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Show X , A V ls weekly Tli Tl i 1 i p,,,.9ry hrearms Festival N v v 1 : i , '' s , f V ) ' I "V " I ' " ' 1 i . i O The "farmers' guard" of Austria crack riflemen rifle-men from the mountainous mountain-ous Pongau area have no cut-throats, criminals or villains to shoot at these days but they keep in trim, as they have during dur-ing the past 400 years. Way back in the lawless days of 1550, the citizenry cit-izenry of the region formed "r i f I e m e n' s g u i I d s" as protection t against poachers, plun-i plun-i derers and deserters from the private armies of the numerous dukes and barons. The years brought peace to the section but i the riflemen, who had ! come to cherish their re-i re-i sponsibility and take i pride in thpir prowess, re-i re-i mained organized. This i year, which commemorates commemo-rates the 400th anniversary anniver-sary of the founding of the first guild, the small, i quiet town of St. Johann, I near Vienna, played host i to the spectacle. Dressed ' in their quaint costumes i (above) the people arrive for the festival. 0 Each group of riflemen representing repre-senting the various geographical districts of the province, is awarded award-ed some sort of special citation to take home. Above a couple looks at an award. . fT. .A- v -,.T ' ' - v 1 1 i V 1 I i - Nil " I - I ' : ) :ifr ' f i i ' 3-4 ?l w , J I ,J ' - V" ' . 7 N,, 1 Is f - s ". ' ' f ' ' i ' ' i 4 Ajum. utaiiJitA.ft' "-' r ' . ? j. i "j " ' r " V K All' i ' ; ' , f 1 if W,;;! I v- A 0 This oldtimer (above) has had his day with the rifle, but he's still strong enough to march and play in the band. i I The riflemen of M"rau (above), in their trditional fur hats, await Jeir turn to shoot with old rifles they bear. s the day progresses the heQt grows strong, but lth traditional Jor"ful of ale (right) on hH there's little chnce that anyone will So thirsty. Sampson the 6lant, combined scape- Sot and mascot, is one cf 'he features of the col- ''f"l parade climaxing ""Jay's activities. The tiva was witnessed by 2W spectators this year. |