AMERICAN ARCHERY 



Recreation is the Official Publication 

 of the National Archery Association 



From a Southern Archer 



I was probably born with the spirit of archery 

 in me. The bow and arrow was my favorite in my 

 childhood and boyhood days, and is revived in me, 

 just as I'm about to quit my 'teens. 



My tackle was very crude. In fact, I, nor any 

 of my friends, knew the meaning of the word 

 "archery." So I had to hoe my own row. After 

 trying all the woods in the region of my home 

 (Cumberland Mountains), I learned that cedar 

 was best for the bow. And I fashioned my bows 

 from it, leaving the white on the back, and red on 

 the inside. My way of stringing this bow was to 

 place the lower end or horn on the ground and 

 bend it with my knee, and wrap the string around 

 the upper horn and secure it with a kind of bow 

 knot which always held. The arrow was a light 

 reed or weed, as near straight as I could find. 

 For they were "found," not made. In the end was 

 a nail, which, somehow, kept that end in front. 

 These arrows were drawn with my right thumb 

 and forefinger, on a line with my shoulder, and 

 loosed with a little extra pull. By looking at pic- 

 tures of Indians and Cupid I learned to hold my 

 bow right, and at about fifteen I noticed the arrows 

 had two vanes. So I began at once and made 

 three experimental arrows with the two profalic 

 vanes each. The arrows wobbled badly and I was 

 almost discouraged. Noticing the action of the 

 rear end of the shaft, I set about to make it follow 

 the front end without all that unnecesary gym- 

 nastic performance. Learned to wrap two or 

 three downy feathers to the rear end, which served 

 very well. The down was simply a drag and I 

 sacrificed the range of my arrows, but they shot- 

 very true, for my diary describes how I could shoot 

 five out of seven arrows through a foot circle at 

 fifteen yards, which wasn't bad. 



The first and only man I've witnessed using a 

 long bow was Mr. Maxson, September, 1904, while 

 I was visiting the city of Washington. While walk- 

 ing through the beautiful Smithsonian grounds, 

 I came upon his target, but couldn't see the archer 

 from my position. After seeing a few "streaks" 

 hunt the gold, it suddenly dawned upon me that 

 these streaks were arrows, and some real archer was 

 at his favorite pastime. I was soon standing behind 

 Mr. Maxson, taking in every shot and movement 

 he made. Also studied his tackle as closely as I 

 could without appearing inquisitive. The old 

 spirit was awakened and I set about getting some 

 information on the subject of archery. The 

 Congressional Library and National Museum 

 afforded a splendid field. Last summer my bow 



was hardly out of my hands. As the late Maurice 

 Thompson said, "The bow is an excellent fishing 

 companion." No greater sport than to get out 

 near the harvest field and imitate the partridge 

 hen's call. Soon an old rooster will answer, and 

 another with his craw full of wheat grains will 

 want some feminine society. I have had as high as 

 five try to beat each other to their lady love, and 

 one, and sometimes two, would, as they used to 

 say, get a "feather in his back," later to do the 

 quail act on a piece of toast. 



My hunting arrows were not what they ought 

 to be. I learned to first wrap the feathers on with 

 silk like the Indians did with sinew. Later I glued 

 them on in little grooves, which is best. I tried 

 second-growth hickory for the shafts and found 

 them too heavy and limber. My cane arrows also 

 proved a failure. By that time duty called me back 

 to the city, and I haven't had time to look me up a 

 range. 



I would like to hear from some of the old-timers 

 on the hunting arrow. Discuss these things so we 

 youngsters can "get next." Also, will some of you 

 give me a few hints through Recreation on the 

 following: 



Where can deal wood be obtained? 



Couldn't we get some old Reservation Indians 

 to build hunting arrows ? I mean cheap ones. 



Could a shaft be made of hard drawn aluminum 

 tubing, that would be lighter and stiffer ,than the 

 ordinary arrow? They certainly wouldn't warp, 

 and with proper feathers, I think they increase the 

 range of the bow. It would be great to use an ar- 

 row that I could draw point-blank with at a rabbit 

 or turkey at 75 yards, with a 50-pound bow. 



"Robin Hood." 



Birmingham, Ala. 



Deal is the English for Norway spruce — almost 

 identical for commercial use with our American 

 spruces, black and white. — Editor. 



Archery in the Schools 



BY DR. EDWARD B. WESTON 



One of our leading daily newspapers, a few 

 weeks ago, in discussing college athletics, main- 

 tained that we needed greater variety to meet the 

 wants of the great body of students. 



Football is the leading college sport, but as an 

 athletic exercise is of little use. It trains, or over- 

 trains, a few; it excites the interest of many, and 

 nearly all are crazy to have their college or univer- 

 sity win. This esprit de corps is commendable. 

 It also starts a gambling spirit which no one can 



