March So, 1880.J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



155 



The- Colonel quotes the fist of a paragraph 'on picking- a team, 

 when he ?nys : "It has boon said that such a man is not much of 

 an individual shot. But ho would give himself up to the Coach ana 

 would inakc a good team man." 



If you will review the scores made in the Long-range Tourna- 

 ment held at Creed moor last fall, you will And that the loading 

 men made ou the first two toys 8,SS6 points (within of the best 

 team score on record), and the Tournament was purely an indi- 

 vidual match. Another Tournament stiot In connection with the 

 Spring Meeting' (and 1 have many letters urging- me to propose ft)', 

 two series of two days each in one week, say Tuesday and Wed- 

 nesday, and Friday and Saturday, with daily and aggregate prizes, 

 would secure the attendance at Crecdmoor of aU the long-range 

 men, and the. first twelve could he taken, out of which to select a 

 team. This would secure the hest individual shooters, and as Col. 

 Clark says, would try marksmanship instead of system and rifles. 

 So much is loft to us in manhood to offer as a gallant challenge, 

 and does not hear the appearance of a concession. Let them shoot 

 the match on the conditions or the Tournament, mixing the 

 shooters hy chance on the several targets, and as thoy would he 

 obliged to stand at the tiring point3 fifteen teetin advance of the 

 line of scorers, the crowd could see clearly who was shooting and 

 make comparisons of individual rivals ou the same target. Here- 

 tofore the people have heou unable to see the shooters, hut have 

 had to be content with watching blackboards, at once uninterest- 

 ing and usually monotonous. Edwih A. Perry. 



j\ 7 c;r Yur'r, March \:':<t„— Editor Forest and Stream :— I think I can 

 safely say that Colonel Clark, of Fougkkeepsio, cau rost assured 

 of the distinction of being the only long-range rifleman either 

 here or abroad who would question the great utility and efficiency 

 of the American team system, as practiced In all of the Interna- 

 tional contests except in the first in 1874. It is uuiversally ad- 

 mitted that this was the strong feature of the American teams. 

 If you asked any member of the foreign teams to account for 

 their successive defeats they immediately attributed it to our 

 superior team organization, and deplored the Impossibility of 

 Introducing the same management in their teams, owing to their 

 different individual temperaments. His belief that this American 

 team management is a great obstacle to another International 

 match can only he accounted for by supposing that should his 

 views of Individual effort bo adopted the foreign team might 

 thinkthat Sampson had been shorn of his loeks and would con- 

 sequently fall an easy prey to the Philistines. 



1 think I know enough of Englishmen, Irishmen or Scots, to say 

 they would not value a victory won under such conditions. There 

 la ample opportunity to test individual merit in the preliminary 

 contests for position on teams, and each member cannot fail to 

 take rank as his merits deserve. 



A rifle team depending- on individual effort would stand no 

 more chance of winnlog than a number of oarsmen in the same 

 boat, each pulling his own stroke without regarding his compan- 

 ions, against a well-trained and coached crew. I apprehend that 

 Colonel Clark does not as fully oomprehend the working of this 

 system as though he had passed the ordeal of one or two interna- 

 tional inatohea with "very live" competitors. The American 

 team system is founded on the axiom that " the whole Is greater 

 than a part," and that ''there la wisdom in counoh." Each mem- 

 ber is guided by the results obtained by those who have pre- 

 ceded him, as also by the opinion of the "coach," after which he 

 is at liberty to adjust his sights in accordance with his own judg- 

 ment, which will be frequently more or less modified by the opin- 

 ions of his associates. It seems that this is a sagacious and com- 

 paratively safe method by which to conduct a contest of this 

 kind, and although future wants may lead to modifications and 

 improvements on this plan, it is safe to say that its leading fea- 

 tures, which have been the envy nf foreign riflemen, will be pre- 

 served. The Colonel's allusion to the results of the "Spirit; of 

 (he Times" Match hi comparison with match f or Palma is in itself 

 a complete refutation of his theories and opinions. If he is desir- 

 ous of ascertaining who is the superior marksman, he 

 should challenge for an individual match for the champton- 

 shlp,ln whioh he would be a redoubtable antagonist. I think suota 

 a match could be organized, and this would offer an opportunity 

 for Isolated individual effort, whioh would be much out of place 

 in a i earn match. Long Range. 



