New Britain herald., 1915-05-26

| tom Obiles constructed in Connecticut running by steam instead of gasoline. was the product of MT. spencer's brain.
 After talking about the weather and other various topics the conver-
 sation turned to his gun and MT. Spencer at once became very rerni- niscent. Coaxed to tell something about the time when he shot at d
 mark with Abraham Lincoln, the gun
 maker told some very interesting an ecdotes. K
 Shooting Match With Lincoln. MT. Spencer said that one Of his most gratifying recoIlections of the war times was 8 shooting match which he had with the great ernancipator President Abraham Lincoln MT Spencer as the inventor of the Spen- cer rife. which played no small fac tor in subduing the rebellion of the south was delegated by the Spencer Repeating company to give dem onstration of the gun to the war de- partnaent and to present MT. Lincoln with one of the rifles
 Mr. Spencer arrived at the White House with his rifle on August IT., 1863, and he was at once ushered into the executive room where he found the president alone. After a brief introduction the rifle was taken from it's cloth case by MT. Spencer and was handed to President Lincoln for inspection. The president ham died the gun as one familiar with fire arms and upon the presidents re- quest MT. Spencer took the rife apart as MT. Lincoln said he wanted to see the inwardness of the thing The inspection of the gun met with approval of the president as MT. Spencer was requested to return at o'clock at which time he said i've will go out and see the thing shoot"
 At the appointed time MT. Spencer arrived at the White House and, ac- companied by the president, his son, Robert, and one of the officials of the navy who carried the rife and ammunition, they made their way to the shooting place which was where the Washington monument now stands. While on the way the pres- ident detailed his son Robert to ask MT. Stanton, then secretary of the war, to come out and see the gun ired.4 While waiting for his son's return the president noticed that one \ of the pockets in his black alpaca coat was torn. Taking pin from his waistcoat to mend it, President Lincoln said ''It seems to me that this don't look quite right for the chief magistrate of this mighty republic. Ha, ha, hal"
 When being informed by Robert that MT, stanton was too busy to go along with the party the president said, Well. they do pretty much as they have mind to, over there" President . Good Shot.
 board six inches wide and three feet long was used as a target The rifle contained seven cartridges. The first shot fired by the president was about five inches low but the second shot hit the bullseye as the photo graph shows. The other five shots were scattered close around it.
 Now we will see the inventor try his ltlck,'' remarked President Lin- coin. The board at which the pres ident had shot q few moments before was reversed and MT Spencer fired, beating the president by close mar gin. Well said MT. Lincoln. '.you are much younger than am and have . better eye and q steadier Nerve"
 After the shooting match the end l of the board which the president shot at was cut off by navy ofical' and handed to MT. Spencer as he left the | White House with the words that he might like to keep 1t as remern- brance.'' The target was kept by MT. Spencer until the year of 1883 when l 1t was placed with the collection of war relics at Springfield, IL, where 1t still remains today.
 Union Army Uses 15O,OOO Guns.
 The. demonstraton of the gun tnet | with the favorable approval of the | president as Mir. Spencer received or ders for all the guns this his company | could make and about 15O,000 were furnished for the Union army The i Spencer rifle was a very effective i'm plement> It could be taken apart with l a screw driver and be put together in | about one minute and would be ready for use. Many a confederate soldier | was laid low with this gun Although
 many of the implements were cap- tured by the .'rebs' they were use less unless they had the right kind of ammunition which was only nanufact- ured in the north
 MT. Spencer first conceived the idea of q repeating rifle in 1857 at which time he was employed by the Cheney brothers of South Manchester. Work ing during his spare time. he perfect cd the rifle and applied for patent which was granted March 6, 1860. Not having sufficient funds to manu- facture the implement he was pre- vailed upon by the Cheney brothers to put the patent Into their hands. Through Charles Cheney who was a friend of Hon. Gideon Welles, at that time secretary of the navy. a trial was given to MT. Spencer to demon strate the gun. The trial proved very