Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-10-18
MANY SCHOOLBOY MARKSMEN
Over $4,000 Record for Last School
and College Year,
NEVER ANY SERIOUS ACCIDENTS
Not One Lad So Far injured ON Rifle
Ranges - War Department
Furnishes POwderless
TARGET Gunl

over 1900 college and school boy
marksmen Il the record for the school
year ending June 30, 1914. Through the
combined efforts OF the National Rifle
Association OF America and the National
Board for the Promotion OF Rifle Prao-
tiee rapid strides are being made looking
to the introduction OF rifle shooting "a
one OF the recognized sports In the schools
and colleges throughout the country and
the movement has been still further slim
ulated by a recent act OF congress au-
thoriEing tho free issue of rifles and
ammunition 10 such clubs and 20 cadet
corps
This work was begun several years ago
by the National Rifle association. backed
by the War department, with result
that at the present time there are forty
two colleges and universities and eighty
eight private and public preparatory
schools having rifle clubs. National
championships are now being carried on
In both CLASSES OF institutions. Among
the colleges there are competitions, both
indoor and outdoor, representing the in
tercolleEiate championship, and among
the schools the government has presented
trophies representing tho public high
school shooting championship and the
military school championship Of the coun-
try The indoor competitions for both
colleges and schools are now being or
ganized for the indoor season. These
matches are shot on indoor ranges with
.22-caliber rifles.
Letters for Team Men.
As an evidence OF the fact that the ath-
letic authorities of great many colleges
and universities, az well 40 schools, are
recognizing Workmanship as a part Of
their athletic curriculum, many OF them
are giving the college or school letter to
those students who make the rifle teams
A feature OF this work which Is worthy
OF mention Is the fact that there have
been no serious accidents OF any kind on
rifle ranges since the work was intro
duced. a claim that could hardly hold
good In connection with other prominent
school sports such as foot ball and base
ball. To overcome the erroneous impress
sion In the minds of members OF school
boards that rifle shooting Is dangerous.
the War department has offered TO sew
eral cities sub-taHget gun machines for
installation in their high schools This
is an apparatus which teaches rifle
shooting without the use of powder and
ball and IL a mechanical .contriyanco
which Stimulates actual rifle firing and
which has been used with great success
on our war ships and In army barracks,
Use Machines Ina New York. j q
There il ono of those machines IN
every high school In Ore>.er sr~-- v~-s
where there are over 1900 school boys
between the ages Of 10 ant Is .ns aua.Ay
annually as junior marksmen under the
schoolboy course approved by the War
department,
After years OF opposition the Boy Scouts
OF America are recognising the value of
teaching craftsmanship as a character
builder and have authorized the issue of
merit badges for marksmanship. This
work 10 carried on In cooperation with
the National Rifle Association OF Amer
lea. who supplies instructors and super
visors The value to the nation OF the
training OF the youth OF the land in the
mechanism and use Of the firearms Is in
eattmable. large standing army will
not be a great necessity II citizens are
trained in the first requisite Of a de-
fender Of his country. Therefore, the
promotion OF rifle shooting not only trains
the eye and the nerve and builds up the
physical standard OF our young men. but
also at the same time adds a valuable as
set to the defensive strength OF the
country.