Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-04-01
The Great Outdoors
Twelve Year Old Rife wizard

ANClNo vi OtA eAA
Joe" Bryson, tweIve years oIo
Of Jacksonville, FTorids. loves rife
shooting so much that he stood at the
head of his class in school last year.
Well. what have hose two facts got
to do with each other7 On the lace
OF things, apparently nothing. let
as a matter of fact it was just because
Joe" loved his rifle so well that ne
dug In to his studies with the amoi-
don that was needed to attain the
premiership in his class. Back or II
all lay a little parental psychology.
"Joe's'' father Is the president OF
the South Jacksonville Rife Club. He
Is recognized as a shot of class as Is
shown by the fact that he was one OF
the members of the Florida Civilian
team at the National Matches last
August. Either an inherited or Tested
Itself early in the boys life acquired
peuchant for the gun manifested it.
self early in the boys life for ne
would sit for hours watching his father
practice and longing for the day when
he could try a rifle himself.
The day finally came when Bryson,
senior. was satisfied that Bryson jun
'ior might as well be given a chance
to pun a trigger. Joe" became n
member Of the Winchester Junior Rifle
Corps and began a meteoric flight to-
wards becoming a real shot. 1t was
not long before he had attained his
marksman medal.
1t was here that the school prob
lem entered. Joe" became more and
more expert at the rifle and his school
marks got further and further from
the bullseye. 1t was evident that
something must be done to arouse the
lad to the value Of his other studies
as we'll as to that of rifle shooting.
Dad hit upon it.
Knowing "Joe's' all absorbing In
terest IN his shooting progress Dad
knew that Joe would rather have a
chance to see the shooting at the Ma
tional Matches at Caldwell than he
would to see several cfrcuse rolled
into one, not to mention other youth
full attractions. So he informed Junior
tha he would take him with him to
the National Matches IL -
Fifteen Bullseye's In Succession
And that's where the two thoughts
in our opening sentence come to-
gether. The "if'' was that Joe" must
close his school year at the head or
his class.
1t was not the easiest ort of a
task for there were others who a
designs on the leadership of the class.
too, and they enjoyed a handicap over
the little shooter. But when h end
of June came the spur of rifle am
bition plus "Joe's" natural ability had
him the honors.
Dad" made good his promise. Joe"
went to the Caldwell matches, he saw
he made more or less OF a
splurge even in that match of matches.
Although only twelve years of age he
displayed such ability with his fathers
80 caIiber rifle when 1t was Off duty
that It made shooters sit UP and take
III executive secretary OF the
Winchester Junior Rifle Corps happen
ed to be It Caldwell on this occasion.
persuaded the boy to shoot on the
Caldwell range for his S~harpshooter
in that organization.
The time was set and Joe armed
one OF the ~ caliber bolt action
that helped the United States
defeat England for the Dewar trophy,
to work. Within forty MIN
utes after he had fred the first shot
he had completed sixteen targets of
five shots each, fifteen OF which were
perfect targets, with every bullet I'm
the heart of the bullseye, while the
other one had one shot out of the
bull but by so small a margin 1t could
be called a miss.
Brysons remarkable shooting stamps
him as a coming c~rackshot. and best
Of all his love for the rifle has proven
spur to his full utilization of his
other talents to make him a leader In
his studies as we'll.