94 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Feb. 23, 1888. 



THE LONG BRANCH SHOOT, 



THE handicap, open to all tournament, which was shot at Long 

 Branch on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week brought out 

 some good scoring and a good deal of growling. Those who took 

 part in it are not particularly pleased with the arrangements for 

 the shoot, and spectators found an open lot, which, on one day 

 was a quagmire, in which they stood ankle-deep in snow slush, 

 and on the second they met a blizzard, which made any wateh- 

 iug oi" the shoot a rod of martyrdom. The shoot opened on Tues- 

 day with but one change from the list as published, and that 

 turned out to be a very signi fi cant one. Frank Class, of Bound 

 Brook, N. J., had been No, 10 in the list. He did not come, but 

 Win. Sigler. »f Newark did come, and he having sent on his 

 entry itrtime consented to fill up the vacant place. He did ho in 

 the very be<t fashion aud at the end stood first man. 



The notoriety given the match through the Forest asd Stream 

 and otherwise had gathered a score or more of fine marksmen 

 and one jaunty little markswoman, Miss Annie Oakley, of exhi- 

 bition fame. 



On (lie first day of the contest the birds as a whole were good, 

 for although somewhat slow to take wing, they were very fast 

 and strong when they did get up. The shooting was nearly entirely 

 confined to professionals. 



The shooting began r.t noon, and, as a whole, proved very good, 

 for when "time" was called at 5:25 P. M., 20 rounds having been 

 shot, of the 23 shooters, viz.: Uubbeiiy, W. Sigler, Wertsner, 

 Graham, Van Dyke and Stice had clean scores of 20 killed. Among 

 the shooters Annie Oakley attracted considerable attention, herself 

 score standing hi killed and 4 missed. .'.Use opened in very bad 

 form, missing 3 out of her first 4, dead over the boundary, and 

 then a Jain losing her seventh bird. But with an offer to back her 

 at 5 to 3 she killed hev eighth bird. She continued on killing 13 

 straight in as good form as any of the men, and better, if proper 

 allowance is made for her gun, which is a very light weapon as 

 compared wit h some of the guns in use, which, judged by the re- 

 port, especially of the second barrels, were miniature cannons. 

 Of the men Graham and Stipe's shootiug was about the best. Stice 

 was the popular typical shooter. He shot to kill. His first barrel 

 was generally effective. He is Oft. tall, and his shooting costume 

 consisted of a broad-brim felt hat and dark corduroy coat, trousers 

 in his boots, and red handkerchief around his neck. 0. W. Budd 

 was the favorite at the outset, but having missed his second and 

 seventeenth bird, he was 2 behind at the close of the day. The 

 champion wing shot of England, W. C. Graham, seemed almost 

 invincible on the first day. 



In shooting, the contestants had to face the sun, but it was the 

 only disadvantage under which they labored. By unanimous con- 

 sent Mr. Al. Heritage ("Old Southpaw"), of the Jersey City Heights 

 Gun Club, was referee. It was then decided that the contestants 

 should shoot in turn, 1 bird at a time. Cubberly went first to the 

 score, and brought down a right quarterer from No. 4 trap. 



L. B. Campbell, the well-known trap-and-handle shot, was the 

 only left-handed marksman among the lot. 



Five hours aud twenty-five minutes were consumed on the first 

 day and the shooters were instructed to be at the score by 10:30 on 

 the next morning. 



The record of the match lias been prepared with special care by 

 the representative of the Forest and Stream; not content with 

 the mere tabular record of dead and missed birds, he has prepared 

 a technical history of each shooter's outfit, and this has been ar- 

 ranged in most convenient shape for reference and comparison in 

 the annexed table, where the scores may also be found. 



The second day of the shoot brought disappointment to many. 

