The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-23
"OLD TIME" SHOOTING.
DIR. PARDEE's UNBBATEN RECORD
WITH a TELESCOPE RIFLE.


ago, When Marksmen Made Their
own Ammunition and Fastened
Their Guns on a / est.
From the San Francisco Examiner.
Those who Know DR.. E. q. Pardee know
him simply as a retired oculist, an ex-mayor
OF Oakland and man with money and
honesty enough to make politics his play
thing and his pastime. There are only a
few Of the doctors friends, and they have
to be closer to him than his political friends,
who know that the doctor to-day holds the
championship Of the world for long range,
telescope rife shooting, and that be is one
Of the authorities of the world on gunnery
and its laws.
1t was over twenty years ago that DR..
Pardee made his famous score at what was
then the prevailing method of target shoot
ing, when he became the champion shot of
the world. Times have changed since then,
and the old telescope rifle and rest shoot
ing has gone out OF style, but DR..
Pardse's greatest score has never
been beaten in that style of shoot
ing, and he will always hold the champion
ship for that style. Marksmen no longer
work over their guns as did DR.. Pardee and
his competitors, they no longer make their
own powder and shot, and care for their
guns as carefully as If they were children,
Rests are no longer fashionable, and ammu-
milton comes ready made to order and
mans ability as q marksman depends as
much upon his steadiness of nerve as upon
his knowledge Of the effect of powder, the
force OF the wind aud the other intricate
laws Of gunnery.
THE DOCTORS PRIZES WERE CASH.
ptxk nr p.rdaa Has l.. L =.
gunnery than simple reputation, and he has
won SIS. 700 in cash prizes at shooting
matches. has perfected patent upon a
repeating magazine gun, and now has
almost perfected a patent which will revo-
lutionize modern warfare, and make q
greater change in the battle of the future
than was made by the introduction Of gun
powder.
While the makers of cannon have been
lsborinR to produce gun that will carry
farther and have greater penetrating power
by increasing the size Of the gun or the size
OF the charge Of powder, DIR. Pardee has
been working in different direction. He
argued that the greatest resistance TO the
bullet or cannon ball came while it was
travelling from its resting place in the
breach Of the gun to the muzsle. The air,
be argued, was compressed in the muzzle
and there was greater resistance in chat
brief trip than there was at any other part
OF the flight OF the bullet until the object
was reached. There was but one way to
overcome this, and that was to exhaust the
air in the gun Immediately before the shot !.
leaving vacuum through which the bullet
would travel until the open air was reached.
1t was on this theory that DIR. Pardee has
been working for several years and which
he now claims to have perfected. So nearly
is his patent perfected that he is now nego-
tiating with the ordnance department of the
United States government with view of
disposing Of bis patent. as the Gattling gun
was sold, only TO the United States.
TO REvoLUTIoNI8E WARFARE.
DR.. Pardee has a shooting ranch just over
the Contra Costa hills, and there he has
stored small cannon and some heavy
rifles, with which he has been practicing
and working out his theory; and there be
goes every little while to make a practical
application of what he has worked out Of
his head.
'I had been working on the theory for a
long while,n said the doctor. al had made
many experiments, and sometimes l got
disguised and discouraged, but | knew that
there was some way if l could only find it.
One day | made up my mind that would
make my last attempt, and tried it with
small rifle that would penetrate pinch
plank at 100 yards. tried it. and my bull
Acs WOhb VII Oukh blo bWO plbukS bnhb Udu
stood up. nailed another plank on, and
still my bullet went through and was lost
IN the earth. tried fourth plank, and it
was not until l had nailed the fifth inch
plank on that l found my bullet in the last
plank. / had more than doubled the pene-
trating capacity of the gum"
The other patent consists OF an improve
ment upon the repeating rife, by which
twenty-tbree shots can be made in nineteen
gnC0nda and the hullata plorad isao =
inch circle at distance of 100 yards, or
about one-quarter Of the time now made
with the Winchester repeating rife. This
patent has already been sod.
THE FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH.
Ii was in 1858 that DR.. Pardee made Bis
first match and won the championship of
the state. A Mr.. Birdseye of Sacramento
who was one of the shooting enthusiasts of
the state, had issued a challenge to any one
In California to shoot him for 81, 900, Off
hand shooting.
THAT challenge worried me-" says the
doctor, when he gets to telling his old shoot
Ing experiences. II thought knew little
about shooting, for | was Just fool enough
then not TO know how little did know. Isent
east for the best target gun that could be
made, ana they sent me gun that was
specially made by old Edmund Weston Of
Marlborough. Mass. 1t was one of the
nness telescopic rifles ever made, and after
had practiced until could make seven
bulps-eyes out or ten shots l took his
challenge. The day was set and
there was a big crowd of us who went
up on the boat from San Francisco to Sac
ramento. The match was set for Sunday
In May, 1854. 1t was an awfully hot Sun
day. and when we went out on the field
began 30 feel little bit shaky. Before the
shoot was over l had occasion to feel still
more skaky Blrdseye was up to his usual
speed, and little beyond it, and when he
had finished his ten shots found that he
mad made nine bulps-eyes. That was the
best string that / bad ever heard Of being
made, but was determined to do the best l
could. His gun had no telescope attach
ment and made up my mind to put mine
10 the best use. ! nerved myself and when
mad taken nine shots | had nine bulls eyes
as well. My friends were wild. 1t was
San Francisco against Sacramento, and we
tried to get them to back their man against
US Tor the last shot We told them that we
were willing TO give them so much San
francisco money II they would only take it.
Then made the tenth bulls eye. after
ward shot the man for his gun and won that
as we'll"
THE GREAT LOUD MATCH.
In 1858. $50 and go target shooting IN San
Francisco became quite the popular fad,
ana DR.. Pard5e was at the head of all move
rnents OF that kind There was little as
ISOLATION composed of DIR. Pardee, Warren
Loud of the Wholesale liquor firm of Loud
a Hosmer, Can't. Cammet and number of