Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1915-06-03

UNPOPULAR interest in small bor
rifle shooting Is so rapidly In
creasing that there can be littl,
question but that within yer,
short time it will have taken leading
place among the favorite sports o.
America There are a good many rea
SONS for this remarkable growth. A.
sport, rifle shooting possesses severa
unique advantages, in addition to the
general benefits to those practicing 1t
which 1t shares with other forms Of
recreation. 1t Is sport for evening
as well as the daytime, for winter as
well as summer. Its Responsiveness
has helped make 1t attractive to people
both in city and in country. In 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, encircles the globe. How
ever far one may travel one Is sure to
encounter frequently the rifle club
idea. The interest is not merely local
or national. but international The
small bore 90 caliber) rife is used, as
best adapted to short range target
shooting purposes.
Shooting Around the World.
Across the water-meaning both the
Atlantic and the Paci6c-this kind of
rifle shooting has attained remarka-
BILE and constantly increasing popular
ity In the different civilized countries,
having as loyal 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 at
least 5000 rifle clubs-sporting organ
1zations, not military-the membership
figures reaching half million. Swift
zerland has 1900 shooting clubs, with
a total membership Of 214,O004 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 % 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, |
and you will find there that
rife shooting is esteemed in the front |
rank among the national sports.
Here In our own country 1t is finding
,avor all the way from coast to coast.
Four thousand lads In the high schools
If New York city are now shooting
enthusiastically under equally enthusl-
lstic instruction. The Young Mems
Christian Association in many places
las made rifle shooting part OF the
raining which 1t gives to boys In the
ormative period of their lives This
las not been difficult step, especially
or $3.50 and after the small initial ex-
ense has been provided can be made
0 do considerably more than pay its
wn way Especially I'm the smaller
owns the idea has developed and
orne fruit
In country communities 1t Is usually
cry easyto secure. at hardly any cost
suitable location for an outdoor
ange. and where, rs is the case in
host of such places, the opportunities
recreation are limited the young PEG
lie in more than one instance have
AIKEN up the game almost as a matter
social self protection We hear a
ovd deal nowadays about ''soci;;l en-
ineering" The social engineer-the
ian who helps q community to regen
rate itself-has learned that he can
lake valuable use In this direction by
rifle club But. of course,
ne real reason Of the popularity of
1e shooting lies In its inherent at.
,activeness as a sport, pure and sim.
lie.
How Discovery Was Made.
1t Is much easier to organize such a
ub than Is generally supposed to be
lie case. This is illustrated by the
blowing incident: Something like a
ear ago, on a Saturday afternoon. a
,mpany of young men were lounging
their club. The town afforded
ant opportunity 10 the way of recrea
onal amusement There really SEEM q
to be little else to do but to idle |
nd play cards. One OF the young men ]
the card table finally tired of LIST !
ss game and said, Come on, fellows; &
It's do some shooting" The shoot was
nlled OF in an open field behind t
arm. with target tackled to fence
hich ran along the foot of hill, and
Ie half dozen competitors took turns c
sing the only two rifles available. I
These young men made a discovery
hey discovered the fun of rife shoot
z, Its possibilities as an amusement
recreation. a sport. That Saturdays 8
Ltemporized contest was the begin |
ng OF rife club which now numbers
70 members
every town in the country
N have Its rife cluh-in many towns Z
deed. there will be several clubs. rep q
venting the different frnternai organ !