davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1941-01-26

sisted. 1t was no use. Every shot
went too high. Bitter words had no
effect except to rattle the recruit
still further.
"&%$s*%!!!," said the exasperat-
ed corporal after the tenth high
shot. Whats your idea of fine
sight, you dumb cluck?"
The recruit paused, considered
carefully. Then his plain but hon.
est face became alight with sin
cerity.
THE finest sight could think Of" ;"
he said slowly-but loudly enough
to carry over the entire firing line
would be a boatload of corporals
sinking in storm" After that he
was allowed to take whatever kind
Of sight seemed best.
Since Last War.
According to the War Depart
ment, there has been some change
since the last war in distances, size
of targets and number of shots al
lowed, so that old timers, revisiting
the scenes of their former triumphs
or failures, would no longer feel at
home on the range. But the main
essentials are there as always, and
many of the same problems.
To kid the recruit along, they let
him shoot first at target which
can at least be seen by the naked
eye without blinking. Later, at 200
yards, he shoots at an 8-inch bulls
eye. 1t may be different now. An
8-inch object at 200 yards is only
trifle more visible than an oversize
molecule, and yet in some incredible
fashion human beings actually man
age to hit it now and then, if they
try often enough, although they
never quite get over the shock of
realizing that they have actually
done it. 1t is something like hole
in one at golf.
There is a common saying that
it's an i'll wind that blows nobody
good. A cross wind at rifle range
is certainly an example. At the
longer distances it must be allowed
for, by switching the rear sight to
right or left, allowing the gun to
be aimed at the target as usual, but
sending the bullet a little up wind,
SO that it will be blown back where
1t belongs. The amount Of the cor
rection, known Is wtndage, natur-
Evening star., 1941-01-26
By Basil Gordon.

1t was a poet, James Thomson,
who wrote:
Delightful task! To rear the ten
der thought
To teach the young idea how to
shoot"
cessary, or at least highly desirable,
to teach the young idea how to
shoot.
Up to early 1917, the Bryan or
wishful thinking school of strategy
contended that rifle practice was
unnecessary in America Those
were the days, if you recall, when a
million men would spring to arms
overnight, each by some miracle
finding a rifle and ammunition and
instinctively capable of knowing
what to do with it. Apparently
some kind Providence would take
them in charge, and see to it that
each little bullet found its billet
somewhere in the gizzard Of the
enemy, without the necessity of
anything so tedious, elaborate or ex-
pensive as target practice.
The myth had its origin, no doubt,
in tales of earlier pioneer days,
when triggernometry was an i'm
portant course in fitting oneself for
q career lasting more than a week
or two in the wilds. In those days,
the Indians were real menace
They had something on the toma-
hawk and although eventually they
were licked. their defeat was no
walkover by score of 73 to nothing
According to legend, the best
pioneer marksmen were bred in
Kentucky, where they developed the
art as children by barking" squir-
rels. 1t was considered sissy &C
tually to put a bullet through a
squirrel in order to bring him down;
the true hunter would not even
consider it. Instead he would send
his missile just in front of the
squirrels nose, so that it missed by
about thousandth of an inch, and
let the conclusion knock him out.
Any one who brought back squir-
rel with a hole in 1t would be So
cially ostracized.
1t is the writer's unalterable opin-
Evening star., 1941-01-26

"All plans for the growth of the
Capital City were based on the
gradual expansion of Government,
and it is difficult to imagine today
how small wartime Washington
really was. In keeping with its
name, all three departments were
actually functioning in the State,
War and Navy Building. The build
ing now known as the old or
north Interior, was completed in
1917, releasing the much needed
rented space formerly occupied by
that department. Other Govern
ment departments were operating
in so-called monumental structures
most OF which dated from the mid
die of the 10th century.
Easily Razed.
1T was no wonder then that, in
order to meet passing space needs
in a temporary emergency the
first thought was to erect only the
most simple frame buildings that
could be easily and quickly razed
as soon as the war was over.
1T may have been due to the
testimony of Franklin D. Roosevelt,
then Assistant Secretary Of the
Navy, that that department, to-
gether with the War Department.
was given reinforced concrete
building instead of the wood frame
structures erected for all other war
activities. In reporting space needs
In 1917 before the House Committee
on Buildings and Grounds, Mr..
Roosevelt said: For the efficient
administration of the Navy We need
not only during the present war
emergency, but shall need after the
war is over, about twice the amount
OF space we have now. We ought to
have all that space in one building.
1t is impossible for us to get anv
more space in the State, War and
Navy Building. This is an emer-
gency measure, but the necessity is
going to continue, so that we will
need as soon as we can get it a
permanent home for the Navy De-
partment.'
Evening star., 1941-01-26

