Evening star., 1941-07-13
Ten Brothers Sisters Capture Approximately 200 Swimming
Just
Between
Ourselves
. BY PHILIP H. LOVE,
Junior Star Editor.

Junior Star Editor.
Last week had the thrill of a
lifetime" begins letter from IL
year-old boy whom we shall call
John. "I was lucky not to get hurt.
and decided to write you all about
it. If you publish my letter, it may
save other children from getting
hurt"
Despite his age, John is an old
timer among contributors to The
Junior Star. He has written articles
on several of his hobbies, but one
that he has never mentioned here
tofore is collecting old firearms.
MY father and mother tried to
discourage my interest in such
things" he writes. Finally, they
decided that the best way to salts
fy me was to buy few junky
antique guns that couldn't shoot be-
cause of rust or missing parts"
Gradually, John accumulated an
assortment of antiquated firearms,
including what he describes as "a
rusty old double -barreled muzzle-
loading shotgun without a ramrod."
1T looked like it had not been
used for so years" he continues,
land bought it for so cents. I took
it home and filed of some of the
rust. polished it with steel-Wool and
rubbed it with oil so it would not
rust any more.
This kind of gun was invented
more than 100 years ago. 1t is fired
by means of illuminate cap placed
on the base of the barrel. Pulling
the trigger releases a hammer which
explodes the cap. Fire from the
cap goes through small hole to the
powder in the gun"
The holes in Johns gun were
clogged with rust; and, besides,
there was no reason to suspect that
weapon so old would contain
powder. So it did not occur TO
John that there would be any dam
ger IN exploding a few paper caps
in his antiquated shooting iron"
Il put a cap on the hammer of
my shotgun and pulled the trigger"
John relates. The cap exploded
that was all. I tried it several times.
"A friend came over to play. so
took him up to my room to show
him how I could shoot caps in my
shotgun. I tore of cap and placed
it on the hammer. This time
BOOM
The shot blew a big hole in my
curtain, a hole in the screen and a
hole in the Windowpane. I quickly
dropped the gun and patted out the
flames on the curtain.
Il shudder to think what would
have happened if I had playfully
pointed the gun at my friend Luck
ily, my parents had always warned
me never to point gun of any kind
(even cap pistol at anybody. 1t
may not hurt-and, again, it may"
But only one barrel of Johns gun
had exploded. and the incident made
him suspicious of the other one
Close examination revealed that it.
too, contained powder. so John fired
it into pile of dirt in his back
yard.
Now he points out. my old
gun is finally safe. 1t cost so cents,
but one shot in my room did about
50 worth of property damage. This
is true story. and if YOU don't
believe it. come and look at my cur
tain, screen and windowpane!"
Well. I don't have to see Johns
curtain, screen and windowpane to
believe his story. It's thoroughly
convincing-noto only as story. but
as an important lesson to other boys
and girls. And that lesson. boiled
down, may be stated in four words
Don't play with firearms.
Seven members of this years
graduating class at Anacostia High
School are in the Navy. according
10 q IOIIl N1dc 6cll6 LlIlQSdN.
49, another graduate They are:
Stanley Rideway. Ambrose Collins,
Lloyd White, Buddy Smith. Joe
Cady, Walter Foley and Ray Kill
roy. Robert Sholton, another men,
ber of the class, is in the Army.
Fourteen girls also have found
mployment-all in the same bank
May Belle says, listing them as fol-
lows: Evelyn Bates. Mae Jacobs,
Ellen Carpenter, Mildred Bateman,
Betty Bruffey, Violet Majors, Phyllis
Snead. Margaret Roland, Bertha
Marschat, Constance Humphrey,
Mae Angus, Elfriede Trebus, Shirley
Gibbs and Isabelle Peak.
Collecting match-covers is the
hobby of Ellen King. 10, of 266
Crest road. Cheverly, Md.
During the last four years, Ellen
has collected more than 5000 covers,
she writes. NV most treasured