Jan. 22, I898. J 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
77 
March 29-April 1. — Reading, Pa. — Annual tom-nament of the 
Pennsylvania State Sportsmen's Association, under the auspices of 
the Independent Gun Club, of Reading. A. Knauer, Sec'y. 
April 5-S.— Baltimore, Md. — Annual spring tournament of the Bal- 
timore Shooting Association. Geo. L. Harrison, Sec'y Trcas. 
April 13-15. — Atchison, Kan. — Manufacturers' fourth annual tour- 
nament. Added money later. Jack Parker, Manager; LoU Er- 
hardt, Sec'y. 
April 27-28.— Peru, Ind.— Tournament of the Peru Gm Clvb. J. 
L. Head, Sec'v. 
May 17-20. — • .— Tournamerttf of th€ New Jersey State 
bnortsmen's Association. T. H. Keller, Sec'y. 
May lS-19. — Crawfordsville, Ind. — Tournament of (lie. Ofiwfords- 
ville Gun Club. C. E. Lacy, oec'y. 
May 30. — Cariajobarie, N. Y. — Decoration Day shoot of the Cana- 
joharie Gun Club. Targets. Charles Weeks, Sec'y. 
June 14-15. — Indianapolis, Ind. — ^Annual tournament of the In- 
diana ~Trap-Shooters' League of Indiana, on the grounds of the 
Limited Gun Club. 
June 15-17. — Cleveland; • O. — Fifth annual tournament of the 
Cleveland Target Co. Bluerocks thrown free of charge. Profes- 
sionals and manufacturers' agents barred from programme events. 
June 20-24.— Rochester, N. Y. — Annual tournament of the New 
York State Association, under the auspices of the Rochester Rod 
and Gun Club. Live birds and targets. 
Jan. 26-27.- Elizabeth, N. J.— Tournament of the Elizabeth Gun 
Club. First day, targets; second day, live birds. 
DRIVERS AND TWISTERS. 
Cl7-ii secretaries are inu 'ted to send their scores /tir publication in 
these columns^ al!i> any news notes they 7nay care to have prvnted. Ties 
ill all events are considered as di7nded unless otheriuise reported Mail 
all s-;ch matter to Forest an-d. Strea^n Publish 7ig Cojupaay , '^^(t Broad- 
way^ Npiv York. 
Diage ot tne oest trap snois in .^vmerica, was manuiacii 
them, has been shot for by them, etc, * * We rep 
if you are really "an old shooter,'' will you please look o\ 
back numbers of Forest and Stre.am (all "old shooters," 
Inimediafely after the coricfusion of tlie Elliott-Gflbert match on 
.Saturday last, Brewer approached Gilbert -with the idea of arrang- 
ing a match with him. Gilbert very quietly and verj' nicely told 
him that if he wanted to shoot a match with him (Gilbert), all that 
he had to do was to post a forfeit and challenge for one of the 
trophies now held by him. Brewer at once said that he didn't 
want to shoot for any cup, but that he wanted to shoot for a good, 
big sum in cash. Gilbert'.s reply was that he was not shooting any 
matches for money; that he never bet a cent on any of hi3, 
matches, and that Brewer knew it. This fact is, indeed, vci'y 
well knowm. Then Lou Erhardt stepped in and made the follow- 
ing proposition: He promised to post $250 as a forfeit to bind a 
side bet of Sl.OOO a side that Brewer could not defeat Gilbert in a 
100-bird match — that is to say, if Brewer will challenge for either 
the Du Pont or the Star trophy. Brewer's hackers would be accom- 
modated to the extent of a side bet of $1,000 that their man 
(Brewer) could not win the trophy. As a sure way to stop all talk, 
the best plan would be for Mr. Erhardt, or some other backer 
of Gilbert, to post a forfeit of ,$250 to bind such a side bet, making 
the bet conditional that Brewer challenged Gilbert for one of the 
trophies. It would not be necessary to leave the forfeit up longer 
than a couple of weeks, as' in that time it could easily be ascer- 
tained whether Brewer's backers wanted the match or not. As a 
matter of course, the match would be shot in Chicago. Our idea 
in suggesting tlic above method is to do away with all possible 
talk on the part of Brewer anQ his backers in the following line: 
"If we ch.allenge Gilbert for the cup, we put up $100 against the 
cup, and will have to go to Chicago for the match. We also run 
the chance of not getting a single side bet to help pay expenses if 
we win." If, on the other hand, Mr. Erhardt or somebody else 
posts the forfeit, conditionally as above, all cliance of such talk 
is done away with. We might also remark thai Chicago is not so 
much nearer to Spirit I..ake, la., than it is to New York; and 
that on John Watson's grounds every man gets a fair shake and 
good birds to shoot at. Put up or do the other thing. (This ap- 
plies to everybody, and the shoes fit a whole lot of people). 
