Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-08-10
TO PARENTS.
,-..,s.ut suggestions from an Ex'
ueyteneed Hunter.


perieneed Hunter.
ro,ros Posr-IsTELLToKScEn
-, how wants q gun, we will say a
..,.orn for that will illustrate all Of
a. lessons We desire to teach.
H,oo have the means, there are not
oul, no reasons why your boy should
"a. have the gun he desires. but there
=. mauy reasons why he should have
It
aun means the fragrance of the
,o0ds. familiarity with nature, reflec-
,iou fancy and imagination, as well as
...ltby exercise and an absence from
,bs deathly temptations and entice-
nsstso life.
While il Ia reasonable for your boy to
have gun, he has no experience and
.ss. Look 10 yoa for directions S. to its
ss,a and handling. Unfortunately
nsuy parents know nothing about
suns and hence osn only say To tie
bcy, " Be careful"
Iii OF the shotguns made now are
hsesoh leaders. They are fired by
wssns Of pin or needle upon whiou
,hs hammer falls, driving it against TIE
40 in the center of the shell. The kind
4 lock. therefore, and the mode of ITS
ousration, Ia @ matter of the trst Im-
poft2nee.
The hammer can rest at three points:
Id. on the pin; I'd, at half cock; Sd, at
szu cock. The position of absolute
Danger Is the first. wish knew how
% smphasize this last declaration with
90 intensified and terrible interest. 10
b the point Of danger, and every boy
sad every parent ought te understand
ih isrriblo slgnlfcance. Tne hammer
% restiae, sudden jar or like stroke
hlisble TO explode the gun. ESPECIALLY
kthie 90 when cheap ana sensitive cap
Il used. But more of this further on.
The point of safety is the second or
half cock. The gun cannot be hred
from this point without blow of sun
eisrt violence TO break the lock, and
even then the blow must be m che line
Of direction with she IRA Firmly on
half cock, the chances ofth gun being
fred by a fall or blow are among the
very distant possibilities. Every father
oaeht TO know whether the gun that hts
dear boy uses IL firm on half cook or
nos II il IL not, le ought not, as he
values the life of that boy, to permit
hun 10 use 1t. thought To take interest
snough IN that boy to examine that gun
from sine TO time, to see what Is the
coadition OF that lock. He can readily
ascertain whether it stands firmly ON
half cook or not. He ought to repeat
sdly pail the hammer back to point
iasi short Of full cock, and then let it
70; II 1t stops ON half cook, it 10 all
right. II IL passes over half cock TO
she pln, then u Is dangerous. | can
ssfely say that nine tenths of the mel
sncholy accidents which have happened
have arisen froin the fact that the ham
msr would mol rest ON half cock, and
therefore rested on the pin. The late
terrible accident, which resulted in the
death OF enc Of the noblest young men
IN ihis city, and sent thrill of sorrow
70 every heart, was the direct result of
What | have pointed out above. The
hammer on the left-hand barrel, which
did the terrible work, wou.d not stand
81 half cock at all. 1 know whereof 1
assert. have examined the gun. Let
me repeat, with terrible emphasis: Fa-
sher, SEQ 10 1t that the lock on your son's
Ran 10 safe and strong.
II the hammer goes back TO fall cook,
I viii stop there; thes, before II can be
nfed, the trigger must be struck. Very
lev II any accidents ever arose from the
premature discharge of guns at full
cock. When at full Dock II is known to
% dangerous and is handled accord
ihsiS. Unsesn dangers are those that
Destroy. They are not guarded against
because unseen.
ness locAs made now are rebounding
loeas; that Is, when the gun is hred the
asmmer goes back 10 half cock and
heser rests on the pin. Ibis Is the safe
iock. IL Is true that in the kind of
iooks in which the hammer does not
te0oand 10 half cock the gun cannot be
Vpeneo and reloaded without lifting the
nsnmer 10 halt or whole cock, but the
ssisainty OF stopping at half cook Is
sssafer when the action is automatic
snan y 10 when the fingers are directed
y tae mind of an excited and sometimes
salsiess boy.
!. Never allow your boy TO use sensi-
wv cap simply because IL is cheaper. i
@san, oy sensitive cap, one that has no
Messiiic cover over the Illuminating
s,U.aer. The former sxplodes from the
1Nassst concussion, while the latter TO-
sa'iss hard blow to explode 1t.
u. JACOBS.