FOREST AND STREAM. 



RHODE ISLAND RIFLE ASSOCIATION. 



OPENING OF THK WHAT CHEER RANGE. 



'{From Our Special Correspondent,'] 

 What Cheer Range, It. I., Oct. 25, 1875. 



It is always with exceeding pleasure that we welcome 

 the birth of a new rifle association, and herald the opening 

 of a range. There might have been somt reasons of a 

 local character why Rhode Island should have had some 

 difficulty in finding a proper site for a range. Firstly, the 

 gallant little State of Rhode Island is rather restricted in 

 size; secondly, the country is a hilly one; and lastly, so 

 thickly studded is she with factories and school houses that 

 it might have been almost impossible for her to find space 

 enough unoccupied for the purposes of a rifle range. But 

 these reasons, rather more amusing in character than posi- 

 tive, have all been overcome by the enterprise and public 

 spirit of a few gentlemen of Providence. What Cheer 

 Range at Greenwood, the practice ground of the Rhode 

 Island Rifle Association, partakes, as to its construction, 

 something almost akin to the miraculous. One month ago 

 there was no What Cheer Range at all— not even a plan on 

 paper. On Monday, the 25th of October, when we at- 

 tended the opening performances of the Rhode Island As- 

 sociation, we found an excellent range, in good order and 

 perfect in all its details. They must have an Aladdin's 

 lamp somewhere in Providence, or what is even better, no 

 end of pluck, energy, and determination. 



What Cheer Range is at Greenwood, on the line of the 

 Stonington Road, some seven miles from Providence, and 

 can be" reached in twenty minutes by the cars from the 

 city. The grounds are 1,400 yards long by 400 feet wide, 

 and there is room to double this handsome space if neces- 

 sary. The field is a perfectly flat one, having required but 

 very little grading at the extreme ranges, and is surrounded 

 on two sides by a low range of hills some half mile dis- 

 tant. Four targets are in position, with well-constructed 

 traps for markers, and back of them is a blindage some 

 thirty feet high, built of double timbers, filled in with 

 stone. What Cheer Range, from position and extent, has 

 every advantage, and with but little expense can be ren- 

 dered one of the finest schools for rifle practice in the United 

 States. 



Generally at the opening of a range certain hitches are 

 considered as things to be expected, but thanks to the aMe 

 management of the Range Committee— Col. J. A. Monroe, 

 N. A. Dexter, A. W. Dennis, Capt. & F. Annable, Major 

 Hanimill, and Mr. F. E. Perkins— the programme at the 

 opening day went off even more smoothly than at Creed- 

 moor. Even the markers seemed to understand their busi- 

 ness thoroughly, and the value of the shots were promptly 

 and correctly signaled. 



After pool shooting, the first competition— Short Range 

 Match, 150 and 200 yards, seven rounds— was the real open- 

 ing of the What Cheer Range. There were some twenty- 

 eight entries. A gun our readers in New York know little 

 about— the Peabody & Martini— seemed very much in favor. 

 This weapon is now being manufactured in large quantity 

 in Providence for the Turkish Government. It is quite 

 similar in construction and rifling to the Martini-Henry, 

 the only difference being in the size of cartridge used. It 

 proved as a military arm to be an excellent one, winning 

 the second prize. From the score, of which we give the 

 ten leading ones, it may be seen for a first match how cred- 

 itable the shooting was .— 



Yards , 



150 



201) 



150. 

 200. 



150. 



200. 



ISair©. 



E. THOMAS — REMINGTON. 



Score. Total . 



4 5 4 5 5 4 5 32 



3 3 4 4 4 5 4 27-59 



G. ■ W, BARRY— PEABODY & MARTINI. 



5 4 5 4 4 5 4 31 



I 4 4 3 4 4 4 27-58 



G. A. FORSYTH— PEABODY & MARTINI. I 



4 4 4 4 4 5 3 28 



5 5 3 4 3 4 4 28—56 



Score. I Name. Score. 



A.*v"'Canflel'd 55|F. <Jowperthwaite 53 



F J* Eabbeth 54|J. W. Hayward 53 



J.' F.' Williams 53 G. W. Yale. .- 52 



J. N. Crowell 53| 



To Mr. Thomas was awarded the first prize, a handsome 

 silver trophy. The second competition was the Rhode 

 Island Military Match, open to teams of eight from Rhode 

 Island regiments; distances, 200 and 300 yards; rounds, 

 seven ; weapon, any military rifle. Four teams contested. 

 The following are the scores: — 



Name. Score .! Name. Score. 



The Slocuma..... 320 First Light Infantry 301 



Prescott Post ..817jJR. I. Guard..... 108 



Best individual scores:— 



Name. Score. 