To "An Old Shooter. "-^"This slurring remark can be the result 
only of ignorance regarding the history of this championship em- 
blem, or, perhaps, of indifference to the facis. The Cast-Iron 
medal is the only trap-shooters' emblem of the American live-bird 
championship before the public. It was projected by an assem- 
blage of the best trap shots in America, was manufactured for 
We reply that, 
over your 
as well 
as 3'oung ones, read Forest and Stream), and turn to the issue of 
Oct. 2, 1897, not quite four months ago. In that issue you will find 
an article headed' "Authoi-ized by Grimm;" and in that 
article you will find what we take to be the full, irue and particular 
account of the birth of the Cast- Iron vnedal, and its subsequent 
history up to that time, in another issire, some six weeks later, 
viz., Nov. L3, you will find a letter signed B. Waters, entitled "On 
Championships, Plistorical or Otherwise." You will there find 
another short resume of the career of the Stove-Lid, as Mr. Hough 
has styled it. If either we or our friend Mr. Waters are wrong- 
in an^'r particular regarding the history of this trophy, it would 
be kindness, indeed, to make us acquainted with our error. Await- 
ing your early reply, we remain, etc. * * [N. B.— We can sup- 
ply the above numbers at the usual rate!] 
The Boston, Mass., Gun Club, with grounds at Wellington, near 
the grounds of the Boston Shooting Association, started last week 
a new series of prize shoots, the series lasting until April 20, shoots 
taking place every Wednesday, except Feb. 23, until the above 
date. The conditions governing the "individual shoot" are: Best 
six scores otit of the fourteen shoots to count for prizes; each 
shoot to be at 21 targets, viz., 10 known, 5 unknown and 3 pairs. 
For the team match ''the conditions read: "Each team to consist 
of two shooters, and each contest of 10 known and 10 unknown; 
40 targets to constitute a team score. Any number of teams can 
enter. In case of absence or sickness, one man can be substituted 
who is not a member of any other team, bur not more than two 
changes of original team can be used during the entire fourteen 
shoots, the five best scores to be taken for the prize score. Teams 
selected before the first shoot. Proxy shooters not allowed when 
original members of team are present. Team match shot at the 
handicap distances. In case of ties, preference will be given to 
Ijersons attending the greatest number of shoots. Final ties decided 
by shooting one complete score. 
C. S. Guthrie, a member of the Herron Hill Gun Club, of Pitts- 
burg, Pa., and also of the Carteret Club, shor a match on Tuesday 
la.st, Jan. 11, with Capt. A. W. Money, of the American E. C. & 
Schultze Powder Co. The conditions were both men at 30yds., 100 
birds per man, Carteret boundary. This boundary is 80yds. and is 
a wire fence about ISin. high, but the back boundary is an open 
one and is only about 28yds. from the traps. This makes quite a 
small space in which to kill fast birds. The scores were 88 to SG 
in favor of (Juthrie, Capt. Money having to snoot an uphill race 
from the very start, as he lost his fourth, fifth and seventh birds 
in quick succession. They were tied two or three times after that, 
and were still tied at the end of the seventy-eighth round. Then 
Capt. Money again lost three birds very quickly, his seventy-ninth, 
eighty-lirst and eighty-fourth getting away from him. Neither 
man shot in his best fAm, but still the birds were very good, al- 
though there was no wind to help them. 
