374 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[June 3, 1886. 



PACIFIC COAST DERBY. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I send yon herewith a correct list of the entries for the 

 puppy stake at the next meeting of the Pacific Coast Field 

 Trial Club, to be held in December next. Somehow the num- 

 ber of eligible youngsters is very small this year, but there 

 are scores of little fellows whose owners expect to be heard 

 from next year. It would not surprise me if the list of puppy 

 entries in 1 887 would number forty to fifty. It will he noticed 

 that there is a preponderance of pointers this year, but the 

 California Keunels (Post and Watson), of this city, have now 

 one litter of pups from Janet (Count Noble— Dashing Novice), 

 by their Harold, litter brother to Gath's Hope and Gath's Mark. 

 Their Sweetheart (litter sister to Janet) has just arrived home 

 from her long trip to Tennessee, whither she went to visit 

 Sportsman. In about a week she will add several youngsters 

 to increase the stock of pure bred dogs in this State. These 

 blue blooded setters will come in contact next year with young 

 pointers sired by Vandevort's Don, Cosby's Bow, Jr., Bar- 

 ney's Tom Pinch, and the Bassford Kennels. There is a pros- 

 pect of this year's trials being held in the San Joaquin Valley, 

 where birds are plentiful, the ground level, and the cover 

 more like that where the Eastern trials are run. It is of no 

 use to attempt to have field trials in a chapparal thicket. 



The great trouble here is to get for judges men who have 

 had experience at field trials. Many members of the club hope 

 that Mr. Vandevort will consent to act as one of the judges 

 this year. The entries closed May 1, with a forfeit of $5 and 

 $15 additional to fill. Fifty per cent, of the entrance money 

 goes to the winner, thirty per cent, to second and twenty per 

 cent, to third. 



POINTERS. 



Frail (J. M. Bassford, Jr., Vacaville, Cal.)— Liver and white 

 bitch, age not stated (Lemmie B.— Beautiful Queen), 



Climax (E. W. Briggs, San Francisco Cal.)— Lemon and 

 white dog, one year (Bang Bang— Bellona). 



Jaybird (E. R. Robbius, Sacramento, Cal.)— Liver and 

 white dog, nine months (Bow, Jr. — Ashe). 



Fleet (H. A. Bassford, Vacaville.Cal.)— Liver and white dog, 

 age not stated (Lemmie B. — Beautiful Queen). 



Ben Cotton (H. C. Brown, Sacramento, Cal.)— Liver and 

 white dog, five months (Bow, Jr.— Jessie Belle.) 



Prude (H. C. Brown, Sacramento, Cal.) — Liver and white 

 bitch, five months (Bow, Jr. — Jessie Belle). 



Vaneaux (G. T. Allender, Marin, Cal.)— Liver; and white 

 dog. ten months (Glen R. — Josie Bow). 



Professor (G. W. Bassford, Vacaville, Cal.)— Liver and 

 white dog, ten months (Glen R.— Josie Bow). 



Sancho Panza (N. E. White, Sacramento, Cal.)— Liver and 

 white dog, nine months (Bow, Jr.— Ashe). 



ENGLISH SETTERS. 



Shot (Chas. Kaeding, San Francisco, Cal.)— Black, white 

 and tan dog, nine months (Regent — Fannie). 



Mab (E. G. Eastman, Oakland, Cal.) — Black, white anr] tan 

 bitch, thirteen months (Regent -Sybil II.). N. E. White. 



Sacramento, Cal., May 11. 



DOG SHOW SECRETARIES. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I have received a letter from Mr. H. B. Han ford saying I 

 quoted him correctly. He writes me as follows: "President 

 Gregg certainly did say to me, 'This is a poor place for pro- 

 tests ; we don't bother much with them ;' to which I answered 

 that 'if the society couid not ''bother" itself enough to see-that 

 justice was done, it could not expect to have many New York 

 exhibitors at its next show.' " 



Mr. Hanford will furnish an affidavit as above should Mr. 

