Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-05-22
HOW TO HANDLE A GUN.
It Doesn't Pay to Play Monkey
Tricks with Firearms.
An Interesting Incident In a Gun Store
How to Climb Fence with a Gun
Some Things Not to Do-State
Camps and Sham Battles.
TcorYRIcHT. 1891. /

bronzed and bearded sportsman OF
seventy walked into big gun store on
Broadway and asked for some 22-caliber
cartridges. A box was handed out to
him and he examined them leisurely
with the eye of an expert.
"The last bought didn't At very
we'll" he observed. 81 think I'll try
these" and with the familiarity of an
old customer he reached to take a gun
down from the rack.
"Don't, sir. please" said the proprte-
tor. YOU'RE an old customer and a
good one, but it's the rule of the store
never to let a gun or pistol be loaded in
it, = - :
'tBosh," said the sportsman, a triie
testify; GIVE handled guns before you
or any of your clerks was born. only
want to see if they will fit. The last
ones had were trifie too tight to
work easily IN my target rifle, which is
this make" And the old sportsman
opened the breech of the rifle he had
taken down and shook two or three
cartridges out of the box he had just
bought. Perhaps he did it trifie more
hastily because of the gun sellers pro-
testations.
IL 1AAC uASSSS AIRCoS~o oAAO
latter, hastily. II really can't"
Bang! Thudi -
He never finished the sentence The
man had dropped the cartridge into the
gun and closed the breech and some
thing had inexplicably gone wrong for
the first time in his half century of ex-
perience. The gun went off, the little
bullet whizzed the length of the store
-, ,N,-lr
about the door, not half yard from
where n man sat loading cartridges.
my God!" said the old sportsman, 81
never had a thing like that happen be-
fore" His cheek was white and his
hand trembled like a leaf in the wind.
The man who had been loading cart
ridges showed a sudden pallor, and all
the clerks came running up with con-
sternation In their faces.
After the trouble was well over the
proprietor-he was Mr.. Henry G.
Squires-was in a mood to talk about
the safe handling of guns. YES" he
said, Its the rule of the store to let no
arm be loaded in it. We simply won't
load gun or pistol for a man and let
him take 1t away. The fool who didn't
know 1t was loaded isn't q patch to
some of the people who come in here.
They will grab the guns off the racks
or counters and point them at each
other, and play all sorts of monkey
tricks. OF course they're never loaded,
but it isn't safe to presume upon that.
People come In here with pistols to be
repaired. SIS it loaded?' we always ask.
oh, no. will be the reply. But we
don't take it for granted. 1t is the in
variable rule in receiving an arm to
look first for cartridges; and you'd be
surprised to see how often we find
them, all rusted in sometimes; sure not
to go off when burglars are around and
quite apt to explode when they're not
wanted to-
''Can't You give me n few sensible
rules about handling gun?" asked.
"The one important rule is never,
under any circumstances, to point the
muzzle of gun or pistol at yourself or
anybody else. 1t makes no difference
whether it's loaded or not. Everyone
who has anything to do with
firearms ought to make this a
sort of second nature, SO that