Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1890-12-20
TEXANS ARE GOOD SHOTS.
Congrssszsen from the Lone St. s1ezss
Have = RsPutation In WASH %gton.

Coneressnen from the Lone St. lezts
Have = Rsputafion In WASH <gtoR
There is shooting gallery on
Pennsylvania avenue. It Is located near
the National and Metropolitan Hotels,
where the Texans and other Southern
Congressman stop. Ordinary marks
men shoot at bulls-eyes, or at tin men
and women which dance, or vt station
airy 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 ends of
long strings in a most confusing way.
Stewart is q very large man. He is
from Southern Texas. Lxnham is
little man from Western Texas, and I'M
til the new States were let in he repre-
sented more sanare miles and prairie
dogs than any other man in Congress.
Both Stewart and Lanham can shoot.
Stewart one evening last week smashed
the flying glass balls with a small rife
at the rate of six out of ten shots. Lam
ham didn't do so well.
The shootiug-gallery man withdraws
all premiums when the Texans enter:
The only way they can shoot is against
each other or on the principle of Dutch
treat Stewart, on the evening referred
to, had challenged Lsnham, and the
one who fell short was to settle the
score. Lanham saw the count going
badly against him.
Give me pistols" he said to the at
tendant.
Stewart demurred, but Lanham made
the point that having been challenged
he was entitled to choice of weapons.
Taking pistol in each hand, Lanham
fired first with the right and then with
the left. He broke every ball until he
had overtaken Stewart, who waS still
plugging away with the rife. Then
the big man gave it up and paid the
score.
As the gallery man took in the money
he said that he hadn't seen such pistol
shooting in his place for three months.
~Oh, that wasn't much" said Lam
ham. "You ought to see me when Pm
out on my campaign next month.
ride wild mustang and plug the eyes
out of jack rabbits every time 1 shoot"
The gallery mans eyes followed adj
miringly the retreating forms of the
big and little Congressman as he said:
"Them Texas fellows is great on the
shoot. Ely ever hear how Senator
Reagan and Congressman Gustave
Sleicher played it on US when they first
came here to Congress from Texas
about fifteen or sixteen years ago? We
used to have crows out at the Schuetzen
Park and the shooting-gallery did
good business. In those days we used
to give three shots free for every time
the bulrs-eye was hit. You see there
wasn't so many Southerners in Wash
ington then. 1t was during reconstruc-
ton. One day two country-looking
chaps came to the gallery at the park
and began to try their luck with the
rifles. There was gong which rang
out every time the bulps-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
be dinged if they didn't bang that gong
every clap for fifteen minutes. People
began to come around and there was a
crowd of 500 watching the shooting.
The man in charge kept count of the
shots he owed the strangers until he
found they were 300 ahead of him.
Then he went to the two men and said:
Gentlemen, earn my living at this
business, and I've got large family.
You're into me now enough to take out
all of the profits of one day. You've
had your fun. If you'll give me the
guns and let some of these good people
who can't hit bulPs-eyes every time
have a chance I'll try to get even"
Somebody in the crowd recognized
Reagan and Sleicher. Ever since that
time we've looked out for them Texans
and made 'em pay for their fun."-
Washington letter.