Arizona republican., 1901-04-11
HANDLING A GUN.
More Crack Pistol Shots are Found ir
 Cities Than on the Plains.

| A New York dealer in firearms is quoted by an interviewer as having said
 Very few eastern men use revolver skilfully. It's only out on the plains that revolver shooting Is a fine art. | Great Scott! How almost any real westerner can handle revolver! He's as quick as chain lightning, and ap- parently never bothers about aiming at anything yet he's a dead shot" | Not one statement of alleged fact in those four sentences is correct, all though all of them are popularly be- | lieved
 in the first place, there are more skill ful revolver shots in New York city than one could find in a month in any western state outside the cities of Chi cago. St. Louis and San Francisco, and probably as many as in those three cities combined although san Fran cisco has a considerable number of ex- perts
 For fifteen years revolver practice has been the pastime of a great number of club men In New York, and worlds records have been made In the old Conlln gallery, where Frank Lord, the most noted amateur plsto! shot of his day, and Ira Paine. professional cham Dion, learned to use the small arm. Last year a team of eastern men, most ly New Workers, defeated the French in an international cable revolver match.
 Revolver shooting as fine art has been developed in the cities, and is vir- ttta l1xT ,,,,lr, tl,o 1a;, A tain rough h-and-ready proficiency in the use of the revolver for purposes of homicide is acquired by the plainsmen. but among them the expert is a notable exception notwithstanding the popular belief to the contrary. The man who is quick as chain lightning" and makes dead shots without aiming is mostly q myth When he does appear, he achieves a reputation that makes him unique in whole state or territory.
 He Is the favorite character of writ CTS of fiction-the fiction that fills space in newspapers as we'll as that between covers You hear about him frequently In the west. but you may spend years in searching for him and never meet him.
 Because the westerner has the gun packing habit it by no means follows that he is skilful in the use of his weap- on, and commonly he Is not. The lead that has hurtled armlessly through the air In western gun fights would suffice 10 make a solid. full-size replica of BartholdPs statue of Liberty.
 You are not to accept literally the statements of the man from the west concerning his marvellous skill with the revolver. He may not intend to deceive, but his imagination needs governor 10 keep it from racing. He thinks he can perform miracles with Colt 45 until he makes the attempt, and then his chagrin and his excuses are lament able.
 It is well to remember, however, that shot which would not come anywhere near cutting the spot out of an ace of hearts at twenty yards would catch a man at five, and it might be unwise to presume too far upon the westerner's lack of ability to back up his boasts
 Most of the tail stories of western re. volver shooting are told not as per- sonal boasts, but of third persons, and they grow in telling. A California
 
 man. whom he named, shoot flying sparrows with a pocket revolver and put two shots through silver dollar while it was in the air. and he believed his gigantic lie was a plain, unvar- nished tale.
 Noting some sign of incredullty, he quickly added that he wouldn't have believed it himself if he hadn't seen it and when I gravely remarked that didn't see it he took no offense.
 Some things can be done with a six shooter and some can't, and most of the popular literature of western gum play is concerned with the latter.
 There is nothing in the air. the soil or the sunshine of plains that breeds marksmen and the only advantage the plainsfnen have over the customers are plenty of room and opportunity for shooting. and conditions of life condu- cive to familiarity with firearms.
 It Is practice that gives skill, and the eastern men, who use the revolver for sport. practice much more than do the westerners, who carry six-shooters be- cause they think they may need them in an emergency.
 m NtW I OFk dTe uOZenS or men WnO can hit with a pistol ball the edge of q card at twelve paces, and make better target scores with the revolver than most men who call themselves good shots can make with the rife. l have met and shot with many cowboys. hunters. peace officers and miscellane- ous gun fighters on the plains and in the mountains of the west-men having regulations as eXperts-and never hap pened to find one as skilfu as the club men of New York and San Francisco. They were all dangerous in fight, but the fine work which attests skill was beyond them. The feat performed by George Bird of New York firing at the word and putting six consecutive shots cleanly inside circle the size of a quarter at twelve yards, would have been credible to them only as a thing actually witnessed, and an exhibition of a few less difficult fancy shots ex cited their admiring surprise.
 l have wondered why revolver prac- .TLE DAT ACE|