EARLY DAY STORIES. 233 



the steel pan of the lock. Most of the guns in use at that 

 time were of the flint lock pattern. All the guns in use 

 were muzzle loaders, and while percussion guns, that is those 

 fired with a percussion cap or percussion pill were coming 

 into use, the flint locks were preferred by many because of 

 the extra cost of percussion primers. The powder was car- 

 ried in a horn, and the bullets or shot in a pouch, none of 

 the ammunition being fixed. The bullets both for rifles 

 and muskets were round elongated bullets never having 

 been thought of at that time. The rifles were finely sighted 

 and were accurate shooters, but were of short range. When 

 I was sixteen years old I owned my first gun. It was a 

 single barrel shotgun, with a long barrel, full curly maple 

 stock, and pill lock. The gun was loaded by pouring the 

 powder into the muzzle from a small measure, called a 

 charger, on top of the powder was placed a wad of tow 

 firmly rammed down with the ramrod, next a charge of 

 loose shot, also measured, and lastly another wad of tow 

 was pressed down with the ramrod to hold the shot in 

 place. The hammer had a long point of steel, not unlike 

 the bill of a woodpecker, that when the trigger was pulled, 

 struck into a little hollow at the base of the barrel contain- 

 ing the primer. The primer was a little pill of percussion 

 about the size of a radish seed, and was held in its place by a 

 slight covering of tallow, which also protected it from damp- 

 ness. I have used many shotguns since, but never handled 

 a better one, and seldom one as good, but, of course, it was 

 slow work reloading, and seldom gave a chance for more 

 than one shot, and besides the primer was liable to get damp 

 or fall out and therefore the gun frequently missed fire. But 

 this was all the better for the game and gave it a chance for 

 life that is now denied it with our quick firing, long range 

 guns. 



The dwelling houses and school houses were all warmed 

 by the open fire-place. I never saw a stove until I was ten 



