SHE HITS THE BULL'S EYE.
Great Shooting by a Young
Indiana Woman.
COMES BY IT NATURALLY
Possibly It May be a Case of Heredity,
But at all Events She Is a Wonder
--Her Passion for Target Shoot-
ing Will Continue to Practice.
Great Shooting by a Young
Indiana Woman.
COMES BY IT NATURALLY
Possibly It May be a Case of Heredity,
But at all Events She Is a Wonder
--Her Passion for Target Shoot-
ing Will Continue to Practice.
Some one has said there is a latent talent in every human being that, given an opportunity, is certain to push its way to the front. This would seem to be true of Miss Sonia Wright, of Lafayette, Ind., who is at the present moment attracting a great deal of notice to herself by reason of the very phenomenal shooting she is doing with a target rifle. It should be said for Miss Wright that, although her father was a British soldier, a member of the Royal Engineers, and she herself was born in the army, in Ireland, she was not at all acquainted with firearms, and when one day she visited tho Lafayette Water Works with a party of ladies, the subject of guns coming up, she innocently asked the difference between a rifle and a shotgun.
John E. Long, the expert shot, who, though not laying claim to any championship honors. Is yet regarded as one of the best all round fancy, trick and target shooters in the United States, is assistant engineer at the water works. Mr. Long was showing Miss Wright and her companions his supply of rifles, and during the explanation remarked that If he could find some bright-eyed, steady-nerved boy--one like his own son Clarence, recently deceased--he believed he would take him and train him in the use of firearms. Miss Wright jocularly asked him if she would not do as a pupil, and with no thought of her ever coming back Mr. Long responded affirmatively. Three or four days later Miss Wright presented herself, saying she came for her first lesson. Long procured the guns, and after showing Miss Wright how to handle the weapon, placed a cartridge in one of them and told her to shoot.
The very first shot Miss Wright fired struck the bull's-eye. Mr. Long, as well as his pupil, naturally supposed this was an accident, but it only went to show that the young lady pupil possessed an ability that she had never before known about. At the second lesson given her by Mr. Long the young woman put 20 out of a possible 22 shots in a space one inch long and one-half inch wide. This was at off-hand target practice, ten yards.
At the 120th shot fired by Miss Wright the bullet cut in twain a card that was held edgewise toward her. This card was cut in two at the first shot made at it, and the shot was made at the regular stage range of twenty-four feet I saw a bit of card-board with a bullet hole therein; it is a piece held between his thumb and finger by Mr. Long, whose confidence in the ability of the pupil was so great that he permitted her to shoot at the card as it was held in his hand.
At a public entertainment given by a church recently Miss Wright with a rifle cut cards edgewise, lighted a a match with the bullet as it sped from the rifle, snuffed out a candle and knocked the ashes from the end of a cigar, not making a single miss. She says the candle shooting was the most difficult, because unless the bullet hit the wick the light would not be extinguished. She says she has developed a passion for target shooting, and intends, by practice, to become as expert as it is possible for a woman to be with a rifle.
John E. Long, the expert shot, who, though not laying claim to any championship honors. Is yet regarded as one of the best all round fancy, trick and target shooters in the United States, is assistant engineer at the water works. Mr. Long was showing Miss Wright and her companions his supply of rifles, and during the explanation remarked that If he could find some bright-eyed, steady-nerved boy--one like his own son Clarence, recently deceased--he believed he would take him and train him in the use of firearms. Miss Wright jocularly asked him if she would not do as a pupil, and with no thought of her ever coming back Mr. Long responded affirmatively. Three or four days later Miss Wright presented herself, saying she came for her first lesson. Long procured the guns, and after showing Miss Wright how to handle the weapon, placed a cartridge in one of them and told her to shoot.
The very first shot Miss Wright fired struck the bull's-eye. Mr. Long, as well as his pupil, naturally supposed this was an accident, but it only went to show that the young lady pupil possessed an ability that she had never before known about. At the second lesson given her by Mr. Long the young woman put 20 out of a possible 22 shots in a space one inch long and one-half inch wide. This was at off-hand target practice, ten yards.
At the 120th shot fired by Miss Wright the bullet cut in twain a card that was held edgewise toward her. This card was cut in two at the first shot made at it, and the shot was made at the regular stage range of twenty-four feet I saw a bit of card-board with a bullet hole therein; it is a piece held between his thumb and finger by Mr. Long, whose confidence in the ability of the pupil was so great that he permitted her to shoot at the card as it was held in his hand.
At a public entertainment given by a church recently Miss Wright with a rifle cut cards edgewise, lighted a a match with the bullet as it sped from the rifle, snuffed out a candle and knocked the ashes from the end of a cigar, not making a single miss. She says the candle shooting was the most difficult, because unless the bullet hit the wick the light would not be extinguished. She says she has developed a passion for target shooting, and intends, by practice, to become as expert as it is possible for a woman to be with a rifle.
[The Ohio Democrat, Logan, Ohio, Thursday, June 14, 1900. Vol. XVII No. 24. Pg. 1]
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