For most country people guns are a part of rural life. A hundred years ago they were a necessity. Unfortunately, this necessity often brought tragedy for many families. Such was the case for the Skoro family from Hondo.
In January of 1942, one of Eva Skoro’s brothers was cleaning his .22 rifle when it accidently discharged. The bullet hit Eva in the back. Another brother ran to Sid Owens house for help. Sid came with his horse and wagon as he did not have a car. They bundled Eva in a blanket and took her to Smith to see Nurse Maynes. Art Dixon, who owned one of the few cars in Smith, took her to the Athabasca Hospital where she died 3 days later.
A couple of trappers were out hunting squirrels. When you know a squirrel is in a tree but can’t find him, hitting the tree with a stick or log generally makes them move so that you can spot them.
It is important to use a stick and not a gun as this unfortunate pair found out. One of the men used his .22 squirrel gun to tap the tree. It discharged and hit his partner in the back. The wounded man had to be carried out of the bush, loaded onto a freight car and taken by rail to Westlock before getting medical attention.They could not remove the bullet as it was lodged near his spine and the odds were good that if it was disturbed he may have been paralyzed. It remained with him for about 60 years before he passed away.
If you are a hunter or have a reason to have a gun please make sure you practice safety. Guns have the same abilities now as they did 100 years ago, we just need to use our common sense.