Salt Lake Tribune | 1904-12-11 | Page 39 | Teaching Oyama to Shoot

Teaching Oyama to Shoot. Horace Fletcher writes In tho World' Work: "Twonty-flvo yeorB ago I was an experienced rlfio shot and could bit a mov-lng mov-lng object every time. ThA 22-callber rlfie and machine-made cartridge, Which came Into general use in tho seventies, mode ex- JM tensive rlfie practice possible. I wrote r.n'i published at tho time a pamphlet on how to shdot with a rlfie. It happened that copicB of the pamphlet reached Japan, JM whoro I Bpcnt some time Booh after. Jap-nn Jap-nn had Just begun to make a military or-ganlzation or-ganlzation on the most modern lines, and Marquis Oyama was MlhlBler 6f War. He . invited me to vlult him In his homo at 1 Toklo, and showed great Interest In the method of learning to shoot at a moving object with a rlfie He had already seen the pamphlet. "I had a number of American rifles and . ample ammunition with me In Japan, and H Marquis Oyama and the then Col. Murata IH (Inventor of the Japanese military rifle) Joined mo several afternoons at target practice. Thoy entered enthusiastically; jH Into the spirit, Oyama in particular show- IH lng the enthusiasm of a boy. I shall never ! forget his keen Joy the first time ho hit a movlrig object with a bullet. It was a teapot thrown In the air, I believe, and when It came down in dust and pieces he capered around and screamed In his do- tM light like an excited schbOlboy."