Sept. 5 1896. | 
]hOREST AND STREAM, 
197 
Event No. 15. Open paddling, Aug. 25, mile; start 11:22:35: 
Elapsed. 
F. A. C. Blekerdike 0 05 16 
A. H. King 0 05 45 
Event No. 16. Decked tandem, Aug. 25, mile; start 11:51:35: 
Elapsed. 
King and MacDougal.. . ..^v v, .0 05 25 
Mowbray and Plummer.,,,..i., .,i.i.n'..i...i. 0 05 35 
Hale and WUr , 0 06 40 
Noack and Sparrow 0 05 57 
Event No. 17. Open tandem, Aug, 25, 14 miie; start 12:24:20: 
Elapsed. 
Scott and R. Bickerdike 0 04 59 
King and MacDougal. r. i ..... .0 05 14 
Mowat and Burns .i-....i.0 05 20 
Howell and F, A. O. Bickerdike .0 05 50 
Plummer aoj Mowbray , v. .•>... 0 06 25 
Event No. 37. Bow paddling, Aug. 35; start 11:40: 
F. A. 0. Bickerdike. 1 
McDDUgal 2 
Edwards ,,,, 3 
Hall . .. . ,, V 4 4 
Conger. , , ' ..„.. ...... .-. ,,.„,,,,.. 5 
Mowat 6 
Burns...,. , 7 
King 8 
Event No. 28. Upset paddling, Aug. 25 ; start 12 M. : 
King , 1 
Scewart , 2 
Hale.. 
Scott 
Event No. 6. Trophy sailing, Aug. 25; start 3:05: 
1st 
2d 
3d 
4th 
5th 
6th 
Round. Round. Bound. Round. Round. Round. Elapsed 
Mab. 
..3 21 15 
2 
Bug 8 22 30 
7 
Pioneer 3 26 15 
5 
Aziz 3 23 23 
3 
Wasp 3 22 40 
6 
Bee . . , 
1 
3 45 51 
2 
3 47 25 
4 
1 
4 03 10 4 19 5S 
5 4 4 
3 60 10 4 10 00 4 28 20 
6 5 
4 10 38 4 30 37 
8 7 
4 13 20 4 33 27 
9 9 
3 50 41 
8 
3 23 46 3 51 18 
8 9 
Foggy Dew.3 29 30 3 52 45 4 14 35 4 34 17 
9 
3 
3 49 45 
10 
3 54 50 
11 
3 55 15 
5 
4 10 15 
10 
10 
4 16 45 4 39 45 
11 
4 17 40 Withdrew. 
4 38 00 
4 54 55 
1 49 55 
2 . 
2 
4 39 25 
4 56 47 
1 51 47 
3 
3 
4 47 60 
5 08 47 
2 03 47 
4 
4 
4 48 00 
5 09 40 
2 04 40 
5 
5 
4 50 23 
5 10 20 
2 05 20 
6 
6 
4 52 35 
5 16 13 
2 08 13 
9 
4 64 07 
5 14 40 
2 09 40 
8 
8 
4 54 00 
5 15 20 
2 10 20 
7 
4 53 07 
Disabled. 
Withdrew. 
Torment.... 3 22 54 
10 
Ohiquita....3 31 41 
10 
Eel 3 30 56 
Gull Withdrew. 
Kitt Withdrew. 
Event No. 18 Club four paddling, A.ug. 25, 3^ mile; start 5:45: 
Elapsed. 
King ] 
McDougal to 04 46 
Sparrow f " 
HoweU J 
Mowat 1 
Britton , InnA en 
Burns °* ^6 
Bickerdike J 
Event No 3 Record sailing, Aug. 26, 3 miles; start 10:35: 
Aziz, J. R. Stewart (race called by committee).,.., .......ij, 1 
Beta, Thos. Hale, Jr 2 
A. C. A. record, 1896: 
Combined. Pad. Sail. Total. 
Az Iz, J. R. Stewart 5 3 2 10 
Beta, Thos. Hale, Jr 2 S 1 5 
Kite, C. P. Moaer 4 4 0 0 
Eel, J. W. Sparrow 3 5 0 0 
Qarganey, A. M. Lindsay .....1 10 0 
Event iSo. 31. Passenger pad'<iing, Aus. 27; sttirt5:30: 
Crew. Passenger. 
