Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-11-03
RECKLESS Use OF FIREARMS.

RECKLEss Use OF FIREARMS.
This is the season Of the year when every
one in whom survives the slightest particle
OF latent savagery buys, borrows or steals a
shotgun, and goes hunting Everything
conspircs to this end The legal restraint is
removed all kinds Of game are prime and
III season; the bracing air, bright days and
general attractivcnvss of nature tempt one
afcld There is a tine for everything, and
these exhilala,ng Autumn days are the time
for exercising our predatory instincts, if we
have any. But every enjoyment must be
bought with price. There are drawbacks
even to the plcasan'cs, and best of recrca-
tious. One will get tired a, lawn tennis and
irremediably provoked at croquet so why
shouldn't there be drop Of gall in the
snortsman's cup, as well: And the fact is,
that cup is pretty well seasoned with
the Objectionable. 1t is not every lip
that wishes to be stepped in it twice. The
draught is n dangerous one. The man
who takes up loaded gun, literally takes
his life in his hand He is tampcring with
force whose energy and suhtlciy he seldom
cOmprchcnds. The wonder is, thai more
accidents and deaths do not occur from The
reckless use of icarms. They have grown
to be such familiar articles in The community
innocent looking pieces of wood and iron
that their dangerous character is quite
overlooked, and people will often toy with
them and tampcr with the locks and throw
them to the shoulder with the most careless
unconccrn, even in the presence of others.
where premature discharge would BE- al
most certain to result fatally. Instead of
assuming" says Herbert Spencer, ''as people
usually do, that things are going right until
| it is proved hat they are going wrong, the
proper course is to assume that they are
going wrong until it is proved tina, they arc
going right" This is Iirsi rate sho, gun
policy. Always assume that II gun is loaded
until it is proved that it &c moi That is The
only way to escape the disastrous results
which 50 often follow the careless handling
of an 'unloaded" gun.
Blu, it is in the field that mos, OF the &C
Cidents with firearms occur. Getting oveI
fences, pushing through underbrush, drag
ging the gun towards one from boat or
wagon, loading at the muzzlc with the ham
mer Of one barrel raised-,hese are some OF
the most fatal instances of care!essncss in III,
handling of firearms. Most of the accident,
which occur thus are caused by boys, who do
not understand or appreciate the necessity Of
constant vigilance and care in the handIin!
of gun. A good rule to follow in sucl
cases is. never to allow the muzzle of thu
gun TO be pointed toward the person, %
toward the person Of a companion, unde
be accidentally discharged, no serious harm
would result.
Great danger is incurred by overlooking
guns of defective or light material. TIN
force of even single dram of sporting pow
der is tremendous, and if the charge b
large and tightly confined there is Away
dagger OF a cheap guns bursting a
the brcech. Small particles whcl
or loan, or even film OF cobwcb, by con
filming the air and preventing the linear ex
pansion of the charge are almost sure t
cause the bursting of the gun; and the NOR
made, the more serious will he the results O
the explosion. Next to handling gun at all
the most careless thing in the use Of tirearm
is handling cheap gun. The poor painte
gun catalogues as the 'boy's gun" is almos
sure To kill or MAIN the person who tries t
-, use it. The sale 81 it ought TO be prohibite
by law, like the sale of the toy pistol f.
, in the long run The former is the more de-
-, tructivc,
=. A boy or Il man who is naturally careless
l. if he values his own life and the life OF othe
: should avoid The use of firearms altogeihe
:, There is nothing so dreadful as to he the il
:. direct cause of lifelong misery or death to
;, fricndor companion, while in the mere pursu
Of days pleasure. If the recreation be
;, duged in, the thought which should always
- uppermost in the mind of the sportsman, esp
cially when accompanied by others is, rathe
-, how much am ! observing the rights al
d, conditions of human life, than, how like
and TO destroy animal life. As much more
=, the dreadfulncss of destroying fellow beii
would ovcrbalance the pleasure of an unlil
- tied destruction of lower life, so much mo
n intent should he he upon the preservati
, than upon the destructive issues which
4 holds in his power.
Eir,tt Il hi,