Vernier Sights fob HtnraiHG.— Chicago, March Idi/u— Editor 

 Forest and Stream— I have no wish to enter into any argument 

 with " P." in legard to Trajectories, and those who care enough 

 about our respective opinions to re-peruse them, can satisfy 

 themselves in regard to their relative value. But 1 must again 

 protest against being criticised by any one who only writes from 

 memory of the Impression ray communications made upon him. 

 "P." acknowledges that he has not my articles at hand to refer to, 

 but he asserts unconditionally that his views " were commented 

 upon unfavorably by several on this side the water, notably by 

 Mr. Cleveland, who seemed to ridicule the idea of taking such a 

 weapon into the field." 



Now I have all my letters at hand, for I always preserve my 

 published communications for reference if necessary, and it Is 

 f ortunato, In this ease, that r have done so. There is not, in 

 one of them, the slightest reference to " P.," or his commun 

 tlons, and I have no reoollectfon of ever having' seen any of 

 them till some one caUed my attention to his letter of July 20th, 

 '78, In which ho oomments upon what I had said about the use of 

 long-range rifles in the held. 



In the very first letter of the series I sent you, dated Feb. 23d, 

 187B, I said : " Of course no sportsman would think of taking the 

 long-range target rifle, with its elaborate arrangement of sights, 

 for the purpose of shooting game," and then went on with the 

 remarks which bava elicited so much comment from him 

 Bhould hardly have entered ou the subject with such a sentence 

 as the above, if I had known that an accomplished sports.nat 

 "P." evidently is, was actually using anJ advocating- the use of 

 such a gun. I only expressed myhouest opinion, andamstlllnot a 

 little surprised to find how greatly I was mistaken. But I shall 

 never utter a word to prove Lhat I was right, or to try to make 

 proselytes to my side of the argument, but shall simply continue 

 to travel and hunt with a rifle I can pack in a valise, and if ever 

 "? " and I happen to meet, shall te happy to try a friendly match 

 with him. II . W. s. Cleveland. 



HunttnO RlELEti. —St. L-nil*, 3/o., March lith.— I am very glad to 

 hair from our contributor "P." once more— had begun to think 

 he was lost, "sure." His details are what we (who wish to learn) 

 want, Now as he is almost alone, as far as I can ascertain, in 

 making a light bullet shoot accurately, wiU he he kind enough to 

 descrlbo closely the bullet he use:}. Wo know tho weight and 

 orifice already; but is it naked or feathered, smooth or eanel- 

 lured?— how many of the latter? and most of all, " how much " of 

 It bears upon the rifle? is It the- same 377grs. Express bullet that 

 tho 8hai'ps Co. furnish ? I would like to know his opinion of the 

 new mid-range Sharps 30in. barrel, hammeriess, 10x70 straight 

 sheU, and which can he chambered for a bottle-necked 90 to 

 KWgra. sheU, and take a 370*13. bullet? Would this gun be » good 



one <o take for a Irlp out in the mountains around Helena, 

 Montana. 



Not making a special business of hunting bear, would prefer 

 the 70grg. shell, if it would be enough powder-charge. What 

 loading tools are required V Does the mouth of tho shell swell 

 mid require a reducer? A gentleman, late from the West, told 

 me that many shoot a smooth bullet without a patch, which leads 

 me to ask, if it is the bullet that is made for a paper patch by the 

 Company, or a trifle larger to make up for the said paper patch? 

