Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-09-06
CARRYING a GUN.
HE Cowboys ReTaarI1a able Taste for
the Hest of Pocket Artillery.
Correspondence of the St. Louis Globe Democrat.


and Ell Paso is washed ont. While in town /
dropped into large store on Ell Paso street
which enjoys the reputation of selling more
arms than any other house in the city. Stores
in FL Paso sell everything from the Droyertal
needle To an anchor. but this one makes spe-
ciaity OF rifles. shot guns and revolvers.
While your correspondent was inspecting the
glittering array of pistols of az kinds. which
hiied dozen show eases, youn- fellow Of
about % entered. He was dressed in approved
frontier style, sombrerO it would take tn zee
days to walk round the rim Of white handker-
chief tied loosely round the neck blue sh TT
pants stuck in his boots. and large Mexican
spurs upon his heels. juggling as he walked. He
wished 10 BUY gun. In the eXpressiyeness
and iaeonic tongue of the frontier gun is q
revoiver rifle is called by tile name of the
maker and thaweapOn or the sportsman. IN
curta'led OF Its fair proportions is known as a
shotgun.
Selecting from the case n handsomely mount
Ell 43-caiiber revolver the clerk said: How
would you like this? 1t is the newest thing out
a double action forty-tivc."
Ain worth a row of beans. No man cert a
tendertoot wants that kind of thing. Give ne
an Old reliable, ali the time. Ie see man
that's used to the old stvIe is apt to get fooled
not pull her off in tme-and then he'll be Lid
out coldern wedge"
He was handed out single-actiOn pistol of
."e 9a'ne iiloIti WHICH,. AFTER carefully. eNatlil-
ing. he proceeded to cock aud fire. tWiTinr the
pistol around his forefnger and cooking and
pressing the trigger the moment the butt came
into the palm OF his hand. After some little
kick about the price the weapon was paid Tor
and the customer left the store.
There are few men. observed the clerk as
his customer lett that can do that trick
nave been ten years on the southwest frontier
among the worst classes. and don't know more
than dozen. Bill the Kid could do it, 50 can
Pat Garlet. former sheriff Of Lincoln county: so
can Dan Tucker. deputy sheriff OfDeminr. Curly
Bill could do II best at the lot. and that's how
he Killed Sheriff White at Tombstone"
\ TREACHEE0US TRICK.
How was that: Quer.ed the correspondent.
well, you see. Curly Bill was trying to paint
the town red, and White heard of it, and going
up to him covered him with his sX-shOotcr and
told him he had got to give up his gun. Eill
handed the gun ont butt first. but kept his
finger inside the 9uard and as the sheriff
reached for it he gave it that twist you've seen
turned her loose. and the sheriff passed in lis
checks"
What kind Of revOlvcrs are in demand?"
"Forty-tive and IA calibers. 4 new model is
iavorlte with men who are often in town and
Ike 10 pack Il gun. 1t has an Interchangeable
barrel The long barrel is taken OF and the
short one put on. and tnen it can be carried in
the hip-pOcket. The great trouble with all these
The boys get oyer this by having the catch flied
down The pistol Of the cowboy is as fine on
the trigger az were the haIr-trigmers OF the old
duellnr days"
BRITISH BUIL-DOGS.
''DO YOU sell many of the British bulldog
pistols -
Yes. They are chiefly bought by railroad
laborers tramps and boys. Men who are used
the country either buy a Il or carry a II or Is
in u shoulder scabbard.'
''What is that -
well, it's a pistol scabbari with strap
passing over the right shoulder. and supports
the pistol ander your coat on the left side. 1t
enables You TO draw while a man is thinking
that You are only looking for your handkerchief
The bulldog is poor pistol. shoots wild. and
can't be depended upon for over fifteen feet"
DO you ever sell . and 32-calibers -
mo. that is to say, very seldom. A Texan or
New Mexico hoy would consider such pistols
toys He may etOop as low as IL. but there ne
stops. When man or boy shoots at another
IN this Climate he shoots TO Kill, and has no use
for such tools"
What use have tramps for piStOls:''
wv ell they use them to Stand-Oif brakemPn
and conductors who want to throw them of
freight trains while the train is in motion. BOYS
carry them more because it is the fashion than
anything else. and few men feel safe without
something in their pocket
How about the law"
The law against carrying deadly weapons is
intended to give lhe officers BULGE on those
lighters who 90 round 1lourishing their shooters.
get drunk and Whoop her up. Officers amt
going to search citizens Of any repute for guns
so nearly every man carries one"
SPECIAL WEAPON.
II want to show YOU a kind of shotgun that
has a limited use continued the clerk. and he
led the way to the back Of the store where
about half 4, dozen dOuble-barreled Shotguns
were standing in rack. They had all been cut
off short, the barrels being only about two feet
in length, but otherwise they were perfect
These runs are prime iavOrIteS with sheri1fI
deputy sheriflS. United States marshals and
officers OF the law generally, and when they get
the firOp on S0u with one Of them it's case of
throw up your hands. no matter now much sand
you have got. They are very handy and Won
can stow them NTay under the seat OF q buggy
with ease. WellsFargO's messengers all carry
them. and at short range they beat rifles and
siX-shooters all to hades 1t was armed with
one of them that Horn. VINO was deputy sheriff
at Lordsburg took in Curly Bill Bill was rid
Ing out OF the corral and Horn had stationed
himself just 10y the door post As Bill rode out
he covered him and called to him to throw ND
his hands Bill only glanced at the weapon
and up went his hands Had it been a SIX
shooter he'd have taken chances. A darn
fool went and rode through the dini1groom in
the railroad hotel az Demng flourishing his nIs-
tol, and frightening the lady passengers bound
west nearly into fits Dan Tucker found the
fellow on the street. covered him with her and
called hands up The blasted idiot made mo-
ton for his siX-shooter and Dan filed him chucl,
full Of buckshot. He failed to get there Eli,
ana now peacefully sleeps beneath the daisies"
But FEW ACCIDENTS.
- notice that you have fewer accidents from
firearms in the west than we have in the east
which, considering that every man carries a
gun seems extraordinary"
1T is not. The men who are always handling
firearms are the most careful about them I'd
like to see you point pistol or shotgun at a
cowboy and he'd make you drop it so quick
twOud make your head swim. There used to
be a good many accidents though. "a few wears
ago. when the boys were in the habit of CARVING
the full six loads in their guns and traSting %
the safety catch to avoid any danger Sure rs
the gun dropped on the ground off she went 4
number got shot this way, Now nearly every
fellow carries one chamber empty with the ham
mer resting on 1t when, of course, no Jar can
discharge it.
What does really good pistol shifted for the
frontier cost
"A good weapon can be bought for SIG. a.
caliber and Of the latest model. but they can he
got for almost any price above that Some Of
the cowboys are regular dudes about pistols
Nothing will do them but gold and silver
mounted and ivory handled weapons The truth
is that nickel-plated and silver plated revolvers
are not the best on the plains. The reflection
OF the sun on the white metal surface of the
barrel Is fatal to accurate shooting"
OUper IsosSar, Merchant