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THE ITEM

PHILA., FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 1888

LITTLE SURE SHOT.

An Interview with the Champion Girl shot of the World.

HER TREATMENT ABROAD

Royally entertained by the Nobility and Adopted by a Childless Old Lady.

MISS ANNIE OAKLEY.

The celebrated girl-shot, Miss Annie Oakley, who is now engaged in giving exhibitions of her prowess with the gun at the South Broad Street Theatre in conneciton with Tony Pastor's company, is a young lady with a very interesting history. She has shot before nearly all the crowned heads of Europe and Asia, who have petted and indulged her in every manner, and made her their most consequential guest.

This wonderful young lady was born at Woodland, Darke County Ohio, August 13, 1866. Ever since a toddling child she has had an inherent

LOVE FOR FIRE-ARMS

and hunting, and at the age of ten, she as often as ammuntion was obtained, would smuggle her brothers musket and steal into the woods, where games at that time was plentiful. Naturally she was a good shot and came home well supplied with game. At the age of fourteen she had paid off a mortgage on her father's homestead with money earned rom the sale of game and skins, shot and trapped by herself alone.

For the past five years she has been shooting before the public with great success; although like the modest young lady she is, she has never laid claim to being a champion, yet a number of our leading sprtingmen had so much confidence in her ability that they offered to back her against any other so-called champion.

AN ITEM representative called on Miss Oakley yesterday afternoon, at her stopping-place in this city, and found her to be small in stature, graceful and ladylike and a charming conversationalist.

In answer to the question how the term "Little Sure-Shot" became applied to her said: "When Sitting Bull, the great Indian chieg, after seeing me shot in St. Paul, Minu,. adopted me in the Sioux Tribe and gave me the name of 'Watauya Cicila,' or Little Sure-Shot. My father was frozen to death in the Winter of 1878, while driving the mail in Montana Territory.

"I shot my first match in 1883, against the champion shot, Jack Oates, at Nashville, Tenn., and killed 46 birds to his 44. Last year I went to Europe and the nobilited treated me so kindly that I nearly cried when I left them.

"I show before the Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales on May 5, and gave an exhibition before the London Gun Club, composed entirely of noblemen, and of which the Prince is a member. It was there that he pinned upon my bosom this lovely medal." Miss Oakley here produced

A HANDSOME GOLD MEDAL,

about two inches in diameter and one-quarter of an inch thickness. Upon one side is engraved a picture of the London Club grounds, while upon the other side are the Prince's words of the presentation: "I know of no one more worth."

Miss Oakley stated that the "Charles Lancaster: make of gun was the most popular in England becuase they are lighter than any other manufactured there. She prefers it to any other. Owing to the extreme dampness of the climate in that contru wood-powder is always used in the first barrel. She expressed it as her opinion that it shows a higher grade of skill to kill a bird with two barrels rather than one.

"During my stay in England I shot with nearly every marksman of any not both professional and amateur marksmen, and I consider Lord De Flifford and Earl De Fray to be the finest amateur shots in the kingdom. M. Jourue, of France, is undoubtedly the greated professional shot in Europe; his record of killiking 56 out of 100 Blue-rocks being unsurpassed.

"While in London I was adopted by a childless old lady of considerable means, and before I left she drew up a will in my favor. I receive a letter from her twice a month and she is very anxious to have me come and spend the summer on her estate."