Mrs. Plummer J. 0. Mowbray., 1 
Miss Swift ■ . ...L A. Hall 2 
Miss Stewart A. A- Conger 3 
Event No. 7. Dolphin trophy, Aug 27, 7^ miles; start 10;20: 
1st 2d 3d 4th 5th 
Round. Round Round. Round. Round. Elapsed. 
Pioneer 10 39 00 10 59 38 11 19 05 11 39 00 12 07 02 1 47 02 
Torment 10 42 48 n 03 38 11 81 45 11 50 45 12 22 OS 2 02 03 
Eclipse 10 41 56 11 02 23 11 28 17 11 48 52 12 22 50 2 02 50 
Aziz 10 41 47 Disabled. 
Bud 10 43 10 Withdrevf. 
Event No. 13 100ft. limit of sail, Aug. 27, 3 miles; start 2:50: 
1st Round. 2d Bound. Elapsed. 
Az Iz, J R. Stewart 3 06 43 3 24 16 0 34 06 
Eclipse,- F. L. Dunnell 3 07 39 3 25 00 0 35 00 
Event No. 14. Unclassified cold canoes with open cockpits), Aug. 
27, 3 miles; start 2:50: 
1st Round. 2d Round. Elapsed. 
Mayflower, J. C. Plunxmer... 3 13 50 3 40 04 0 50 04 
Bud, H. H. Smy the Capsized. 
A. C. A. Membership. 
Applications for membership may be made to the purser of the 
division In which the applicaat rdsides oo blanks furnighed by purser, 
the applicant becoming a member provided no objection be made 
within fourteen days after his name has been ofllciaily published in 
the FOBEST AND STREAU. 
CENTEAI. DIVISION. 
Name. Residence. Club. 
W. H. Post Ogdensburgh, N. Y ^ 
Charles Russell,. Albany, N. Y 
C.W.Lindsay,..,.,.... Rochester, N. Y 
E. G. QUbert,,...,,.., Rochester, N. Y 
ATLANTIC DIVISION. 
Robert Edgar Yonkers, N Y Yonkers. 
Charles Stebbins Newburgh, N. Y Shattemuc. 
Louis H.May .....New York City ....New York. 
ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP. 
Mrs. G. C. Mackenzie. , Elizabeth, N. J Canoe Chaperone 
Cincinnati Rifle Association. 
Cincinnati, 0., Aug. 33.— The scores eivsn balow were made by 
members of the Cincinnati Rifle Assoeiatioa to-day. Conditions- 
aOOyds., off-hand, standard target: 
Gindele 
6 7 8 8 10 10 10 10 8 9-86 10 10 7 8 8 10 8 9 7 8-8=; 
6 10 7 5 9 10 10 9 10 7-83 8 10 7 9 6 7 10 7 8 10 -82 
Weinheimer. 
879788949 3-72 S 5 6 4 6 fi 4 S 10 10-69 
865996747 7-6S 685875865 8-66 
Payne 
10 7 7 10 5 7 10 8 10 6-80 888 10 7 10 679 7-80 
88874677 10 10-75 10 5 V 5 7 6 6 6 10 10-7i 
Topf. 
777398496 9-69 889476297 3-64 
7376 10 8658 3-6i 954674595 4I58 
Louij. 
687784863 7-61 867555658 8-62 
588476844 7-01 6 7 6 10 4 6 3 7 5 7-61 
Columbia target: 
Gindele. 
5 6 5 10 2 4 13 7 3 5- 60 10 5 3 5 6 13 14 3 4 3- 64 
3 7 1 7 12 7 6 4 7 1- 55 5 7 13 18 16 2 3 7 4 3- 78 
Weinheimer 
10 4 15 856895 17— 87 7 8 5 6 11 4 10 17 4 q_ ai 
19 9 2 12 5 9 8 16 2a 8-110 IB 6 17 19 23 4 3 17 10 10-127 
Payne. 
4 5 13 20 5 6 12 11 15 2 - 93 5 8 18 8 3 3 10 14 7 7— 77 
28 11 9 10 8 6 18 4 5 13-106 9 13 7 1 3 8 10 9 15 5 - 80 
Topf. ^" 
8 15 18 15 3 19 16 10 27 9-140 22 13 16 17 27 7 5 7 25 13— i>ii 
87 17 27 10 25 25 22 17 11 17—198 < «o la xoi 
Louis. 
9 17 12 8 16 13 24 4 10 5-118 3 7 14 16 13 6 12 13 9 22-114 
6 18 18 16 24 12 7 14 18 21—149 " 1^ 10 v as 114 
Presqae Isle Rifle Club. 
