Daisy Lever Action

After carefully studying the GUN pages in the Eatons' catalogue, in my mind, I settled for the Daisy Lever Action 50 shot Air Rifle. At $9.95 it was mid-range in the prices asked for the various models and I knew it would be an uphill struggle to firstly-- get approval to own a weapon and secondly --to get such an expensive birthday, or even X-mas gift. To ask for the Pump Action 500 shot Remington Lightning Fast that I really wanted would, I knew, be out of the question at $14.98

At ten years old, I had long outgrown the cap guns used to play cowboys and Indians. In my mind, I wanted to learn trick shooting just like the old time movie heroes now being shown at the new theatre in town. I could picture myself shooting a row of tin cans off fence posts with lightning speed or even hitting a coin someone had tossed into the air.

When I first broached the subject, I received the usual casual "we'll see" brush off from my parents and I think I detected a look of fear in mom's eyes at the thought of me having a gun that would actually shoot. It was obviously going to require much careful lobbying to attain my objective. I began drawing paper bulls-eye targets on sheets of school paper which I carefully coloured red, white and blue. Whenever I was asked what I was doing, I always kept a positive approach and said the targets were being stockpiled for my birthday when I would have my air rifle. After my September birthday came and went with no sign of the gun, I feigned great disappointment and stepped up my campaign, now aimed at Christmas. Eventually, they gave in and provided I promised to jump through all the hoops parents lay out when they have the advantage (i.e. Behaving, good marks at school, etc. etc.) the gun would be under the tree at Xmas.

There was always two guns at the farm, and so far as I know, there was also a gun at every other farm on the concession. These were not viewed as weapons, but more akin to any other farm tool,like a hoe or a pitchfork. While some farmers were avid hunters for the provision of table food, fur,or even just for sport, our guns were mostly kept for the protection of our chickens. We had a single shot bolt action 22 calibre rifle and a double barreled 12 gauge shotgun. The chicken predators were skunk, fox and hawks. The guns were not kept in a locked safe with a trigger lock, nor was the ammunition kept locked up separately. To be of any value upon the sighting of a predator, the gun had to be handy for immediate use. Our guns were kept behind the kitchen door with the shells in a close-by closet drawer.

Upon the sighting of a fox or a skunk anywhere near the farm buildings, the 22 would be brought out beause of its longer range and shots would be fired at the offending critter until it was out of sight. Similarily, the sighting of a hawk brought out the shotgun. I don't recall the actual hitting of any of these animals, but they had a great fear of guns and thus the shots served their deterant purpose.

Occasionally my father or oldest brother would participate in a winter fox hunt with other neighbours. It went like this. Reg, who lived about 11/2 miles up the road, owned two fox hounds. When he wanted to go hunting, he would telephone several neighbours until he found three or four that were interested. They did NOT meet to go hunting, but rather, at the prescribed time Reg would get out the hounds and starting at his farm, would walk with them on a leash until they picked up the trail of a fox. He would release the hounds who would take up the scent and with loud baying and howling, they soon had the fox up and running. A chased fox tends to lead the hounds in a large circle with a circumferance of maybe 5 miles. The other particpating farmer-hunters, who were waiting outside at their homes, could hear the dogs and could soon tell if the quarry was heading their way. If it became obvious the fox was going in the other diection, the game was over for that particular hunter who would simply step back into the comfort of his house and put away his gun. On the other hand if the fox was heading your way, the baying of the hounds got louder and indicated the direction the fox was headed. From previous experience, each farmer knew where the fox would likely run through his property i.e. through that gully; into that bush etc. This enabled him to hurry to a favourable spot and be waiting the quarry's arrival. This quite often produced a sighting of the fox and sometimes an opportunity for a shot. Great care had to be taken not to shoot the hounds! Thus on most hunts the fox escaped into one of his several dens therby ending the hunt. The fox did not always win though and a hunter would bag his trophy.

Aside-At that time fox fur collars were all the rage in high fashion. The entire fur including the head with little glass eyes was used. It buttoned onto a regular coat collar and was thus transferable if you owned more than one coat. These fashion statements were quite expensive and available only at the best stores. My father had one of these made up from an unfortunate fox that he snared and sent it to my oldest sister who wore it for several years.

Back to my air rifle. As x-mas approached, I kept after mom to actually send in the order including 1000 BBs early so the gun would be here on time for xmas. She did and the waiting started. Our mail was delivered by Geo. Powell. His route from town was a nine or ten mile loop up and down concession roads by way of a horse drawn cutter in the winter because the snow often blocked the road to cars. Geo. never missed a day due to weather. As each day went by I grew more anxious. Junk mail had not yet been invented,and we seldom got a bill, so unless we received one of the rare personal letters, Geo just went right on by. Finally,on Dec 22 Geo had a parcel! Unfortunately, it was rectangular and far too small to contain my gun. Mom allowed me to open it right away and there was two packages of 500 BBs each along with a notation on the packing slip that the Daisy Lever Action 50 Shot Air Rifle was--- back ordered! The dam thing arrived in the first week of January.

I did use that gun for a couple of years until I was allwed to use the real guns. One thing I learned pretty quick was to pin my targets to the side of an empty cardboard box. That way the BB could be recovered from inside the box, or stuck in the back side of the box and be re-used over and over. Maybe the Daisy did help my aim because in 1955 I received the arm-patch for best-shot in highschool that year.

Next--Digging Indians


"The beginning is the most important
part of the work"

Plato