The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-08-24

, short fine it will have taken leading | place among the favorite sports of | Amarica There are good many req tons for this remarkable growth. As a sport, rife shooting possesses several 1 unique advantages, in addition to the EeueraI benefits to those practicing it, which it shares with other forms of recreation. It is a sport for evening as well as the daytime, for winter as well as summer. Its inexpensiveness has helped make it attractive to people both in city and in country. h this, as in many other respects, small bore rife shooting is exceedingly demo cratic. The present interest in this fascinat- Ing sport, which develops skill and character, eneircles the globe. How eyer far one may travel one is sure to encounter frequently the rife club Idea. The Interest is not merely local or nafionaI, but international The small bore ca calibeE rife is used, as best adapted to short range target shooting purposes
 sl.oosias Around the World.
 Across the. water ming both the Atlantic and the Pacihe-this kind of LILl6 SEO0L108 G1S t1Itd<c0 c 1cAldA nt bIe and constantly increasing popular aty 1n the different civilized countries, having as loyal a following in the Orient as in Europe The Japanese have taken it up with the seriousness that might be expected from that nation. In the British isles there are now al least 5,o0o rifle clubs sporting organ dzations, not military the membership figures reaching half million. Swift zerland has 3,6O0 shooting clubs, with total membership of 214000- Other continental countries, like Germany France and Austria, have also shared largely in the results of this worldwide sporting movement, and throughout Europe In summer or winter, day or night, tine crack of the 2 calibers is heard at the ranges. Beyond the equa- tor conditions are the same South Africa and Australia are equally inter- ested in the sport, and the distance between their rifle ranges is short Go down to that wonderful country, Argentina, and you will find there that rifle shooting is esteemed in the front rank among the national sports.
 Here in our own country it is finding favor all the way from coast to coast. -Four thousand lads in the high schools of New York city are now shooting enthusiastically under equally enthusi- astic instruction The Young Men's Christian Association in many pIaces has made rife shooting part of the training which it gives to boys in the formative period of their. lives. This has not been difficult step, especially as a first class range can be installed for $150 and after the small initial ex- pense has been provided can be made to do considerably more than pay its own way. Especially in the smaller towns the idea has developed and borne fruit
 In country communities it is usually very easy to secure. at hardly any cost suitable location for an outdoor range, and where, as is the case in most of such places. the opportunities of recreation are limited the young peo-a { pie in more than one instance have taken up the game almost as a matter of social self protection. We hear a good deal nowadays about sssociaI en gineering The social engineer the men who helps a community to Fegen- crate itself-las ies-aad that he can make valuable use in this direction by organizing a rifle club. But, of course, the real reason of the popularity of rifle shooting lies In it's inherent at traetiveness as a sport, pure and sim pie
 How Discovery Was Made.
 It is much easier to organize such a club than is generally supposed to be the case. This is Illustrated by the following incident: Something like a year ago, on a Saturday afternoon, a company of young men were Iounging at their club. The town afforded scant opportunity in the way of srecrea- tfoaa1 amusement There really seem ed to be little else to do but to idle and play cards. One of the young men at the card table finally tired of a list less game and said, Come on, fellows; let's do some shooting. . The shoot was pulled of in an open field behind a barn. with target tackled to fence which ran along the foot of hill, and 4he half dozen competitors took turns using the only two rifles avaiIabIe.s
 These young men made a discovery. They discovered the fun of rife shoot ing, its possibilities as an amusement, a recreation, sport That Saturdays extemporfzed contest was the begin ming of rife club which now numbers 400 members.
 Eventually every town in the country viii have it's rife club in many towns, indeed, there will be several clubs rep TeSenEIng the Q1neren-s fraternal organ fzafions and similar bodies. For rife shooting makes an appeal to virile, red b1ooded men. and such are it's peculiar characteristics that no other sport can be suhstituted for it
 Where the "Dubn Is Never .ADub.D
 shooting is not confined to persons who have more leisure than they know what to do with, as those who cannot fI, in the evening. A simple illuminat ting 6e1fce solves the problem, and artificial light is no hindTanee to good marks rnsilleharl. The workers in fhea stores