Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1894-05-05
INDIANS AS MARkSMEN.

Can Handle Revolvc,
One of the delusions long cherished
by readers of Indian stories and by
believers i'll the prowess of the Indian
III war, is that the Indian
is sharpshooter of the most unfail
ing and deadly description, and that
white men are but infants in the use
of firearms as compared with the red
men of the plain and the forest.
Statistics do not always tell the
truth, observes the New York Times.
but some recent figures tell more truth
about the ability of the Indian To
shoot than the old tradition is pre-
pared to meet.
They have had some small arms
competitions out West. and in the
course of the competition the Indians
who have been enlisted in the army
of the Colorado have had chance tu
show what they could do side by side
With white men
The best that can be said of them
IN the report is that they have made
progress since being enlisted, but it
also says that the sights on the rifles
ar" still incomprchcnSible to them,
and that much patience has been ne
c"SSary on the part of the officers To
~ i'i- 'i'lil W tlly UNDERSTANDABLE Ut
all of the principles of workmanship.
Troop l. of the Second Cavalry. that
being an Indian company, showed an
individual average figure of merit of
f22.2222, while the average figure of
merit of the company was 7S.SS.
In collective firing the Indian aver.
age WAS 31.T. while the men of the
other troops made an average of 62.I0.
The Indians in the Eleventh Infan-
try made for their company O the
average individual figure of merit of
2.rn', while the figure of the other
troops was 62S7.
At pistol firing the Indians DO bet
ter. There is separate report on this
sort of firing for the same troops. and
l. of I'll" Second Cavalry, being com
posed exclusively of Indians. made Il
record of which the men should be
proud. if they ever learn about it,
Al diSmountcd practice they made
IN average of 13.SS. as compared with
the general average for the command
of 61O: at mounted practice their
average WAS far ahead of the white
troops. and their average per cent for
all firing was 6o.12, as compared with
-. LIS for the whole command.
There were some other intcrcStn.
statistics obtained by this practice.
The natives of the United States stood
eleventh in order of merit among ma
tionalitics. Norway. AUSTRIA Switz
"rland. Ireland, France, Denmark
Scotland, Germany. Canada and Bel
@ium coming in order before the
United States.
The men of six feet in height and
over We're also highest in order of
mnIli SIDrnShnnt,,S I, II,
est men We're the lowest The men of
light blue eyes were the best marks
men, with those of dark blue next.
Even the li%ht-bluc eyed men were the
best markSm"n among the negroes.
DiSpo>>e>>ion of Land.
Lawyers of Il later day have rNprr-
fenced no little difficulty in appreciate
Ing that Britton, st. Gprmail. and
others 'f our earliest legal writer's
spoke adviS"dly when they defined Il
freehold interest in land (Which bore
10 our early law the relation occupied
in modern law by the word ownership
as meaning the ''poSSrSSiOn of rhr
soil. Yet the accuracy of this dciini-
ton AT the date of its origin finds the
most ample and varied attcstaton in
"ur authentic legal history. The word
'
land law. That one who wrongfuIly
diSpoSScSS"d another of his land. ln
succeed in the estate or interest in the
land, was one of the most deeply
rooted doctrines of the common law
from the time when the idea of an
estate in lands was first concrvcd
Th" diSpoSS"SS"r acquired that which
he could sell and transfer, and that
which upon his death would descend
To his heirs. On the other hand. the
person diSpoSScsSed had nothing lrft
which any one could buy or which
in the event of his death his heirs
could inherit. 1t was almost the mid
lie of the present century before in En-.
land this ceased to be the law The
natural effect of this doctrine as the
reader will no doubt be prepared tu
believe, was to make the law of tn,
diSpoSScSSion one of the most interest
i'll" and prolific branches of our earlier
Jurisprudence. 1t became directly and
indirectly the subject matter of Il
surprisingly large proportion of Judi
cial decisions. and of Il corresponding
ly large part of the early legal com
mrntaricS. and. of course. CONTINUED
To be cXpoundcd and developed in ir%
detailed applications long after the
disappearance of the mental and so.
cial conditions that gave it birth.-W.
w. BillSon in Popular Science Month.
ly.