The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-05-17
CARVER ON SHOOTING.
Why a 3Iarksman Sometimes Can Hit an
Sometimes Cannot.

Sometimes Cannot.
DR. Carver, the champion rife shot of
the world, so well known by the Indians
of the great west as the Spirit Gun,
explained to "a reporter yesterday why
it was that dead shots, cowboys and
other western and southern characters,
accustomed from childhood to the use
of revolvers and rifles would make re-
markably bad scores when laboring I'M
der the slightest excitement.
why" said the doctor, Il have
known men who could snuff a candle at
forty PAGES with siX-shooter to go out
into the middle of the street and empty
gun at some fellow who was blazing
away at them short distance off and
never touch their man. 1t makes a
heap of difference to most men when
they are squirting along the barrel of
a Winchester or over the sight of q SIX
shooter whether they are cutting loose
at an inanirnate target or looking into
the muzZle of a gun. | don't mean To
say they are frightened, as | have seen
many men who didn't know the sensa-
ton of fear take so much pride in their
craftsmanship. get wrought up to such
frenzy by being opposed to anyone,
that they get into a state OF nervous
excitement that renders il almost i'm
possible to hit anything. There was a
shooting match between two bad men
at Plum Creek, across a billiard table.
Neither finchcd, and both emptied
their guns. and both men were hit but
once, and that exactly in the same
place They had each thrown their
arms upward over the heart To protect
it. and they were hit in the arm near
the elbow. the other shots flying wide
of the mark. causing stampede and
wrecking some of the glassware.
THE same thing applies 10 big game
shooting. When you take quail or
SHINE shooter. man who rarely misses
in the field. and let him be ever so good
a wing shot, lead him out into the tim
Der or on the prairie and show him a
moose, bear. or elk, il is a hundred to
one that he will miss the animal alto
gether. Good shots have been known
to empty the magazine of d Winchester
at the first big animal they ever fired
at and then become mortified 10 see
the animal trot off upiniursd. OF
course this is not fear; IL Is excitement.
1t Is known 10 ali hunters a. buck
ague. and few indeed there are who
have not experienced It some tune in
their lives. There are men, however,
who never shoot except To Kill their
man. They are invsria bly, cold biooded.
iron-nerved. desperate men, who have
devoted their lives 10 hunting men or
protecting themselves. and who expert
ence a. little excitement while being
shot at and shooting at a man a. the old
hunter does while pursuing bis favorite
game. These men carry the best re
volvers obtaina bic. their pistols always
being Of the largest caliber and single
action. for a cowboy or an Indian viii
have nothing 10 do with a self-cockeT.
Such men wear their guns in such a
manner as 20 be able u drop their hand
upon them without any false motions
OF awkward gestures. and wear them
where Il IS impossible for them To get
caught IN the clothing in the act of
dra wing.
One Of the coolest things ever saw
was : man who had tcrrorized western
Missouri for long time after the cio>e
OF the gar and who had empticd his
six-shooter at a party % men opposed
10 bin and his side during one Of the fac
tioaal fights. After III wing his gun, in
stead Of attempting ~ seek shelter. be
rode boldly out into the town and sat
nprizh; IN the saddle coolir reloaciuy
his pistol while under IRE. and having
satisfied himself thzt he wzs ready for
battle again he = hiTled around and
ala some veTT effective work until the
opposition made Il - hot for his party
tia, thew refrrated fighting d0sn =
side street and escaped across The
bread creek that ran through the edge