 In regard to the Maynard, I am of the opinion that the conical 

 bullet referred to, with the 40grs. of powder, tho weight would 

 bo BOOgrs. proportion of 7J. Hunting Bible. 



Swaging Everlasting Shells.— I have experienced the same 

 difficulty with shells that Bexas complains of, and having over- 

 come it, sond you a sketch of swage. My rifle was sent to the 

 factory for some slight alteration, and while there had tho old 

 chamber out out and a steel bushing put in. On trying my old 

 shells they were aU found to be too tight, and even new ones 



would stick after a few discharges. I got a piece of machineBteol 

 drilled with a 7-10 drill, and sent it to the factory to bo chambered 

 with the standard taper, but left a trifle BmaUer than the gun. 

 Tt was very nicely done, and in a very short time every shell was 

 reduced and they have given no trouble since. One point In reduc- 

 ing them is to give the shells a good coat of grease, which acts 

 as a liner between shell and chamber, and moreovor affords a 

 means of regulating the degree of contraction, so that if the sheU 

 be found still too large, It may be further reduced by the use of 

 more grease. 



It wul often happen that the shell shows a bright zone of con- 

 tact, and if the position of this rlngcorresponds on all of the tight 

 shells, it would seem to indicate that the chamber was slightly 

 crooked at that point, or that there was a high place behind it. 

 In sueh ease the chamber may be eased by putting a paste of 

 flour emery, or crocus powder and oil on the bright part of shell, 

 and then grinding out. The shell can be turned by making a hole 

 in the base, cleaning Internally with hot chloride of zinc, then in- 

 serting a stout, clean, brass wire and filling tho sheil with melted 

 solder. A, W. G. 



AUoo?m, Pa. 



Renting and (^nnoeing. 



CONSTITUTION OF THE N. Y. A. 



Article I.— This association shall he called the National Yacht- 

 ing Association of the United States. 



Article II.— The objects of this association shall be the ad- 

 vancement and improvement of yachting. 



Article III.— Tho association shall consist of clubs, duly or- 

 ganized, who are engaged 'n promoting the purposes of the as- 

 sociation, 



Article IV.— The management of this association shaU bo on- 

 trusted to an Executive Committee, consisting of twelve members, 

 elected by the delegates from among their number, no two of 

 whom shall be from the same club, of whom throe members shall 

 be elected each year, to serve for a term of three years, except at 

 the first election ; when four members shall be elected for one 

 year, four for two years, and four for three years. Members 

 of this committee shall continue In offioe, in case of a failure 

 of election, until their successors are duly chosen. This com- 

 mittee shall from among their number elect a President and 

 Treasurer, who shaU serve for a term of ono year, and choose 

 a Secretary from among the members of some club belonging 

 to the association. The Treasurer Bhall give bonds in the sum 

 of $2,000, for the faithful performance of his duties unto the 

 Executive Committee. Tho committee shall hold and have cus- 

 tody of all tho property of the association, in trust for the clubs 

 composing the same. 



AltTiCLR V.— Vacancies in the Executive Committee occurring 

 between the annual meetings, shall be filled by the committee 

 until the next, annual meeting, when the vacancy shaU be filled 

 by an election of a nevr member to serve the unexpired term. 



Article VI.— No person not a member of some club belonging 

 to the association, shall be eligible to any office or representation 



fron 



club. 



Article VII— Tho annual meeting of this association shall be 

 held on ihe second Wednesday in February of each year. Special 

 meetings may be called by the Executive Committee, and shall be 

 called on tho written request of the delegates of five clubs, that 

 are members of the association. Thirty days' notice of sueh 

 special meeting, at least, shall be given. 



Article VIII.— The election of membersof IheExecutive Com- 

 mitteeshall be conducted by means of blank balloting paper, to be 

 sent to the delegates of each club, enrolled in the association, at 

 least thirty days before the annual meeting. These ballots being 

 returned to the Secretary duly filled out, shall be counted by a com- 

 mittee appointed for the purpose Rt the annual meeting, in open 

 meeting and tha result then declared upon the plurality of such 

 ballots for the candidates. 



