SPO^TS^E^'S EXPOSITION, 
|Wadisor> Square Garden, fleuu YoPk, ]Way 13 to 18. 
% % n 
THE FIRST ANNUAL. 
The Exposition was successful beyond the anticipation 
of the most sanguine promotors. Every exhibitor must 
feel that the time and effort and money which the enter- 
prise cost was well expended; and may with reason ex- 
pect to receive from his participation in the event benefits 
which will amply repay him. As for some who doubted 
the expediency of the enterprise, and who were not rep- 
resented in it, they will feel disposed to take part in the 
one already contemplated for next year. 
The Exposition was held for the purpose of educating 
the public, and that purpose it served admirably. The 
sportsmen of New York and vicinity, and thousands 
who are not sportsmen, visited the exhibition and were 
interested and entertained. But if the occasion served its 
purpose— if the public was educated— the exhibitors re- 
ceived their own lesson, too; and if the show this year 
The Exposition has shown very clearly that the New 
York public is willing to pay freely to see an exhibition 
of sportsmen's implements and equipments, and that 
dealers in these goods are glad to have the opportunity to 
display them. If the Exposition had been more ably 
handled through the press there is no doubt that the re- 
ceipts would have been quadrupled, and the investment 
of $1,000 in this way would have brought a return of 
$10,000. Next year there will not be sufficient space in 
Madison Square'Garden to contain all the exhibitors who 
will wish to be represented, and with proper management 
the Exposition, if held at the proper time— say in March 
or even February — will prove very remunerative to its 
projectors. 
Last week we gave a general description of the Exposi- 
tion; to-day we illustrate and describe more fully the 
prominent exhibits. 
The Bridgeport Gun Implement Co. 
The Bridgeport Gun Implement Co., of Bridgeport, 
Conn., and of 313-315 Broadway, New York, had an ex- 
hibit that it would be a hard matter to duplicate any- 
where. The space occupied was barely sufficient for 
the purpose, the great variety of "gun implements" 
manufactured and sold by the company requiring really 
more room than .could be spared for that purpose. Gun 
ger of mistake, as these plates are specially flattened an 
rolled to a uniform thickness, not varying to even one- 
thousandth of an inch, so that each and every plate and 
hole is exactly alike. We claim that with these outfits, 
25, 50 or 100 shells can be loaded at one time, and that 
same will not show any variation one from another." 
The "Rapid Loader" mentioned above has been known 
to shooters for many a day. The company, however, 
has gotten out an improvement, naming it the "New 
Rapid Loader." At the Exposition, Mr. A. Seipel, who 
was in charge of the exhibit, explained its many advan- 
tages over the old style, and gave practical illustrations 
of its capabilities. 
Another specialty of the company is the micrometer 
powder and shot measures manufactured by the company. 
In its catalogue the company says: "The introduction of 
the micrometer powder and shot measures by the B. G. I, 
Co. marks another step in their progress toward perfection 
and absolute accuracy, in the loading of ammunition. 
The micrometer measure can be adjusted to the frac- 
tional part of a grain of powder, making it absolutely the 
most accurate measuring device ever originated. The 
use of this measure does away with special measures for 
nitro powders, as it is adapted to all powders, even if of 
different specific gravity." 
The variety of gun-cleaning tools is almost confusing; 
wool swabs, expansion felt swabs, wire scratch brushes, 
wormers, flannel wipers, twisted wire bristle brushes, 
three-row steel wire brushes, etc. In fact, anybody 
#1 
MADISON SQUABE GARDEN. 
was successful, those to be held in the future will be macft 
more so. 
The undertaking presented problems altogether new; 
and that they were solved so well counts for the credit of 
all concerned, The experience gained in 1895 will insure 
for the expositions to come schemes more adequate aad 
execution more perfect. From the first, one serious dan- 
ger has been that the commercial would overbalance the 
popular side; and had the earlier intentions of the man- 
agers been carried out this might have happened. For- 
tunately the peril was to a great extent avoided ; and yet 
not wholly so, for in some of the newspapers the affair 
was persistently treated as a commercial project. This is 
a danger which wuT always threaten such an exhibition, 
and it can be avoided only by the adoption of a broad and 
far-seeing policy, which will not always perhaps com- 
mend itself to the intensely practical money-making man 
who wishes to have in sight the return dollar before he 
expends the one which is to bring it back. 