 Gregg deny his rash assertion. President Gregg is in a hole, 

 and the only thing for him to do is to pull the hole in after 

 him. t V. M. H. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



On the above subject I would like to say that I find that I 

 have been unjust to the Pittsburgh committee in my stric- 

 tures on their refusal of the protest in the St. Bernard puppy 

 class. In common with many others, I had got the idea firm- 

 ly fixed in my mind that the puppy class was restricted to 

 twelve months and under. The fact is that by the most mar- 

 vellous blunder I ever saw in a premium list, the ages for 

 puppies were not given in several classes, among them mas- 

 tiffs, St. Bernards, and Newfoundlands. (As the Pittsburgh 

 club is death on setters, they got this fixed at eighteen months.) 

 Now what a committee ought to do under such circumstances, 

 I confess, is a little too deep for me. All other exhibitors in 

 the mastiff and St. Bernard classes had taken it as under 

 twelve months, and with the exception of the winning puppy, 

 all were under that age. But when a committee does not spe- 

 cify the age of a puppy class, what is the right thing to do is 

 somewhat of a puzzler. 



Nothing, however, can justify such action as "V. M. H." 

 reports the president to have, taken. To say to a protestor, 

 who was apparently in good faith, that the club would not 

 act on protests, was simply the most atrocious piece of high 

 handed injustice I have ever yet known in connection with 

 dog shows. If this is not disproved, the exhibitor who ex- 

 hibits there again, will certainly be a fool, unless he " stands 

 in." I note that "V. M. H." does not say that this was within 

 his knowledge, and if he has proof of it, he certainly owes it to 

 the doggy public to give it. I trust, however, for the sake of 

 so old a show as Pittsburgh, that there has been some mistake 

 about it. W. Wade. 



Hulton, Pa., May 24, 1S86. 



ANNUAL MEETING OF THE A. K. C— The annual meet- 

 ing of the American Kennel Club which was called for the 

 S9th ult.- at the Hoffman House, was not held. Auother 

 illustration of this organization's way of doing things. This 

 was an important meeting of the most important club in the 

 country; yet, there was no quorum. Proxies were in abund- 

 ance, but it was unamoniously decided, by those present, that 

 the proxies could not be counted as club representatives, un- 

 less there was a quorum, as Section 3 of Rule 10 stipulates 

 that "At any regular or special meeting of this Association, 

 five members in person shall constitute a quorum." As it 

 was, there were only three. L. L. Morgan of the Hartford 

 Club, J. O. Donner of the Westminster, and C. J. Peshall of 

 the New Jersey Club. Mr. Vreden burgh was at his post, but 

 he acts as secretary only. The Hartford, National Field 

 Trials, Montreal, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh clubs had not 

 even the courtesy to communicate with the secretary, and 

 state their inability to send a representative, or to mail their 

 proxies. The meeting is adjourned to Thursday, June 10, at 

 S P. M. 



SPANIEL JUDGING AT NEW YORK.— "Senex" used to 

 charge the Hornell Club with "selling the little ones for cock- 

 ers and the big ones for field spaniels." If his shades could 

 revisit this earth, how they would haunt the spaniel judge at 

 the late Westminster show for awarding a prize to Brahmin 

 as a cocker, and also a prize to his son Bandit as a field spaniel ! 

 These awards suggest a few queries. Does Mr. Kirk consider 

 a field spaniel and a cocker spaniel as the same except as to 

 weight? If so, why does he not exert his influence to have 

 the "cocker" class abolished, and the field spaniel class made 

 into two divisions for large and small dogs respectively? If 

 Mi'. K. does consider the cocker a distinct type or breed, it 

 certainly would seem that the prize should have been with- 

 held from one of the dogs mentioned on the ground of being 

 cross-bred.— Beindle. 



DOG LOST. — Stolen about May 10, the all black Newfound- 

 land dog Major. He is rather small, flat-coated, carries tail 

 low. Ahout four years old. His front teeth are a good deal 

 worn down from carrying sticks and stones. He is believed 

 to have been sent to some other city. Any one who may 

 recognize him will confer a favor by communicating with 

 William Burke, Forest and Stream office 



KENNEL NOTES. 



KENNEL NOTE BLANKS. — For the convenience of breeders we 

 have prepared a series of blanks for "Names Claimed," "Whelps," 

 "Bred" and "Sales." All Kennel Notes must be sent to us on these 

 blanks, which will be forwarded to any address on receipt of 

 stamped and directed envelope. Send for a set of tbem. Sets of 

 200 of any one form, bound, for retaining duplicates, sent postpaid, 

 30 cents. 