 One expert observer present put the situation tersely, saying: 



"An excessively cold day coupled with half a gale of wind and 

 unlimited whisky, made the second day c.f the shoot at Long 

 Branch anything but enjoyable. In fact, if Mr, Piul Daly wishes 

 to inaugurate winter or any kind of pigeon shooting in the Mon- 

 aco style he will have to make some radical changes. The crowd 

 present was such that shooters found it difficult to reach the 

 score, while so utterly unqualified were the officials that the 

 referees, Messrs. Heritage and Quimby, gave birds as 'dead* that 

 flew out of bounds before they were gathered, while correct scor- 

 ing was a task that puzzled the most expert at the business." 



The wind blew a gale from the northwest all day, and had a bad 

 effect upon the shooting. The weather also was exceedingly cold. 

 The number of spectators was larger than on the day previous, 

 but before the close of the match the majority were frozen out, 

 and they left the grounds. A decidedly poor lot of birds were in 

 the traps. More than half refused to fly when the traps were 

 opened. , , , 



The shooting, however, as a whole, was very good, and some of 

 the best of amateurs would have found it difficult to equal the top 

 scores, Mr. Wm. Sigler, of Newark, wiuniug the first prize, SLOOO, 

 with a score of 4? out of 50; C. S. Wertsuer, of Baltimore, taking 

 second monev, .*S00, wiih 40, and .1. R. Stice, of Des Moines, la., 

 third monev, $200. with 45 killed, with 2 others at 44, 3 at 43 and 

 2 at 42 each killed. At the Monaco boundary (21yds.) no such 

 scores could have been made, but even at 80yds. it was very credit- 

 able shooting. The feature of the shooting was Mr. Seigler's 

 straight 35; his 30th, a fast driver, falling dead just over the 

 boundary. The English representative, W. C. Graham— who was 

 the favorite, starting at 3 to 1 against— did very well on the first 

 day killing 20 straight. But the weather was too cold for him 

 vesterdav and he failed to sustain his reputation. A special fea- 

 ture of the shooting was an inside match between Miss Annie 

 Oaklcv and Phil Daly, dr., as to which would make the best score. 

 The result was iu the lady's favor. The referees on the second 

 day were Al. Heritage and Fied Quimby and the time taken 

 hours, making a total of 14 hours for the match, 

 The shcot fortunately ended without any place ties and thus 

 left the next day clear for sweepstake shooting. It was a good 

 day, without wind, but intensely cold. 

 The birds were about the poorest, lot imaginable. In some in- 



over The spectators had dwindled to a few local lookers-on and 

 the pot-hunters on the outside of the fence, who were far in the 

 majority, aud seemed to enjoy the sport more than those engaged 

 in it. Occasionally a bird would escape and come sailiugout over 

 the fence. The moment it appeared outside it was the signal for 

 a general fusilade from which no bird could ever hope to escape. 

 The reports sounded like that of a skirmish line, and had all the 

 gradations of sound from a cannon to a popgun. 



Miss Annie Oakley failed to appear. The English champion, W . 

 C Graham also was absent. He left Long Branch at the close of 

 the big match, as did Fred Erb, Jr., and a number of the other 

 contestants. Wm. Sigler, who carried off the $1,000 prize, was 

 around, smiling and happy, although he did not take part in any 

 of the sweepstakes. C. S. Wertsner, who won second prize, $£00, 

 left in the afternoon for his home in Baltimore. J. R. Stice en- 

 tered one or two of the sweepstakes in the morning, after which 

 he took a train for Jacksonville, Ind„ where he resides. Late .in 

 the afternoon Charley Budd packed his traps for his home in Des 

 Moines. Mr. Budd had bad luck during this shoot, which he 

 attributes to the fact that he used a heavier gun than he is 

 accustomed to. The ordinary weight of his gun is Tibs. W. D. 

