Evening journal., 1918-01-17


The annual trip into the big woods"
Is certainly a life saver" and many
professional men look forward 10 this
back TO nature" iaunt With all the
pleasure and anticipation, and after
such a trip, feel reiuvenated and physi-
cally ut for some time.
But two weeks isn't enough to Keep
one in good condition for a whole year,
as learned from experience; so
gave trapshootlng q thorough trial,
and l believe, after all these years.
that truly, It Is the sport Alluring."
am glad to note that doctors and
business men are appearing at the
traps In large numbers, and know very
we'll that they will stick for once a
trapshooter, always \ trapshooier.
Sometime ago ] was asked by a doc
tor friend. 10 "look him over and make
out a repair Slip" He said ioking-
ly. MY wife says appear all r'n
down" Like many other professional
men, he was making big effort to sell
shout sixteen hours OF his time each
day, without the necessary relaxation,
and as he started out with pretty
good body, it required several years ol
continued effort before he discovered
The old saying that "all work and no
play makes Jack dull boy" Is tile
one, and 10 applies 10 the grown up
as we'll as the boy.
This applies especially TO the doctor,
for the reason that, unlike the man OF
regular hours, he Is on duty all hours
Of the day or night, and complete re-
taxation from professional duties are
Nsa
away from his place OF business and
selects some form OF recreation that
will absolutely make him forget that he
Is a physician, anly only remind him
/ that he Is lust a man. such Is also
true OF the busy inclosed once man.
The one great thing that elevates man
above the other animals is sociability;
ana we very well know that the man
who lacks this element 10 a very
/ marked degree, is defective.
Perhaps this Is a Ions preamble be-
/ fore introducing the subject. but 1t is
well sometimes to get down to funda-
/ mentsls.
First OF all. trapshooting and socia-
/ bility are inseperable and II is the so
1 clability Of competition; the friendly
striving to do as we'll OF a little better
than the other fellow.
Secondly, trapshootlng takes one ab-
solutely and entirely away from any
and all business, which affords COM
plete relaxation from business or pro-
fessional cares; and ! know that this
one thing alone is worth the price.
Trapshooting is an outdoor game. The
shooting grounds are usually located a
little out Of town, in the open. where
lots Of room and fresh air is assured.
And there Is a goodly amount OF exer-
else connected with the game. The
raising Of an eight pound gun TO the
shoulder a hundred times; the swing
Of the gun TO follow the 1ight Of the
swiftly flying target, and the set Of
the muscles against the recoil Of the
load; the telegraphic message from
the eve to the target, back 10 the
brain and then TO the trigger finger IN
the smallest fraction Of a second,
means exercise with a capital Z. And
one OF the very FIRST important valuable
facts one learns early in the game is
that the nervous system must be IL
tune" OF as near perfect as Is hu-
manly possible.
This is one sport that viii make a
man cut out bad habits. when ht
learns las he will. that bad habits ana
trapshooting cannot go together.
/ know men who train for tOurna-
ment Just as carefully as does the prize
fighter. They leave of the alcohol, tea
and coffee, cut down the tobacco TO
the minimum amount and eat plain
food. seeing particularly that the vast,
products OF the body are eliminated.
and when they step out on the Trims
line they feel 1t to break them all
This is the ideal condition, and not al
ways possible for the doctor, who may
have been out all night on an obstetric
case; or who has worried for twenty
four or forty-eight hours over a seri-
ously III patient; or the business OF
financial man who Is worried over &
big deal; but II he has once tried trap
shooting, he will ind himself thinking
OF the subject frequently, and will
gradually adopt a course that will give
him the maximum amount Of good
health.
Now, don't go out TO the traps with
a light gun. Eight pounds OF over. is
the proper weight to take up some OF
the recoil. The light gun will pound
you numerically, especially II the
gun does not fit you: and don't let
your enthusiastic friend induce you 10
J shoot at more than twenty-five targets
the first time out.
, / have known many men to quit
trapshooting after the first attempt
Just because they were persuaded n
shoot at q hundred or more targets
on their first visit to the traps. After
three or four trips to the shooting
, grounds, you will find that the shoul-
! der has adjusted itself to the recoil Sc
, nicely ESPECIALLY If the gun ftsl that
/. hundred shots may be fired without
, any discomfort.
Don't take your field gun TO the
: traps and expect to do good work with
it. The brush or field gun is toe
light and the stock is too crooked.
In other words, the trap gun must have
> a. very straight stock ,around a two
inch drop and not very much differ
: once between the drop Of the comb
J and the heel"
There is no use 10 60 into all Of tht
reasons for these facts in this shori
article, but ! may say that they have
J been learned al the traps by men Of eX
! perience, after many years OF expert
ment, and adopted by both professional
e and amateurs. There are several try
] guns" that can be taken to the trap'
T and adjusted TO tlt anyone, so they ma!
be fred at targets, and in that way ge
a a practical ut.
- Don't be induced TO shoot a heav,
n load: anything above three drains o
5 powder Is not only superfluous. but ac
e tually initiates against accurate shoot
= Ing