Article EX.— Each elub shall have but one vote in any election, 

 or upon any question, either in the annual or special msetings. 



Article X.— New clubs shall be elected members of this asso- 

 ciation by means of ballottiug papers to be forwarded to the dele- 

 gates of each club, upon a recommendation of two thirds of the 

 Executive Committee, and If upon the return of such ballots duly 

 filled out to the Executive Committee, such now club or clubs 

 shall appear to have been elected by a majority of all the clubs, 

 tho Executive Committee shall declare such election and give the 

 newly elected club notice thereof. 



Article XL— Tho annual membership dues of each elub to 

 this association shaUbe the sum of fifteen dollars, due on the 1st 

 day of January in each year, exoept the first annual dues upon 

 joining or forming this association, which shaU be then duo. 



Article XII.— Any violation of the rules of the association, by 

 any club which is a member, shall render such olub liable to sus- 

 pension by the Executive Committee until the next annual meet- 



ing of the association, and to expulsion by a two-third vote of tho 

 clubs represented at suoh meetings. 



Article XIIL— It shall be the duty of the Executive Committee 

 to hear all questions presented to them, to frame rules and to de- 

 termine and settle all questions and disputes relating to yacht 

 racing or yachting which may be referred to thorn for decision, 

 arid further the committee shall take suoh other stops as they 

 shall consider necessary or expedient to carry into effect the 

 objects of the association. 



Article XIV.— The Executive Committee shall submit the 

 sailing rules, etc., to the meeting of the association, and no alter- 

 ations shall be made by the committee, in rules which have been 

 approved by the association, except by a vote nt the annual meet- 

 ing of the association. Notice of anyproposcd alteration of the 

 rules shah bo given to tho Secretary, and by him to each club In 

 the association at. least, two months before the annual meeting, 

 at which the sumo Is to be presented for action. 



Article XV.— No addition, alteration or amendment shall be 

 made to this constitution at any meeting, except by a two thirds 

 vote of the clubs represented. At least three months' prerioua 

 notice of any such proposed change must be given to the Secre- 

 tary and by him due notice given at once to each club belonging 

 to the association. 



Since the above has been printed, the following clubs have joined 

 the Convention by appointing delegates: Southern Yacht Club, of 

 New Orleans, La.; Pavpnia Yacht Club, of Jersey City, N. J.; and 

 twenty regularly organized yacht clubs are now participating in 

 tho formation of the National Yachting Association of the United 

 States. 



The following special request has boon sent to all clubs:— 



" In order to keep this movement properly moving along, with 

 ashttleloss of time as possible, it is hoped that aU yacht clubs 

 favoring the idea of a national yachting association will adopt 

 this constitution at their first meeting aftor its receipt, to afford a 

 basis on which to start, and rules for the guidance of the delegates: 

 It will be apparent to all, that this is the first necessary step, and 

 as so many different ideas may pass on this constitution, and sofar 

 apart from each other, we hope that any alterations or amendments 

 to it will bo made a separate matter, and tho constitution, simple as 

 it is, be adopted and accepted without any present alteration, a» 

 that would oblige our sending the particular alteration to every 

 other club for adption before it would become binding, and we 

 would never be able to have a constitution. Blank bnUoting pa- 

 pers wul be sent to your delegates to be filled out as their choice 

 for members of the Executive Committee, and a return as early as 

 possible is respectfully requested." 



Address all business to Mr. John Frick, Seretary of the Con- 

 vention, P. O. box 2,070, New York. 



THE N. Y. A. 



The following letter shows that the N. Y. A. is rapidly extend- 

 ing. We have favorable reports from the East as well. This 

 makes the third club which bos joined since the Convention:— 



Philadelphia, March 15th, 1880. 