 Campbell was around, suffering with an attack of rheumatism in 

 the shoulders. He said had it not been for that it would have 

 taken 47 different birds than were killed in the match to have 



be The Q first ' sweepstakes had six entries at $5 each, with 5 birds 

 apiece Quinlan, of Newark, Budd and Stice killed all and tied, 

 while Jones and Sigler killed only 4. The tie was shot off miss 

 and out. Quinlan failed to kill his first bird in the tie and Stice 

 and Wertsner divided the money. . u ui. 



Six entries were also made in the second round, at f 5 each, with. 

 4 birds apiece. Quinlan made a clean score and got first money. 

 CubberL , Ostrani and Malone tied on 3 birds each for second. 

 The tie was shot off, miss and out, and Malone won. 



Miss and out, with four entries, at $5 each, was the next sweep- 

 stake arranged. Fletcher missed his first bird and went out. 

 Malone went out on his sixth aud Quinlan on his eighth, and L. 

 B. Campbell took the money on 9 straight birds. . 



The next sweepstakes, miss and out, with seven entries at $4 

 each, won by J. R. Stice on the eighth bird. ' • ' 



' C. W. Budd won the next miss and out match on the fourth shot. 

 Only three entries were made at S3 each. 



The next shoot was the biggest one of all. Twelve entries at $5 

 each with 4 birds to shoot. The money was divided into 50, 3U and 

 20 per cent. Stice and Fletcher tied for first money and divided. 

 Quinlan and Budd did the same with second, while Malone took 



Quinlan carried away the first money on the next shoot on the 

 second bird. Five entries were made at $5 each. 



In the following miss and out, H. C. White and L. B. Campbell 

 divided the stakes on the seventh bird. Six entries were made at 



^ 3 Among the contestants in the last-mentioned sweepstakes was 

 Cannon, a one-armed shooter, of Newark. He is a well built man, 

 about 30 years old, with light sandy moustache and hair. Al- 

 though he missed the first bird he shot at, yet he displayed con- 

 siderable anility as a marksman. He held the gun firmly to his 

 shoulder with his right arm and blazed away with both barrels 

 with apparently no effort. 



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 and Oisbrough had the pleasure of dividing the money between 

 themselves on the fifth bird. 



Baltimore, Feb. 17.— The gun club is well satisfied, though not 

 completely, with the outcome of the Long Branch shoot. Mr. C. 

 S. Wertsner, captain of the Baltimore Gun Club, who won second 

 money, has been the recognized champion of Maryland at trap 

 shooting for several years. He made probably the best score of 

 his life a few weeks ago by killing 4S out of 50 birds at the club 

 grounds at Acton's Park. When he performed this feat snow 

 covered the ground, and as many of the pigeons were white the 

 shooting was difficult. Mr. Wertsner uses a Clabrough hammer 

 gun, 10-gauge. He is rapid, though graceful, in his style of shoot- 

 ing. Under his management the Baltimore. Gun Club has proved 

 an almost invincible organization. Mr. Wertsner 's score after 

 shooting at 45 birds was 44 killed, 1 missed. When his turn came 

 to shoot at the last 5 birds it was necessary for him to kill 3 of 

 them to tie for first place with Wm. Sigler, who had the leading 

 score, which was 47 out of 50. This would entitle Wertsner to 

 ope-half of first money, which was $1,000, but should he kill but 2 

 birds his score would stand 43 out of 50 and he would secure sec- 

 ond money. It was understood by Wertsner's friends that the 

 latter plan would be adopted, as he could then, by mutual agree- 

 ment with bigler, divide first and second money, making $1,300, 

 and thus giving each $650 instead of $500. The other Baltimore 

 shooters in the match also made creditable scores. J. A. Williar 

 killed 26 out of 34, and James R. Malone 35 out of SO. Wertsner's 

 score ox 48 out of 50 was better by 2 birds than that made bv Dr. 

 Carver, and better by 3 than either Brewer or Mitchell made on 

 the Baltimore Club's grounds in the match which they shot last 

 season. 



BANDLE — VERGES. 



