In the early 1900's major hardware stores in the East did a land office business in smallbore guns, especially Parkers. Murtha Appleton and E.K. Tryon in Philadelphia and William Wagner & Son in Washington DC sold literally thousands of Parkers, with a signifcant number of them 16, 20, and 28 gauges. A single order in the Parker Bros. Order Books for E.K. Tryon of Philly goes on for 12 full pages of legal-sized sheets! Wm. Wagner's store was literally right across the street from the Library of Congress and the US Capitol. He sold guns to people like John Phillip Souza, Gen. Billy Mitchell, president Grover Cleveland, "Marse" Henry Bartholomew, and the common folk as well. Great little 28 ga. Parkers still seep out of the woodwork around the Washington DC - Baltimore area. Those fortunate enough to be there first when the surface are indeed lucky. KBM