Erik, Pa„ Aug. 89.— Scores made by members of the Presque Isle Bifl« 
Club at to-day's practice shoot were as follows: 
Two hundred yards, standard American target. 7 ring black: 
John Stidham 8 7 7 5 8 10 7 9 7 4-72 
756998569 8—72 
786876957 9-71 
JGGermann 8 59766889 6—72 
868678875 7—70 
879569566 7—69 
G C Rabn 7 4 9 6 6 6 8 9 10 6-71 
695687469 10—69 
7 8 8 6 4 5 3 10 10 6-67 
W J Leyer 4 5 10 7 3 7 8 8 9 10—71 
999884665 6-70 
765777974 5—64 
WFTreiber 7 7 4 10 6 10 8 10 9 6-77 
64545969 10 5-64 
543886687 8-63 
GeoShafer 66656787 8 10-69 
5988 56 10 56 6-68 
67665656 10 10-67 
Dr Wheeler 10 8667 10 598 4—73 
668655 10 77 7-67 
657854557 8-60 
F Derby 368659469 7-62 
664744856 9-69 
665655746 8-68 
J F Leyer 5 10 6655658 5-61 
569735584 5-57 
966541689 3-57 
SidOrmsby 556837557 5-56 
877433656 5-54 
9443754 3 6 5-50 
ESNoyes 30466575 10 7-58 
32526 10 857 0-47 
346590641 6-44 
F S Sackett (visitor) 9 5 4 3 4 5 6 5 7 8-56 
San Francisco Rifle Notes. 
San Francisco, Aug. 24.— Fine rifle sharpshooters and military 
marksmen assembled at the Shell Mound rifle range yesterday in 
large numbers. In fact, the targets were kept hot all day. Consider- 
ing the many attractions in this line around the bay, the Columbia 
Pistol and Rifle Club's attendance was fairly good. Not a little inter- 
est was centered on the short range, SChyds. , where the pistol and 
.22cal. rifle shooting was going on. Mrs. L. J. Crane made a very 
pretty score on the Columbia target for the GUndermann ladies' 
trophy. It was 5, 1, 4, 1, 4, 4, 2, 2, 6, 5—33. This shows an average of 
Z% points. 
jliss Ada M. Olofgon also came to the front with a very pretty prac- 
tice pistol score, which for the first effort with this firearm leads to 
the belief that she will not take long in becoming an expert Her run 
was 4, 4, 9, 7, 12, 10, 6 5, 15, 13—85. When the lad'es' auxiliary to this 
club is created there is no donbt but that many g^^od shots will be de- 
veloped with rifle and pistol. The scores in the 50yd. range were as 
follows: 
Pistol, Blanding medal, 3 shots, open to all comers: F. O. Young, 3, 
3, 3-9; J. E Gorman, 6, 2, 2-10; Dr. L. O. Rodgers, 7. 1, 4—12. 
Glindermann ladies' trophy, 10 shots. .22cal. rifle: Mrs. L. J. Crane 
S3. 
All-comers' medal, 5 shots, .22-caliber rifle, 50yds.: E. A. Hovey 9, 12, 
13; E. Jacobson 11, 12; Mrs. J. Crane 11, 16; W. E. Brooks a4, 26. 
On the 200yd. rifle range the annexed records were made in the fol- 
lowing re-entry matches, Columbia target: 
Unfred diamond medal, 3 shots: Dr. L. O. Rodgers 11. F. O. Youne 
12, J. Utschig 17. 
Military rifle, Glindermann medal, 10 shots, Creedmoor count: F. 
Poulter 40, F O. Youner 44. 
Biflo record medal, 10 shots: J. Utschig 50, F. O. Young 50, A. B. 
Dorrell 84. 
Most flags for centers: Dr. L. O. Rodgers 2, D. W. McLaughlin 1. 
The chief public shoot of the year, lastine two days, closed yester- 
day. It was given by the California Schueizen Club at their San 
Rafael range. The shooting was hardly up to the average in excel- 
lence owing to unfavorable weather conditions. About 150 marksmen 
participated. Shoothig tickets to the amount of g2,000 were sold. 
Some of the highest scores were: 
Man target, 4 shots: 77, F. Baumgartner and L. Haake; 75, Dr. L. 
O. Rcdgers, R. Finking and John Utschig; 74, D. B. Faktor; 73,0. 
Meyer, C. Thierbach; 72, D. McLaughlin. A. Strecker. 