Most flattering reports come from Hot Springs, Ark., where 
John J. Sumpter, Jr., is going to hold his big five days' shoot, 
Feb. 15-19. The first four days are to be devoted to targets, the 
last day to pigeons. The promoter of this tournament, the Arkansaw 
Traveler — in fact, Sumpter himself — will add .fl.lOO in cash to the 
purses. The $1,100 will be spread around through the programme 
in such a manner that it will draw a whole host of shooters to this 
poptilar resort. To insure the satisfactory running of this tourna- 
ment, Mr. Sumpter has secured the services of Jack Parker, the 
popular tournament manager, and the representative of the Peters 
Cartridffe Co. and King's Smokeless Powder Co. With the "Two 
Johns," Parker and Sumpter, in double harness, there ought to be 
nothing lacking to make the tournament run smoothly frosn start 
to iinish. 
The match between Elliott and Gilbert for the Du Pont trophy 
came off on schedule time, 12:30 P. M., Jan. 15, at Dexter Park, 
L. I. The match was rather a disappointment, Elliott falling off 
in his shooting very much in the last 34 birds of the match. At 
the end of the sixty-sixth round the two men were tied with 63 
killed out of the 66. Tt had been a neck-and-neck race all the wav. 
and it looked likely to finish in a close and exciting manner. Then 
came a break, and Elliott lost 6 out of his last 34 birds, being ulfi- 
matelv defeated with ease by the score of 96 to 91. Gilbert shot a 
magnificent race throughout, and finished strongly, often calling 
forth loud applause by the skillful way in which he handled his 
hard birds. He bore his newly won honors with a grace that wa'; 
really refreshing, and he was just the same Fred after the race 
that he was before he fired a shot on the Dexter Park grounds. 
The result of the deliberations of the Interstate Association re- 
garding plans for its target tournaments in 1898, are given else- 
where and will be found full of meat. The barring of paid men 
and manufacturers' agents from the tournaments of the association 
will be received with mixed feelings; but we are satisfied that 
the association is working for the best, and that its action will 
meet with very general appi-oval. Its recommendations to clubs 
giving tournameiits under its auspices, to vary the monotony of 
events at unknown angles or at known traps and angles, by in- 
troducing a few expert rules events, or some events under the 
Novelty system, will also, we hope, bear good fruit. We earnestly 
commend these suggestions of the Interstate Association lo the 
consideration of such clubs as may be chosen by the association 
for it.s circuit in 1808. 
Irby Bennett, of the W. R. A. Co., made his appearance in this 
city on Monday morning, Jan. 17, after a long holiday spent in 
his old stamping ground, I\iempbis, Tenn. He came to attend a 
meeting of the tournament committee of the Interstate Associa- 
tion, and also the general meeting of that association called for 
the above date. Had it* not been for these two important meet- 
ing.?, Irby might have been down South yet; and we wouldn't 
have blamed him a bit, for Memphis isn't half a bad place at any 
time of the year; just now it's all right. They've no snow there, 
and they don't have to shovel half a ton of coal a day into the 
furnace to keep the water pipes from fi-eezing ; neither do they 
have to push the snow off the sidewalks. All of which, etc. 
A recent issue of the Albany Evening Journal has the following 
item in regard to the incorporation of a club that purposes to es- 
tablish a game preserve in Georgia: "The Sa])elo. of New York 
city, filed a certificate of incorporation with the Secretary of State 
to-da.y. The club proposes to establi.sh game preserves in the 
county of Mcintosh, Georgia. One of the directors is Coiagress- 
inan James J. Belden, of Synicuse. The other directors are: 
Howard S. Robbins, Frederick E. Haight. George Clinton Batch- 
cHer and George C. Mil'er, of New York city; Morris P. Ferris, 
of Yonkcrs; James .'\. Walker, of Darien, Ga. ; J. Harper Poor, 
of Chicago, 1!!.; William .Armstrong Ilalsey, of Newark, N. J.; 
John B. Lord and William II. Michols, of Brooklyn." 
