Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1870-05-03

gun. In olden times the sword was the
typical implement of war. 1t still re-
mains so in literature, and probably will
continue long to do 50, just as yet we
speak Of palms, and laurels, though ages
ago the custom died cut which gave them
emirence.
The sword has become little IN, r, than
a side ornament. Even in cavalry it more
and more gives place to the pistol and the
,calbine. !,
But it is not of the gun as military
weapon that we mean chiefly to speak. 1t
is as an instr,faispt of amuscihcnt ana
profit in the hand of private citizens.
Every man should own a good gun, (bet-
ter, if he can afford it, a shotgun and rifle
both, and no rarent should let a boy 60
past fourteen years Of age without having
taught him to handle gun with skill and
safety ...,
We shall give the reasons for our posi-
tion after first disposipg Of an objection
which all parents will at once express,
viz: the danger of accidents from fire.
arms.
We admit that firearms arc dangerous.
The list of fatal accidents scored up every
year leave no doubt upon that point. 1t
Will therefore seem paradoxical to many
when we say that it is in part to prevent
ac ;idents that VIC recommend early in
s.ructon in the use Of firearms.
No amount Of caution will keep boys
/ fr,m handling guns. 1t is a fascinatil 6
Implement. There is charm about a
gun which bewitchesa boys's imagination
Guns are now 50 cheap that eycrybody
can have one. Even if tinid nbrents
withhold iowling pieces from their sons it
will not prevent their handling them.
The town is full Of them And accident
ally or on purpose your son will find out
5 netting about gunning.
The military companies are so many,
and the manual Of arms so fascinating,
and sharp-shooting has become such a
fashion, that you may be sure that an av-
erage boy viii come by a gun clsndestine-
ly, if he does not with your permission.
Now, we argue that it is far more dan
gerous to leave boys 10 find out secretly
the pleasures Of gun than it is to teach
them its skilful use. A child soon learns
caution. After few weeks, boy Of
ten years old is in as little danger of de-
ing mischief with gun as he is Of TAX
! ing poison or falling into the river, or
down stairs, or Of stabbing himself with
his knife. .'''"
We hold it to be sound philosophy, that
children are SAFER by being taught how to
-. l au - :. H. l.
~ w w - y
- ,.. -.
-,
1hat are most apt 10 DC nar'neu. H.
In wrestling, climbing, swimming, rid
Ing, leaping, shooting, they who have
been taught skill and self-teliancc arc
seldom injured ~ Is Tue c'ulisy hanu'
the awkW"Fa 1oot' oil one uh'aught IN
manly exercises 'hat courts disaster Inc
boy that is familiar WIN gun ~
not the one VINO snaps IL a' MS SIS
ter thinking 'na' II Is n0' loaoea' anu
shocts hei uea''' IL 10 ''e s'eop iuoD0i
who has never been permitted to know
anything about firearms that does that.
A wise father should teach his boy how
to load, how to carry gun safely, how
to scale fence and all the precautionary
arts of hunting 1t would be well' too
to teach every girl how to use pistol.
Many woman has been placed in the
power of burglars for lack of that knowl-
edge. '..
The moral uses OF hre-arms are are not inc
least to be considered a ooy win gun
OIL hrs shoulder oil" )" eancSday ai'ern0on'