but there is at least one instance
of a perfect score being achieved.
1t came about in this wise.
A kibitzer on the range, much
annoyed by the uncannily accurate
prediction of the unofficial cham.
pion shot-caller, offered to bet him
box Of cigars that he couldn't
name correctly an entire string OF
so shots. Much to his amazement,
the bet was accepted. Witnesses
were called.
you understand" said the XII
bitzer, solemnly, that you have to
call the clock position and value of
each of 60 shots. If you miss even
one you lose"
"Surel" agreed the other. That's
cinch."
"A cinch, is it?" cried the kisitzer.
THE odds are a million to one
against, you mean. Ill take per-
fectos. Go to it,"
Settling into position, the marks
man took careful aim and fired.
TOO high" he announced. "a svabo
at IL o'clock"
Red Flag Waved.
Sure enough, a red flag waved
from the butts, indicating a clean
miss.
Again he aimed and fired. "An.
other swabo," was his diagnosis.
About so feet off the target at 8
o'clock. See, there's the red flag"
The kibitzer squirmed uneasily
but said nothing. The next one hit
the butts. "a swabo at g." said the
marksman. But after the next miss,
correctly described as a wide swabo
at 3, the kibitzer Indignantly in
terrupted.
"Hey" he shouted, wrathfully.
You're not shooting for the tar
get!"
Certainly not!" agreed the other.
calmly. I'm shooting for box of
cigars. I'll give you a still better
run for your money. brother, and
actually call my next shot before I
even fire it. 1t will be high swabo
at II o'clock"
Which it was. "Not close" hs
said, as he made 1t, "but cigar!"
Evening star., 1941-01-26

ally depends upon the strength and
direction of the breeze, and is usually
given to one and all by the senior
commissioned officer present,
who by virtue of his long service is
an expert on wind both on and of
the range. Even visiting generals
trying their luck will take his orders
on windage, if they want to make
good score.
Big Shots Skill.
While on that subject, 1t may be
remarked that visiting generals,
Congressman and other big shots
often make remarkably good scores,
better than all but handful OF ex-
perts. The reason for this odd
phenomenon is twofold.
First, everybody wants them to
do it, because it makes them happy
to be able to return to their pals
and brag about how good they were.
And when they are contented, they
make no trouble. Evan a rabbit
may safely tease python if the
snake has just swallowed sheep.
Second, means are found to see
that they do get what they want
Primary credit for this should go to
the late Mr.. Alexander Graham Bell
At the edge of each range is laid
telephone wire to the butts, with
plug-ins at each firing distance.
When Congressman Blah is assigned
target No. IA, a hasty call to the butts
advises all present of this interest
ing fact. 1t is not necessary to say
anything more; the lads who take it
know what to do. If the marker on
IA happens to be one of those pain
fully honest individuals who suffer
SO much in this practical world, or
a recruit too green to know any bet
ter, he is sent to the showers and
replaced by hardboiled realist who
has the best interests of the service
at heart and has studied the meth
ods of Virginio Gayda, Mussolini's
alibi artist and official victory claim
er. When the Congressman shoots
he marks up every four, in the ring
next to the bullseye, as a ringer or
five. Three's, If far out, get pro-
NOTED to fours; If closer, they move
all the way to fives. Swabos, or
misses, if they come close enough to
60 "whop" as they clear the butts,
are scored as twos OF even threes. II
Evening star., 1941-01-26