Honorary target, 3 shots: 71, W. Qlindemauv Dr. L. O. Rodgers, J. 
Utschig and A. Pape; 70, D. McLaughlin, H. R. Brown, Faktor and 
Meyer; 69, N Ahrens. 
Point target: Faktor 847. Schuster 827. 
King target, 10 shots: L. Bendel won with 228 rings. Rokel. 
If you want your shoot to be ahnounced hero 
send in notice like the following: 
FIXTURES. 
Sept. 1-5.— Buffalo, N. Y.— Tournament at Audubon Park. Targets 
and live birds. B. F. Smith, Manager. 
Sept. 7.— Marion, N. J. -Sixth annual tournament of the Endeavor 
Gun Club. Targets. J. A. Creveling, Sec'y 
Sept. 7.— Wellington, Mass.— Tournament of the Massachusetts 
State Shooting AssociaUon, under the auspices of the Boston Shoot- 
ing Association. 
Sept. 7.— Rochester, N. Y.— All-day shoot of the Riverside Rod and 
Gun Club. Targets. E. D. Hicks, Manager. 
Sept. 8-9 —Marion, N. J.— Tournament of the Interstate Associa- 
tion, under the auspices of the Endeavor Gun Club of Jersey Citv 
N. J. ; $150 added money, ' 
Sept 8-10.— Galt, Ont.— First annual tournament of the Ontario 
Rod and Gun Club; $800 to $1,000 added money. 
Sept. 11.— West Lebanon, N. H.— AB-day shoot of the West Lebanon 
Gun Club. 
Sept. 15-16.— Kansas Cnr, Mo.— Third annual tournament of the 
Schmelzer Arms Company; $750 added money. 
Sept. 19.— Hackknsack, N. J.— Fourth tournament of the New Jersey 
Trap Shooters' League, under the auspices of the Bergen County Gun 
Club. Sweepstakes at 10 A. M.; League team race in the afternoon 
C. O. Gardiner, Sec'y. 
Sept. 29. -Oct. 2.— Harrisbchg, Pa.— Tournament of the Pennsyl- 
vania State Sportsmen's Association, under the auspices of the Harris- 
burg Shooting Assodatioii, First three days, targets; fourth day 
live birds. o . j, 
Oct 6-8.— Indianapolis, Ind.— Autumn tournament of the Limited 
Gun Club. Open to amateurs only. Two days, targets; one day 
pigeons and sparrows. Royal Robinson, Sec'y. 
Oct. 7-9.— NEWBtmoH, N. Y.— Annual fall tournament of the West 
Newburgh Gim and Rifle AssociaUon; targeta and live birds added 
money announced later. 
1897. 
January.— San Antonio, Tex.— Second midwinter tournament, under 
the management of Oscar Guesssz, etc. 
March 23-^.--Nkw York City. —The Interstate Association's fifth 
annual Grand American Handicap at live birds. 
April 15-17^San Antonio, Tex. -Tournament of the San Antonio 
Gun Club. Open to amateurs only. Wlllard T. Simpson, Chairman 
.i."^*^.?,? ^^^''^..^^^^ T^i^KLASD. O.— Fourth annual tournament of 
the Chamberlm Cartridge and Target Company. 
DRIVERS AND TWISTERS. 
Club secretaries are invited to send their scores for publication in 
these columiiB, also any news notes they may care to have printed 
Ties tn all events are considered as divided unless otherwise reported 
Mail all such matter to Forest and Stream JPublishing Companv. 3U6 
Broadway, New York. » u\ 
We have received from Mr. Wlllard L. Simpson, chairman of the 
executive committee of the San Antonio Gun Club, the followina cir- 
cular, dated Sept. 1: "Our tournament last year is now a matter of 
record ; that we fulfilled our promises has been attested to by all the 
shooters who attended. Last year we were open to the world but at 
our next tournament we propose to give the amateur a chance Our 
tournament to be held April 15, 16 and 17, 1897, wiU be strictly for the 
amateur shooter, professionals and manufacturers' agents wiU be 
barred from regular events, although we shaU be glad to see them 
■with us, and can assure thnm a good time and provide them with 
plenty of shooting. Everybody who attends will have a fair show; no- 
body will get rich, but you will all have a good time. Particulars of 
programme will follow later, but it will be a good one, with many new 
and novel feature", and we will give the shoot on the finest and best 
equipped grounds in the State of Texas, if not in the South. It was 
our intention to hold the tournament on Oct. 15 16 and 17, 1896, but 
after makine a thorough canvass of the Texas shooters and securing 
the expression of the leading clubs of the State, the executive com 
mittee, out of deference to the wishes of the majority, decided to hold 
the shoot in the spring of 1R97, and chose April 15, 16 and 17 as the 
proper time to hold it, Let us hear from you. If you have any sug- 
gestions to offer we shall be pleased to receive them; we want to try 
and satisfy everybody, and any points you can give us will be thank- 
fully received A shoot for the exclusive benefit of the amateur shoot- 
ers is a new departure, and we want you to understand that our shoot 
is for the amateur, "first, last and always," and his interest will be 
fully protected. Your assistance as well as that of every amateur 
will assure us of success, and we therefore submit the above to you 
and await your reply with any suggestions you may have to offer." 
