338 WALL STREET AND THE WILDS 



in good order was becoming a task. There was 

 some interest in rifle shooting at this time and a 

 good many matches came off at Creedmoor 

 where a rifle range had been established in 1871. 

 Chief among the promoters of this enterprise 

 were William C. Church and George W. Win- 

 gate, I had been one of the original trustees to 

 hold the property and occasionally took part in a 

 match on the grounds. 



On one occasion I entered the competition for 

 three prizes, one of which was offered by the 

 Stock Exchange Rifle Club. The three prizes 

 went home with me that night together with the 

 conviction that I was the original Leatherstock- 

 ing. Pride like mine seldom long precedes a 

 fall and mine came with the next competition. 

 When it came my turn to fire I was looked upon 

 with interest and I especially enjoyed hearing 

 the President of our National Rifle Association 

 say to some ladies who were with him, "Now you 

 will see some shooting!" 



My hand was steady, the trigger of the rifle 

 yielded at that critical fraction of a second when 



