PISTOL SHOOTING-A COUNTER CHALLENGE.

BY JOHN PHOENIX.

SAN DIEGO, Cal., September 1, 1854.

I COPY the following paragraph from the Spirit of the Times, for July 15th:

PISTOL SHOOTING-A CHALLENGE.

Owing to the frequent and urgent solicitations of many of my friends, I am induced to make the following propositions :

1. I will fit a dollar to the end of a twig two inches long, and while a second person will hold the other end in his mouth, so as to bring the coin within an inch and a half of his face, I engage to strike the dollar, three times out of five, at the distance of ten paces, or thirty feet. I will add, in explanation, that there are several persons willing and ready to hold the twig or stick described above, when required.

2. I will hit a dollar tossed in the air, or any other object of the same size, three times out of five, on a wheel and fire.

3. At the word, I will split three balls out of five, on a knife blade, placed at the distance of thirty feet.

4. I will hit three birds out of five, sprung from the trap, standing thirty feet from the trap when shooting.

5. I will break, at the word, five common clay pipe stems out of seven, at the distance of thirty feet.

6. I engage to prove, by fair trial, that no pistol-shot can be produced who will shoot an apple off a man's head, at the distance of thirty feet, oftener than I can. Moreover, I will produce two persons willing and ready to hold the apple on their heads for me, when required to do so.

7. I will wager, lastly, that no person in the United States can be produced who will hit a quarter of a dollar, at the distance of thirty feet, oftener than I can, on a wheel and fire.

I am willing to bet $5,000 on any of the above propositions, one fourth of that amount forfeit. So soon as any bet will be closed, the money shall be deposited in the Bank of the State of Missouri, until paid over by the judges, or withdrawn, less forfeit. I will give the best and most satisfactory references that my share will be forthcoming when any of my propositions are taken up. Any one desiring to take up any of my propositions must address me by letter, through the St. Louis Post Office, as the advertisements or notices of newspapers might not meet my eye. Propositions will be received until the first of September next.

140 Sixth Street, between Franklin Avenue and

Morgan Street, St. Louis, Missouri.

EDMUND W. PAUL.

I am unable to see anything very extraordinary in the above

propositions, by Mr. Edmund W. Paul. Any person acquainted with the merest rudiments of the pistol, could certainly execute any or all of the proposed feats without the slightest difficulty.

"Owing" to my entertaining these opinions, "without solicitation from friends, and unbiased by unworthy motives," I am induced to make the following propositions:

1. I will suspend two dollars by a ring from a second person's nose, so as to bring the coins within three-fourths of an inch from his face, and with a double barrelled shot-gun, at a distance of

FINE SHOOTING.

thirty feet, will blow dollars, nose and man at least thirty feet further, four times out of five. I will add, in explanation, that, San Diego containing a rather intelligent community, I can find, at present, no one here willing or ready to have his nose blown in this manner; but I have no manner of doubt I could obtain such a person from St. Louis, by Adams & Co.'s Express, in due season.

2. I will hit a dollar, or anything else that has been tossed in the air (of the same size), on a wheel, on a pole or axletree, or on the ground, every time out of five.

3. At the word, I will place five balls on the blade of a penknife, and split them all!

4. I will hit three men out of five, sprung from obscure parentage, and stand within ten feet of a steel trap (properly set) while shooting!

5. I will break, at the word, a whole box of common clay pipes, with a single brick, at a distance of thirty feet.

6. I engage to prove, by a fair trial, that no pistol-shot (or other person) can be produced who will throw more apples at a man's head than I can. Moreover, I can produce in this town more than sixty persons willing and ready to hold an apple on their heads for me, provided they are allowed to eat the apple subsequently.

7. I will wager, lastly, that no person in the United States can be produced, who, with a double barrelled shot-gun, while throwing a back-handed summerset, can hit oftener a dollar and a half, on the perimeter of a revolving wheel in rapid motion, than I can.