Mr. 0. E. Brady, of Cuyahoga Falls, O., secretary of the newly 
organized gun club of that town, writes us regarding trap-shooting in 
that locality as follows: "A gun club has been organized by the 
younger men of this town which will be known as the Coast Pigeon 
Gun Club. It is composed wholly of amateurs and they will hold 
their shoot every Friday afternoon on their grounds in this village. 
There was also organized in this town a gun club which will be known 
as the Cuyahoga Shooting Association, which is composed not only 
of the sportsmen of this village, but also includes members of other 
gun clubs of surrounding towns, and bids fair to be one of the 
. strongest organizations of this kind in the State. They have located 
and are fitting up grounds which are easily reached by the different 
steam and electric roads running into Ouyah' ga Falls, where they 
will bold their shoot every Saturday afternoon, and will be pleased to 
entertain any visiting sportsmen that might be in this vicinity. It 
might be well to add that the success of this gun club is assured, as 
H. A. Penrose, the well-known sportsman, is one of the prime 
movers." 
The three days' shooting next week on the grounds of the Endeavor 
Gun Club, at Marlon, N. J., ought to be productive of some good 
sport. The dates are Sept. 7-9. The first day is more of a practice, 
or preparatory, day. No regularly advertised pi-ogramme will be run 
off, but events to suit the shooters will be kept going; this is the an- 
nual tournament of the club. On the next two days, however, the 
Interstate Association will give a two days' shoot under the auspices 
of the Endeavor Gun Club. The programme has been referred to at 
length in these columns on a previous occasion, so further notice is 
unnecessary. From advices received to date, it looks as if this, the 
last tournament given by the Interstate Association during 1896, will 
be the best of -the series. 
Mr. C. O. Gardiner, secretary of the New Jersey Amateur Trap- 
Shooters' League, writes as follows: "The next tournament of the 
Amateur Trap- Shooters' League of New Jersey will be held Sept. 19 at 
the grounds of the Bergen County Gun Club, Hackensack, N J. This 
club is very conveniently located for visiting shooters, being situated 
within one minute's walk of the New York, Susquehanna & Western 
Railroad and five minutes from that of the New Jersey & New York 
Railroad. A number of sweeps will be shot, commencing at 10 A. M., 
and the Bergen County Gun Club cordially invites the members of 
other clubs to participate in these events." 
While attending the Interstate Association's tournament at Burling- 
ton, Vt.. last week, Justus von Lengerke, of the firm of Von Lengerke 
& Detmold, handed us the following note: "Please make mention in 
your paper that a Francotte gun. No 28,068, quality 3, was obtained 
from the firm of Von Lengerke & Anioine, Chicago, on a bogus 
draft tendered by a man calling himself R, J. Widner, Los Angeles. 
Cal." 
The columns of Forest and Stream are closed to challenges unac- 
companied by a forfeit. Such has been and such still is our rule. 
The sooner this is thoroughly understood by all would-be match- 
makers, the better we shall be pleased. Two communications of that 
nature, one of them good reading, have been laid to one side this week 
under that rule. 
So far as we can ascertain, Edgar Gibbs Murphy's total of 188 out ot 
200 live birds. 21yd8. boundary, is a record. If anybody knows of a 
higher score made under similar conditions, he will confer a favor on 
us and will put a stop lo a lot of argument by forwarding full partic- 
ulars of the same to Forest and STRKAia. 
Sept. 1. Edward Banks. 
Trap-Shooting Systems. 
