Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-03
WOULD LEARN TO SHOOT.
Why Many Girls and Boys Would Like
to Own Rifles.

Recently competition was inaugurated
| under which boys and girls were to submit
| their reasons for desiring rifle. A number
| of rifles were offered as prizes. Many OF
| these letters have come into the possession
| of the national board for the promotion OF
| rifle practice, of which Gen. Hairless COM
| manding the District of Columbia Militia,
| is member, and they will probably be
| used in connection with the report of the
| board to Congress, as showing the interest
which young people of both sexes take in
the subject of rife practice. -
A boy In Tennessee gives the following
logical explanation of his desire to own 8
| rifle: ...-. ~
| First, a boy can never learn to shoot
without a gun. II he cannot learn to shoot
| he cannot be a rough rider. If he cannot
be rough rider, how can he be Presidentf
Every American boy has a right to be
President. so he should be fairly started
with gun Every girl should have a gun.
for she might become the wife of Presi-
dent" Ne''-t
IF Uncle Sam called for soldiers and the
soldiers had never handled a gun, and had
to be taught after they joined the army,
why, 1 think the army and navy would
be left in the SOUP" another -compeutor
wrote. $50 think that every true Ameri-
can boy should have rifle, and not only
shoot 1t to hear the noise but get so ac-
curate with 1t that he could hit a small
| spot within the rifles range; then, when
Uncle Sam calls for volunteers, the United
States would have the best army and navy
In the world
A little girl of a philosophical turn OF
mind said:
at seems to me that girls should have
steady hands and eyes as well as boys. In
fact, it seems as though girls needed to
learn to be steady more than boys, for
am afraid we have too many nerves and are
too easily unstrung and fyaway."
John G. Brady, jr., the fourteen-year-old
son of the governor of Alaska. wrote:
1.-The reason think that young boys and
girls should have firearms is that 1t trains
their eyes to be straight and their hands to
be steady"
Miss Ruth Alice Anderson of Baltimore.
Md, little girl eleven years of age, was
awarded a prize for the following:
Il believe that all young people that like
open-air sports should own rifles of their
own and become expert I'm handling them.
1t is a splendid exercise for the mind, body.
nerve, eye and hand, and is beneficial in
many other ways. In the first place, IL IS
such fine recreation after has been
closely confined to study or work. and In
the beginning one should learn how TO ham
die and clean his or her gun. and first or
all to be very careful to avoid accidents OF
all kinds so that neither ones self nor any
one else is hurt by an accidental explosion
or discharge"
According to Morton r. White of Grand
Rapids Mich, the rife is weapon every
body should learn to shoot Shooting, ne
says makes us keen of sight and steadies
the nervous system as nothing else can;
owning a good gun encourages one to leave
the smoky city and seek the fields ana
woods where while enjoying ones self,
there is chance to study nature better
than one can from books on the subject
Every boy and girl should own and learn
to shoot a rifle" says another juvenile
writer because accurate rifle shooting re-
quires precision, the rifle must be airne3
exact in order to hit the target aimed at.
This reflex action or habit trains his or her
mind to precision. and whatever does this
is to be encouraged"
Martha Gray Haskell of Auburndale,
Mass a seventeen-year-old school gtrl, Is
the authoress of the following:
You cannot leave a rifle hanging useless
on its pegs while you doze laZily with a
novel by the fire. Ii is insistent in its call,
and many a tramp TO many a pleasure
would have been passed by unknowing IL IL
were not for its timely presence 1t Is truly
guide, philosopher and friend guide
to strong muscles. clear brains and cheer
full hearts; a philosopher teaching the best
of its creed-content and a friend TO all
who ask and are worthy Of its friendship.