J. C. Bent ■ 49 



F. H. Bent 4. 



B. J. Collins -...46 



Name. Score 



J. Jordan. 46 



O. F. Gifford 45 



G. A. Forsyth t .45 



The first and second teams used the Peabody & Martini. 

 After the military match pool shooting at long range took 

 place. On Tuesday the Long Range Match was shot for, 

 and on Wednesday the New England Match, open to all 

 teams, with the Consolation Match. 



We congratulate the Rhode Island Rifle Association in 

 the brilliant opening of their range, and trust we may often 

 report its matches in our columns. If at the very start 

 such good practice is made, New York riflemen, individ- 

 ually ^>r in teams, may have to look for their laurels. 



The Forest and Stream Badges.— The last competi- 

 tion for these badges was shot at Conlin's gallery, No. 920 

 Broadway, on Thursday evening last. For the informa- 

 tion of our readers we would say that these matches are 

 shot at a distance of 110 feet, a rifle of .22 calibre being 

 used, and at a target on the Wimbledon plan reduced to 

 correspond exactly with those used at Creedmoor at 200 

 Tfee firbt prize is awarded to the best scores the 



second to the best score of centres, and the third to the 



best score of inners, thereby giving encouragement to those 



who are but just commencing to shoot, as otherwise the 



prizes would go to the three leading scores. Mr. Conlin 



now gives to every competitor a card containing a record 



of his score with a target diagram showing the position of 



each of his shots. The following are the scores: — 



Charles A. Cheever, 1st badge 545444454 5—44 



Name. Score. Name. Score 



W. B. Farwell. .....41! John Burns 25 



Robert Miley, 2d badge 39 |K. Offley 36 



L. V- Sone ..39|Thomas Lloyd 36 



A. G. Hofl*tatter 39jJ. E. Whitley 35 



M. P. Lennon 39!Robert McFeeley 35 



L.C.Bruce.. 39;F. C. Moone 35 



William Moser 38! Fred Ke?slar 34 



William Klein ,3-*!A. Marsh 34 



Wilson Macdonald ,37iThomas Fenton 33 



John Tragesser, Jr 37 



W P. Helm 37 



William Tobin 37 



R. Faber 36 



H. H. Albro &« 



F. Hyde 36 



G. W. Smith, 3d badge 30 



J. McGlenfiey .30 



first, making 1,797 rings, 

 ring?. 



N. G. Duffy 33 



J. O. Wright 33 



H. Fisher 32 



Dr. Glennev 32 



Captain J . S . Loomis 31 



John WaydeJl • 31 



M. W. Doran 25 



D. T. Renney 25 



F. Whittaker 23JC. Snyder 14 



George H . Ripley 25 1 William H. Park 10 



The first of a series of similar matches for badges pre- 

 sented by the Turf, Field and Farm, will be shot to-night. 



The Rifle in New Jersey.— The Jersey City Scheutzen* 

 Corps and the Greenville Sharpshooters constitute tlie 

 United Scheutzen Park Association of JerseyCity, and have 

 been lately incorporated as such by the Legislature of the 

 State of New Jersey. They have purchased at a cost of 

 about $20,000 a plot of ground situated in Greenville, at. 

 Bergen avenue and Newark Bay, and erected thereon a 

 nice lofty festival hall, in Swiss style, also shooting and 

 target houses; distance of range 200 yards. These grounds, 

 from which one has a line view over Newark Bay, Staten 

 Island shore, etc. ; it can be reached by the steam cars of 

 the Southern Railroad of New Jersey, or by horse cars 

 from Jersey City, and were inaugurated a few days ago by 

 a prize shooting festival lastiDg three days, and which was 

 attended by numerous marksmen from New York, Hobo- 

 ken, Newark, etc. The weather was fine during the festi- 

 val and the shooting good, considering that the place, 

 range, etc.,, were new to every comer. The following is 

 the result of the shooting:— 



Target of Honor.— Only open to members of the Jersey City Scheut- 

 zen Corps; three shots each; target divided in twenty -five equal riugg. 

 each ring one inch wide, 

 lstpmo, $20— e. H Helmers (crowned king.) 

 2d prize, $20— L. Miller 

 3d prize, $20— B. Lippmann. 

 4th prize, two barrels of ale— H. Kahl, 

 5th prize, $J0— F. Ettins. 

 Gth prize, $10— F. Schafer. 



Ring Target— Divided in twenty-dve equal ring*, each one inch 

 wide; open to all comers; one ticket lor 'hvee shots cost $2; number of 

 tickets unlimited, each shooter getting but one prize; thirty prizes, $200. 

 No. of Prize. No. ofKiners. Amount. Winner. 



1st prize 68 rings $30 Wm. Hayes, Newark, 



2d prize 67 rrnga $25 T. J. Rathjen, 8. Island. 



3d prize 67 rings $20 A. Zensner, Greenville. 