The Bergen County Gun Club, of Ilackerisack, N. J., announces 
that it will hold a shoot on Saturday, Feb. 12, for a silver cup do- 
nated by the president of the club, Mr. George P. Griffiths. The 
conditions of the cup race will be as follows: Open to all, no' 
. handicap, 50 targets, unknown angles; entrance $1.50— that is, .$1 
for the targets, and 50 cents to go to form a fund for the second,, 
third and fourth high guns, the high man of all taking the cup., 
The purse thus formed will be divided 50, 30 and 20 per cent. In 
connection with the cup shoot there will be a programme of other 
merchandise and sweepstake events provided. In fact, there will 
be a good all-day shoot at Hackensack on Feb. 12, and it will be 
managed by E. G. Horton. 
Capt. B. A. Bartlelt did not make a long stay in this city, re- 
turning to his home in Jamestown, N. Y., immediately after the 
Elliott-Gilbert match. By the way, Capt. Bartiett is quite a second- 
sight man, fortune-teller and what not; or else he's a good 
guesser. He can predict the result of a prize-fight accurately, and 
has given the results of all the big matches at live birds shot 
recently, actually naming the correct scores in the second Heikes- 
Grimm match. Rolla has now written to Bartiett asking for a. 
hint as to the outeome of the Budd-Heikes match for the "stove- 
lid." ■ ■ 
Dr. H. E. Colvin, a prominent member of the Lake Side Rod 
and Gun Lmb, ol Burlington, \'t., was a spectator at the match 
tof the Du I'ont trophy on .Saturday last. He had come all the 
way ,irom Biu-Jinglon, so lie said, to see "some one who can shoot 
better than I can. I've got to leave home if I want to see such 
a person!" .\nd he laughed as he said u. How badly Dr. Colvin 
wanted to see this ihatcu may be guessed from the fact that, with- 
out an umbrella to shield hiin, he trusted his silk hat to the Long 
Island rain, rather than miss the shoot. 
The Trap-Shooters' League of Indiana is making preparations 
for its campaign m 189&. Ihe annual tournament ot the league 
will De held on the grounds ot tlie Limited Gun Club, at Indian- 
apolis, June 14-15, 'IJie league has also granted permission to the 
Peru, Ind., Gun Club to hold a tournament April 27-28, and to the 
Crawfordsville, Ind., Gun Club to hold a tournament on May 18-19. 
C>n looking over the above dates, it will be lound that the dates 
for the annual league shoot, June 14-15, clash somewhat with those 
arranged for the Cleveland larget Co.'s shoot, June 15-17. 
Several friends of E. A. Jackson, of Hackensack, N. J., who 
was tor some time last year secretary of the Bergen County Gun 
Club, of that place, tendered him a farewell dinner on Saturday 
night last, Jan. 15. The attendance at the dinner was a prool ol 
the popularity of Mr. Jackson, some seveniy-Hve persons taking 
part in it. The occasion of the dinner was Mr. Jackson's departure 
in the near future for the Klondike gold fields, and many iiearty 
good wishes were ottered him tor Ins luture success in the pufstiit 
of virgin gold in its native haunts. 
Secretary P. H. Wiliey, of the newly organized Danville, N. Y., 
Gun Club, wites us, urider date Jan. 13, as loliows: "The Dan- 
ville Gun Club was organized last evening in the o.ffice of Mr. P. 
Hoilman, by a tew congenial spirits who wish to perfect them- 
selves in the art of wing-shooting. The officers elected were: 
President, J. Bryant; Vice-President, H. Miller; Secretary-Treas- 
urer, .F. 11. Wiley; Capt., E. Frazier. It was decided to hoid 
weekly practice shoots, the first to be held on Jan. 14.' 
Col. A. G. Courtney, of the Remington i-\rms Co., is to be 
found just now somewhere in the vicinity of that coiupany s exhibit 
in Madison ISquare Liardcn, Courtney has not found The winter 
so far at all uiicomlortabie ; In fact, he says that he's kept so busy 
taking orders for his company's guns that he's not had time to leel 
the cold at all up to date. He also stated that the warmth of his 
greeting in Providence, K. . ., about ten days ago. was enough to 
take tne chill of! a Dakota blizzard. 
