The Savannah morning news., 1904-11-27

Letters from boys and Girls to Ne
Used Before Congress by National
board for Promotion of RAne Prnc-
tice I'm Effort to secure ADpropria-
tiOn-BOy's and Girls Reasons for
Wanting Rifles.
BY r. NJ Larner.
Washington, ID. c., Nov. 26.--Sone-
time ago the manufacturers of a we'll
known sporting rife inauguated a COM
petition under which boys and girls
were to submit their reasons for de-
string a rifle, and offered a number
of rifles as prizes. The National Board
for the Promotion OF Rife Practice
has come into possession Of q number
of these letters and they will prob
ably be used in connection with the
report of the board TO Congress as
showing the interest which young peo-
pie OF both sexes take in the subject
of rife practice and the good which
may be expected to follow encourage
ment of the same by the increase OF
facilities for practice In the public and
other schools, as well as in the estab-
| lishment OF outdoor ranges. Some OF
the letters are so good as to lead to
the belief that the youthful pens were
| guided by more mature hands, but in
any event they are very interesting.
A Michigan Boys Letter.
Morton r. White, a 14-year-old boy
| OF Grand Rapids. Mich, writes. 1.-The
| rife is a weapon everybody should
| learn to shoot. Shooting 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 and
woods where, while enjoying ones self,
there is a chance to study nature bet
ter than one can from books on the
subject"
John G.. Brady, Jr., the 14-year-old
son OF the Governor of Alaska, says:
THE reason / think that young boys
and girls should have fire arms is that
II trains their eyes to be straight and
their hands to be steady"
Girl who shoots "a Rifle.
One of the most interesting letters
is from Ruth Alice Anderson (aged III,
who says: II believe that all young
people that like open-air sports should
own rifles of their own and become ex-
perts in handling them. II is a splen-
did exercise for the mind, body, nerve,
eye and hand, and is beneficial in many
other ways. In the first place, 1t Is
such fine recreation after one has been
closely confined to study or work. and
in the beginning one should learn how
to handle and clean his or her gun.
and first of all TO be very careful to
neither ones self nor any one else is
hurt by an accidental explosion or dis
charge" Little Miss Anderson lives
In Baltimore and II is to be hoped she
makes good use of her rife as she was
one OF the two girls to whom prizes
were awarded. Her father is fond OF
the sport and has taught his daughter
the use OF his own gun
EVERY boy and girl should own and
learn to shoot a rife" says another
letter, because accurate rife shooting
requires precision as the rife must be
aimed 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 encour-
AGED"
Prefers Rife to Novel
Martha Gay Haskell Of Auburndale.
Mass, a 17-year-old school girl, says:
You cannot leave rife hanging use
| less on its pegs while you doze lazlly
with novel by the fire. IT IL insist
/ ent in it's call and many tramp to
many pleasure would have been pass
ed by unknowing II II were not for
its timely presence. II is truly a
guide, philosopher and friend
guide to gtrong muscles, clear brains
| and cheerful hearts; a philosopher
teaching the best Of its creed-content;
4
worthy OF its friendship"
A Tennessee Boys Ambition.
A boy I'm Tennessee gives the fol-
lowing logical explanation OF his de-
sire to own a rife: First. boy
can never learn to shoot without a
| gun: IL he cannot learn to shoot he
/ cannot be a Rough Rider; II he can
not be a Rough Rider how can he be
President? Every American boy has
right to be President. so he should be
fairly started with a gun. Every girl
should have a gun, for she might be-
come the wife OF a President"
IF Uncle Sam called for soldiers
and the soldiers had never handled
gun, and had 20 be taught after they
Joined the army, why. think the army
and navy would be left in the SOUP"
writes another candidate. 80 think
that every true American boy should
have q rife and not only shoot II to
hear the noise. but get so accurate
with II that he could hit a small spot
within the rifles range; then when IN
Gle Sam calls FOR volunteers the Unit
ed States would have the best army
and navy IN the world"
A little girl OF a philosophical turn
OF mind. says. III seems 10 me that
girls should have steady hands and
Dyes az we'll na boys In fact. II seems
~ though girls needed 10 learn 10 be
steady more than boys. for I am afraid
We have too many nerves and are too
! easily ungirunl ana ny-away."