The Republican journal., 1883-03-01
How I Became a Crack Shot.
BY W. MILTON FARROW.

| the cover gold target, well peppered with
black spots, this being fac Simiiie of the one
made by Mr.. Farrow at 1000 yards in public
match at Creedmoor; and it is, moreover, the
highest on record. With this before them no
one can dispute that one native of Belfast has
made his mark. Mr.. Farrow is to-day the
champion rifle shot of America. His principal
prizes are as follows: In England he won the
Albert Prize of f10O, and the Wimbledon Cup,
value t100; in France a Sevres Vase, by Presi-
dent Grevy and a bronze statue, ''N ictory,' by
NJ. lie Compile Ncndenyre; and i'll this country,
at Creedmoor, the Champions Match of 1873,
the Wimbledon Cup Match of 1880 and the Mill
tary Champions Match of 1882. The first chap
ter of Mr.. Farrow's book is autobiographica
| We quote as follows;
| was born at Belfast, Waldo County, in the
| State Of Maine. My father was native Of Bris
| tol IN the same State, and served his country
during the war of 1872. 1t was his misfortune
| to be for time confined in the prison at Hall
| fax. My grandfather was Il sergeant in one of
| the companies during the war of the Revolution
| and was present ut the surrender of Corvallis
| Descended from such stock my claim to be Il
| MorouWt American is certainly valid one.
| From my earliest recocctions the love for
| powder and bullets, rifles and guns, was para
mount to ball, tops. marbles, or any of the
| games of bOyho0d. CannOns improyised from
tin pen-holders. mounted on blocks with pins
| were the first ESSAYS. The premature explosion
| of this weapon with its natural consequences
brought disfavor from parental source, and
| powder was one of the interdcted substances.
BY lucky trade with an old Junk man a
rusty horse-pisto barrel was obtained. mount
| ed on an oak block secured bv an iron stable
| 1t proved a source of great delight. The stand
ing piles on the pier head, 300 yards distance
We're the enemy and many were the pounds of
| lead fired away in the attempt to make II Cnr
Tom" do fine work
School vacations were spent when possible
on board fathers vessel a eoodIy schooner of
seventy tons burthcn. pIvin@ in the c0astinp
trade from Relfast east and west here fine iIse
of the shotgun was learned and chance, for
| practicing on coots and ducks were never. ne
| elected The feelings of triumph were most
| keenlv enioved when returning to the vessel in
harbor from some neghboring ledge of rocks
or island in the BAY with a goodv bag TO hear
the hearty praises from older lips Never will
forget my first BAG of that most wiley bird,
the Black Duck of the coast. One November
morning noticed with the telescope flock of
ducks feeding over the bar running from Torv's
to Trnmnet island in Epgemoooin Reach a sin
nous passage amongst tie Islands, running east
| and west on the coast of Maine The schooner
was in Centre Harbor | informed father of
the ducks in sight and desired to 60 after them
| Smiling and shaking his head he reDlied .'Black
| ducks Won want TO 90 after black dIIckS
If talns an oldnr hnnter fhan Won, 70 Shoot hIanL
| ducks" at last got his consent to TRY. After
| stepping ne mast IN the bDat alongside ana nc
" oc,, ..,c;a th loot o,,t in7o pnb
Yes. the ducks were still there. Steering for
| the leeWard point or loryS Island my plal
h'Is III ~, ~ St,il lin, tIroh H. ,ratn
| Gun III hand | stepped on the outer shore of
me lsiahd 10 walk towards tftr Iarlhtr point
,youd roncraI INV .nnroarh nm tn one hIInIrnJ
wards then the grass was barely high enough to
conceal one i!ihs llal. llle SGn carried a. a:
t,,,n,in hnrn VIII ,'"s IN tho 1is,,ai conIiitin1
of Guns kent on sbipboard barrels like a rusty
bar, the locks inclined to be weak, and the
nht!s lttnel H!ahs pu' ~ III 'ilIt ~ nay .
| none i'm The country NV propress throuoh the
grass was very Slow, as pushed the gun i'll adj
vance. mao received minute ilstl iclionN ron
mo ar workino nv VIEW In 10 INA as # WIS
better to occasionally lose shot than to run the
FISK OF shGoilnS lhyself by drawing the gun TO-
I'm in rant i mmIt he nnoi- liz b,,,l. On III
side next the ducks With both hammers at
tItlI cock, raised nearly llp, lett elbow still