Airy Lou Hardt, or Lou Erhardt, who hails from Atchison, Kaii., 
was in Philadelphia on business the latter part of last week. He 
ran over irom that city on Saturday last to witness the race for 
the Du Pont trophy at Dexter Park. The opinion the boys have 
of Airy Lou is best shown by the tact that he had to go outside 
the club house and stand in the rain and pull the traps for just 
two hours and thirteen minutes! He says that his tournament, 
April 1.3-15, will be as good as, if not better than, ever. 
The Rockaway Point Rod and Gun Club, otherwise known as 
"The Cuckoos," held its annual meeting Jan. 12, and elected the 
following list of officers for 1898: President, L. H. Schortemeier; 
'Vice-President, Gay Sterr; Secretary, John PL \Y. Fleming; Treas- 
urer, .Edward F. Bourke; House Committee, William vVagner, 
Frank Coleman and J. H. W. Fleming. The members will cele- 
lirate their tenth anniversary on Feb. 19 next at the club house^ 
Rockaway Pai-k, L. I. 
It will not do to forget that the benefit shoot tendered to Neaf 
Apgar by his Newburgh friends is booming along, nor will it do 
to forget that it will be held at Orange Lake, Newburgh, N. Y,, 
Jan. 26-27. Ship your shells for both targets and live birds to Neaf 
Apgar, Newburgh, N. Y., and you will find them at Pine Point 
when you want them, if you ship them soon enough. The ]i,st of 
merchandise prizes for the target shoot on Jan. 26 is growing rap- 
idly, and it begins to look as if there would be plunder for all. 
Chief among the events scheduled for John S. Dright's live-bird 
shoot at Dexter Park, Thursday, Feb. 3, are a 10-bird and a 15-bird 
handicap. The first is an allowance handicap, the latter an ordi- 
nary allowance handicap. We have not the time nor the space 
now to give the programme a full review; but we may add that, 
as the shoot is an invitation one, all those who are invited will 
receive a programme in good time, and will be able to see what 
Mr. Wright has provided for them. 
John L. Winston advises us that he has severed his connection 
with the Austin Powder Co., of Cleveland, O. It will seem rather 
strange, at coming tournaments, not to find one's self tripping over 
shells arranged in cabalistic forms and shapes that forcibly draw 
attention to the excellence of "Load 147!" In his brief note Mr. 
Winston does not say what his future course in life is to be, biit 
it is hardly likely that he will quit shooting until his breath leaves 
his body. 
An officer of the Humane Society was present at the match be- 
tween Gilbert and Elliott on Saturday. Prior to the match he 
spoke to Elliott in regard to a possible arrest in case he was not 
a member of an organized gun club. On Elliott's assuring that 
he was such a member, the match proceeded, and we understand 
from Mr. Lippack, proprietor of the grounds at ElkM'ood Park 
that the society's agent expressed himself as fully satisfied with 
the wav in which the match was conducted. 
The coming tournament of the Baltimore Shooting Association, 
April 5-S, will be given as usual on the grounds of the association., 
on the Pimlico road. The tournament will be under the sole man- 
agement of James B. Malone, the club's manager. Two sets of 
traps will be used, as in the past, hlucrock targets being thrown 
in all the target events. The programmes are being prepared, and 
it will not be long before they will be in the hands of the shooters, 
The Cleveland Gun Club held a. shoot on New Year's Daj^, with 
turkeys and ducks as the prizes. A local daily, in speaking of 
the affair, says: "Moat of the members straggled home at night 
with a big load of winnings. This was notably the case with Mr. 
Upson, who wended his way homeward witti two tqrkeya and si.< 
ducks." 