(CINCINNATI. O., Feb. 17.— An interesting match was shot at 



rrounds of the 

 ocal celebrity, 

 Lv-.^d from others 

 usually shot here because of the short dead boundary rules which 

 governed, the rules shot under being the Monaco, generally used 

 by the French and German noblemen in their big subscription 

 live bird matches at. Monaco. There the shooting is done on a 

 narrow cliff which projects out to the sea, and which measures 

 but 16yds. across and forward to the edge 21yds., all birds falling 

 over tb.fi cliff are scored lost. 



, Mr ' P' E - Vel '? es h &d quite a swelling on the right side of his 

 head from reading your report of the recent Floyd-Jones match 

 that lie could kill as many birds in a 21yd. boundary as in that of 

 the old English 80. Handle took exception to Verges's belief, the 

 result being a back-down on the part of Verges about his being 

 able to do so, but fully convinced he could as the term goes give 

 Bandle cards and spades m such a race; the match shot beiug the. 

 result of the argument. As it was rather an impromptu match 

 and shot in the morning only some 25 shooters put in their ap- 

 pearance. 



The pigeons used were a batch of tough customers, about one- 

 third having run the gauntlet of previously shot matches, and when 

 they were sprung invariable got away as though urgent business 

 called them elsewhere. The match opened at 10 o'clock with the 

 Cincinnati favorite at the score. The first six be killed, then 

 missed, killed the nest; then to the great astonishment of his 

 friends, missed two; then made a run of six straight kills again, 

 followed with another miss, then two kills, next also killed but 

 dead out of bounds, then another kill and then another, the last 

 dead out of bounds. Verges killed as a starter five straight, made 

 a clean miss on his next, then unluckily lost two dead out of bounds; 

 scored the next, lost the next two, then made a spurt of six kills, 

 then one miss, followed witb three fine kills and finished, as well 

 as lost his money and match by having the last three birds fall 

 dead out of hounds. The birds were sprung from three ground 

 traps, 30yds. rise. English club rules governing; barring of course 

 the boundary. Score: 



Al Bandle 111111010 0111111011*11*1 0-18 



Merges .111110**11001111110111 * * *-17 



Two days after Captain A. W. West, once the leading double- 

 bird shot of the Forest City Gun Club, of Portland, Me., but now 

 a resident of Parkersburg, W. Va., where he is an extensive mill 

 owner, met W. E. Limberg (Wick), gun and kennel editor of the 

 Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, in a friendly match at 25 pairs 

 American clay birds, and defeated him handily by 6 birds, he 

 scoring 40 out of 50 to Wick's 34. Tli rough some oversight, but 

 more through carelessness of Wick, the shells used by the two in 

 the match became mixed, the consequence, being West, in the 

 match used Wick's shells, loaded with Laflin & Rand FFF special- 

 powder and Wick West's shells loaded with FFG dead shot. The 

 loser could not account for his consecutive misses on his second 

 rises through the match, but at the close was satisfied of a mis- 

 take in the shells, which was verified, too, by the loader, Bandle. 

 West is a good shot, but from an unprejudiced standpoint it was 

 apparent to the writer. Wick, though he has of late been shoot- 

 ing in poor luck and form, is his equal in spite of the result. The 

 traps, owing to poor handling, worked miserably, and Wick, if 

 anything got the worst of it, but that all through his own negli- 

 gence in accepting birds he could, according to the rules, have 

 evaded. West, the winner, had little to say about the match at 

 the close, but thought he could beat Wick any race he or his 

 friends might name. 



Bandle, for Wick, after the match placed $10 forfeit for a simi- 

 lar match, to take place on tbe Independent Gun Club grounds 

 between the 27th and 29th inst., between the two. West used a 

 lO^lb. L. C. Smith gun, and Wick a 131b. Parker, both 10 gauges. 

