Robert Covenhoven's rifle with thirteen notches on the under side of the stock. His scalping-knife has seven notches, where this merciless scalp-hunter enumerated his red victims prior to collecting the scalp bounty at Harris' Ferry. The Covenhoven rifle was latterly owned by the old deer-hunter Miller Day, of English Centre, Lycoming County, but is now in Philadelphia, while the knife is at the James V. Brown Library, Williamsport, together with his Ketland pistol. As symbols of a bolder and broader day the firearms of backwoods Pennsylvania will always exercise a peculiar charm, typifying as they do the period of trackless forests, Indians, panthers, wolves, unbridled romance. Also, that strangely picturesque period of the Civil War, when the sharp-shooting Pennsylvania mountain boys (and older ones) went forth to snip; for did not Jake Karstetter, of Sugar Valley, Clinton County, enlist as 37 when he was 57 and compass the death of seven Confederate general officers? Notched on the walnut stock of his favorite weapon, the work of Henry Barner, a wayside Sugar Valley gunsmith, were seven sets of minute carvings in the form of collar insignias in all the grades from a Lieutenant General to a Lieutenant Colonel. And when they led him haltered through the streets of Richmond they labelled him "a wild Yankee from the North," because of his unshorn hair and beard, which he swore he would not cut until he had "set Jeff Davis cold." It is a pity that the science of ancient arms is not more popular in inland Pennsylvania, and that more of the curious specimens of arms have not been retained, but were allowed to be shipped away to collectors elsewhere before their local value was recognized. It is with a hope that it may stimulate other collectors at home to assemble ancient weapons before it is too late that this catalogue has been published. It is as a fragment, and not as a complete collection, but it puts before the reader the picture of an arms loving race, in the glorious ante-mollycoddle age, which was the golden age of Pennsylvania manhood. But in truth there has been very little, if any, decline, when one thinks of the valor of the boys of the 28th, the 79th and other outfits where Pennsylvanians were most in evidence in the World War. Many of these had old Civil War grandfathers, who could tell of Fredericksburg or Petersburg, of how earlier they barked squirrels on tall hardwood trees, or shot into the flocks of wild pigeons "which darkened the sun" in their great flights. And to welcome in the "apostolic succession" of arms new lovers among our boys, even the least of them, this collection stands catalogued, thanks to Mr. Piper's perseverance. It is an invitation and appeal to carry on all that is boldest, bravest and best of that fearless company that bore their spears along the dark warpaths of obscurity, and stacked them on the campgrounds of eternal night.

Henry W. Shoemaker.

"Restless Oaks,"
McElhattan, Pa., July 30, 1927.

THE SHOEMAKER COLLECTION OF EARLY PENNSYLVANIA
AND OTHER FIREARMS AND EDGED WEAPONS.

RIFLES, MUSKETS AND OTHER SHOULDER WEAPONS.

1. EXTREMELY HEAVY SHARPSHOOTER'S OR TARGET RIFLE.L. 52-1/2"

Full length stock with small cheek-piece and flattened at muzzle for shooting from a rest. Weight, about 40 lbs. .50 Cal. Double set triggers. Rare. Flintlock. Made by Pennebacker, Berks County.

2. PERCUSSION TARGET RIFLE. L. 47-3/4"

Octagon barrel, half stock, small brass patch-box, brass and German silver mountings. Peep-and-globe sights, rear sight missing. Fitted with false muzzle for loading. Lock marked "Warranted". About .38 cal. Complete with tin box containing all original accessories, mould, bullet-starter, patch cutter, combination screwdriver and nipple wrench, patches, tow for cleaning, etc. Rare with original accessories. This is the type of gun used at the old-time "turkey shoots." Made in Berks County, for John Lebo, of Clinton County.

3. DOUBLE BREECH-LOADING SHOTGUN. L. 48"

Side-lever action. Fitted with rifle sights for shooting round balls. Mark on lock, "Wm. Moore & Co." On barrel, "Fine Laminated Steel". 12-bore.

4. VERY SHORT PERCUSSION GUN. L. 36-1/2"

Full length black walnut stock. Iron ramrod. About 60 Cal. No marks. Probably used for hunting buffalo.

5. KENTUCKY RIFLE. L. 57"

Percussion. Stock originally full length, but has been shortened 11-1/2 inches. Brass mounts and long brass patch-box. Ramrod missing. About .36 Cal.

6. OLD AND BADLY BATTERED FOWLING PIECE. L. 57"

Lock gone. A cheap gun when new.

7. HEAVY KENTUCKY RIFLE. L. 56"

Curley maple stock and brass mountings, including long brass patch-box. Fairly good order.

8. SMALL-BORE PERCUSSION FOWLING PIECE. L. 59"

This gun is of the cheapest sort, with painted stock of some soft wood. Guns of this kind were sold by Indian traders and by country merchants to farmers' boys and others unable to afford better arms. Due to the almost uniform abuse which these weapons received, this specimen, which is in good condition, is somewhat of a rarity. Mark on lock, "Henry Parker, Warranted".

9. U. S. ARMY MUSKET, 1822 MODEL. L. 57-1/2"

Altered to percussion by Government system of screwing on new breech. Mexican and Civil War service possible. Good order.

10. DOUBLE OVER-AND-UNDER PERCUSSION RIFLE. L. 47-1/2"

Rigid barrels and two locks. No marks. Ramrod and trigger-guard missing. Small round patch-box, and German silver figure of spread eagle inset in cheek piece.

11. SHORT PERCUSSION RIFLE. L. 49"

This rifle is of the type used on the plains, period of 1845-'50 and in Pennsylvania period of 1850-90. No marks. Long brass patch-box. About .44 Cal. Fairly good condition.

12. SHORT KENTUCKY RIFLE. L. 48-1/2"

Stock has been broken and repaired several times and the whole gun is crudely made and was evidently the work of an unskilled local gunsmith. Without doubt, this is an authentic Pennsylvania Mountain relic. Now a smooth-bore.

13. CUT-DOWN KENTUCKY RIFLE. L. 45"

Barrel has been smooth-bored and stock shortened to half-length. Rear sight of peculiar and artistic design. This was at one time a very fine gun, and has several interesting features.

14. U. S. ARMY MUSKET, MODEL OF 1822. L. 57-1/2"

Has been varnished all over and is in good condition, but hammer is missing.

15. PERCUSSION KENTUCKY RIFLE. L. 52"

Brass mounted, with considerable brass and silver inlay. Good condition. Maker's name illegible, but "Philadelphia", on lock can be easily made out. Probably a Tryon.

16. SPRINGFIELD MUSKET. L. 55"

Model of 1861, caliber .58, percussion. Marks on lock, "U. S. Springfield. 1862." Good condition, with original bayonet. Gift of General F. D. Beary, The Adjutant General, N. G. P., Harrisburg, Pa.

17. TWO U. S. SPRINGFIELD ARMY RIFLES. L. 52"

Model of 1884. Fitted with ramrod bayonets. In the best of condition, like new. Gift of Gen'l F. D. Beary.

17A. Another, which has seen