force of 340O men. three shifts were
worked during pile driving. and TO
assure an every-ready supply of
concrete a dozen mixing plants were
set up at different points on the
job, each onerating Independently
of the others.
Buildings Compared.
Though veterans of the last war,
the Navy and Munitions Buildings
are still serving their country with
their great floor areas of indispens-
able space. In cost and cubic con-
tent, however. they represent only
a little less than half of the new
space provided by emergency con-
struction in 1917 and 1918.
Built with an equally impressive
construction speed, the frame build
ings along the Mall and in the In
terror Building area were also a
temporary expedient in the solu-
ton of the space problem. The
need for their 3l,000,000 cubic feet of
space was urgent enough to pre-
vail over the fond wishes Of the
Office of Buildings and Grounds
and the Public Buildings Commits
sion for a great, sweeping unob-
Structed vista of parkway from the
steps of the Capitol to the Lincoln
Memorial.
In spite of the gentlemen
agreement that they be torn down
in at least five years after the close
of the war, of Is erected still
stand. and most of the others lasted
we'll into the 1930s.
Beginning as a planned city, in
recent year the growth of Wash
ington is once more following a
planned and orderly development.
Exercising foresight and taking
advantage of progressive construc-
tion methods, Washingtons city
plan need no longer be abandoned
at time when national emergen-
cieS make unusual space demands"
Evening star., 1941-01-26

bounds that they became hardly
more than headquarters for the
various departments for which they
were named.
I'm fact, by 1899, when the ques-
ton arose of finding adequate space
within one building for the 1910
census tabulation. surveys indicated
that nowhere in the city, in either
Government-oWned or commercial
buildings, could enough shifts be
made to provide the necessary quar-
ters. A new building was needed
And out of that need came recog-
milton that the problem of space
needs would never be solved prop
erly either with rented space or
temporary buildings, nor econom-
icallv with monumental, ornamental
buildings.
THE solution here was a general
Federal office building which could
be built with the speed of ware
house: could be divided into livable,
efficient Offices with movable parti-
tions, that would be functional both
in purpose and design. Such a
structure could be made available to
any Government agency, Temporary
or permanent, whose current space
needs justified the use Of the build
ing. The decennial work OF the
Census Bureau, demanding the use
Of a large Office area for hardly
more than a years time, typifed
the need for such a federally owned
general-purpose Office building.
Problems of design and construc-
ton of such a building were simple
ones. The Public Buildings Ad-
ministration of the Federal Works
Agency had already learned new
architectural and engineering ways
and means which brought even
greater speed to the larger depart
mental bidding construction. No
longer could it be said, as Assistant
Secretary Roosevelt said in 1917
that the average building in the
District takes, not months or years,
Evening star., 1941-01-26

ion that all such tales are pure
unadulterated hooey. 1t is sig
nificant that not even Baron Mum
chausen went that far. In the first
place, the guns of that era were
extremely crude. Only few were
rifled, and they not accurately.
Even the modern rifle, when
clamped rigidly in a wise, can fire
a whole clip of cartridges at a
nearby target and still get quite a
spread in the pattern of the shots.
Let no one think that each bullet
will go through the same hole as its
predecessor. The author has seen
this experiment performed, and
knows better.
Again, squirrels are highly nervous
and restless animals. In the pres
ence of hunter, they squirm and
fidget like a bunch of economic
royalists before a New Deal commit
tee. Even during the short interval
while bullet is in the air, they can
twist quite bit. And, finally, there
is no real evidence that they would
be anything but annoyed by the
close proximity of a bullet. The odds
are heavy that they would merely
scoot away unharmed, chattering
$50 what?" in indignation.
The truth of the matter is that
the legend of supermarksmanship
has been built up by a very human
frailty-failure to tell of the mil
lions of shots that missed Nick
Carter, for instance, relates that
another RedSkin bit the dust,
and by telling it often enough, built
up a profitable business in dime
novels If he had stuck closer to
the truth and said that four or five
hundred shots drove off the band,
leaving half a dozen wounded or
dead, he probably would not have
been able to give his novels away.
Many a pioneer, on downing an
Indian, must in his secret heart
have been more than a little
amazed; and you can bet that he
was glad enough to bring home
mutilated squirrels and no questions
asked.
But even supposing that the pio-
neers were one-tenth as good as
claimed, 1t still is ditncult to see
how they could have transmitted
Evening star., 1941-01-26

