The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-09-03
The Cheap Pistols.

WNulu VIC P"St low wo0AS general "
tention has been attracted to the preva,
lence Of fatal accidents resulting from
injuries received in handling the chear
metallic cartridge pistols Of the age, and
most OF the accidents have been attrib.
ated to the exceedingly dangerous single
pistol with swinging barrel. This,
however, can not be correct, if the in.
jured urchins are at all like the general
run OF Newark boys, for what boy could
buy o single pistol when every news,
hardware and gun-storc in the land
holds out the attraction of sevcn-shot,
1ickle-plated revolver, with box OF
cartridges, for a dollar, while the sin.
gle.shot pistols are held at Is cents?
The real solution of this matter lies in
the fact that both pistols and cartridges
have reached lower figure than ever
before in the history Of firearms, and it
Is now in the power of every boy to in.
dulge in the overpowering pleasure of
owning and carrying a deadly revolv.
er: With appetites fed by the rank juv.
emile literature Of the day, reeking with
gore and sulphurous with burning DOW.
der, It is'only natural that the desire to
be " heeld" is uppermost in the mind Of
the youth OF the country, and the nat
ural result is that accidents with revolv.
ers are 20 prominent 10 the daily Jour.
mails. 1t Is safe to say that not one in
Six OF the boys in Newark have reached
the age of Is without owning revolver.
and it is really matter for congratula.
tica that 90 few injuries have been
" 6icted In this city.
Fathers and mothers who distrust the
correctness Of this statement should in.
stitute investigations at home and see
how for the writer errs in this estimate.
Little trousers are made with hip pock.
cts nowadays, and it Is . strange boy
that does not insist on having this nee.
essary adjunct 70 his pants when the
tailor is taking his order. Examination
will disclose the fact that nothing ever
goes into that pocket except his +" Buffa-
10 Bill" and occasionally q handker.
chief to conceal the tell-tale shape Of the
instrument.
A Saturday afternoon on the river.
when the schoolboys are out in force
swimming. fishing, and rowing, will
give the observer an idea of the proper.
ton Of pistols to the number OF bows.
and he will notice that very few minutes
elapse unbroken by the report Of me-
tallic cartridge.
About score of years ago the rim fire
metallic cartridge was invented for use
In 9 revolver, on which there was a close
and well.protected patent for cylinder
bored entirely through, to load at the
breech. The revolvers sold then at about
s25 apiece, and were in active demand
in those stirring times when the rebel.
lion was in progress
Almost Immediately limitations and
infringements sprang up, and were
promptly squelched by the energetic
owners OF the patent, and litigations, in.
functions, trials and appeals were prom.
inent details in the history of reyolyers.
The original owners of the invention.
however, had wealth and possibly the
right on their side, and invariably
worsted their opponents, renewing their
patent at expiration and enioyinp the
fruit of their invention with very little
molestation. They sought q second re.
newsl . few years ago, but we're not
strong enough to obtain it, and then
other makers commenced the msnufac.
ture Of the weapons, of which the cheap
and nasty pistols Of the present are the
outgrowth. With many competitors in
the field prices naturally declined, and
the scale dropped quarter by quarter
until . seven.shooter could be bouoht
for five dollars. This was thought to
be the bottom, and prices rested at this
point for some time, but shortly a re.
volver appeared much simplifed in
mechanical construction, and prices be-
gan to drop again and have kept on de.
Ginning until at the present day q whole
revolver Is sold for less than the amonnt
paid . workman for drilling out pistoi |
of the original make.
The struggle to contrive cheap pistol.
was spirited, and the best mechanics in
the country were employed in deyisino |
means Of lessening the handwork and !
simplifying the construction of reyolv-
ers. Names for revolvers became the
rage then, and almost every large dealer
wanted to have his purchases stamped
with pct cognomen Of his own seiec.
aon. "Tramps' Terror" "Bull.
d .! dead Shots" Defenders"
{" Leaders," "Conquerors,> - "Bon.n.
.as, "victors," etc., flooded the mar.
ket. and the competition waxed hotter
and hotter every day, until finally the
weapons were brought to .
point where tho prices Of TO-DAY ara
quoted BY the dozen, and . Wholesale
dealer IL eager to sell . dozen /" lirst.
class seven.shoters for %.
The worst and cheapest of these IA.
volvers are made of cast.iron IN everv
part except the cylinder and sprines.
Tho cylinder, on which part the erest.
est strain Of the explosion il exerted !.
generally made Of . low grade of steal.
md occasionally tho metal Il 10 thin ~.
ter being finished that the explosion
!p!ifs It open and particles Of steel are
driven into the hands Of the shootar
The redeeming feature of this chean
Glass OF goods is that they can not Sc
Kept In order even with the Greatest
care, and consequently are almost in.
vst'soly incapable Of inhicting injury on
NY one but the owner, who generally
gets hurt In trying 10 get the cylinder 70
Eurn while holding The pistol AZ fnIl
coCk with the muzzle In the palm ~ ~.
hand: The metallic cartridges are .i.o
100 cheap for the good Of the commun;.
Il sell!ng q they do for one-eighth Of
me price they originally commanded.
mo being . common article Of mer.
shandise In dozen different classes Of
business. o' VI