NAMES CLAIMED. 

 Notes must be sent on the Prepared Blanks. 



Ben Adam. By Jas. W. Bullock, Cincinnati, O . for fawn mastiff 

 do?, whelped Dee. 10, 1885, by Adam J. (A.K.R. 3367) out of Yolande 

 (A.K.R. 3364). 



Budge, Smudge, Quaker and Shaker. By Essex Kennels, Andover, 

 Mass , for fawn pug dogs, whelped March 11, 1886, by Tarn (Young 

 Toby— Judy) out of Titania (A.K.R. 471). 



Janish, By Empire State Kennels. Savannah. Ga.. for white, with 

 nrindle markings, bull hitch, whelped Nov. 25, 1885, by Boz (A K R 

 4-13) out of Bellona (A.K R. 1T3). 



Lady Glen. By Detroit Kennel Club, Detroit, Mich., for liver and 

 white pointer bitch. whelped Dec. 17, 1885, by King Bow (Bow— Taffey) 

 out of Sue (Hindoo— Princess Bow). 



Little Jim. By Detroit Kennel Club. Detroit, Mich., for black.white 

 and tan fox-terrier dog, whelped April 10, 188G, by Wasp (Vakeel— 

 Village Belle) out of Fannie (Pincher— Dummy), 



Countess Vashta. By Detroit Kennel Club, Detroit, Mich., for 

 lemon and white pointer hitch, whelped Dec. 12, 1885, by King Bow 

 (Bow— Taffee) out of Ruby Croxteth (Croxteth -Seitner's Lass). 



Young Low. By Detroit Kennel Club, Detroit. Mich., for liver and 

 white pointer dog, whelped Dec. 12, 1S85, by King Bow (Bow— Taffeej 

 out of Ruby Croxteth (Croxteth— Seitner's Lass). 



Bradstone. By Detroit Kennel Club, Detroit, Mich., for black.white 

 and tan Llewellin setter dog, whelped Feb. 26, 1886, by Pride of Dixie 

 (Gladstone— Countess Druid) out of Victory (Count Rapier— Reign). 



Bow's Beauty and Lady Pearl. By Detroit Kennel Club, Detroit, 

 Mich., for liver and white ticked pointer hitches, whelped Dec. 17, 1SS5. 

 by King Bow (Bow— Taffee) out of Sue (Hindoo— Princess Bow). 



Elaine and Alice. By Detroit Kennel Club, Detroit, Micb., for 

 black cocker spaniel bitches, whelped March 31. 18S6, by Jack out of 

 Nellie. 



BRED. 



OP" Notes must he sent on the Prepared Blanks. 



Nevrton Abbot Lady— Young Obo. A. Clinton Wilmerding's (New 

 York) spaniel bitch Newton Abbot Lady (Bend Or— Lady Bird) to J. 

 P. Willey's Young Obo, April 1. 



Queen. Bess—King Ban. W, B. Seaman's (Elizabeth, N. J.) red Irish 

 setter bitch Queen Bess (A.K.R. 1970) to Chas. T. Barney's King Ban 

 (Elcho— Bess), May 3. 



Cora of Wetherall— Roc-kin gham . F. Windholz's (New York) Eng- 

 lish setter bitch Cora of Wetherall (Sir Alister— Mena) to his Rocking- 

 ham (Belthus— Bess). May 21. 



Edith — Shady. C. E. Gilchrist's (Oharlestown. Mass.) cocker span- 

 iel bitch Edith (Brush II.- Olivia) to F. H. Perrin's Shady (A.K.R. 

 2085), May 22. 



Rosa— Bracket. J. H. Phelan's (Jersey City. N. J.) pointer bitch 

 Rosa (A.K.R. 1443) to Graphic Kennels' Bracket (Graphic-Bioomo), 

 April 22. 



Revel 111.— Donald. Graphic Kennels' (Jersey City. N. J.) pointer 

 bitch Revel lit. (Graphic— Beryl) to their Donald (Bob— Sappho). 

 April 26 and £8. 



Lucia— Bracket. D. S. Gregory's (New York) pointer bitch Lucia 

 (Croxteth— Belle) to Graphic Kennels' Bracket (Graphic— Blooino). 

 May 17. 



