120 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



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NEW YORK, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1874. 



To Correspondents. 



.,■ Ijcattons whatever, wlietlier relatingto bnsincss or literary 



jrrcspondauce, must be addressed to The Forest and Stream Pub- 

 1 or private letters of course excepted. 

 tnications intended for publication must, be accompanied with 

 real name, as a guaranty of good faith. Karnes will not be published if 

 objection be made. No anonymous contributions will be regarded. 

 Articles relating to any topic within the scope of this paper are solicited. 

 We cannot promise to return rejected manuscripts. 

 Secretaries of Clabs and Associations are nrged to favor us with brief 

 notes of their movements and transactions, as it is the aim of this paper 

 to become a medium of useful and reliable Information between gentle- 

 men sportsmen from one end or ihe country to the other ; and they will 

 Bnd our columns a desirable medium for advertising announcements. 



The Publishers of Forest and Stream aim to merit and secure the 

 patronage and countenance of that portion of the community whose re- 

 fined intclli tf ence enables them to properly appreciate and enjoy all that 

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 -,::,. :,-'; inn .■ -ports of land and water i< thou base uses which always 

 tend to make them unpopular with Hie virtuous and good. No advertise- 

 ment or business notice or an immoral character will be received on any 

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 may not. be read with propriety in the home circle. 



We cannot be responsible for the dereliction of the mail service, if 

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 Advertisements should be sent ui by Saturday of each week, if possible, 



CHARLES HALLOCK, Managing Editor. 

 WILLIAM C. HARRIS, Business Manager. 



CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR THE CUR- 

 RENT WEEK. 



Friday, Ofiober-M. -Trotting AOI illn«« il 5 p-ilauti, Mich., Greens- 

 burg. Pemi., Manhattan, K in . Omaha, Neb., Charleston, 111., Manches- 

 ter, N. H.. Easton. Pemi,, Greenville. Peun . PleetW I, N. Y., Dayton, 



num. Lexington, B v.. Oal .-kill. N. V.— Mutual v«. Baltimore B.B, O. 

 TJnion Grounds. Williain:-letrg. N. Y. 



s.ititidav. October 3d— New Jbi-bbJ Athletic Association, Ridgewood, 

 N. J.— American Jockey Club. Fall meeting. Jerome Park— Praetiee day 

 boat clubs, Bwlem, N. T.— Trotting meetings at Easton, Peuu.. Green- 

 ville. Peuu , Fleetwood, -\\ V.. Dayton, Ohio, Lexington, liy., Cutskill. 

 Xcw York. 



MuDat. OctoHurStb.- Trotting meetings at Sau Jose. Cal . St. Louis, 

 Mo.— Racing meetings al Baleabnrg, 111., Nashville, Tenu.— Weston's 

 Walk begins. 



Tuesday, October titli.— Trotting meetings at Corniug, N. Y., Mount 

 HoUy, N, J., Prospect Park, N. Y., Boston, Mass., Goshen, N. Y., Pitts- 

 burg, Peuu., Ctica, N. Y., Danbury, Conu., Galesburg, 111.— Racing 

 i G_desb-.irg._lil.. Nashville. Tenn. 



Wednesday:, October rth.— Biglin vs. Ten Eyck, boat race on the 

 Hudson River at Nyack— American Jockey Club, Fall meeting, Jerome 

 Park— Agricultural fair aud dog show. Miucola, Long Island— Trotting 

 meetings at Coining, N. Y., Mount Holly, K. J.. Prospect Park. N Y. 

 Boston, Mass., Goshen, X. Y., Pittsburg, Peun., tjtica, N. Y., Danbnry, 

 Conn., Galesburg, HI.— Rasing meetings at Galcshurg, 111., Nashville, 

 Teun. 



Thursday, October 8th.— Tennessee State Sportsmen*' Association, 

 flield trials Tor dogs, Memphis, Tenu.— Trotting meeting- at Prospect 

 Park. N. Y , Boston, Muss.. Goshen, N. Y„ Pittsburg, Penn., Udca, N. 

 Y.. Danbury, Conn., Galesburg, 111.. Newport, Ohio, Chagrin Falls, 

 Ohio— Racine meetings at Galesburg, Dl.. Nashville, Teun. 



