The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-06-07

THE IA Eax1lla menlhara Of the Viz
gilman Juvenile Circle formed de-
batting club some time ago and held
their first fperhaps their last) de-
bate recently.
For discussion they had selected
the question: Resolved, That the
shot gun Is superior TO the rifle and
in the following order and manner
was this great question treated.
Robert Garland. leading off for the
affirmative, thus addressed the audi
ence: Ladies and gentlemen. it is
such a well established fact that the
uses to which the shot gun can be
put and the implicit confidence which
we can place in this trusty weapon
have so clearly proved its superior
ity that It would be q waste Of words
TO go INTO any lengthy argument at
this time.
Permit me. however. TO give you
one concrete example of the value of
the shot gun. My mother does
great deal of canning at this season
Of the year. Only last week did she
purchase several bushels OF cherries
to preserve. The perplexing prob
lem of seeding the things presented
itself, for the seeder had been mis-
placed and could nowhere be found.
Father found an easy and effective
method. He got out his old shot
gun and put in an extra big charge
of number skies, then he sent one OF
the servants on the roof OF the back
porch with peck of cherries to be
poured out upon the roof, while he
stood below with gun in hand, When
the cherries rolled over the caves.
bang. went the old shot gun. and
every seed was knocked far into the
81 h}pa yrht1 of yn9
fruit fell into the large vat that had
been placed to receive IT,.
Amid great applause from the as
semblage, Robert took his seat, and
was followed by Wallace Duvall, who
opened for the negative. THE ex-
ample Just cited" said he, can but
cause me to see the vivid likeness
between the shot gun and my prede-
cessor. helter-sS elter, ha-
rum skarum. scatter-brain,
But, levity aside. what we aah
wish 70 inaist upon as the chief
qualification OF the weapon is abso-
lutte accuracy. whether the object
at be far or near; and who would even
dare think OF comparing the unworthy
shot gun with the accurate and relia
BILE rifle?
ITO illustrate: My brother, who Is
member of the Farmville Gun club
and captain of the military company,
says there lis nothing on the face of
the earth superior TO his rifle, with
which he has frequently aimed hit the
bulls-eye fifty times in rapid sue
cession. and that, too, with the very
same bullet!
You may think 1t wonderful; yes.
wonderful it was. but true. He would
at first put in the fun loaded cart
ridge and fire with careful aim, the
ball going straight TO the center of
the target. which, being of rubber,
caused the ball to rebound and enter
the barrel of the rifle Just as he had
clapped In fresh charge of powder;
and so on until. perehance, by some
slight deviation, the ball would go
astray."
John Meeker. who had been Sc
lected as second speaker for the af-
firmative. began by saying that he
had hardly thought 1t necessary to
add anything TO what his colleague
had already said. II wish. however"
said he, .'to state emphatically that
for utility and service the shot gun
cannot be surpassed by the little one
horse thing you call a rifle.
"Out in tho State OF Indiana where
I was born my two uncles went out
one day on big hunting trip, and.
to be sure Of bagging the game, took
! with them THAR trrsty shot guns