Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1881-12-29

The Vicious Practice of Packing
the Gun-Why ft Should DO Laid

The Vicious Practice of Packing
the Gun-Why ft Should DO Laid
Aside.
EDITOR SENTINEL: 1t has occurred to
me that you have overlooked a matter of
serious interest to society, and especially
so in Eureka. Allow me to say something
In your columns about the carrying Of con-
cealed weapons, which is SO prevalent here:
The Nevada man who does not go
-" heeled is hard to find. Hunt for him
and you will find that he is al badly lost as
the proverbial needle in the haystack. A
Ban Francisco contemporary Of yours,
apropos of this subject, sportively sug-
gested that in case of war the Government
might uncover the masked batteries'' Of
Nevada Oh the enemy with terrible effect.
Your contemporary spoke truer than he
thought. Say there are 1900 voters in
Eureka. Take this number Of men enjoy
ing full citizenship and leave out all other
men, ONE and children, among whom
an armory Of small fire weapons might be
collected, and among these 2 200 you would
have to estimate, at the lowest calculation,
that somewhat over 1900 have ''guns" on
their persons or 80 near by as to be brought
out at very short notice. Taking everybody
into theoount, however, women, boys and
all, and it can hardly be estimated that less
than 5000 gums" "six-shooters,"
" bulldogs" or %cannons or whatever else
you are pleased to call them, are kept
handy for the anticipated scrgpe with
somebody. The same thing may be said
comparatively OF other communities in
the State. Now, why is this SO? In older
places in the Eastern States where you
ind one mar owning a pistol you find a
dozen or more who regard the weapon as
useless, and would not be encountered
with one as q gift while in the still older
communities of Europe such a thing as
carrying q pistol about concealed on ones
person is something almost unheard Of.
At any rate the carrying Of concealed
weapons is much more Of an American
than an European custom. / am at O loss
to see why it should be SO generally prac-
ticed in some parts OF America. and why,
especially, the practice should become SO
nearly universal in a mining camp like
Eureka. 1t must be simply the force OF an
old habit inherited from the days when
there was no law, when a man asserted his
rights and settled his difficulties at the
mouth OF a pistol. l refer to
the early days of California,
when there was excuse for what may be
called lawlessness in the absence Of aw.
Did | not think this to be he vicious
origin OF tho present custom Of "going
heeled," and did / not know that the
people of Eureka, for instance, do not
lack bravery and manhood, | should think
that the origin would have to be sought
for in cowardice, in the fact that the
wicked fee whom no man pursueth. l
know this to be untrue Of Eurekans, still
there is something repulsiye to those who
have not got used TO it TO see q man take
of his coat in a barber shop. for example,
and display a "six-shooter" sticking out OF
his brooches pocket. There is a suggestion
Of unmanliness about it, as though tho
wearer had done something vile. for which
he expected a sudden attack, or else he
would use his "masked battery" as a
stimulus to his deficient courage, and
possibly use it to fortify himself against
some other person whom he should take
at a disadvantage by being "heeled' and
"getting the drop" on his adversary.
Mr.. Editor. ! have been in the midst OF
all the great mining excitements on this
coast. ] have had the "gix-shooter at
my belt often. | used 10 think it a big
thing to flourish the deadly weapon about
in a crowd. ] fell into the habit thought
lessly, because when I left home / was young
and foolish, and ready TO follow in the lead
Of silly men notorious for the " bad eye"
symptom. / have grown wiser, in this
matter. at least, as i have grown older.
| have discarded the pistol altogether. l
have seen enough TO make mo detest the
practice. l have seen friends differ on
some trivial matter, quarrel, and because
they happened TO be armed, shoot each
other TO death or mutilate each other.
have known more deaths of the saddest
sort caused by the fatal custom of carry
ing pistols on this coast, than by all the
accidents in mines taken altogether. 1t
makes q%uarrels and fights where they
would never otherwise occur.
l have already taken up much
space in your valuable paper.
shall only say further that a man Is
safer who goes unarmed. He is less likely
to push his quarrel. II he get into trouble
then there are many ways OF reconcilia-
ton and satisfaction afterwards That are
not possible after a shooting scrape. The
bearer OF the weapon stands his chances OF
being killed outright, or what is sometimes
quite as bad, of killing his enemy for
some trifing cause. The quarrelsome
man certainly should never have a six
shooter in his pocket; while the chances
are a thousand TO one that the man OF
real courage and good humor will not need
such means Of protection in a law-abid'ns
community. Yours. PIONEER