Newspapers / The Pinehurst Outlook (Pinehurst, … / April 28, 1920, edition 1 / Page 4
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THE PINEHUBST OUTLOOK PAGE 4 A New "Band Wagon" For Civilians The pit is dirty, the butt is dark, The rifle's shaky, and so's the mark; But the thrill that comes As a shot rings true Is the thing that carries the "civie" through. Lays of a Civilian Shooter, Lying on damp ground, with mud oozing up behind your ears and grease trickling down from a rifle that sags over a tired elbow does not seem, at first blush, like an indoor sport which is particularly attractive. If you add to those conditions a guilty conscience which is constantly crying aloud that you never could shoot straight and never ought even to touch a rifle, you will probably be lucky, when you come to fire your first shot, if you don't wing a butt attendant three or four yards further down the firing line. But if, in that first shot, you should happen to graze the target it is "good night" for you. You are worse off than any golf or tennis bug in the coun try. Your wife might just as well pack the dog up into his traveling basket, store the silver and the furniture, wash the baby's face and go along off to mother's. A golf widow is bad enough, but a civilian shooter widow hasn't a chance ! All of which leads up the the remark that civilian shooting is growing in prominence and is increasing its follow ing every day. There is a thrill in shooting a rifle that is hard to appre ciate, until your hand has been on the trigger. When the smoke puffs out at your shot, your heart goes thumping its way into your mouth.. Your eyes get weak from trying to watch the wavering course of the Pitman's pointer. But a good shot! It has about one hundred times more thrill and civilians are learning to be good shots. Civilian rifle shooting is the natural result of the war. We took a few mil lion clerks, bankers, lawyers, hod car riers and truck drivers and made them victorious soldiers while our enemy was sleeping. But we have given them the "feel" of a rifle. Now they do not want to let go. But the army and navy authorities are with them. They have suddenly realized that if the whole country, By Wilbur Rogers whether it consists of clerks, hod car- You can bet your life, too, that the riers or college professors, can be taught pikerest piker is probably as ardent a to shoot straight, America,"' even without shooter as " is the most substantial a standing army, will be something not gentleman. to tamper with. When a couple of mil- it is easier, if we may be pardoned lion civilians can hit a bull's eye three f0r introducing this bit of psychology, out of five times, there will be no great to shoot than to stay at home, enthusiasm in staging a general attack There wag a time when it was the most against them. comfortable thing in the world to sit Of course there are many other re- in a back room somewhere and shoot suits that will be gained. Preparedness the bull over a glass of something amber is a virtue, but not the only one. There or something red. Now it is better to is the spirit of sporting in it. It is shoot rifles, because there is no nourish certainly a great game, this rifle shoot- ment in lemonade. ing. It is mighty good training. It It ig not the' purpose here to state that brings out the best in every man who the revivai 0f civilian rifle shooting is a tries it. And there is confidence. You direct result of prohibition. But rifle would certainly feel lot more secure if sh00ting is a sport, and more men have you knew you could shoot straight when been getting into all kinds of sports the occasion demands it. than ever before since July 1st threw its All of these reasons led to the open- cloud over the interesting corners of ing of the Caldwell, N. J. rifle range to tne country. the public last August.' The National The process of rifle shooting is easy, rifle matches were held there as an in- Get a rifle and a not too clean suit of centive, but on top of that, the greatest ciQthes and go to it. Most ranges keep range in America extended an invita- amnial records, so if your score to-day tion to any civilian who wanted to shoot ig unpieasant you can come back next to come out, grab a gun and get busy. wee or year from to-day and see how There are about 200 butts at Caldwell, much better you have become. and the week-end shooting now going on Then there ig the club shooting and there has made rich men of taxi-drivers, amateur tournaments. These both foster who carry civilians to the reservation. the game It ig doliarS) hundreds of During the month, young men and old them, to a second rate Salvation Army congested in civilian clothes early and a0Ughnut that the tournament this late at Caldwell. The "bang" of the winter at Pinehurst brought out more rifles could be heard until it was dark sh00ters than ever before. That is be and even some adventurous soul would cause civilian shooting has started its get an idea that he was 'an expert at rejoicing- way to a place in the sun. night shooting. Like tennis, which became so popular Lieut. Col. William C. Harllee, com- thig vear that Australia had to butt mandamt of thd range, admitted his into American affairs; like golf, which surprise. He had planned to receive a is making church a more shunned place great many civilians. But he had not every Sunday; like baseball, which is expected they would come in such droves niling parks in spite of m0ney-mad as to run over his Marines and the other magnates; like all these things civilian service outfits which were there. Why, rifle shooting is feeling the effect of on some days they had to. re-arrange the post-war influences. It is coming and program completely so the "civies" it js an enjoyable band wagon to ride, could all get a whack at the butts. And few of the riders seem to be falling Probably more civilians branched out 0ff these days, as experts in rifle practise that month Yes, civilian shooting is coming along than ever did before. The sport began abit. Like the maiden lady who had to show its popularity then, and now, at rheumatism on Sunday, but who, on least in the vicinity of New York, the Monday when she was invited for a rifle is being wooed with as much con- buggy ride found it was better, civilian stant ardor as are the chorus girls who are back on their jobs after their strike. It is the same, so reports say, all over the country. There is a new range near Chicago which has suddenly become as popular as the loop, and the state guardsmen of New Jersey turned out in force when the matches were held at Sea Girt, N. J. In fact there was an alarming lack of kitchen police at Sea Girt, because all the guardsmen wanted to get to the butts as early as possible. All sorts of citizens turn out weekly at Caldwell. There are the substantial gentlemen who are wheeled out in limou sines, 'the less important financially who come in Fords, and the poor pikers who have to wait for the auto-busses to come along and take our fifty cents from us. But Ave all get in our shooting. shooting has turned the post and is headed due north to success. There is a bit of gossip that ha3 neither been affirmed nor denied offici ally. It is that when the Marines tossed their hats into Belleau wood there was not one of them who had not quali fied as a sharpshooter or a marksman. It may be true. From general results it would seem to be the fact. But if it is true, it is a commentary on civilian shooting" because the gang that tripped up Von Marwitz was not all old leathernecks; they were a lot of J ,; , , i M- i-v M boys who had dropped their picks, their pens, or their books and went to war on a couple of hours notice. They were civilians until they landed at Paris Island, but they were marines when they slipped the knock-out drops to the Germans. We probably will not have another war. Respect is a great defense and fear is a greater one. But if we do, stake your last penny on a bet that the civilians who are rid ing on the rifle shooting band wagon to-day will be right there when the gates are opened for them. - -m H i 1" It ' VI I J -s-;... y mini i 4 r ' s : m 'i . 1 " . ii ... 1 i 1 1 , ft L
The Pinehurst Outlook (Pinehurst, N.C.)
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April 28, 1920, edition 1
4
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