Seph G.— Graphic. J. B. S. Holmes's (Goldshorough) pointer 

 bitch Seph G. (Scray— Dart) to Graphic Kennels' Graphic (A.K.R. 

 2411), April 17 ana 18. 



Daphne II.— Essex. Essex Kennels' (Andover. Mass.) St. Bernard 

 bitch DaphDe II. (A K.R. 489) to their Essex (A.K.R. 931), May 3. 



Daphne K.—Bob. F. W. White's (Worcester, Mass.) pointer bitch 

 Daphne K. (Prince— Chip) to G. W. Amory's Bob (Bang— Princess 

 Kate). April 20. 



Judy— Duke. F. A. Smith's (Detroit, Mich.) pug bitch Judy (Fuggy 

 —Flossy) to D. M. Ferry's imported Duke, May 12. 



Flash-Barney. Detroit Kennel Club's (Detroit, Mich.) fox-terrier 

 bitch Flash (Trogan -Fannie) to W. W. Wheaton's Barney (Peter II. 

 Fawn), April 28. 



Bow Queen— King Bow. Detroit Kennel Club's (Detroit, Mich.) Eng- 

 lish setter hitch Bow Queen (Sleaford— Dawn) to their King Bow (Bow 

 —Taffee), May 4. 



Ruby Croxteth— King Boio. Detroit Kennel Club's (Detroit, Mich.) 

 pointer bitch Ruby Croxteth (Croxteth— Sei tier's Lass) to their King 

 Bow (Bow-Taffee), April 29. 



Sue— King Bow. Detroit Kennel Club's (Detroit, Mich.) pointer 

 bitch Sue (Hindoo— Princess Bow) to their King Bow (Bow— Taffee), 

 May 14. 



Reign— Dashing Bervyn. Detroit Kennels' (Detroit, Mass.) Llewel- 

 lin setter bitch Reign (Bel toil— Breezi) to Arnold Burges's Dashing 

 Berwyp (Dash II.— Countess Bear), May 11, 



Early Dawn — Dashing Berwyn. Detroit Kennels' ( Detroit, Mich.) 

 Llewellin setter bitch Early Dawn (Nixey— Princess Louise) to Arnold 

 Burges's Dashing Monarch (Dash II.— Countess Beard), May 5, 



WHELPS. 



Notes must be sent on the Prepared Blanks. 



Tapsey. E. H. Moore's (Melrose, Mass.) St. Bernard bitch Topsey 

 (A.K.R. SSegJ.'April 28, three dogs, by his Merchant Prince. 



Countess. E. H. Moore's (Melrose, Mass.) mastiff bitch Countess 

 (A..K.R. 2220). May 3, twelve (six dogs), by his Ilford Caution. 



Bess. E. H. Moore's (Melrose, Mass.) mastiff bitch Bess (A.K.R. 

 29J7>, May 7, ten (five dogs), by his Ilford Caution. 



Brown Betty. A. W. Day's (Dunellen, N. J.) spaniel bitch Brown 

 Betty (A.K. It. 3608), May 5, five (two dogs), by A. Clinton Wil merdiug's 

 Black Prince (A.K.R. 62j; four black and one liver; two bitches since 

 dead. 



Zona. Wm. H. Moseley's (New Haven, Conn.) spaniel bitch Zona 

 (A.K.R 1881), April 2, seven (four dogs), by A. Clinton Wilmerding's 

 Black Prince (A.K.R. 62j; six black and one liver; one cog since dead. 



Florrie. Samuel Coulson's (Montreal, Can.) red Irish setter bitch 

 Florrie (Glencho— Biddy), May 21, eleven (lour dogs), by his Shaun 

 Rhue (Conn— Nan). 



Be> nice V. E. H. Moore's (Melrose, Mass.) St. Bernard bitch Ber- 

 nice V. (A.K.R. 3008), April 83, ten (six dogs), by his Merchant 

 Pnuce. 



Flame. John G. Tod's (Harrisburg, Tex.) red Irish setter bitch 

 Flame (Von— Floss), April 29, thirteen (seven dogs), by S. Conrudi's 

 Rufus (Rufus— Cara). 



Quittie. Warwick Kennels' (Bridgeport, Conn.) beagle biteh Quit- 

 tie, April 30, four (one dog), by J. Ellis's Jim. 



