The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1878-07-31

TIII'1 AatonndInr Fcnts WIN n nan


a New York paper says: DIR. w. f.
Carver, the man who can put bullet
through silver quarter while the coin
is Tying through the air, is an enlarged
and revised edition of Bu ffalo Bill and
Texas Jack. Being fresh from the broad
plains of the untrammeled West, he has
that delightful air of unconventionality
to be found only in the land of the set
ting sun. A pale-face, to him, is an OBJ
lect of pity. The aboriginal inhabitant
of the primeval forest is his prey. He
must dote on blood; and he can bring it
out of wasp's wing at forty yards.
DIR. Carver is, no doubt, the best
short-range marksman in the world. He
gave his second exhibition at Deerfoot
Park, and astonished everybody who
saw him. He is as fine a specimen of
fully-developed manhood as ever walked
on Manhattan Island. More than six
feet high, every part OF his body is built
to correspond. His chest is so deep that
it would take a powerful rifle to send
bullet through it. His shoulders are
broad and high, and altogether, he is
exactly the man that ordinary people
wouldn't put themselves out of the way
to pick quarrel with.
The scene of the shooting is worthy of
description. A small wooden shed, with
a bar in one corner; in front of this
table, on which were Iour rifles, several
boxes of cartridges, and half a dozen
score-books. Fifteen or twenty feet in
front of this, again, barrel and a man,
the man taking the glass balls out Of
the barrel and throwing them in the air,
and DIR. Carver breaking them with the |
bullets as fast as they appeared. Some
body was always at work loading a rifle. |
The marksman could fire them faster |
than the leaders could load. And they |
were the most remarkable rifes-breech-
leaders, of course. When they were
opened at the end one cartridge was
showed in after another, till it seemed as
IT the first one must surely be some
where up by the muzzle.
DIR. Oarver's co stume has nothing to |
do with his mark -manship, and his shoot
ing is strictly business. He seldom
misses what he fires at Most of the |
time was taken up in shooting glass
balls, filled with feathers. The balls |
were of the thinnest film of glass, slight
~ tinted, so as to be seen easily in the |
air, and, when they broke, the feathers
scattered in every direction. The balls |
were thrown about twenty feet into the |
air, and the marksman was not more |
than fifteen yards from them at any |
time. 1t was noticeable that the shot |
was invariably fired just as the upward |
impetus of the glass ball ceased and it
was about to begin its fall. This close |
glass-ball shooting did not give the idea |
OF remarkable skill, probably on account |
OF the short distance, even though the |
average was nine hit out of every ten.
ut looked much more wonderful when |
the assistant threw the glass balls as far
as he could and DR.. Carver broke each |
one as it few, the distance being not |
less than one hundred yards. Several |
coins were shot straight through the |
center, as they whjrled through the air.
One OF the most astounding of DIR. |
Carver's feats was his hitting a bell: |
metal ball when it was almost out OF |
sight up in theair. The ball is so made |
that when the bullet strikes it it rings like |
q small gong. The assistant threw this
ball many times as high as he could |
throw it, till, sometimes, it could hardly. |
be seen, but every time the marksmarl |
Drought the sound out of it. He also |
cut II two all the lead pencils he could |
induce the spectators to throw into the |
Ar, and he fired successfully at large |
lumber of unused cartridges. When
fhe assistant threw two glass balls up at
The same time the rifeman, with a
eonble-barre weapon, first broke one
md then the other, without making a /
single failure.
The two requisites for good shooting
arc, OF course, an immovable rest for the |
gpn-stock and a steady hand and arm
Tor the barrel. The secret of DR.. Car
ger's 8 wonderful craftsmanship NAV be
.1H bis immense and perfectly balanced
tflsiy, which stands firm as a rock. With
steady hand also, such man may do
4Imost incomprehensible things with a
4s9d rifle. His body seems able to with
IAnd any attacks of nervousness; vet
Hnen he misses a shot he is very likely
- miss the two or three succeeding
ttes, sure sign that the miss fiurries
Elm- Another of his peculiarities is
ENat Realms with both eyes open-so
''at he can keep an eye on the Indians,
..H says, while he is firing at a buffalo.
~. Carver's shooting has astonished
lew York. Nothing to equal it has ever
Daen seen here before. Whether or not
would be able to cope with some of
t,.e CreedmoOr marksmen on their long
ees, is an interesting question.
What Becomes of Wealth.