The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-02-03
AMERICAN WEAPONS.

AMERICAN WEAPONS.
Hsv Our Govsrnmsnt Has Diseoursgsd r.
vsntess Of Einss and Gums.
A few days ago / was talking with
an old gun merchant in New York. He
commenced - an ironmaker not far
from the seat Of war. and when the
commotion broke out he had ON his
hands certain tools and furnaces and
ore-bedA
Our old ironmaker now turned into
an arms manufacturer. and he had .
large market IS long rs the Americans
were killing each other ON the hair
splitting points Of the forefathers. We
acquired during the war much Of our
superiority as inventors and makers Of
arms, and have since supplied the
world with weapons.
I am told that Ames in Massachu-
sets makes better sabers and swords
than they do at Soligen. Germany. where
they have been making them for CEN
turtles The Turkish army is supplied
with Winchester rifles. the Russian
army with Berdan rifles, the Spanish
army and the South American Repub-
lies with Remington rifles. and tho
Italians with the Gardiner machine
guns. and SANKEY'S expedition to
Africa. with the Maxim machine-guns.
etc. But our old friend thus discoursed
concerning the American Government:
''This is the most bureaucratic Gov
eminent in the world. You can not get
any invention adopted by it because Of
the backwardness of its ordnance Off
GERS. There was Eotchkiss, who went
to Washington with his inventions. and
he was put off and disappointed until
he started for France with hardly
more than the clothes to his back. In
France he has made millions of money
and left behind him great corpora
ton. 1t was the same way with Spcn-
Ger when he invented the magazine
rifle, which carried its cartridges in the
stock. He WAS rejected everywhere,
and was leaving the War Department.
one day broken-hearted. when mes
senger said to him: Il can take you to
a man who will look at your gun. as
these army fellows will not So he
took him to Abraham Lincoln, whom
the messenger knew from having been
with him almost daily. Lincoln had
on queer old Office suit. which he
apologized for rs he took Spencer's
hand and went out somewhere near by.
and. taking up the gun. fired at q
shingle, and made several excellent
shots, and put all the balls on the
single. for he had been rifieman in
his youth. The inventor then took his
own gun and pu. all the balls within a
circle on a single. This single is
preserved in the Illinois Historic Socie-
ty. which has never acknowledged ths
gift by amy letter. though they an
nouncs it among their trophies.
"Lincoln told Spencer to go on and
make all the guns he could. as that arm
was needed, and hence magazine rifles
for the first time came into use. Now
the Government ordnance officers ara
using the Springfield rifle. which is a
very inferior weapon. They arc doing
It on the plea of economy. since they
possess certain arms to be altered and
certain machinery to be run. Look
here at this Springfield rifle. When
you put the cartridge in and bring
down the piece which holds it forward
you risk premature discharge every
time and an explosion. because this
lock part docs not admit moisture any,
where and gives no chance for the ex-
pansion of the gases when the powder
is blown off But they have used this
defect in the gun to destroy almos.
every other gun presented ut Washing
ton. They have invented the rust test
Their gun can not rust fiom this dan
gerous matter spoken OF. Better guns.
when they are dipped in powerful
and put out in sea water all
night, will show little of the ,nO;s-
ture. Hence the rust test has driven
all American arms abroad. to be put
in the hands of foreigners Gath. tn
Cincinnati Enquirer.