The Peril of Random Gunfire on Walla Walla Streets
A local editor warns that unless the city curbs random shooting, citizens will soon need to wear armor to safely walk downtown.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
It would have a salutary effect to enforce the regulation against shooting within the limits of the corporation. If there is not a check given to the practice, it will soon be necessary for a man to go iron-clad to escape random shots, and constitute himself a walking arsenal to be in fashion. In fashion or out of fashion, a garb of that kind worn by the promenaders about the corner of Main and Third streets in this city would be decidedly appropriate and conducive to longevity.
“It will soon be necessary for a man to go iron-clad to escape random shots.”
This 1864 editorial captures the chaotic reality of an armed frontier town, where the line between 'manly' self-defense and public endangerment was constantly negotiated. Today, the debate over firearm safety in public spaces remains a cornerstone of the American civic argument.
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