4th prize 66 rings $15 F. Belcher, Newark. 



5th prize 66 rings $12. ... K. Klein, New York. 



6th prize 66 lings $10 Ph. Klein, New York. 



7th rings ..65 rings $ 8 Ch. Koegel, Newark. 



8th prize •, 64 rings $ 7 J. Beller, New York. 



9th prize 63 rings. ...$ 6 John Raschen, Hoboken. 



10th prize 62 rings $ 6 J. Blinnenburg, Hobokon. 



Man target— Divided in ten perpendicular lines, each line one inch 

 wide from breast to top of head,- open to all comers; one ticket for five 

 shots cost $2; number of tickets unlimited; each shooter getting only 

 one prize; twenty prizes, $150. 



No. of Prize. No, of Shots. Amount. Winner. 

 1st prize 48 lines $25 Wm. Hayes, Newark. 



2d prize 42 lines 



'id prize 42 lines 



4th prize 40 lines 



5th prize 39 lines 



6rh prize 39 lines 



7th prize 38 lines 



8th prize 38 lines 



20 A. Ermi^ch, Hoboken, 



15 A. Zensner, Greenville. 



12.... Ph. Klein, New York. 

 10.... T. F. Rathjen, 8. Inland. 



9. . . .Captain Ra.schen, Hoboken. 



8 J. Belcher, Newark. 



6 — John Raschen, Hoboken . 



This association will have ready for use before the open- 

 ing of the next season some more improvements, viz. : they 

 will build a commodious hotel for the accommodation of 

 all the visitors and Summer boarders, also a large pier for 

 landing passengers coming by steamer from New York and 

 elsewhere. To it will be attached a large number of bath- 

 ing houses, etc. This place will without doubt be next 

 Summer the rendezvous of a great many sportsmen as well 

 as those whose business will not allow them to be absent 

 from the city for a long period. 



Scheutzen Park, Union Hill, October, 1875. 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— 



The last practice shooting of the season took place last week, and I 

 will now give you a few items of the shooting last Summer. There 

 were in all twelve regular shooting days on which participated 51 shoot- 

 ers, or 15 to 20 every day. In this period 9,032 shots have been fired at 

 the different targets, viz: 1,970 at the ring target, making 34,441 rings; 

 486 at the stich, making 55 bnllseyes; 6,576 at the bullseye target, mak- 

 ing 6 15 bullseyes. Average of rings in one shot, 17.5— that is, six inches 

 from the centre. Average in bullseye target, one bullseye in 10. 19 shots 

 — bulbeye four inches in diameter. Average in stich target, one bulls- 

 eye in 8.81 shots — bullseye four inches in diameter. 



In the bullseye target the following gentlemen made the most bulls- 

 eyes: Wm. Hayes, Newark, 108; T. J. Rathjen, Staten Island, 92; Ph. 

 Klein, New York, 73; Tac Acshback, Hoboken, 52; John Raschen, Ho- 

 boken, 50; A: Ernisch, Hoboken, 40. The following are thebestindi 

 vidual scores on the ring targets:— 



Name. Result. 



*ten Island 12 davs, 2.3 



fork, 12 days, 2,3 



boken 12 days, 2,3.. 



William Hayes, Newark 11 days, 2,228 rings, average 202.5 



John Raschen, Hoboken 12 days, 2,189 rings, average 182 4 



Captain Raschen, Hoboken 12 days, 2.169 rings, average 18(L7 



Tac Aeschbach, Hoboken.. 11 days, 2,016 rings, average 183.3 



There were five gold medals to be awarded— one given by the United 

 Scheutzen Association to the shooter who had it the most times in his 

 possession. Messrs. William Hayes and T. J. Rathjen were tied, each 

 one having won it three times, and had to shoot off, Mr. Hayes winning 

 the medal with the remarkable score of 218 against the 205 of Rathjen. 



Two medals of the New York Scheutzen Corps, given to those gentle- 

 men having the most and second most rings during the year, except on 

 the first shooting day.' Mr. T. F. Rathjen, Staten Island, receives the 

 first, making 2,174 rings; Mr. Ph. Klein, New York, receives the second 

 making 2,162 rings. 



