The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-11-28

Remember, scouts, how the
Americans lay in their breast
works on Bunker Hill and didn't
shoot until they could see the
whites of their enemies eyes?
How far away do you suppose
those British soldiers were when
our men began shooting?
Putting on my strongest spec
tacles, the ones | use for long
range shooting and hunting, /
went out on the street to find out
how far away l could see the
whites of a persons eyes. / found
that my average was PAGES.
To measure distance fairly ac-
curately you must cultivate uni
form step and then learn how
many steps you take in. a given
distance, which should be 100
yards or more.
To estimate distance. AS you
walk along the streets notice how
far you can see the whites of a per-
sons eyes-how far you can dis
tinguish AZ persons features-how
far you can make out the shadows
of persons eye sockets-how far
away you can see that a person $
face is of another color than his
clothes. In the country see how
far away you can distinguish
blades of grass, the bark on trees,
chickens, tell a horse from COW,
see an ordinary chimney.
This is a scouting stunt you can
practice every time you get out
for a walk. AS soon as your
patrol has had 2 chance to practice
up on this, hold a distance Judging
contest.
To Measure Height.
Surveying calls up the picture
of lot of strange instruments,
poles and measuring tapes, yet aiy
scout can do somo mighty accurate
surveying with no other aids than
his six-foot scouts marked
in feet and inches.
How can you measure the
height of poles, trees and build
ings is explained in Fig. 2.
Fig. 3 shows way in which
you can measure the Distance a.
cross a stream or other obstacle.
To do this you need only to know
the length of your step.
To find out how far it is from
A to B without crossing, pick out
some conspicuous object, such as
q rock, tree or post at B. Stand
straddle with one heel at A and
move the other foot back AMI
forth until a fellow scout, sighting
along your heels, tells you that
its heel is squarely in line with
the heel at A and the point b
This will set you facing at right
angles to the line ABB. Standing
thus, bring your palms together
in front of you, with your arms
fully extended. A sight taken
over your thumbs will give you a
line AID, at right angles to the
line ABB. Have your companion
set up his staff 100 PAGES from
you in the line given by this sight
over your thumbs.
Walk straight toward this staff
and at 60 PAGES set UP your staff
Thirty PAGES further on, at the
pOihb ~ otop anu lttl IA
right angle, as you did from the
point A. When this line has been
established, walk forward until
you find point. E, on this line,
where you can see your staff, at
G, directly in line with the mark
you picked at the point B.
Scouts who are in high school
will have understood this stunt
long before this.
Those who don't exactly see why
1t is so, can take my word for
it that the distance from ID to- Il
will be exactly one-half the dis
lance from A to b, which we
started out to find.
Figure 1 shows a method of es-
distance recommended to
the United States army for finding
the range. To work it you must
have pencil, ruler and paper.
You wish to know how far 1t is