Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-10


standing figure counts three points. Under
these circumstances II H. only the beginners
who waste shots at the standing figures, and
only in extreme cases and at the longest
distance does the expert shoot at any but
the recumbent figure. Elaborate schemes
have been prepared for deciding ties In the
competition. II the total for two men Is
the same, the score 10 analysed and the
man making the best record at the longer
distances or 1t skirmlsh firing IL given the
preference. or a. a last resort, after ez-
hausting a dozen methods Of analysis, the
men are permitted to shoot on the tie.
~GunslinEv Davidson.
At army headquarters and among the
retired soldiers Is well, az at the different
posts. stories are told Of the remarkable
scores made by men when the Springfield
rife was the gun Of the army, and from
the tales recounted there we're certainly
giants in those days. In and around
Omaha the men are seldom weary Of
speaking Of the record and style Of r.
N. Davidson, who because Of his peculiar
method Of handling his gun at skirmish
firing was given the name Of ''Gun-Sling
Dave" This method Of handling the gun
was BY some means to place the leg Of
the soldier between the gun and the
leather strap, by which II could be slung
on a saddle in such a manner that when
the competing marksmen fell prone to
make a shot be would aim the gun by a
movement OF the leg and have both hands
to manipulate the lock Of the gun, the
breach and the cartridges. It was gem
orally understood that 'Gun-Sling Dave
was the originator Of this method, and
hence his name, but according to A.. w.
Stay Of this city. a man who was among
the distinguished marksmen" Of his day
in the army, the inventor OF this method
Of handling the gun in skirmish firing
was Sergeant Weeks Of the Sixth infantry.
The sergeant came to Omaha one time to
contest for a place on the department
team which wal to go to Fort Smelling to
take part in the division competition. He
had tried every method to improve his
record, but failed to make = place on
the team. At that time he was expert
menting with the leg and gun-sling
method, and when he returned to his post
In the northwest he practiced for a year
with the result that the next year at
Omaha he carried of every prize he shot
at by reason Of his efficiency at skirmish
firing.
Rapid Fire Results.
Inc meLuou Caught Oh bmonb tue moh
who desired to make high scores at skir-
mish firing and by Sergeant Davidson OF
the Sixteenth infantry was probably de-
veloped to a higher degree Of efficiency
than BY any Of the other men. 1t was said
by men familiar with the army that a
year after the introduction Of the maya
zine gun, "Gun-Sling law" could load and
fire twenty shots from his Springfield rife
~ rapidly and as accurately as the average
soldier could shoot twenty shots from the
magazine rife. So far as known the actual
test was never made, but timed. Sergeant
has fred ten shots In consider
ably less than twenty seconds and struck
the target often enough to establish his
reputation as one Of the crack shots Of the
department.
Local Record for Army.
The first competition OF the Department
of the Platte was held at Omaha In 1881.
If the government offered any prizes that
year they were not sufacient to satisfy
the demands Of the ofncers or men, and
the late General Guy v. Henry, who was
ofncer IN charge. went among the business
men Of the city and secured prizes in mer-
chandise and cash which were added to
the government prizes. The result of that
competition was that a team was selected
to, represent the Department of the Platte
at the division contest. This team was
made up In defiance OF the regulations,
having seven men from the Ninth infantry. .
Including A. w. Stay. then sergeant OF
Company r. BY a ruling of the general
Of the army It was permitted to enter the
competition Of the division, and made a
good record for the department. The de-
competition that year was held
At old Fort Omaha, where they continued
TO be held until 1885, when the rife range
1t Bellevue was established. This was
until 1884. when the range at
Fort Crook was opened. General Bates
The FIRST oficer to attempt to use the
range at Fort Crook. He decided after
looking the matter over that the range
was unsafe, as with the magazine guns
he live stock Of the farmers would be
endangered, and he took his regiment upon
he Omaha Indian reservation for prac-
lice. other post commanders have fol-
this course, and 1t is said that not
the expenditure Of considerable
money, probably more than would be war
under the circumstances, can the
Fort Crook range ever be utilized
Media with a History.
Mr.. Stay has several medals won in de-
partmentai and division contests. n has
one with an interesting local history. In
1888 he attended q competition at Fort
Omaha, at which the bar Of the city had
offered q gold medal for the frat prize
Several officers and men strug-
gled for the prize and Mr.. Stay won. The