Piney. A. C. Krueger's (Wrightsville, Pa.) beadle hitch Piney (Ban- 

 nermau— Katie), May 12, five (three dogs), by Shauer's Driver (War- 

 rior— Fannie) ; all since dead. 



Vickey. A. C. Kruger's (Wrightsville, Pa.) beagle bitch Vickey 

 (Racer— Vic;, May 21, three (two dogs), by W. E Deane's Little Duke, 

 Jr. (Little Duke— Rose). 



Donna. Chas. E. Taylor's (Bath, Me.) English setter bitch Donna 

 (Royal Clue— Dryad), May 18, three dogs, by A. M. Tuck's Dash HI. 

 (Bhie Prince— Armstrong's Old Kate). 



Fly. W. H. Moseley's (New Haven, Conn.) English setter bitch Fly, 

 Ap.rU 9, eight (six dogs), by F. A. Cannon's Yale Belton (Belton— 

 Blonde). 



Temptation. M. Mills's (Jersey City. N. J.) pointer bitch Tempta- 

 tion (A.K.R. 1590), May 8, eleven (four dogs), by C. J. Peshall's Nick 

 of Naso (Naso II.— Pettigo). 



Hornell Blanche. Geo. J. Northrop's (Marquette, Mich.) cocker 

 spaniel bitch Hornell Blanche (A.K.R. 3612), April 21, three (two dogs), 

 by Hornell Spaniel Club's Hornell Silk (A, K.R. 1397). 



Janet II. Wm. T. Wells's (Wethersfield, Conn.) collie bitch Janet 

 II. (A.K.R. 3626), May 6, five (two dogs), by Lothian Kennels' Montrose 

 (A.K.R. 891). 



SALES. 



ISP" Notes mast he sent on the Prepared Blanks. 



Trinket. White, black and tan beagle bitch, age and pedigree not 

 given, by A. O. Krueger.Wrightsville, Pa., to W. Stewart Diffenderffer, 

 Baltimore, Md. 



Budge. Smudge, Quaker and Shaker. Fawn pug dogs, whelped 

 March 11, 18b6, by Sam out of Titania (A.K.R. 471), by Essex Kennels, 

 Andover. Mass.. to Chequasset Kennels. Lancaster, Mass. 



Janish. White, with brindle markings, bull bitch, whelped March 

 25, 1S85, by Boz (A.K-R. 443) out of Bellona (A.K.R. 1730), by R. W. 

 Livingston, New York, to Empire State Kennels, Savannah, Ga. 



Marion. Black and whire cocker spaniel bitch (A.K.R. 2689', by A. 

 Clinton Wilmerding, New York, to C. V. V. Sewell, Tarrytown N Y 



Suzette. Black cocker spaniel bitch, whelped July 15, lS85.'bv 

 Sport out of Suwanee (A.K.R. 658), by A. Clinton Wilmerding, New- 

 York, to W. T. Payne, same place. 



Bessie. Pug hitch, whelped Sept. 13, by Bunnv out of Judy, by 

 Hem-y C. Burdick, SpriDgfJeld, Mass,, to T. J. Flack, Washington, 



Edith. Black cocker spaniel bitch, whelped Oct. 12, 1883, by Brush 

 H. out of Olivia, by Chas. E. Taylor, Bath, Me., to C. E. Gilchrist, 

 Gharlestown, Mass. 



Pride of Dixie— Victory whelp. Black, white and tan English set- 

 ter bitch, whelped Feb. 56, 1886, by Detroit Kennel Club, Detroit 

 Mich., to W. Fischer, same place. 



Pride of Dixie— Kelp (A.K.R 1 10) whelps. English setters, whelped 

 Feb 21. 1886. by Detroit Kennels, Detroit, Mich., a black, white and 

 tan dog to Wm. Fischer, same place; a liver and white dog to F W. 

 Chapman, Darlington, Wis., and a white bitch to S. A. Howes. Battle 

 Crfek, Mich. 



Bannerman— Queen whelps. Beagles, whelped Jan. 23, 1886, by A, 

 C. Krueger, Wrightsville, Pa., one pair to Elmer E. Shaner, Pitts- 

 burgh, Pa. 