 John Prick, Esq. 



Deab Sib :— Your communication, relating to the National! 

 Yachting Association, reached us in good time, and at the meeting 

 held March 10th was adopted, and Commodore A. F. Bancroft, 

 Vice-Commodore Chas. B. Magee, and Eobert Austin were ap- 

 pointed delegates. They will present their credentials at the 

 proper time. Yours, Chas. S. Salts,- 



Secretary Quaker City Yacht Club, 203 N. Third street, Phila. 



MEASUREMENT. 



Boston, ilfarcli lotfc. 

 Editnr Forest and Stream :— 



In relation to the proposed new rule of yacht measurement 

 which you have advocated so ably in your columns, i. e., the use 

 of the three factors of length, beam and depth, one fact seems to* 

 have escaped notice. This is, that It Is a practical return to the> 

 system originally adopted by the English Government and out- 

 own for tonnage measurement, and which was only changed be- 

 cause an arbitrary form of stating the formula enabled marine 

 architects to construct vessels whleti should evade Its intent. 



The rule of the English Yacht ltacing Association is substan- 

 tially the same as this old formula. It Is tho length being found 

 by speoifled means ; to take that length, multiply it by the breadth, 

 then multiply the product by half the breadth and divide by 

 ninety-four. Now why multiply by half the breadth? The an- 

 swer is, because when that rule was orlginaUy adopted, vessels. 

 were almost universally built with a depth of one-half their beam. 

 This one-half the beam was therefore used, as a historical fact, to 

 represent the depth, and it practically was the multiplication of 

 the product of the length and breadth by the depth. So long as 

 this was the general construction of vessels, the rule worked well. 

 When, however, builders began to construct them of less or 

 greater depth than one-half the breadth, the rule or formula 

 began to work partially to such constructions as had an increased 

 depth. What you propose to do therefore, and what the Nova 

 Scotia Yacht Squadron has done, is merely to ulter the wording 

 of this ancient, tried and known formula so that It shall apply as 

 equitably to all classes of model as it formerly did to the class of 

 vessels for which it was devised. You put the word " depth " In 

 place of the words " half the breadth," which wore Intended to 

 mean depth, and did, in fact, so mean. The question to bo con- 

 sidered is, whether such Rn amendment, restoring the ancient 

 meaning and effect of the rule, will not render it worthy of adop- 

 tion. Let us hear from the objectors to such a course. Let them 

 give some good reason why it would not work fairly iu practice, 

 and develop the best type of yacht. I have before me a recent 

 letter of non. F. C. Sumlchrasr, Bear Commodore and Secretary 

 of the Boyal Nova Scotia I Yacht Squadron and member of the 

 Y'acht Racing Association, in which he says of this rule you pro- 

 pose: " The advantage of the rule is that it leaves a builder un- 

 fettered, and he may build deep and narrow, or beamy and shal- 

 low, or moderately deep, as he pleases. It has been found to work- 

 very well in practice, and to enable different types fo be tried to- 

 Hethir on a fair basin. The yachts built under the rule have a gooii 

 proportion of beam to length and a sufficient depth to render 

 unnecessary recourse to the abomination of shifting ballast, 

 Which is strictly prohibited." This letter was written to tho Sec- 

 retary of the National Yachting Association Convention ofli- 

 clally,'and demonstrates the value of that organization in collcci- 

 ing evidence upon this subject, if nothing more. 1 notice somo- 

 correspondent is said, iu your columns, to object to Joining the 

 National Yachting Association because it indorses shifting ballast. 

 Such an idea is as incorrect as It Is unjust. No such indorsement 

 has been made. When it is done it will be time to object on 

 account of It. 1 beliove the National Yachting Association Willi 

 not indorse anything fatal to good seamanship, and your corres- 

 pondent may safely oahn Ihls fears and join. The Association f* 

 bound to be a success, nay It 1* a success If he does not, and It wlii 