Mr. Ed O. Bower, secretary of the Sistersville, W. Va., Rod and 
Gun Club, writes as follows: "Because of the very disagreeable 
Aveather here on New Year'.s Day, which interfered very materially 
■with the success of our tournament, we have decided to hold an- 
other all-day sweepstake shoot on Feb. 22, and programmes for our 
AVashington's Birthday shoot will be out in a short time." 
Mr. H. P. Collins, the representative of the Du Pont Powder 
Co. in Baltimore, Md., was the referee appointed by the comoany 
for the Elliott-Gilbert match on Saturday last. Mr. Collins stood 
out in the rain, twirled the indicator, watched the result of each 
shot, and gave liis decisions promptly and in a cTear voice. As a 
referee he was a decided success. 
Ben O. Bush, of Kalamazoo, Mich., was another who had come 
a long way from home to take in the Sportsmen's Association's 
Exposition and the Elliott-Gilbert match. Mr. Bush says that 
they've had a good season's trap-shooting out in Michigan, more 
targets having been thrown and more powder burned at the traps 
in 1S97 than in any prevdous year. 
Elmer Shaner has come to town, and will go back happy in 
the knowledge that he now knows what he has got to do in the 
tournament line this year. Although he is, as he says, "over a 
month behind time now," he'll soon pick that up again, and 
never know that it took any extra hustling to get ready for the 
target season of 1898. 
Elliott protested against shooting the match with Gilbert on 
Saturday last, Jan. 15, on the plea of "bad weather." We did not 
think at first that he had made the protest seriously, but we now 
learn that he did lodge one with Mr. Collins, the referee, and we 
suppose the Du Pont Powder Co. will have to act upon it. 
Paul North, of course, is here, and is talking magautrap and 
bluerocks to beat the band. He is chipper, however, over the 
action of the Interstate .Association in Ijarring paid men and 
manufacturers' agents from taking part in the sweepstakes at any 
tournaments held imder its auspices. 
Eddie Bingham and Fred Gilbert left for Chicago on Monday 
afternoon, but promised to be back again in two months to take 
part in the Great American Handicap. "And there'll be others 
with us, too," said Eddie. That's good news, and we feel that it 
is fitting to add; "The more, the merrier." 
The Canajoharie Gun Club, of Canajobarie, N. will hold a 
tournament at targets on May 30, Decoration Day. This Decoration 
Day shoot has become an annua! affair at Canajoharie, and Secre- 
tary Charles Weeks writes us that the club will do in 189S what it 
did in 1897. 
The Elizabeth, N. J., Gun Club will hold a two davs' tourna- 
ment at target and live birds, Jan. 26-27. The first day there will 
be target sweeps under the management of the club. On the 
second day there will be live-bird shooting, this part of the tourna- 
ment being under the management of Eddie Earl. 
The forfeits put up by B. A. Bartiett and W. H, VVolstencroft 
for the match set to come off on Saturday last, Jan. 15. at Ilolraea- 
burg, Pa., were drawn down by mutual consent, and the match 
postponed to some future time. 
The Bison Gun Club, of Buffalo, N. Y., will hold an invitation 
all-day shoot at targets on Washington's Birthday, Feb. 22. .Sec- 
retary Mack, of that cluh, is now busied with the programme for 
that shoot. 
A. II. King, Bessemer and Wood, all members of the Merl-ori 
Hill ( lun Club, of Pittsburg, Pa., tied on 22 each out of 25 live 
birds, in the second shoot for the club trophy on Jan. 12. On the 
shoot-off A. H. King won with five straight. 
The New York Commercial Advertiser was away ahead uf all 
the other New York dailies in the way in which it handled the 
Sportsmen's Exposition in its daily reports. 
John J. Hallowcll will be one of the Northern contingent who 
will journey to Hot Springs, Ark., to taKe part in John f. Sump- 
ler's target and live-bird shoot, Feb. 15-19. 
Thanks to our Western cotemporary, we now RnOw what "usual 
form" is not. Being naturally a little modest, we had not lookeJ 
upon it in that light before. 
