Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1880-07-13

II history repeats itself, as Ia alleged
/. may be safely inferred that at least
once in Q long time II will bring back
something good and sensible and useful
which has heretofore had . place in the
world, but has been dropped as the race
Of mankind has sprung forward to seize
aud utilize something better suited to Its
wants. But. as these old and cast.aside
articles again appear on the thssssr Of
action. new uses. or at least new objects
to be accomplished by their use. will no
doubt be found. This ID certainly the
case with the bow and arrow. While
our ancestors used them a. weapons Of
fsusive and defensive. and a. means for
procuring Subsistence. and dropped
them for the gun. their childrsn's chill
drsn, after ages have elapsed. have again
picked them up. using them all over the
country for hsalthful recreation and
profitable amusement.
In Virginia City Q company OF arcners
has sprung up a. by magic and mas
christsnsd itssii 'Ths Merry Bowmen;"
but II must not be supposed from the
name that ladies' are excluded from the
club. There are some vsritabls Dianas
among them who point an arrow with
great skill and twang the bowstring with
an ease and grace quite unexpected when
their limited practice Ii considered. And
here 1t may be added that ladies need
the recreation Of the bow and culver
more than do the men. II gives them
strength and endurance. develops their
forms till they round ont into most
beautiful symmetry. and relieves their
minds from cares II not their tongues
from gossip or something worse. Be-
sides, although Cupid il pictured a. Q
boy, there is something peculiarly fem.
mine in the slyness with which an arrow
is sent on It's way. In the effectiveness
with which II strikes its mark and in the
tsnacity with which, whom once 1t strikes
Its object. 1t hangs and quivers there. 1t
must DO confessed that women are arch
creatures and take to bows quite natur.
ally.
IL Ia fitting, moreover. that the two
sexes should practice archery together.
Lopgfsllow hit the gold exactly when he
wrote
" Az unto the bow the cords Is.
So unto the man 10 woman.
Though she bends him. she obey, him
--. ksr, saf aha f0llnWa.
Useless each without the other
And 10 the Merry Bowmen did right
to open their ranks and allow ladies q
place beside them. II doubles the pleas
ures and, then, the dear creatures need
the sport 90 much and 1t suits them 80
admirably that 1t would indeed DO cruel
to deny them an outfit and IN opportun'
ity to use it.
Day before yesterday Q representative
OF the News wandered with O trio Of
female archers to the grounds OF the
Merry Bowmsn in Cedar Ravins. near
Seven.mile Canyon. The members OF
the club were not all present, but there
were enough there to get up Q little con.
test. In the match Major L. h. Otey.
the "Lons Archer OF tho Sierra now
by no means alone in practicing the art,
and Miss Mccarthy were OIL n side.
II the Major Is the "Lone Archer y
Miss Mccarthy is the Diana" Tall,
comedy and graceful. there 10 but one In
the club who can wing o shaft with her.
and that ono il the clone Archer him.
self. There is q derceness. too, In The
tvsne Of her bowstring which tells Of q
love for the sport and a pride In seeing
the arrow pierce the golden center of the
target. Mercer Otey, Secretary OF the
Yellow Jacket. il q noble archer. a. are
also Messrs. Griffin, Allen and Perkins,
and n number OF others Who might be
named. Then Miss Griffin q the
Misses Holmes are getting to be experts,
and 40 many are learning fast that the
Comstock bids fair to be famous soon
because Of its female archers, az the
Major has already made 1t renowned BY
his skill.
In the match the Major. Miss McCar'
thy and Mr.. Griffin were pitted against
Mercer otsy. Mr.. Allen and the Misses
Holmes, Miss Griffin prsferring pencil
and and the office OF scorekseper.
The ladies used the thirty.yard target,
the gentlemen tho forty.yard. Following
10 the score
Major otey 25l. Miss Mccarthy l79,
Mr.. Griffin l66-totsl 596.
Mercer Otoy l6l, Mr.. Allen l49. The
Misses Holmes together 2O5-total 5l5'
These scores are not easily beaten
even by much moro experienced archers'
A center for each arrow would have given
o personal score Of $40.
Major Otey then made. with hitser
arrows, q score Of 81 at the GO yard tar
get. and Miss Mccarthy made, with 1--WE
arrows, O score Of IL at tho 4o'yard
target. ,,,
Some OF the Arrows fly with force sui
6ciept to transix o buffalo. In fact
although intended but for target practict
and not to kill, frequently the arrows
went through the oilcloth covering ol
the target, the four inches OF closely
matted English straw behind it. and
continued their course with scarcely
diminished speed.
Some OF the Merry Bowmen use q bow
with a siIty.pound pull and draw
~thirty.inch arrow to tho point. Forty
pounds are about all that the ladies cart
TO draw, but wen that will send al
arrow with killing effect.
1t Is doubtful II any OF the member
OF the club would have been able to hav,
strung the bow OF Ulysses OF which
blind old Homer sang. % have skill
sufficient to send an arrow through thu
eyes Of three axes when place in line. n
did the hero OF the Odyssey before at
taskins the suitors which his reported
death and q desire to wed Penelope, biz
wife, brought around his home; but th'
style. strength. elasticity and make OF I
modern bow evinces az much skill a
was shown in the use OF 1t in older
times. Archery in these days 10 In 1T
infancy; but the child 10 . growing ont
and bids iair to become popular thu
world over.
Before the week 10 out the practices
A. n-,n I'LL -.