Mexico weekly ledger., 1878-07-25
LEDGER
THE WONDERFUL MARKSMAN.

CARVER ASTONISHING THE GERMANS
AND PIGtoN SHOOTERS.
MARVELLOUS PERFORMANCES ON HIRAM
HowE's HALF-MILE TRACK-BALLs,
BELLS, BUTTERFLIES BRICKS, DOL
LARS, n QUARTERS HIT.
DR.. Carver gave another exhibition
of his remarkable skill with the rife
and shotgun in Deerfoot Park yes
terday afternoon. Among the per-
sons present were a delegation of
sharp-shooting Germans from Hobo
ken, and many Long Island pigeon
shooters. The Doctor came on the
grounds accompanied by his friends
Col. Fletcher, Texas Jack, and sever
al other gentlemen. They brought a
heavy carpet sack filled with cartrid-
ges, four Winchester rifles, and two
deuble-barreled shotguns. These
was placed on a rough, ricketty table,
and a barrel of glass balls filled with
feathers was placed about thirty feet
in front of the table. Col. fletcher
began to load the rifle, and DR.. Car
yer threw off his blue flannel sack
coat, picked up one of the rifles, and
balanced it in his hands with fond
ness of a boy handling his first fowl
ing piece. He then looked over the
field, his long blond locks waving in
the breeze, and quietly remarked to
Col. fletcher, "I've too much wind
to shoot to-day" His broad, white
sombrero shaded his neck, face, and
eagle eye; a loose, black velvet jacket
loaded with heavy golden California
medals, covered his broad, sinewy
shoulders and breast, while a gold
watch chain that resembled a section
of the working cable of the Brooklyn
bridge dangled from the fob pocket
OF his light colored' well-ftting pant
ipns that he wore gracefully wanoot
asspenders. Col. Fletcher VINO toss-
sd the balls and other ~arks in the
air for the Doctor . sii"lter anu per-
forate, was dr~'ed in an easy-tliting
midshlpms@ suit of blue, and WAS
M, ;nllnbered with c~oattails. Texas
rejoiced in black trousers, Il
white sAift, open down the back, that
caught the breeze delightfully."-, and
black SLOUGH hat that Shaded his flash
ing eyes and bronzed checks.
Gentlemen. I'm ready for q few
experimental shots to warm up said
the Doctor, as Col. Fletcher stepped
toward the barrel. The balls were
soon flying in the air, about twenty
feet in front of the Doctor, who stood
ready with his rifle. The balls were
thrown about twenty-five feet high,
and the wind would carry them about
three feet out of line before they were
hit. The Doctor broke the first two,
then missed one, then hit again and
again missed. ''Whoop them up a
little higher he shouted to the Col.
The balls were sem higher, the Doc
tor leaned forward on his left foot.
his left hand well out the barrel Of
his rifle, both eyes open, his right
hand moving with the precision Of
clockwork as he fred off the bullets,
broke the balls, scattered the feathers,
and threw out the shells of the cart
ridges. The marksman soon broke
five balls in succession. The man,
the rife, and the mark seemed to be
one piece of machinery, which work
ed unerringly.
II am now ready to try a hundred
balls" said the Doctor, and the Col.
began to elevate them. The first
seven were broken as rapidly as the
reporter could jot a single mark for
each shot then there was a miss
From that up to the fortieth every
ball was shattered. The Doctor miss
ed the forty-first and forty-ninth.
From the forty-ninth to the one hun
dredth shot the craftsmanship was
marvellous. Not a single bullet
missed its mark, and the hundred
shots were completed with only three
misses.
DIR. Carver rested q short time,
cooled his throat with a glass Of lem
onade, while the Colonel and Texas
Jack likewe partook Of a refreshing
drink with the Doctor. The rifles
were cleaned and cooled, and then
the marksman went at it again in a
series of varied experiments. First
Col. Fletcher took n brick in his
hands, walked off fifteen or twenty
yards, stopped over, facing the crowd
and the Doctor, swung the brick
backward and forward between his
legs, then suddenly shooting his
body and arms erect, sent the brick
fifty feet in the air. The Doctor fired
and missed. Then the Colonel
raised the brick again with his sinewy
derricks. The Doctor broke it in
two pieces. Pieces were tossed in
the air. The Doctor converted them
into brickdust, sometimes hitting a
piece twice before it was pulverized
cd its way to the grass. other pieces
Were thrown up, and as they came
down the %marksman would fire three
times, the first two bullets going over
the mark purposcly and the third one
shattering it. Occasionally the Doc
tor would miss these shots. One of
the guns was out of order. and sever