Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-02-04
LET THE BOYS SHOOT.
Give Your san n Gun when lie Under
stands Handling II,

Give Your Sou a Gun when lie Under
stands Handling II.
BY all means let the boys have their
rifle and shotgun, furnish them a
reasonable amountof ammunition and
pay their license To shoot, if we ever
come Ia that protective measure. How
else can the boy learn to shoot! II /
had my way every boy and every
girl should learn To shoot, even though
they never killed alone a single head
of game. Ii is not the extinguishing
Of the vital principle of either bird or
beast for which men 60 afield, andthe
game butcher should never be classed
as a sportsman.
The rifle and revolver are weapons,
the use of which demand physical con.
ditions never found in the indolent,
effeminate or the dissolute. They arc
weapons for men aud women not for
dolls of either sex. If every boy and
girl were early taught the use aud
abuse of firearms the death rate from
accidents caused by carclessness would
be reduced to a minimum; the mum
Der of corner l~oafers, cigarette smok.
ing, round shouldered, delicate boys
and girls afflicted with corsets, nerve
tire and headaches would decrease in
direct proportion to the increase of re-
cruits to the army Of those 10Y enjoy
ing such sport.
And what is to hinderl Any one OF
q half dozen American manufacturers
makes rifles sufficiently light for ladies
and boys to use; prices are such that
any one Of moderate means can own
the very best, accuracy is unsur
passed; and ammunition, that is the
22-caliber cartridges, which are plenty
large enough for all ordinary range,
is very cheap. But, alas! tickle fash.
ion has decreed that the girl chic
shall be a woman before reaching wo'
manhood, and must condesceno
to mingle in manly sports unless the
thin veneer Of fashionable polish
should be married. Fathers forget
they were ever boys and wanted a gun
or, being without desire that way,
compel their boys to think a they do,
or to use weapons surreptitiously.
No! give the boys a chance. and the
girls too.
Let those parents who are moi
sportsmen and are blessed with chill,
dren imbued with such instincts, take
the time and trouble 10 learn the arr
themselves and instruct their boys aud
girls. My word for it, such children
will love you with a deeper intensity,
will spring 10 obey your commands
with a better grace, for has not then
father, their ideal of all that is good
and great, associated himself with
them in their play! And where j.
there a normal child who would moi
rather associate with his father than
with any other companion!
You, who yourselves love the gun,
do not, l beg you, think it a bore
TO guide the youngster in the
paths you love SO well on think
1t tiresome TO initiate him in the mys,
teries Of an art fascinating alike to
young and old. Bear in mind your
own youth, and your heart would
have gone out to any one who would
have taken time and trouble To hell
you become a good shot.
Our boys and girls are to be the ia
theirs and mothers of other boys and
girls, and how can We mold the gen
Grafton of those who shall take oui
places unless we now stand sponsors
to the sports as well as to other edu
cational advantages, and where is thert
to he found a cleaner, more scientific,
more manly sport than rifle shooting
Forest and Stream,