Jock— Nellie whelps. Black cocker spaniels, whelped March 31, 

 1SS6. by Detroit Kennel Club. Detroit, Mich., a dog each to J. Sinclair, 

 W. H. Blades and ex-Mayor W. W. Wheaton, all of same place. 



Harold— Dido whelps. Red and white English and Irish setters 

 whelped March 6, 1886. by California- Kennel's. Sacramento, Cat, a 

 dog to P. C. Jurgens, Traver, Cal. ; a dog to E. Owen, Elk Grove Cal. 

 and a bitch to Dr. C. M. Hill. Eureka. Cal 



Prida cf Dvxiz—ViJzry whslp Black, white and tan fox-terrier 

 bitch, whelped Feb. 26, 1886, by Detroit Kennel Club. Detroit, Mich., 

 to W A. Johnson, same place. 



Yale Belton — Fly whelps. English setter bitches, whelped April 9. 

 1886, by Wm. H, Moseley, New Haven, Conn., one each to Charles 

 Hinckley and F. A. Cannon, same place, and one to Gco.Cheltis, New 

 Marlboro, Mass. 



Black Prince— Zona whelps. Spaniels, whelped April 2, 18«6, by 

 Wm. II. Moseley, New Haven, Conn., a black dog to S. R, Heming- 

 way, a liver dog to John W. Francis, a black bitch to ('has. Hinckley, 

 a black bitch to Jas. E. McCann, a black hitch to Wm. A. Chambe'r- 

 liu. all of same place, and a black dog to C. E. Longley, Providence, 

 R. I. 



PRESENTATIONS. 

 Jack— Nellie whelp. Black cocker spaniel bitch, whelped March 31, 

 1886, by Detroit Kennel Club, Detroit, Mich,, to David Downing, same 

 place. 



Allen's how-facing oars can be attached to any boat in 5 minutes. 

 Try them. Little catalogue free. Fred A, Allen, Monmouth, 111.— Adv. 



lifU and 



\hootin$. 



RANGE AND GALLERY. 



THE NATIONAL RIFLE CLUB. 



TTERNON, Vt., May 27.— A dozen sedate looking gentlemen squatted 

 V along on low stools, clad in work a-aay clothes, each looking 

 with a pre-ocenpied air out through the low shutter opening of the 

 house in which they sat. Then a lull in the blowing gale and away 

 hanged a dozen rifles with the noise and effect of small pieces of 

 ordnance. This was the scene which greeted your correspondent on 

 hi* arrival at this cpiiet Green Mountain hamlet yesterday morning. 



It was the annual spring meet of the National Ride Club, and the 

 men were shooting with the old style mnzzleloaders at, the old- 

 fashioned targets, and scoring according to the old mode of string 

 measure. They were a sort of Rip Van Winkle gathering, and one 

 felt prompted to ask where they had taken the long nap and where 

 they had kept the weapons from rusting all the time. The club 

 itself has grown into one of the institution* of the country. Its 

 record runs back long befo' de wah. and far back in the fifties and 

 forties the charter members tell of gatherings where there was some 

 shooting, plenty of rivalry and no end of a good social time. The 

 weapons of those days were indeed massive affairs, and the printed 

 notices of the meetings with the list of allowances which the 401bs. 

 barrels are to make to the 151bs. pigmies shows what at one time w ere 

 the classes of rides in the meetings. 



The club has been a progressive affair though, and now such a 

 thing as a 40-pound barrel would be a rarity, Members recall 

 such, hut they were handicapped out of existence and nohodr seems 

 particularly sorry that they have gone. The club is rather an aggre- 

 gation of atoms than a complete entity. There are officers elected at 

 the fall meeting. Then a programme" is made up. It is always the 

 same. Three strings of ten shots each. Shot on two days ' Each 

 one shooting hands S5 to the secretary. This fund pays the trifling 

 expenses of the meeting and the remainder is divided in a sweep- 

 stake fashion. Those who enter become members for the nouce 

 and when the meeting breaks up and the shooters take courtly 

 adieus one of another the society exists ouly in the secretary's 

 note-book until the next gathering. There are no disputes, no ex- 

 pensive machinery, no eating up of funds in managerial waste. 

 Simple shoot and pood fellowship, what could bo more truly rural, 

 more idyllic, more sportsinamike. 



