The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1909-04-16
Is A SECOND MAXIM.
Mlnot Attorney Equlps Rifles with
Electric Battery for Shooting In

Mtnot Attorney Equips Rifles with
Electric Battery for Shooting In
Darkness.
An army rife equipped with small
electric bulbs which enable the soldier
to shoot at dawn or dusk is the inven.
ton Of Thomas Neary, young attor-
ney Of Minot. The new model is not
only In the hands of the war depart
ment, where 1t is receiving tests. but
two Of the new guns are said to have
been taken by President Roosevelt on
his African hunting trip.
Mr.. Neary has been at work on his
invention for years. Change after
change has been made until few
months ago, when with all of his de-
vices patented, Mr.. Neary made trip
to Washington. Later test was made
at the Rock Island arsenal before OIL
GERS of the United States army.
The new patent can be placed on
any army rifle, small caliber or hunt
ing rifle. It consists Of two minute
electric bulbs just behind the front
and rear sight. The bulbs are pro-
vided with reflectors. which can DO
regulated when shooting at long range
so as to provide for the wind and dis
lance gauge. From the bulbs small
wires run to battery placed in the
stock. A small push button, located
where the left hand grasps the barrel,
allows the shooter to turn on the
lights when needed without shifting
his grip from the position set forth
in the tactics. The bulbs are so small
and so we'll protected that no amount
Of rough usage can break them nor
can the heat of the barrel, no matter
how many times the gun is fired.
cause any change in the mechanism.
No announcements were made at
the time the test was made, as it was
Mr.. Neary's intention not to make the
invention public until after 1t had
been submitted to the war depart
ment All of the target work done
at the exhibition was by Mrs. Clayton
Youngkin of Minot. Mrs. Youngkin
has never missed the bulls eye at 200
yards with the new gun, firing as late
in the evening as 10 o'clock, and as
early as s in the morning. The Or
binary military target was used and
the gun was standard United States
Springfield. At the Rock Island test,
five shots were fired by Mrs. Young
kin at o'clock in the evening, when
the target was barely discernible, and
five bulls eyes were scored.
The gun was then turned over to
the officers in charge, who made every
conceivable test. It was placed in the
testing machine used on new rifles
and was given pressure that almost
broke the stock, yet the lights and
wires remained intact Shot after
shot was fired so rapidly that the op-
orator was barely able to hold the
piece, yet the lights showed no de-
crease in power.
Early in March Mr.. Neary re.
ceived request from Springfield for
permission to equip two hunting rifles
with the invention for the use of Presi-
dent Roosevelt, on his trip to Africa,
and the former president carried with
him two guns equipped with the Mi
not mans invention.
While no definite figures have been
given as to the expense, it is esti.
mated that batteries can be secured
for the guns at cost which would
equal that of three ordinary rife car
tridges. II the device is accepted by
the government, it will undoubtedly
be placed on every gun used by the
regular army and militia