their skill Cor luck) to descendants
$50 years in the future. The War
Department, at least, doesn't see how
it could have been done, and there
fore will see to 1t that the new draft
army gets plenty of rifle practice.
Finds 1t Is Fun.
This, thinks the draftee to him.
self, is going to be fun-and so 1t
is. Not undiluted fun, however. He
will not be in the position of a holi-
daygoer trying his luck at a shoot
ing gallery. At the gallery he pays
cash, and the customer is always
right, as far as the proprietor is
concerned, even if he can't hit a
barn from the inside. The soldier
not being a customer, is nearly al
ways wrong.
At least, that's what his instruc-
tors will think, and with them to
think is to tell. Like most old
timers, they consider the coming
generation almost a complete flop,
and wonder if they can be taught
even such rudimentary lessons as
coming in out of the rain. The
only thing for the recruit to do under
the circumstances is to reflect that
their bark, bad as it is, is worse than
their bite, and their kicks no harder
to bear than that of the rifle it
self. Let him make up his mind to
follow their instructions, so that
he too may qualify as expert rifle
man. That is the surest way to
silence them.
That it is not the only way was
proved back in 1917 at a Marine
Corps rifle range, where a corporal
was instructing recruit, who was
firing too high. Take a fine sight" F"
urged the corporal.
For the benefit of any who may
not know what it is, taking a fine
sight is lining up the sights so that
only a mere trace of the front one
may be seen in the notch of the
rear one. In full sight, on the
contrary, the entire area of the
little knob near the muzzle can be
seen through the notch. A little
Thought will show that this can be
true only if the muzzle is more
elevated.
The recruit fired again and hit
even higher. The corporal per-
Evening star., 1941-01-26

they go so high. low or wide that
he plays safe and scores them as
misses: maybe that Congressman
got of one so wild that even he
realized it was no good.
Needless to say, when Pvt. Smith
shoots at target IA the man at the
other end has no idea who is firing.
AS a result, when Smith gets so that
he is even half as good as a Con-
gresham, he is pretty hot stuff
and dangerous to monkey with on a
battlefield.
Experience Tells.
Recruits, after they have shot
awhile, will become not only more
interested but better and better
marksmen. When they reach the
point where they can hit that
molecule-size bull's-eye at 200 yards
assuming that the Army still has
the darn thing-twice in the same
day, they have graduated from the
novice class. Another art will grad
ually come to them, too-the knack
of calling correctly, after each shot,
the spot where it went.
Many. not so hot as marksmen,
are really good at this. They will
fire, shake their heads and say:
Missed the bull's-eye. That was
Q four at 3 o'clock. Sure enough
few moments later a red disk will
go up to the right of the center,
where the figure would be if it
were clock. Again he will fire
and exclaim in annoyance-"A three
at Il o'clock-and have a white
disk with a black cross, the sign Of
a three, placed high, right above
the bulls-eye. Some are so good
that they can tell where they hit
the black, even if it is so plumb
dead center that 1t is not possible
to assign any clock figure to its 10
cation. These people get more fun
out of a good calling score than
good shooting score. They actually
seem disappointed if what they
thought was 10 o'clock four turns
out to be a bull's-eye.
Absolute perfection in this sub
sidiary art Of the range is rarely
attainable but Is worth striving for.
The whole business Is unofficial,
and careful records are not kept,
Evening star., 1941-01-26

but decades, actually to get finished.
The new Social Security Board and
Railroad Retirement Buildings, op-
Grating as one project and costing
sll 100000, were begun in June,
1899, and occupancy is now being
completed. The old Interior. COM
menced in July, 1915, took two years
to complete.
Planned for Many Years.
Economy as well as speed were
the watchwords, however, in the
construction of this first General
Federal Once Building Unlike the
temporary Navy and Munitions
Buildings, the structure was planned
to serve Federal space needs for
as many gears as any Of It's more
massive, ornamented neighborS.
Built in four months time, con-
tanning seven floors G.500 900 cubic
feet), complete with elevators. the
first General Federal Office Build
ing, modern. flreproof, faced with
brick and stone. cost approximately
40 cents a cubic foot. This is a
District record in speed and cost
which may stand for some time.
Actual cubic foot cost figures for
the Navy and Munitions Buildings
however, were few pennies less. Ad-
justed to the 1910 construction cost
index, the two wartime tempo
rary' buildings cost 81 cents cubic
foot But it must be remembered
that these structures are only three
stories high. without elevators, and
while it would be difficult to pass
judgment on their permanency
their upkeep costs have mounted
sharply in recent years.
During the war period, however,
these buildings helped to alleviate
a pressing space problem, particu-
larly because they were made avail
able within a very short space of
time-five and one-half months
though extraordinary measures had
to be taken to effect this speed.
Using a maximum construction
Evening star., 1941-01-26