Washington, D. C, Aug. 27.— Editor Forest and Stream: I have 
eagerly perused the different writings on the trap-shootiuK systems 
now in favor, and while 1 concede their merit I am convinced that but 
a part of the ground has been covered— an important part, it is true 
yet leaving equally important neglected. ' 
Let us refer to the old system. It never contemplated any such ap- 
plication as that of the present day. When it was adopted its theory 
and practice were that there were no ties left to be divided as they are 
at pi esent. Every event was shot to a finish, leaving one or two men 
in the places and the moneys. That practice fitted the times of a few 
years ago precisely, for the trap-shoting events in entries were then 
relatively small, and shooting off the ties occasioned but little delay 
and little inconvenience. Also, there were but few men who had skill 
enough to be in the ties. But the interest grew steadily. The num- 
ber of trap-shooters multiplied to an astonishing degree, and the 
number of experts was increased in a still greater ratio. Then it was 
found in practice that shooting off the ties obstructed the tourna- 
ment, there being so many in the ties. To idle about waiting for the 
ties to be decided entailed an expense, an irksome delay on those who 
did not shoot, which practically amounted to a suspension of the tour- 
nament for the time being. For those who shot off the ties there was 
BO much added expense thereby that it absorbed the winnings. 
On account of the clamorous objection against shooling" off ten 
ties, the managements thoughtlessly permitted events to be shot with- 
out shooting off the ties, under a system which never contemplated 
such stupidity, and which in such application lost all semblance to a 
system. It was a good enough system when the events were shot to 
a finish; short of that finish it was no system at all. The manner of 
deciding the events was changed radically when dividmg the ties was 
introduced, but the old system remained. The old system did not 
meet the new conditions. 
Of course, with the changed conditions many shooters were not 
slow to perceive the weakness of an old system, and they took advan- 
tage of the situation. Why not? It required no great thought to per- 
ceive that if twenty men tied for first and there was but one man in 
the second hole, it was better to divide second money with one man 
than to divide first with nineteen. Many, many words have been 
wasted on the crime of "dropping for place," or Its unfairness or 
whatever any one is p'eased to term It. Without showing how it is a 
crime or wherein it is "crooked," the assumption is made that it is a 
crime, and the arguments have been In line accordingly. No one has 
seen fit to come out boldly and lay the fault where it belongs- that is 
with thn system itself. If we insist that a shooter must shoot honestly 
at his best, he on the other hand has an equal right to insist that he be 
furnished with an honest system, one which will not rob him because 
he is more skillful than his fellows and because he does his best. 
In all contests from the lime the world began the victor has been 
awarded honors and emolument, glory and reward, greater than were 
conceded to those he defeated, except in trap-shooting. It is an insult 
to a shooter's intelligence to make him shoot under a ricketty 
patched-up system, with a resounding proclamation attached thereto 
informing him that he must be honest to tide over the weak places of 
the system. What right has anyone to take such a system as a meas- 
ure of any man's honesty? Who were the originators of thiat system 
who so imbued it with honesty that to violate it made a man 
"crooked?" Who are the interpreters ot it who can find warrant 
from its very imperfections to brand his fellow "crooked?" 
There is no honor in any event in which the ties are not shot off In 
a championship or other event where there is a single victor there is 
honor, for then there is supremacy. In other events it is shooting for 
money pure and simple. A shooter has a right to expect that in a 
contest his winnings will be according to the skUl shown by him- his 
reward should be in a ratio to his score. But he finds 
that he is shooting under a system which often enables a man 
to win more money with a less score than the one made by himself 
And yet he is told that if he departs from shooting »t his best under 
a rotten system he is "crooked" and will be barred. It is farcical too 
for any man can miss a bird when he chooses to do so, and what man 
can take it upon himself to say that it was done intentionally if the 
shooter does not choose to say whether it was or not. Of course a 
man may be so unpopular as to be ruled out on any vailable pretext 
be it right or wrong ; but that is another matter. No man living from 
his own observation, would dare to make oath that a shooter missed 
a bird purposely unless the shooter did it purposely to parade the 
fact, and surely tae matter of any man's reputation is of much more 
value than the bare word of any other man or that of any dozen other 
men. 
Here we shooters have been burdened for years with a rotten sys- 
tem, one which was never meant for the purpose as It is now applied 
and our honesty is to be measured by the crazy old patchwork system' 
which does not fit our needs and is not honest in itself, since the best 
!*'?J!t^?°^'*°.°^,-'^^'J^"® winnings, although the shooter Is 
told that he must shoot at hia best to please liis friends, who mav 
shoot or wlio may not. Nothjs. 
