152 



RECREATION 



petent instructors, rifles, ammunition, and suitable 

 medals and prizes both for individuals and teams. 

 Then at the close of the school year I would sug- 

 gest a state rifle meeting, where teams of eight 

 boys would compete for the state championship. 

 These state meetings to be followed by a national 

 meeting at some centrally located range, where the 

 champion team from each state would contest for 

 the school supremacy of the United States in rifle 

 shooting. 



Now I believe all this can be accomplished in 

 the next few years. The National Board for the 

 promotion of rifle practice will be behind the move- 

 ment, and the sons of Daniel Boone can do much 

 to assist. How? Talk rifle shooting; explain that 

 in case of war this country will have to call on 

 volunteers; that unless these volunteers can shoot, 

 and shoot well, there will be no use in mobilizing 

 them; say that even if we have no war, the benefit 

 to our country cannot be estimated in dollars and 

 cents; that a boy to be a good rifle shot must be 

 temperate, cleanly and careful in his habits in order 

 to keep his nerves in good shape and his eyes clear; 

 that he must learn observation in generalities and 

 details; that he must learn patience; therefore, when 

 he is ready to go into business or a profession 

 he will be a better business man and a better 

 citizen, and that if called upon to protect his coun- 

 try's flag he will have learned the most important 

 duty of a soldier. If you will read the short 

 article entitled, "The Coming National Match," in 

 the body of this magazine, you will see what rapid 

 strides have been made the last three years in 

 arousing an interest in rifle shooting among the 

 regulars and the National Guard of this country. 

 The same thing can be done for the schools. But 

 we must have rifle ranges, and ranges cost money 

 to build. This money must be furnished by the 

 U. S. Government through an Act of Congress, 

 and in all probability the National Board will pre- 

 sent a bill this fall asking Congress to appropriate 

 a certain amount of money for a period of years 

 to promote rifle shooting in schools and colleges. 

 "You can help to have this bill passed, and if your 

 friend, Mr. Dan Beard, will grant me some space 

 later on I shall be glad to give you further in- 

 formation. 



Sons of Daniel Boone, I wish you success, and 

 remain, 



Yours most sincerely, 



J. G. Ewing. 



Any boy who can secure a young 'coon and 

 rear it will have almost as much fun as he 

 would with a pet crow. 



'POSSUMS AS PETS. 



There is nothing "gamy" about the opos- 

 sum, in his actions or his looks. Neverthe- 

 less, he is much sought after as an article of 

 food, and when cooked properly makes a 

 very delicate dish. The opossum belongs 

 to the Marsupials and is related to the 

 kangaroo and a lot of other queer ani- 

 mals over in Australia. Just how this cousin 

 of the Australian creatures happened to stray 

 into the United States, whether he swam 

 the ocean or came in a balloon has never yet 

 been decided by the scientists ; but he is 

 here and one of the peculiarities of the fe- 

 male opossum is that she carries her babies 

 in her fur lined vest pocket. 



Originally there were no opossums on 

 Long Island ; but of recent years I have seen 

 them captured in the streets .of Flushing, 

 which is a part of New York City, and they 

 have spread all over the lengths and breadths 

 of the island. I have tried them as pets ; 

 but found them very stupid and unsatisfac- 

 tory and not nearly as funny and humor- 

 ous as pet 'coons. 



BOY HONOR. 



Business men are all too busy to allow 

 their thoughts to dwell on birds, trees, game 

 and fish or forests and plains, and the duty 

 devolves upon the literary men, sportsmen 

 and boys to look after the sentiment and 

 beauty of Nature and preserve it for the 

 nation. 



To a man of dollars the land is only a 

 thing to turn into money. He cares not if 

 the saw mill lay vast forests low and leave 

 a dreary desert in its place, so long as it 

 brings ready money to his already over- 

 flowing treasury; but this is not because the 

 money-maker was born different from any 

 other bouncing baby boy, but because, in the 

 pursuit of money, he has stifled his other 

 feelings and aspirations until all that is left 

 of his finer qualities can fittingly be com- 

 pared to the knots of a tree, which are but 

 scars showing where branches once ex- 

 isted. 



We are constantly reading and hearing of 

 legislators, trusted financiers, princes and 

 officeholders accepting bribes or levying 

 blackmail, selling out the people's interests 

 for personal profit ; but whoever heard of a 

 boy taking a bribe to lose a game of base 

 ball, cricket or football? 



Boys' ideas of honor, sentiment and sport, 

 are all healthy branches and not wrinkled 

 scars on dry, scaly, old, moss-covered 

 trunks. That is why we love boys! 



A YOUNG OBSERVER. 



Editor Recreation : 



First, I want to say that Recreation- has 

 improved wonderfully since changing 

 guides. 



I noticed a subscriber asking if birds talked 

 and your answer to him. May I add a few 

 picked up by Mr. J. A. Carlson and myself? 

 He says the bluejay is a Spaniard or Spanish 

 bird, for when you frighten him he says, 

 "Dewey, Dewey, Dewey," and flies away. 

 Our prairie meadow or medial lark says, 

 "Put out your heating stove." Our Bob 

 White varies his by saying, "Oh, Bob White," 

 and when he gets lost says, "Where, oh, 

 where." A variety of our prairie snipe say:>, 

 "Kill deer, kill deer" ; then there is another 

 on most every farm (which most of us like) ; 

 when small he says, "Cheap, cheap, cheap," 

 and when old says, "Cut, cut my. head off," 

 which we do when the minister comes to tea. 

 Yours truly, 

 Robert J. Black, Lincoln, Neb. 



P. S. — Please send premium catalogue. 