buildings. which extend for four
blocks along lower Constitution ave-
nue., are now an important center
of activity for the present defense
program. To accommodate the
rapidly expanding work of the Army
and Navy fourth story is being
constructed on top of the buildings!
If the figures for the expenditure
for new Federal buildings in the
District of Columbia in any way
reflect the space problem the years
1921 through 1923 were particularly
quieScent, With the average amount
spent only s177,000 the low point
Evening star., 1941-01-26
Government Officials Housing Mistakes First World War
New Construction PROGRAM
Calls for Concrete and
Steel Office Buildings
Temporary Structures to Be
Eliminated Despite Problem
Of Emergency Expansion
By Rudolph Kaufman II.

Administration the threshold
a
working solution whereby the Capital
increased Government without
IN
generalppose Office buildings of steel
construction placed somewhat from the main stemt Mall
Capitol street. the Federal Triangle Federal Rectang and other
places where monnentap buildings slated
Munitions Buildings,
buildings
OF type building
example the other built Another of these
buildings placed Columbia Arlington Ridge
Evening star., 1941-01-26

was reached in 1925 when the sum
Of $1,567 for construction appears
on the books.
Needs Out of Bounds.
Most of the massive departmental
buildings which now help to make
Washington one of the show places
of the country-particularly the
buildings in the Triangle formed by
Pennsylvania avenue and Consti-
tuition avenue-were commenced
rather suddenly in 1929 and 1880,
but by the time they were completed
with the Apex Building in 1888,
space needs were so far out of
Evening star., 1941-01-26

ut has been in only very recent
years that Congress has actually
considered a permanent home for
the Navy. The term of occupancy
of these concrete buildings on Con-
stitution avenue Navy and Mu-
nitions), whether permanent or
temporary, is to this day a moot
point reads report of the Bureau
of Yards and Docks prepared in
1921. Tt is commonly referred to
as indefinite, though the official title
of the structures in the appropria-
ton act authorizing them is tenn
porary buildings In 1910 these two
Evening star., 1941-01-26

Air vie1u OF the Many and
Munitions Buildings, shopn in
foreground. These 1Oere
erected as temporary struc-
lures during the first World
War, but are still in use today.
In the background are sho,Dn
(lett to right the neD Federal
ReSerUe Building, no,0 being
used as headquarters for the
National Defense Commits
sion: the Public Health Seru-
ice Building, the ne,D Depart
nent OF the interior Anner
and the Pdn-Americdn Build
ing. Star STAFF Photo.
Nogales international., 1941-05-24

2. Excess play in steering
wheel is dangen signal and
should be eliminated. The steer
ing apparatus may break down
on a sharp curve.
3. Tires that are badly worn,
have side-Wall or rimcuts, or
bulges temporarily repaired
with boots, are a. constant blow
out hazard.
f. A leaky exhaust manifold or
muffler may permit carbon
monoxide gas to escape into
the car and overcome driver
Nogales international., 1941-05-24
IN THE SUPERIOR COURT
OF Santa Cruz County
STATE OF ARIZONA
NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE TO CREDITORS
Estate of H. E. MIELLER, also
known as HARRY EDWARD MEL
LER, deceased. Notice is hereby
given by the undersigned j. j.
Goodman, administrator with the
Will annexed of the estate Of H. E.
Mieller also known as Harry Ed
ward Mieller deceased. to the cred
itors of and all persons having
claims against the said deceased. to
exhibit them, with the necessary
vouchers, within four months after
the first publication of this notice
to the said Administrator at the
law office of Nasib Karam. Room
II, La Vile de Panis Building at
Nogales, Arizona, the same being
the place for the transaction of the
business of said estate. in said
County OF Santa Cruz.
]. j. GOODMAN,
Administrator with the
Will annexed of the es-
tate of H. E. Mieller, al
so known as Harry Edward
Mieller, deceased.
Dated this 18th day of May. 114i.
Publish May IT, "a 81, June 7, l94l.