\\e beg to acknowledge the receipt of a capital like- 

 ness of Major Arthur B. Leech, Captain of the Irish team, 

 sent us under cover of a paper published in Dublin entitled 

 ,',..,.,., Eye. Having had the pleasure of a visit from 

 MaiOt Leech we must declare the cartoon, from our per- 

 sonal knowledge, to be an excellent one. In the picture 

 i he Mayor is depicted with his clear cut features and flow- 

 ing beard, and for the back ground there is a flag and the 

 Elcho Shield, while the Captain of the team holds jauntily 

 in Ms hand a lifle— a Rigby, we suppose, The picture has 

 for a title, "MAJOR ScoilS," and the motto, "Near or far 

 off, well won is still well shot." (King John: Act 1 : Scene 

 1.) In the text of IrdnuiVs Eye, we find the following:— 

 "Major Leech, as leader of the Irish Rifle Association, is 

 well known. He organized it and brought it to its present 

 state of efficiency. Last year, trader him, t lie Irish Irani 

 carried off the likho Shield. « *." We have given the 



gallant Major Leech's semhlfi 11 appropriate niolie in 



our Pantheon of Worthies. 



CREEDMOOR.-THE IRISH AND AMERI- 

 CAN COMPETITION. 



WE must confess to something of a tumultuous feeling 

 now that the contest is over, and our emotion tads 

 ils natural expression when we declare that the victory 

 won by the American tram was merited, and that it was 

 the fruit of their patience, industry, and hard plodding 

 toil. Full praise is due to their Captain, Colonel G. W. 

 Wingate, whose zeal has been untiring, and who has 

 labored in this matter night and day in order to uphold the 

 reputation of American arms and American riflemen. 

 We are not in the least abashed when we say to-day that 

 we were not at all sanguine of success. Notwithstanding 

 the fine effort made by the American team two days before 

 the match, in our own experience we had seen so many 

 wonderful preliminary trials, which ended in overwhelming 

 defeats, that, we were doubtful of the final effort. It. may 

 do very well for those who are always certain of events 

 after they are decided, to say " we told you so." We had 

 the best reasons to believe, and our opinion was backed by 

 the most expert "riflemen in the country, that if we could 

 only hold our own, or should be beaten by a few points, the 

 National Rifle Association of America and the Amateur Rifle 

 Club would have deserved the highest praise. In our last 

 issue we made the assertion that the men composing the 

 American team were among the best riflemen in the United 

 States, and their performances have proved our dictum. 

 We can make no distictions. Comparisons just now in 

 regard to our matertelle would be invidious. Take any six 

 men in the world celebrated for peculiar skill, all to do the 

 same thing at the same time, and the idiosyncracies of these 

 men may exert themselves so differently that some may do 

 better and some worse in the prescribed period. 



There is one thing we see in this match, and it is an im- 

 portant one, and one as yet overlooked by the general 

 press, and that is the question of arms. It cannot be 

 dodged any longer. The match at Creedmoor, shot on the 

 26th of September, was a oattle fought not.rnore with arms 

 than with men. It was the contest between muzzle loaders 

 and breach loaders. 



The Forest and Stream has been asked time and time 

 again, this question : " Which are the better rifles for accu- 

 ral e shooting, muzzle loaders or breech loaders V" and we 

 have been unable to reply. We do not say that now — to- 

 day we can positively and decidedly affirm that breech 

 loading arms are as accurate as the muzzle loaders, for it 

 may lake another match, and even more than one, in order 

 to decide the question in our minds between the tw T o sys- 

 tems, but. we openlydeclare, that as one of a jury, we 

 would incline to the American breech loading rifles, such 

 as are made by the Remingtons and Sharpes, believing that 

 they will be found to be quite as accurate as the Rigby or 

 Metford muzzle loading arms. We trust to be fully un- 

 derstood in this matter. Questions of nationality, of par- 

 icular prowess, we put aside, for the moment, for it is with 

 us simply the problem of the two systems— the point at 

 issue the comparative excellence of two kinds of arms. 