Two medals of the Jersey Scheutzen Corps, given to those gentlemen 

 making the most and second most rings during the year, except the 

 three first shooting days. F. J. Rathjen, of Staten Island, received the 



i. Ermisch received the second, making i, ro5 



And now, in conclusion, take the averages of Messrs Hayes* P i 

 or Klem-202, 198, and 195 rings, which is equal to a little more th 

 8-inch bullseye on the 200 yards range at Creedmoor. Has th" ^ * h 

 been accomplished at Creedmoor by any one shooter— to make a bill T^ 

 -every shot at different times and in different weathers? Rifle ^ 



The Rifle in California.— Early this month a to 

 pleasant presentation took place at San Francisco wh" h 

 will tend to fix the date of the real beginning of scientifi 

 military rifle practice in California. On the occasion of th 

 muster of the Second Brigade, Captain H.J. Burns f 

 Co. E, First California Infantry, was presented with^ 

 Sharp's Creedmoor rifle, coming from E. J. Westcott Es 

 President of the Sharp's Rifle Company, as a testimonial 

 of the great interest this officer had taken in introduciutr 

 military rifle shooting into California, The^rifle was of 

 the finest make, and bore a plate containing the presenta- 

 tion inscription. Before the surprise caused by this hand- 

 some gift had subsided Major R. H. Savage gave to each 

 member of the California team a gold medal. The follow- 

 ing gentlemen were the recipients of these handsome tro- 

 phies:— Private William Burke, Private J. Robertson 

 Sergeant George H. Strong, Corporal C. Nash, Private d' 

 Watson, Private T. Murphy, Private J. Steed, Private R." 

 A. Sarle, Captain H. J. Bums, Corporal C. B. Preble Pri- 

 vate W. Dove, Lieutenant E. O. Hunt, and the captain of 

 the team, Private J. S. Campbell. The medal was de- 

 signed to commemorate the victory of the Sumners over 

 Co. D, of the Twelfth New York Infantry. The decora- 

 tion, on the medal, a cut of which we give, is as follows.-— 



CALIFORNIA MEDAL. 



On the face is engraved the flags of California and New 

 York, with the Creedmoor 500 yards target in the centre; 

 surrounding the flags, on the outer edge of the medal, the 

 title earned by the terms of the match, "Champion Rifle 

 Company of New York and California," also the date and 

 place of shooting. The back of the medal is reserved for 

 the name of the wearer, and the perpetuation of the score 

 made by him in the match. 



We sincerely trust that the members of the various San 

 Francisco regiments will put in an appearance here next 

 year. Nothing can be more absurd than the idea that New 

 York men are the only ones entitled to carry off the prizes 

 in the rifle contests. There is nothing like a keen rivalry 

 i*l *ti en matters. We also hope that before long some of 

 oar Creedmoor men will pay a visit to the Golden State. 

 We have even heard that such a thing is *iot only possible, 

 but probable. Rifle shooting must not be made one-sided 

 nor monotonous. California, from its pleasant climate and 

 the fact that men can use their ranges almost all the year 

 round, must in time produce a class of riflemen which will 

 be hard to beat. As it is to-day, nothing ^ives us more 

 pleasure than to record their triumphs. 



—The Rifle Tournament opened in San Francisco on 

 Friday morning at the Presidio range. Twelve teams of 

 six each entered, besides 200 individual entries. The first 

 match was open to members of the California Rifle Asso- 

 ciation, commissioned officers of the United States Army, 

 and members of the National Guard; distance 200 yards. 

 The second match was for the Kellogg Challenge Cup; 

 open to members of the National Guard and officers of the 

 United States Army and Navy. The third contest was the 

 Presidio Short Range Match, open only to enlisted men m 

 the United States Army stationed at posts in that vicinity. 

 The aggregate value of the prizes was $1,300. 



In the first match at 200, with United States Springfield 

 rifles, seven shots, there were 120 entries. The two high- 

 est scores were 30 each. In shooting off the tie the ms 

 prize was won by 4 points, and the second by 2. 1 h 

 third prize was won by a score of 29. Ten competitors 

 scored 28 each, and shot off for the remaining five priz es - 

 Of the 148 contestants for the Kellogg Challenge Cup, ^ 

 tance 500 yards, five shots; greatest -possible score 25; twen- 

 ty-seven scored the required fifteen points to admit them o 

 the second stage of the match, which was deferred un i 

 Saturday morning, after which a match between twelve 

 teams of the National Guard was shot. 



_ -«HH*- ■ 



A NEW RANGE ON THE HUDSON. 



Rhinebeck. N. Y., October 21st, 1875- 

 Editor Forest and Stream:— . *$£&■ 



A number of the citizens of our village have formally organize ^ 

 selves into an association called the Rhinebeck Kifle CI ub, * n: 

 meeting held on Monday evening last, elected the following ° ^ 

 Geo. Esselstyne, president; Lewis H. Livingstone, vice preside j ^ 

 Tremper, secretary; James B. Livingstone, treasurer; Peter Me ^ 

 morer, and the following executive committee— James M ^ tf0 ^' 

 more Burgher, M. H, Wygant, K. B. Killmer and Arthur ■WiUi a™ ^^ 



The club has already begun work on the range, such as buildi^^ 

 excavating marker's pit, and having targets built. It is ^ JT rflD ge 

 opinion of those who have inspected it, that this will be the one _ 



