The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1893-09-09
WAR NOT so DEADLY.
A Soldiers View of the Gun that
Took Nine Shots to Kill Pig.

LOOK Nine Shots TO XIII a rig.
Amid the crashing of banks, the
closing of factory doors and the
bowling of the unemployed, it must
be great pleasure to the taxpayer
to turn his weary eyes toward the
storm-cloud and watch the progress
sive military star shining like huge
electric light in the darkness.
At TIE cost of millions of dol
lars, other countries have repeated
ly changed the firearms of their
armies in the last few years. The
boast that these improvements have
been made while our army was
enjoying Rip Van Wrinkle nap. To
regain our lost prestige at one bound
aud place our flag on the outposts
of progress, military board, COM
posed of so-called experts, was
authorized to accomplish the good
work
| Catching a military craze from
across the seas like the smallpox the
board snatched from the soldier his
| faithful 45-caliber weapon and placed
in his hand the 80. caliber Krag-J or.
gensen gun. This rifle, like al
small-bore guns, has never beer
tested in war, but the 30caliber rifle
has a wonderful record. Under the
most favorable circumstances it wa:
tested recently in England, and il
actually stopped pig in nine shots
Now, with such destructive weapon
in the hands Of our regulars anC
militiamen, where is the pig headed
enemy that would dare to stand be
fore such whitening fire?
While the army has reduced thu
calber of rifles SO as to make wa
long and attractive, the navy has in
creased the caliber of it's guns so a
to make war short and decisive
This anomaly should cause som'
dyspeptic sentimentalist to arise anc
explain.
At the Worlds Fair in Chicago +;
soldier in charge of the army ex
hibit was asked what he would do i
he were out with a ag-Jorgensel
rifle in the canebrakes of Arkansa
and came across a wild razorbacl
boar. He replied after shor
pause: 'What do you think I'd do
If it takes nine shots TO stop pig,
would not dare to fire at The boar
for if | did the Colonel of my rcgi
ment would try me by the fifteenth
article of war, for wasting Govern
ment ammunition. l would simpl
apologize to the boar for the sa,
predicament in which the board O
, experts had placed me, then woul'
, quietly bring the hog to comforta
,, bic parade rest and go back to tn
/ post after an uncivilized 45-calibe
. rifle"
I When the representative of tn
krag-Jorgensen gun was asked t
, pom he answered.: This is mag;
zine rifle with a mechanism unsul
passed, and although the bullet
small it has such an initial yelocit
. that it will go farther than an
other and yet give the desired excel
ton"
, But suppose the improved pow
der were applied to a large bulle
would not the result be more salts
factory"
1T would not, because the objee
of the small bullet is to lessen til
horrors of war, and not to splinte
the bone through which il may pas
r but to make little gimlet hole"
What wonderful saving of bon
r splinters when bullets are econom
cally administered. Just think, 20
regulars and militiamen, what
great pleasure it is to be borne fro
the battlefield with your bodies s
full of nice little gimlet holes thu
you will resemble porous plaster
and yet you will not be bothered t
sit up in bed and pick out the splil
ters.
r There is not shadow of a doul
d that the millennium is fast approach
+. ing and that the standing armi'
will soon be civilized into fashion
able hair pulling clubs, and will leal
war no more. The Krag-Jorgense
rifle is a mighty stride in that dire
= ton, for it minimizes the number
deaths, and at the same time ALLOW
I! the soldier the maximum amount
fun in battle. 1t is therefore gre
improvement over the old way al
soldiers should rejoice that our arm
has at last touched the high-wat
mark of military perfection--nil
shot One Diul--- San Ernncjsco HbrOn