 Scores: 



West 11 H 11 10 U Wick 10 11 10 11 10 



10 11 10 11 10 11 10 11 11 01 



11 11 11 10 11 11 10 10 11 11 

 ■ 11 11 11 10 10 00 10 10 10 11 



11 10 11 11 00-40 11 10 10 10 01—34 



Judges, P. Kessler and R. Montford. Referee. "Blue Dick." 

 Time of match, 35m. Balks. Wick 6, West 3. Scorer, C. F. Weil. 



The following from a local paper is self-explanatory, as ner let- 

 ter received by Al Bandle, ot this city, captain of the Price's Hill 

 Gun Club: 



"Cleveland, O., Feb. 14, 1888.— There is a sort of feeling among 

 Cuyahoga county shooters that a team of twenty or twenty-five 

 men, alt residents of Cuyahoga county, can be picked that can out 

 shoot a similar team picked from Hamilton or any other county 

 in Ohio in a telegraphic match at twenty-five or fifty birds per 

 man, shot under Cnamoerlin or National Gun Association rules. 

 * * * I think, with a little work, such a match could be brought 

 about, and if it is, will be verv interesting. 



The challenge will be accepted by the Price Gun Club." 



C. G. Newsboy. 



* Denotes dead out of bounds. 



AUBURN VS. ONONDAGA. 

 Iiirds, 5 traps, 18yds.: 



Auburn Gun Club. 



Tuttle ill 1 11011 1 1111111111-19 



Rowland.. 11001111 1 1 ill 10111 11-17 



Steele H '1101111 11111111110— 17 



Kerr 0006111 110 1 1011001 1-13 



Wheaton..000imi00H 11111111-15 

 Brigdcn. . .OHOlUlilllOlHlOU-16 

 Rathbun . lllllllllli 111111111— 20 

 Kererce.. ,11111111111100111111—18 

 Embody.. .10111111111111111111-19 

 Church. . .llCOlOiOlOlllOlCOHO— 11 



164 



—Auburn, N. Y.— Match at king- 

 Syracuse Gun Club. 

 Prettie . . .11111100011101110111-15 

 M'Corm'klllllll0111011in001-16 

 Luther . . .OOUOlomilllOlUUO-13 



Smith 0111110111 1 101111110-16 



LeFever. .1 1111111101111111111-49 

 Spangler.. Ill 1 11 111 111 1 01 11101-18 

 Hookway.llliniOUHi 1100110-10 

 Blakley. . . llOllllOllllOOOllHO-14 



Ayers 10111 U111081 11000100-11 



Moshcr. . . .1011 1 01 1111001000011-1 2 



150 

 C. E. K. 



WORCESTER. Mass., Feb. 17.— The members of the Worcester 

 Sportsmen's Club had a meet at Coal Mine Brook Range this 

 week. During the afternoon there were eight events. The prin- 

 cipal event was a possible 21 clays, two angles: 

 Gtlman . .1110U 111111111011111-19 Davis. . . . 111101001111111011111—17 



Swan 111101111111111011111-19 Dean 110011101111 lHOlOm— 16 



RusseU. .U00111111111Ullim-19 Frank. . . .011110000110111100010-11 

 Smith. . . .101110111110011111111-17 Parker. . .101110100101101001 w.-lO 



WOODSIDE, N. Y., Feb. 14.-North Side Gun Club, of Long 

 Island, eleventh average shoot for the year ending March 13, 1888. 

 Match at live pigeons, King's patent ground trap, handicap, no 

 back bound, 80yds. bound, club rules. Prizes, club badge, three 

 moneys: 



Winhol z 1110111-6 Tapken 1011110-5 



Kroger 0111111-0 Biglow 1111001-5 



Barlow 1111110-6 Siems 1111111-7 



Eberhardt 1101101—5 Evers 0101001—3 



Wahlen 0011011 - 4 Morgan 0010100—2 



Berger 0111101-5 Dr Franz 1111011-6 



Shand .1100011—4 Lyon 0110001—3 



S. Lyon, referee. 



