The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1879-02-27
Tom Potlcr's Shestinu.

They had been talking about the
remarkable performance Of DE- Car
YER, tho msrkesman, who shoots,
with rife, glass balls which are sent
into tho mir es fast as man csn
throw them. Presently, Abner, BY.
ing. who was sitting by, said,
"That's . nothing.
"wkat is nothing
r'Wkfs that shooting. Did you
ever know Tom Potter Z
"Nc.'
SsWell, Potter was tho best hand
with a rifle | ever saw beat this
man Catver all hollow. III tell you
what I've seen this man Potter 90
You know, maybe along there III the
cherry season, Mrs. Potter would
want to preserve some cherries 81
ross wosld pick 'em Tor her, and
how do you think he'd stono 'en ?
III don't koow. How ."
"Why, bod 81 his gun with bird
shot aud get boy to drop half
bushel of cherries at Que time from
tho roof Of the house. As they came
down bed fire anl take tho stone
clean out OF every cherry in the lot.
us positive fast +! Ilo might &C.
casionnlly miss one, rot often. But
he did bigger shooting thaa that
| when he wanted to.
"What did he do p
"Why, jim Miller--lid you know
him No. Weil To'a ado bet
with Jim that he coulj shoot the
buttons off hs own coat tail by aim
ing in the opposite direction, and
jan took him up
: did ho do il y
"Do it lie fixed himself in po-
sition and aimcl ut tree in front
of him. The ball hit the tree. car
omed. hit the corner of "a house, car
omed, struck n lamp post, caromed,
aud flew behind Tom and npped
tho button of IA slick rs whistle.
You bet he did it'll
That MAS fne shooting.
"Yes, bat Two seen Tom Potter
beat it, I've seen hin stand under
u flock of wild pigeons, billions of
them coming like the wind, aad kill
en- SO fast that the front of the hock
mover passed u given linc, but taru-
ed over aud fell down, 80 that it
looked kind Of q brown aud feath-
ory Niagara. Tom dill it by having
t,venty.thwc breach loading rift -
aul boy 10 load EN-. lie always
shot with that kind
You say You saw him do this
sort OF shooting
Yes, sir, anl better than that too
Why. I'll tell you what / yc seen
rom Potter do l saw mm once
set up an India Rubber target Mt 300
feet, and hit tho balls eye twenty
seven times inmate with the same
b,ll He would nit the target. the
ball would bounce back right iato
the riie-barrell inst ~ Tom had
clappei in fresh charge of p)wder
and SO he kept her going back
ward an forewlri, until NJ last he
happaned to move his gun and the
ballet missed the muzzle of the bar
rel. 1t was the biggest thing l ever
saw the very biggest except one.
What was that
"Why, ono day | was ont will!
him when he was practicing, aud ii
came on to rain Tom didn't want
to get wet, and we had no umbrella
aud what do yoa think he did y
"What =
"Now what do you think that man
did to keep dry (?
81 cant imagine
swell, sir, he got mo to load his
weapons for him, aud 1 pledge yoc
my word, although it began to rain
hard. be hit every drop that came
down, 30 that tho ground for about
eight feet around us was dry a
punk. 1t was beautiful, sir--beau
tifnl.
Aud than the company rose NJ
> slowly and passed out one by one
each man eyeiug Abner and looking
solemn us he went by; and wher
: they had gone Abner looked queer
, for o moment, and said to mo:
"There's nothing | hate so mucl
: as liar. Give me man who is th
friend of the solid truth and Ill til
to him.