The oldest member shook his head, thought a while, thought some 

 more, and finally said that he reckoned the first steps were taken in 

 1851 or '55 toward making the gatherings more formal than they 

 had been. Before that time they had met and shot, but after a, sur- 

 prise party fashion, nobody being quite sure when he started for 

 the rendezvous whether he woidd have a solitary bit. of practice or 

 whether he would form one of a jolly company. All in all the club 

 is a unique sort of an institution. The one great aim of its members 

 is to secure the greatest accuracy.. Such a trifling fact as the utter 

 impracticability of lugging tlie arm about in any useful fashion for 

 hunting or general target work, does not seem to bother the National 

 members at all. Once convinced that they can gain a quarter inch on 

 a string of ten shots by adding half a dozen pounds of metal to the 

 barrel and the added weight is put on without a question. 



Th ; s particular spring uieetins was to become an episode in the 

 history of the club. Much correspondence had been indulged in 

 with the Walnut Hill marksmen, and these capital shooters of the 

 modern school had promised to come up Vermontward and try con- 

 clusions with their antediluvian prototypes, The old fellows were 

 delighted with the prospect of a good lively set-to, for the spirit of 

 fight is strong within them, and there had hpen so much talk on the 

 seemingly everlasting theme of Muzzle vs. Breechloader that every- 

 body was charmed at the prospect of having the two classes of arms 

 brought side by side, each in the hands of enthusiastic experts and 

 each shooting under the same weather conditions. So when the 12 

 o'clock train came up from the southward at yester noon, and out of 

 it tumbled ninman and Rahbefh, Frye. Ellsworth and Mayuard, 

 each with rifle and shooting traps, it was generally agreed that the 

 spring meeting of 1886 was to be a big success. The chroniclers were 

 there too, ready with pen and pencil to picture in word and line the 

 doings of this novel rifle meet. Mr. Gould came down from Boston, 

 that the Rifle might know all that occurred, and with convenient 

 camera caught the various doings of the riflemen. 



The new comers were greeted in the most kindly spirit. There 

 was the range 40 rods away from that little outhouse sort of a shoot- 

 ing box. Across yonder bit of low-lying water-covered meadow to 

 the face of the low bill where, a temporary fence of slab boards sufficed 

 to hold the paper targets. Sticks here and there held all manner of 

 streamers, for each marksman carried his own private wind signals, 

 and htuck them up as his fancy dictated. Some used long whip lash 

 streamers of silk, slightly weighted at the tip. Others again preferred 

 the bag-like bits of inusbn and these stood out like great bleached 

 bolognas. One had contrived a wee wind signal, a model on aquarter 

 iuch scale of the big dial at Creednioor. It. u as a picturesque range, 

 hut the main interest was at the firing point. Here was the house 

 we have mentioned, about 20ft. long; on the side facing the targets 

 away to the westward, shutters lifted up. really opening the house 

 side. They were low and one was compelled to stoop or sit, down on 

 the low stools if a view of the targets was desired. Pushed up against 

 this opening ranged in line were the rests on which the mnzzleloaders 

 were placed. They were of the saw-horse pattern, securely fastened 

 to stakes driven into the soil and so arranged that when placed upon 

 them the gun muzzle would be about 2ft, from the ground. Along 

 the other side of the shooting house was the loading table, an ordi- 

 nary workbench with notches along its front edge, and here the mem- 

 bers do the manual work of the shooting, cleaning and swabbing, 

 patching and loading, with all that care and deliberation wh ch char- 

 acterizes the typical muzzle-man. 



Let us take our friends in order, beginning in that far away corner 

 where a portly gentleman whose clear eye in a measure belie the 

 slight tinge of gray in his hair. He is Mr. R. C. C're>sy. of Brattle- 

 boro, Vt. His arm is of Brockway make, with an octagonal barrel, 

 and comes just withiu the 15lbs. standard 28in. barrel. It has a cali- 

 ber of .39. with an even twist of 1 turn in 16 inches, 8 grooves. The 

 bullet is of Brockway make, forced out cold under a 40-ton pressure 

 into long rods, then cut off in lengths and again swaged to shape. 

 They have a uniform composition of 1 tin to 20 lead. The oowder 

 which Mr. Cressy uses is Hazard FFg. A bullet picked up from hja 



