Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-06-04
s. They shoot like Parthlaus as they fly
And Kill with a retraating eYe.n

troduced as pas1me they became It's most
ardent adherents.
They shoot like PaFthians as they fly
And kill with retreating eye"
Croquet was the entering wedge that
opened outdoor sports to women, and for
that they cannot be too grateful. But how
childish Is croquet compared to archery!
When one shoots with bow it is his own
strength and his own dexterity that sends
The arrow into the bulPs-eye. Trained mus
Giles and true eye have done the work. The
matter of bodily education in women is too
apt to be overlooked. There is no reason
why our girls should not row, swim, pull the
long bow and play ball In moderation. Ex
cess In the matter of sports is not good for
either sex. The healthier women are the
better and happier they are, or should be, and
there is nothing like plenty of air and sun
shine, with well regulated exercise, to make
a strong, wel-developed woman. Archery
is, of all games, perhaps the best for girls
In the first place, 1t is performed In an erect
attitude; 1t calls into action both
hands and arms, the muscles of the
shoulders and back, the chest and
Ia the second place, when one braces
himself to pull the bowstring ne is sure to
draw full, deep breath, thus filing his
lungs with pure, fresh air. A thoroughly
trained archer is a perfectly-bullt athlete.
Another thing that should recommend arch
der lady with bow in hand; she braces her
self firmly upon the lawn, raises the bow to
the proper angle, measures the distance with
her eye, and the feather-tipped messenger
flies through the air and pierees the gold.
No modern patent has done this. 1t is all
her own strength and skill. child may
pull a trigger and hit the bulls eye, but 1t
takes strength to pull the bow. A lady
should begin with twenty pound bow. AT
the end of month she may use one with
stronger resistance. Few ladies, however,
pull over fifty pounds; their average is be-
tween thirty and forty. A mans average
is fifty pounds, while some pull as high as
seventy-fve, but these are exceptional cases
and they have to have bows especially pre-
pared. The regulation length of a mans
bow is six feetf tip to tip, and the draw
OF the arrow twenty-eight inches. Bows
should always be bent hat-slde out. The
proper length Of lady's bow is FIVE feet six
inches. The Highfeld lemonwcod bows are
the best for general use, though the snake
wood, yew and lance wood are popular.
Fancy backed bows" are sought after by
fancy bowmen. The English weighted"
bows cost from two dollars and twenty-five
cents to ten dollars each, and arrows fifty
cents to twelve dollars per dozen. 1t Is poor
| economy to buy cheap tackle II you have the
money to buy the best. Expert bowmen are
very proud of their implements and keep
them with great care. Bows should De kept
In a dry room, but not too near the fire.
After using and just before putting
away, the bow should be rubbed with
a wooden rag saturated with boiled linseed
oil, mixed with a little beeswax. The arrow
! is an important consideration. For target
arrows hard seasoned pine or old deal Is the
best wood. For hunting arrows, hickory, ash.
elm and pine are preferable. The shaft or
wooden part Of the arrow is called the steie,
and this must be perfectly straight and even,
Next in importance to the stele Is the feath
ering. For long range shooting the feather
should be narrow. They are generally taken
from a goose quill. Every archer should have
an ascham, and he may have 1t plain or hand
some, according to his means. The ascham
get7 its name from old Roger, who wrote so
beautifully of bow shooting, and Is a cup
board six feet and half high, two or more
broad and one foot deep. Inside there Is
shelf eighteen inches from the bottom,
through which holes are made for the bows
and arrows to stand In, and on the walls are
fastened hooks upon which to hang the belt,
culver and other articles. The haDdsomest
aschams are lined with velvet or plush, but
! this is a luxury to which few aspire. AS has
already been said, this Is the time OF year
when archery clubs are organized. The club
should have but three offcers-a president
or master bowman, who should be the best
shot of the band, secretary and treasurer.
at each shooting the archer making the
| highest score is entitled to the honorary title
| of captain of the target. In the matter of
uniform the club must exercise it's own taste.
A very neat and pretty uniform is made OF
flannel. A white skirt for ladies, with dark
blue blouse belted in; for men, white trousers
| and the same style of blouse. The blouse
| for both should be cut high on the shoulder
| to give the arm full play. A pretty uniform,
and quite inexpensive, is made of unbleached
muslin, with belt or sash of Turkey red.