The match between the gallant Irishmen and our own 

 team, though having a natural home interest to us, was 

 even something more than that. Our Irish friends used 

 an admirable gun— the Rigby, a muzzle loader, a rifle the 

 peer and equal of the Metford. It was handled by John 

 Rigby, Esq. , in a masterly way. All the members of the 

 Irish team used the same arm, and wonderful was their 

 performance. Pitted against them were the members of 

 the Amateur Rifle Club, representing the American rifle- 

 men, using Remingtons and Sharpes, the most approved 

 breech loaders our country could produce. The skill 

 evinced on both sides was immense. Scores were rolled 

 up, showing a lasting power and endurance of men and 

 arms which was unparalleled, and the American breech 

 leaders held their own. The Remingtons scored 478, the 

 Sharpest 450 ; the total was 934 for the American team, 931 

 for the Irish team. Let, then, both the makers of our 

 American arms, the Remingtons and Sharps, hold their 

 heads high, for they have brought out results which neither 

 the English makers of breech loaders, or any other Euro- 

 pean makers have ever accomplished. If we are elated, it 

 must be remembered that our victories in national contests 

 have been few and far between of late, and that the last 

 occurred so long ago (that of the yacht America) as to have 

 been almost forgotten. We recall, however, the America 

 for this reason : ' Our friends on the other side, though 

 acknowledging the speed of the vessel, declared that rapid- 

 ity of movement was accomplished at a sacrifice of safety 

 or convenience. It is said that American breech loaders 

 recoil, that gas escapes, and lastly, that our. breech loading 

 arms for accurate shooting require constant and careful 

 clearing. Noticing fully the match of the 26th Septem- 

 ber, we do acknowledge that more time was occupied by 

 the American team in cleaning their rifles, but this incon- 

 venience on the occasion of delicate practice is quite over- 

 halanced by the amazing rapidity with whicn these breech 

 loaders can be used on all other ordinary occasions. This 

 objection does not however in the least militate with their 

 accuracy. The question of the fouling of breech loaders 

 has been settled long ago. Military experts, who urge 

 their adoption in every part of the world, find that such 

 difficulties in regard to fouling do not exist to such a degree 

 us to impair their accuracy in continued tiring. The 

 Remington or Sharpe does not foul any more than does the 

 Springfield, the Martini-Henry, the Snyder, or the Swin- 

 burne. To conclude these introductory remarks, we look 

 upon ihe match at Creedmoor aa a great advance made in 

 the bitlory of anus of precision, and a signal triumph of 

 Ameii, ..it matmlaelur.'. 



the match. 

 As early as nine o'clock the broad green lawn of Creed- 

 moor was dotted here and there by gentlemen of the N. R. 

 A., and of the Amateur Rifle Association, who, as com- 

 mittee of arrangements, were already on the ground. Every 

 detail had been carefully thought of, and at the appointed 

 hour, the whole machinery of the range was in complete 

 working order. At the proper time the shooting com- 

 menced, the Irish team using targets 16 and 17, aud the 

 Americans 19 and 20. 



Captain of the Team— Colonel G-. W. Wingate . 



Lieut H. Fnlton, Remington Sporting. 



Tunis. score. Totati. 



SCO... 444 4444 344 44443 - 58 



BOO 3444334414 14444 57 



1000 4 34444444444333 56-171 



Gt. W. Yale, Sharpe Sporting. 



800 -...333344341444444 55 



900 4 3 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 3 4 4 3 4 4 58 



1000 433434444403344 51—168 



Colonel John Bodine, Remington Sporting. 



800... 3334434444443 3 4 54 



900 3 3 4 3 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 51 



1000 433444333443444 53-158 



Colonel H. A. Gildersleevc, Sharpe Sporting 



800 3 14 4 2 4 4 3 4 4 4 3 3 4 3 53 



800 4434443433 3-1044 51 



1000 334 3 3443343434 4 51—155 



L, I>. Hepburn, Remington Sporting. 



Stlvl 3 3 4 4 42444334443 53 



800 34 3 4243 3 3443443 50 



1000 04343 3 3383 4 3143 48—14!) 



General T. S. Dakin, Sharpe Sporting. 