Any one desiring to take up any of my propositions, will address me through the columns of The Pioneer Magazine. Propositions will be received on the first of April next.

JOHN PHOENIX.

1384 Seventeenth Street, Valecitos.

Se compra oro aqui, up-stairs.

P. S. Satisfactory references given and required. A bet from a steady, industrious person, who will be apt to pay if he loses, will meet with prompt attention.

J. P.

BOSTON.

A. W. TO HIS WIFE.

BY ARTEMUS WARD.

DEAR BETSY: I write you this from Boston, "the Modern Atkins," as it is denomyunated, altho' I skurcely know what those air. I'll giv you a kursoory view of this city. I'll klassify the paragrafs under seprit headin's, arter the stile of those Emblems of Trooth and Poority, the Washington correspongdents :

COPPS' HILL.

The winder of my room commands a exileratin' view of Copps' Hill, where Cotton Mather, the father of the Reformers and sich, lies berrid. There is men even now who worship Cotton, and there is wimin who wear him next their harts. But I do not weep for him. He's bin ded too lengthy. I ain't goin' to be absurd, like old Mr. Skillins, in our naborhood, who is ninety-six years of age, and gets drunk every 'lection day, and weeps Bitturly because he hain't got no Parents. He's a nice Orphan, he is.

MR. FANUEL.

Old Mr. Fanuel is ded, but his Hall is still into full blarst. This is the Cradle in which the Goddess of Liberty was rocked, my Dear. The Goddess hasn't bin very wel! durin' the past few years, and the num'ris quack doctors she called in didn't help her any; but the old gal's physicians now are men who understand their bisness, Major-generally speakin', and I think the day is near when she'll be able to take her three meals a day, and sleep nights as comf'bly as in the old time.

THE LEGISLATUR.

The State House is filled with Statesmen, but sum of 'em wear queer hats. They buy 'em, I take it, of hatters who carry on hat stores down-stairs in Dock Square, and whose hats is either ten years ahead of the prevalin' stile, or ten years behind it-jest as a intellectooal person sees fit to think about it. I had the

pleasure of talkin' with sevril members of the legislatur. I told 'em the Eye of 1,000 ages was onto we American peple of to-day. They seemed deeply impressed by the remark, and wantid to know if I had seen the Grate Orgin.

HARVARD COLLEGE.

This celebrated institootion of learnin' is pleasantly situated in the Bar-room of Parker's, in School Street, and has poopils from all over the country.

I had a letter, yes'd'y, by the way, from our mootual son, Artemus, Jr., who is at Bowdoin College, in Maine. He writes that he is a Bowdoin Arab. & is it cum to this? Is this Boy, as I nurtered with a Parent's care into his childhood's hour-is he goin' to be a Grate American humorist? Alars! I fear it is too troo. Why didn't I bind him out to the Patent Travelin' Vegetable Pill Man, as was struck with his appearance at our last County Fair, & wanted him to go with him and be a Pillist? Ar, these Boys-they little know how the old folks worrit about 'em. But my father he never had no occasion to worrit about me. You know, Betsy, that when I fust commenced my career as a moral exhibitor with a six-legged cat and a Bass drum, I was only a simple peasant child-skurce 15 Summers had flow'd over my yoothful hed. But I had sum mind of my own. father understood this. "Go," he said-"go, my son, and hog the public!" (He ment, "knock em," but the old man was allus a little given to slang.) He put his withered han' tremblin'ly onto my hed, and went sadly into the house. I thought I saw tears tricklin' down his venerable chin, but it might hav' been tobacker jooce. He chaw'd.

WHERE THE FUST BLUD WAS SPILT.

My

I went over to Lexington yes'd'y. My Boosum hove with sollum emotions. " & this," I said to a man who was drivin' a yoke of oxen, "this is where our Revolootionary forefathers asserted their independence and spilt their Blud. Classic ground!"

"Wall," the man said, "it's good for white beans and potatoes, but as regards raisin' wheat, 't ain't worth a dam. But hav' you seen the Grate Orgin?"