight to ten pounds IN Its
weight. Maynard's barrel is twenty inches long,
and the rifle weighs six pounds; uses but forty
grains of powder for charge. Ii looks ike
child's plaything in the hands of man; but try
this trife with the best guns extant, and the ex
pertinent will prove that il is superior TO them
ali in invariable accuracy to the aim, and that
momentum which bears its balls TO much greater
distances.
Before started on my hunt tested May
nards gun by trying il with my own hunting
rife made by the celebrated Hawkins, OF St
Louis, who has for years fitted out the hunters
Of the plains and the Rocky Mountains.
found the little gun best at all distances.
then obtained Que Of the improved far-shooting
rifles. manufactured at Harpef's Ferry, under
the supervision Of scientific military men, adopt
ing the discoveries which the achievements OF
rhe Minnie rifle in the Crimean war have sug-
gested Over this new piece. Maynard's gun
Was again triumphant at all distances. i then
adopted it for NV mountain hunt.
When | appeared among the hunters with
this epitorne Of rife in polished steel, could
perceive, though suppressed with all possible
politeness, smile that passed around at the
expense Of my gun and myself. i endeavored
10 extinguish this latent ridicule by telling of
the feats the gun performed at home. com
passionate look of ineredulity made me sensible
that nv case was considered akin to that fellow
Who Dragged of his great leap at the Rhodes,
bu; dared not attempt the feat agnin upon the
ground on which he and his companions, to
whom be boasted of his activity, then stood. i
Quietly resolved that would relieve myself of
this presumption, by taking an early occasion
10 compare the little guns power with that OF
greatest repute in the mountains.
At Hayss, near the Virginia line, where
goodly company were assembled, and examin-
ing MAYNARD gun with mingled curiosity and
d;strust and some derision, modestly proposed
a shooting match hundred and fourteen
wards were stepped off. pretty good test for
a hunting gun. Some half dozen rifles of the
best repute were tried against the pop-gun, and
all were beaten. The surveyor of the county
made his experiments with it, which proved
equally honorable for himself and the gun.
Then some of the best shots among the hunts
men tried with equal success and selfcongratu-
lation The little gun became favorite. Sub
sequenily, on the other side of the Valley, near
the PENNSYLVANIA line, where we had an aces
sion Of comrades, another trial was made with
Maynard's against the mountain guns, shooting
the distance of 232 Yards In this experiment
the little gun was always close in 10 the mark,
the Others ROirhere-a sharp-shooting machln-
ist and eager hunter would test the thing with
a rest Tor both himself and the gun-and near
" drive the centre.
A fine marksman. who had Harpers Ferry
rife of great celebrity resolved 10 try both from
his own shoulder. The little gun cut the pa
per-the big one missed the tree. The survey
or of the county tried his hand again, and keen
ewes with it, and made line shot Just above
the paper. On this, the great bear-killer de-
clAred he never in his long life had seen any
rife equal to Maynard's. He lamented that he
had not such a weapon in his early DAYS; it
would have been SO admirable by its quick
loading tor his hand-to-hand fights with the
bear, in defence Of his dogs in the laurel thick
cts. and for long shots from mountain TO noun
tain over the PERCEPTIONS gorges which divided
them along the Savage river. II only wanted,
he said the hairtrigger, and little addition TO
its length, 10 poise il at arms length, to make
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