800 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 3 4 3 4 4 3 4 4 53 



900 3 24034334432334 45 



1000 44344303423340 41—139 



Grand total , 934 



Captain of the Irish Team— Major A. Blennerhasset Leech. 



John Bigby. 

 Yurflst. Score. Total*. 



800 3 3 3 4 3 4 3 3 4 3 3 4 4 4 4 53 



BOO 3 3 44444 4 4344344 56 



101KI 3 34 4 43444443434 55—183 



James Wilson. 



BOO 4343334 3 4443444 5-1 



900 3343 3' 3344 4 3 3434 51 



1000 444444488448848 55—180 



Dr. J. B. Hamilton. 



800 444443444444434 58 



900 433344444443044 52 



1000 ....3433334334 4 3343 50—160 



Joshua Milner. 



8.10 343344444444444 57 



930 4 3 14443 3424 43 8 .. 49 



1000 .... 33434343033 3 444 48—151 



Edmund Johnson. 



BOO 4 3-13331 44333343 50 



900 3 8 3 3 3 4 4 I 3 1 3 S 4 4 4 49 



1000 434434443343323 51-150 



Captain Philip Walker. 



Still 3 4 3 4 343434443 48 



900 4 3 4 4 3 4 4 4-1 434343 55 



1000 3 434404 3 333342 .,.. 43—141 



Grandtotal 931 



The diagram we print shows the exact position of each 

 several shot, 



The score made by Lieut. Pulton was an amazing one. 

 In a possible 180 he scored 171, making 36 bullseyes and 

 nine centres. To show how close was the contest, we give 

 the scores at the various stages of the. match, as follows: 

 Yards. Sounds. Jrish Team. American Team. D'i(. 



10 



i i" 



I 15 



100 

 208 

 317 



The very last shot was that on the American side by 

 Captain Bodine. It was a moment of intense excitement. 

 Though a gentleman of unflinching nerve, the steadiest of 

 the steady, with no end of lasting power, though ignorant 

 that everything depended upon him, indifferent us to the 

 anxious crowd surrounding him, his right hand slightly 

 scarred and bound up with plaster, having just been cut by 

 the explosion of a most unpoetic ginger bottle (and it is 

 surprising what little iu momentous occasions disturb the 

 equilibrium of the greatest men), Captain Bodine Slowly 

 bent breast down to the ground, as carefully drew a long 

 breath (so did we), held his Remington straight on, then 

 gradually gave that pull on the trigger, when eye and brain 

 and every nerve work in sympathetic tension, and the re- 

 port of the last shot, rang through the silence. Slowly came 

 the first signal. "We are on !" was said with bated breath; 

 then there was a pause. It may be a tie, perhaps a centre, 

 when we would win ! But no, by Phoebus Apollo ! (who 

 was a noted shot), it is a white disk, a buxlseye which 

 looms up. Hurra ! hurra ! we^have won by three points ! 

 Captain Bodine is no sooner on his feet than he is surround- 

 ed by a group of frantic men, who yell around him; who 

 almost insist on carrying him in triumph in their arms. 

 Then Mr. Bodine understands what the last shot meant. 



We relate this incident as one of the most pleasant oc- 

 curring on the occasion. Lieut. Pulton's manner through- 

 out (for he was the great hero of the day) was superb. He 

 was the embodiment of all that was cool and determined. 

 There is a peculiarity about Lieutenant Fulton's loading 

 which requires particular mention. This gentleman has 

 accurately measured out just 95 grains of powder in glass 

 vials. He loads his metal case with this powder, then 

 places a wad on the powder; the cartridge is then intro- 

 duced into the chamber, and into the muzzle of his Rem- 

 ington he pushes down his ball. Mr. Fulton is thus ena- 

 bled to add somewhat to the strength of the charge. We 

 are by no means prepared to stale whal the advantages. are 

 of this method, nor would we advise oilier riflemen trying 

 this extra charge. AU we can say is, however, that in 'ad- 

 dition to practical skill with the rifle, Lieut. Pulton is 

 thorough master of the theory of projectiles. 



Our Irish friends, capitally cared for I • v Major Leech, 

 shot magnificently. IX must be-said thai tin- weatta in 



[i.o.Nel 1'Dh.D UK I'Ai-.K l'JJ J 



