56 RECREATION. 
describing its extreme efficiency and giving 
the name of the makers; and then by way 
of saving his face he started a campaign 
against the Winchester company. ‘We feel 
that it is unfortunate we have not a gun of 
the kind described at present. We are quite 
sure you will change your opinion about 
decent sportsmen, and we are just as anx- 
ious to preserve the game as you are. We 
are glad to know you have entertained a 
high regard of us, but are sorry to hear 
we are liable to lose it if we continue to 
perfect guns. ;< 
Yours respectfully, 
Winchester Repeating Arms Co., 
(Signed) T. S. Bennett, Presidertt. 
It will be seen that in the letter from the 
Winchester company reproduced herewith 
and dated September 23, they say: 
“We shall probably put an automatic shot 
gun on the market.” 
I know from other reliable sources that 
they have been busy several months build- 
ing machinery for the making of an auto- 
matic gun. . 
Then in the letter to Mr. Vitous they say, 
“We note your protest against something 
which we do not happen to have.” 
Not yet, of course, but they are making it. 
In the letter to Mr. Dill, dated Nov. 6, 
1903; Mr. Bennett says: 
“We regard it as unfortunate for our 
interests that we have not any gun of the 
kind.” 
In the same letter Mr. Bennett says: 
“The editor wanted to advertise a certain 
automatic shot gun, and did = so, 
giving the name of the maker.” 
These statements are directly in conflict. 
Mr. Bennett accuses me of advertising a 
rival gun, and of naming the maker thereof, 
in my editorial in November REcREATION. 
I will give Mr. Bennett $1,000 if he will 
point out to me the name of the makers 
of the other automatic gun referred to in 
that article. As matters now stand Mr. 
Bennett himself has the honor of first hav- 
ing advertised the Browning gun in REcRE- 
ATION, and the makers of that gun are wel- 
come to whatever good this may do them. 
Under date of October 14 I wrote this 
to Browning Brothers: 
Dear Sirs: 
I am sorry to learn that you have put out 
an automatic gun. If I had known you con- 
templated this, I should have advised you 
against it long ago, though I do not imagine 
you care for any advice from me. 
It would seem that the small remnant of 
wild birds which now remains, of the mil- 
lions that were formerly on this continent, 
could be killed off fast enough with the 
double barrel guns and pump guns; and I 
regret that a still more destructive weapon 
should have been made and offered for sale. 
While not wishing to injure your legiti-— 
mate business, I shall oppose the use and 
sale of these guns to the best of my ability. 
Yours truly, G. O. Shields. 
Mr. M. S. Browning replied to this, under 
date of October 24, as follows: 
Dear Sir: 
Replying to your favor of 14th would say, 
if the only way to protect the game was to 
limit the efficiency of the gun you would 
have to advocate the flintlock; and even 
that arm, if unrestricted,,would be an awful 
game exterminator. There are general re- 
strictions that are properly made, limiting 
the season, the bag, the bore, marketing, 
etc., to amply protect the game, and as arms 
have been made more effective the lines 
have had to be drawn closer. pace 
Am sorry you have decided to oppose the 
arm, as we had expected to be able to make 
satisfactory arrangements for advertising 
with you when we were prepared to ad- 
vertise. 
Yours truly, 
M. S. Browning. 
If Mr. Bennett doubts the authenticity 
of these letters, I shall be glad to have him 
call, or senda man here, and I will show 
him my carbon copy of my letter to Brown- 
ing Brothers, and Mr. Browning’s original 
letter to me as quoted. 
I should further like to have Mr. Bennett 
point out to me any mud I have thrown 
at his company, or anything that has ap- 
peared in RECREATION since he withdrew his 
ad that is in the least “acrimonious” to- 
ward his company. On the contrary he can 
find on page 376 November RECREATION 2 
articles defending the pump gun which Mr. 
Bennett makes. On page 377 of the same 
issue I printed an article entitled “The 
Ideal Gun,” which strongly recommends 
certain of the Winchester rifles. On page 
380 is another article commending the Win- 
chester pump gun. -On page 384 the 
Winchester 25-35 rifle gets a good send off. 
Then on page 460 of December RECREATION 
the Winchester Company gets more free ad- 
vertising. Will Mr. Bennett please point 
out to me any instance in which I have 
treated him “acrimoniously” since he with- 
drew his ad? 
My protest against the automatic gun, in 
November REcREATION, is a straightforward, 
manly appeal to the sportsmen of the coun- 
try on behalf of the birds. I made no at- 
tempt whatever to injure the Winchester 
Company. They had announced in writing 
their intention of placing on the market an 
automatic gun, and I undertook to have my 

