The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-09-11

OPuLAR interest I'm small bore
e ride shooting is 50 rapidly In
creasing that there can be little
question but that within q very
( s9,Sr4 t1une II win have taken q leading
mace among the favorite sports Of
America. There are good many rea-
cons for this remarkable growth. AS
i sport, ride shooting possesses several
z nnioue advantages, in addition to the
general benefits to those practicing II.
Z which it shares with other forms OF
recreation. 1t Is sport for evening
as well as the daytime, for winter as
vel as summer. It's inexpensiveness
rs helped make it>attrnctive to people
( 10Th in city and in country. In this,
Al in many other respects, small bore
ride shooting is exceedingly demo
cratic.
The present interest in this fasc1nat-
: Ing sport, which develops skill ana
character, enclrcles the globe How;
i ever Tar one may travel one is sure 10
ancounter frequently the ride clup
idea. The interest is not merely local
or national, but international The
small bore coz caIiber) rife is used, as
best adapted to short range target
shooting purposes.
Shooting Around the World.
Across the wnter-meaning both the
Atlantic and the Pacific this kind. OF
rife shooting has attained remarka-
bic and constantly increasing popular
Sfty In the different civilized countries.
having as loyal a following In the
orient us 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 at.
lenst 5000 rifle clubs sporting organ
-izations, not mflitary-the membership
figures reaching half million. Swift
zerland has 5000 shooting clubs, with
total membership of pa 600. 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. the crack of the 70 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 rife ranges is short
Go down to that wonderful country,
Argentina, and you will find there that
rife 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
Iof New York city are now shooting
enthusiastically under equally enthusi-
astfc instruction. The Young Mems
Christian Association in many places
has made rifle 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 first class range can be installed
for $50 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
yange, and where, as is the case In
most or such places, the. opportunities
Of recreation are limited the young peo-
ME in. more than one instance have
taken up the game almost as matter
Of social self protection. We hear a
good deal nowadays about social en-
Rineering." The social engineer-the
man who helps community to regen-
crate itself-has learned that he can
make valuable use in this direction by
Organizing rifle club. But, of course,
the real reason of the popularity OF
ride shooting lies in its inherent at
effectiveness as a sport, pure and sim
pie
How q Discovery Was Made.
1t 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
year ago, ON Saturday afternoon, a
company OF young men we're lounging
ii their club The town afforded
scant opportunity in the way of recrea-
tionaI amusement. There really SEEM
cd 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
puIied of In an open field behind a
barn. with target tackled to fence
which ran along the foot OF a hill, and
Iue nalI OOZ0u SOA4pelllO1S tOOA SoAAA
Z using the only two rides available.
These young men made a discovery.
! They discovered the fun of rifle shoot
Ing, its possibilities "a an amusement,
Z recreation. sport. That Saturdays
extemporized contest was the begin
Ming of a rife club which now numbers
100 members.
Eventually every town in the country
81 In l,ava ifx riao clI1t--in many towns.
Indeed. there will be several clubs, rep