Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1918-06-27

Land is owned by the aristocracy and since
1euda times hunting has been a privilege peculiar
TO that class. Unless he secures employment
gamekeeper the poor has no chance to
learn to shoot. Nor have the middle classes any
better opportunity. Ammunition is expensive.
Inc Incense fee is excessive, running as high as
30. Inc only good guns are handmade for the
reason that gunsmiths look only to the upper
class as purchasers. Hence no good cheap, ma
chlne-made rifles manufactured. Lastly, there
Is no open land upon which to shoot.
For all these reasons, the workingman of Eu-
rope knows very little about firearms.
Man for man, the total number of troops in
the field taken into consideration. Civil war
was the bloodiest The operations in
Europe during the present struggle have always
have been enormous and the total losses stagger-
ing Yet the wastage of human life has been rel
atfvely small compared with that of the Union
ana confederate armies. There has been no Get
tysburg, Bloody Angle in the present conflict.
Why? Neither the forces under Grant Lee
attained the perfection of training acquired by
the armies of today with the exception of few
star corps composed of picked regiments. The
heavy casualties were due to the Individual fight
ing ability of the troops. to their expert use Of
the rifle.
From the days of the minute of the Revo-
luton, the superiority of the American riheman
has been conceded by all. Morgan's backwoods-
men proved their efficiency marksmen the
War for Independence. The frontiersman
demonstrated 1T again at New Orleans under
Jackson against Pakenham's trained regulars. At
the Alamo Crockett and Bowie with a little
handful of riflemen, held the hordes of Santa Ana
at bay. Our history is full of incidents in which
little band of grim men, their backs to the wall.
have held off many times their number by sheer
tenacty and deadly rifle execution.
The reason for this is not far to seek In early
days America was virgin land peopled by
madic tribes with amazing skill at woodcraft.
These natives had to be outwitted and outfought.
No country in the world. with the possible
ception of British Southeast Africa, had such
a wealth of game this. The first settlers were
Anglo-Saxons, the greatest sport-loving people on
earth. With them they brought little but fire.
arms and stout hearts. They had to defend them
selves against the Indians and to live by the
chase. Gradually they learned to raise grain.
fruit and vegetables native to the land of their
adoption. But for long time their main source
of supply wild game.
1t resulted that every boy grew up with a rifle
in his hands. Inevitably these frontiersmen,
faced with an opportunity based upon necessity
developed the keen eye, the steady nerve and the
workmanship that made them the best shots
known.
With the growth of the country the tide of
civilization rolled westward Clark opened the
great Northwest. Pike led the way to the Rock
les. Always the adventurous pushed to the
more remote frontier. The greatest trek in the
history of the western hemisphere was on For
80 years it continued. Almost every foot of the
West was won by toll and hardship. the cost
of sacrifice from which men and women emerged
strong and self-reliant.
The tradition of the hunt persists with ms The
man used to tramping the hills for big game en-
dures hardship and privation for the sake of the
sport. He learns to shoot at fast-movfng game
under difficulties of distance and visibility. 1t
follows that when he is taken out to the rifle
range and instructed he learns in a few lessons
the proper sighting and method of using the mill
tary rifle.
These once acquired, he is in class by himself
for he is used to shooting under the same condi-
lions. though with less danger to himself that OBJ
tain at the front No amount of practice at the
rifle range can serve fit substitute for his ex-
perience
1t is this fundamental training which lies back
of target practice that is responsible for the
craftsmanship Tho
rine corps holds the finest record in the service.
Fully one-thrd of this organization wears the
craftsmanship emblem At least one half of the
marines frst-class rihemen
To win the expert emblem a marksman must
shoot over the qualifying at all ranges from