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Annie Oakley

This celebrated girl shot was born in Woodland, Ohio. Ever since a toddling child
she has had an inherent love for fire-arms and hunting, and a tthe age of ten she, as often as ammunition was obtainable, would smuggle her brother's musket and steal into the woods where ame at the time was plentiful. Naturally, she was a good shot, and came home well supplied with game. At the age of twelve she was presented with a light, muzzle-loading shotgun, and also a breech-loading rifle. With the shot-gun she improved rapidly, and became such a fine shot that she rarely missed a quail or a pheasant, and at the age of fourteen she had paid off a mortgag on her mother's homestead with money earned from the game and skin shot and trapped by herself alone--while her aim with rifle was so true that she was debarred from entering in the turkey matches which were the popular holiday amusement in that part of the countrary.

Then came a local reputation; and with improved fire-arms she attracted wider attention, and for the past several years she has been shooting before the public with great success, and although she has many times beaten all records, like the modest little girl she is she never uses the word Champion in connection with her name. "Sitting Bull," the great Indian Chief, after seeing her shoot in St. Paul, Minn., dopted her into the sioux tribe, giving her the name of "WatanyaCicilla."

The First two years before the public she devoted to Rifle and Pistol Shooting, and there is very little in that line she has not accomplished. At Tiffin, Ohio, she once shot a ten cent piece held between the thumb and forefinger of an attendant at a distance of 30 feet. In April, 1884, she attempted to beat the best record made at balls thrown in the air--the best record was 984, made by Dr Ruth. Miss Oakley used a Stevens' 22 cal. rifle and broke 943. In February, 1885, she attempted the feat of shooting 5,000 balls in one day, loading the gun herself. In this feat she used three 16-gauge hammer guns; the balls were thrown from three traps 15 yards rise; out of the 5,000 shot at, she broke 4,772; on the second thousand she only missed 16, making the best 1,000 ball record, 984. Besides the thousands of exhibitions she has given in Europe and America, she has shot in over fifty matches and tournaments, winning forty-one prizes; her collection of medals and fire-arms, all of which have been won or presented to her, is considered one of the finest in the owrld.

Miss Oakley is also an accomplished equestrienne, and her succes with the public has been greatly enhanced by the fact that in dress, style and execution she is as original as she is attractive.

Many people have an idea that the exhibition shot is only good as such, and that in a match or competition against the professional pideon shot the exhibition shot would stand a chance of winning. This may apply to some, but not to Annie Oakley, as was clearly proven by her clever work at Interstate Park, New York during the past year.