It is easy now to see some points of weakness in the 
past; but instead of criticising them we should strive to 
remember them, so that next year they may be avoided. 
EXHIBIT OP TDK BRIDGEPORT GUN IMPLEMENT COMPANY. 
implements also are not the sole products of the com- 
pany, bicycle supplies figuring prominently in the exhibit- 
The background for the display in the Sportsmen's 
Exposition was well chosen. As shown in the photo- 
graph, the cabinets containing the company's World's 
F^ir exhibit occupied the space in the background, the 
infinite variety of implements and parte of implements 
being arranged in a very taking manner. It would be 
an easy matter to make this part of the exhibit stiff- 
looking and formal; this danger, however, was avoided 
when the exhibit itself was put together, with the con- 
sequent result that the effect produced was harmonious 
and artistic. 
The showcases containing other specialties of the com- 
pany's manufacture were filled with a profusion of all 
kinds of shell-loading and other implements, all of which 
caught the eye and attracted the attention of the passing 
sportsman. In the price list, issued May 1, 1895, the 
company pays special attention to hand-loading outfits, of 
which they say: "Our aim is to show shooters the neces- 
sity of having properly loaded shells, and the tools to be 
used in loading same. The secret of loading to get good 
shooting from" a shot cartridge is a system of uniform 
measurement of the charges of powder and shot, with the 
even distribution of these charges level in the shell, so 
wads may lie horizontally both on powder and shot, and 
also plac 'd with uniform pressure each and every time, so 
all shells will be loaded precisely alike. These results are 
only obtainable by the use of proper charging and loading 
tools such as our combination outfits and Tapid loaders, 
which we guarantee to be absolutely correct, being 
graduated by actual weight of whatever powder the 
sportsman desires to use. The system of charging with 
brass plates as used by us in the combination charges is 
positive, each and every one being stamped for the charge 
Jor which it is to be used. There is not the slightest dan- 
who can't find a gun-cleaner to his fancy among those 
offered him by the Bridgeport Gun Implement Com- 
pany, must either be hard to please or else not know 
what he wants. Rifle and revolver cleaners, field cleaners, 
pocket oilers, etc., find a place in the catalogue, and were 
also on exhibition at the Sportsmen's Exposition. Of 
crimpers, or closers, the company showed several kinds, 
with reversible shell plates, which permit of all sizes of 
shells from eight to twenty to be crimped by the same 
machine. 
Bicycle supplies were also a special feature in the com- 
pany's exhibit. With the aid of an electric motor, the 
front wheel of a bicycle was kept running, as if on a 
road, the cyclometer attached to it ringing off the miles 
at a twelve-miles-an-hour gait. The "Bridgeport Search 
Light," a powerful lamp for bicycles, is too well known by 
bicyclists to need more than passing mention. 
A new bicycle lock, however, is specially worth noting. 
This lock, made of nickeled steel, and so small that it can 
be easily carried in the vest pocket without any incon- 
venience, can be attached to the sprocket wheel without 
aiy trouble, absolutely locking the machine and ren- 
dering it useless to anybody save the holder of the 
key. This is something that is bound to find favor with 
bicyclists. 
So many, and of such different natures were the 
articles exhibited by this company that more than a pass- 
ing mention cannot be made. Application, however, to 
the Bridgeport Gun Implement Company, 313-315 Broad- 
way, New York, will result in the receipt of illustrated 
catalogues, which tell the Btory in the most fitting man- 
That the exhibit of the company at the First Sports- 
nsr. 
men's Exposition was one that was appreciated was 
proven by the number of visitors to the Exposition who 
found their way to the exhibit and carefully and critic- 
ally examined the articles displayed, there. 
