, 1890-10-16
GOOD SHOTS.
Texan Congressmsn Have IA Roputa-
tion In Washington.


Texan Congressmsn Have Roputa-
tion in Washington.
There Is shooting gallery ON
Pennsylvania avenue, says n WASH
lngton letter. 1t is located near the
National and Metropolitan hotels,
where the Texans and other South
ern congressman stop. Ordinary
marksmen shoot at bull'seyes, or ut
tin men and women which dance,
or at stationary clay pipes. But
when the keeper of the place sees
Congressman Stewart and Lanham,
of Texas, coming in he starts up an
automatic machine, which makes
glass balls whirl at the end of long
strings in n most confusing way.
Stewart is n very large man. He Is
from Southern Texas. Lanham Is
IA little man from Western Texas,
aud until the new states Were let in
he represented more square miles
and prairie dogs than any other
man in congress. Both Stewart and
Lanham can shoot. Stewart one
evening last week smashed the fly.
ing glass balls with snail rifle ut
the rate of six out ten shots. Ian
ham didn't do so well.
The shooting-gallery man with
draws all premiums when the
Texans enter, The only way they
can shoot IL against each other or on
the principle of Dutch treat,
Stewart, on the evening referred TO,
had challenged Lanhan, and the
one who fell short was to settle the
score. Lauham SAW the count
going badly against him.
"Give me pistols" he said to the
attendant.
Stewart demurred, but Lanham
made the point that having been
challenged he was entitled to choice
/ of weapons. He broke every ball
until he had overtaken Stewart, who
was still plugging away with the
rifle. Then the big man gave 1t up
and paid the score.
| As the gallery man took I'm the
money he said that he hadn't seen
such pistol shooting in his place for
| three months.
90, that wasn't much" said Ian
ham. "Hou ought to- see me when
Pm out on my campaign next
month. / ride u wild mustang aud
| plug the eyes out Of jack rabbits
every time | Shoot
The gallery mans eye followed
admiringly the retreating forms OF
the big and little congressman and
he said:
"Them Texas fellows is great on
the shoot. D'y' ever hear how
Senator Reagan and Congressman
Gustaye Sleicher played it on us
when they first came here to con.
gress from Texas about fifteen OF
sixteen years ago? We used to have
crowds out at the SchuetZen park
and the shooting gallery did IL good
business In those days we used to
give three shots free for every time
the bul's-eye was hit. You sel
there wasn't so many Southerners
In Washington then. 1t was during
reconstruction. One day two
country-looking chaps came to the
gallery at the park and began to try
their luck with the rifles. There
was u gong Wnlcn rang out every
time tho bull's-eye was hit. After
blazing away two or three times to
get the heft of the rifles these
two strangers got down to business,
and I'll he dingcd if they didn't
bang that gong every clip tor fifteen
minutes, People began to come
around and there was n crowd oi
800 watching the shooting. The
man in charge kept count of the
shots he oweG the strangers until he
found they were 300 ahead of him.
Then he went to the two men and
he said:
Gentlemen, | earn my living al
this business, and I've got "a large
family. You're into me nov
enough to take out all the profits oi
one day. You've had your fun. Il
you'll give me the guns and Lei
some of these people who can't hit
bul's-eyes every time I'll try to get
even.'
somebody in the crowd recog-
mixed Reagan and Slelcher. Ever
since that time we've looked out fol
them Texans and made 'em pay for
their fun.u