Jan. 18. EnwAKi) Banks, 
W. F. Parker, of Parker Bros., and L. J. Gaines, of the same 
company, were in town on Monday for the double purpose of 
attending the meeting of the Interstate Association and viewing 
the bportsmen's Exposition. As it is not the football season 
just now, Mr. Parker's wealth of hair drew down many favorable 
comments. Mr. Gaines, we are told, has not been in New York 
for so many years that he had to stick close to the other repre- 
sentative of Parker Bros, to prevent getting lost. 
«r^ \f- ^^■j"^''" ■^''i'' .9"^ an all-day shoot on 
Washington s Birthday, Feb. 22, 
The Interstate Association, 
Plans for 1898. 
The Interstate Association held a meeting of considerable im- 
portance on Monday last, Jan. 17, in Madison Square Garden, tiie 
meeting being called tor that place owing to the Sportsmen's As- 
sociation bringing all the members of the association together, thus 
two birds were killed with one stone. 
There was a full attendance of members when President Dressel 
called the meeting to order. .Among the subscribers represented 
were: U. M. C. Co., J. A. H. Dressel; VV. R. A. Co., irby Ben- 
nett; Hazard Powder Co., John L. Lequin, secretary ot the 
association; Du Pont Powder Co., E. S. Lentilhon; American 
E. C. & Schultze Powder Co., Capt. A. \V. Money; Laflm & 
Rand Powder Co., A. W. Higgins; Latham & Bros., Charles 
Tatham; Cleveland Target Co., Paul North; Parker Brcs., W. 
F. Parker. Elmer E. Shaner, manager ol the association, was 
also present, as also were Ed Taylor, of Lafiin & Rand; L, j. 
Gaines, of Pa^rker Bros., and JPhn J. Hallowell, of the t. M. C 
Co. 
The meeting was called for the purpose of receiving the report 
of the tournament committee, embodying the views of that com- 
mittee as to what the association should do in regard to target 
tournaments during the coming season. There was consideraole 
discussion over the report handed in, but the association finally 
decided, as recommended, to hold eight or ten target tournaments 
during the season of 1898, much upon the same lines adopted by 
it in 1897. There was, however, one important change, a change 
that we most heartily favor, and which we think will do much tp 
make the tournaments of the association a thorough success, and 
accomplish the aim of the association, viz., the popularizing of the 
sport of trap-shooting. 
Tournaments for Amateurs Only. 
This change is the barring of paid men. manufacturers' agents, 
or anybody connected with a firm that manufactures powder, guns, 
shells, ammunition, targets or traps, from taking part in the 
sweepstakes. All such shooters as are comprised in the foregoing 
list will be welcome at all times to take part in the tournament, 
entering any or all events "tor birds only." By this means any 
amateur can come to^ a shoot, put up his money and shoot against 
his own kind, but will also have the privilege ol shooting at pre- 
cisely the same kind of targets that his brother expert shoots at, 
and can thus measure his skill with that of tlie more expert. 
It was also decided to leave the matter of division ot purses to 
the choice of the club holding the tournament, and to urge clubs 
to embrace in their programmes some variations from unknown 
angles and known traps and angles, by introducing a sweep or 
two at expert rules or under the Novelty rule. The latter rule is 
that where there are five traps as usual, but an additional three 
traps are also put out in the field, 35yds. beyond the other five 
traps throwing incomers, everybody will shoot at eight unknown 
traps, but novices will be^ placed at 14yds., semi-experts at 16yds., 
and experts at 18yds. This style of shooting is always very popu- 
lar with both spectators and shooters, and it bids fair to be one 
of the features in the coming tournaments of the Interstate Asso- 
ciation during the season of 1898. Expert rules are also interest- 
ing to watch, and we certainly hope that some ot the clubs which 
propose holding tournaments during 1898 will adopt the sugges- 
tions of the Interstate 'Association in respect to varying the styles 
of shooting. 
A Cordial Invitation to Western Shooters. 
At this meeting it was also agreed to issue a cordial written 
invitation to all the Western shooters vvho took part in last year's 
Grand American Handicap, inviting them to come to ttie Grand 
American Handicap of 1898 at Elk wood Park, March 22-24, and to 
bring a friend along with them, promising them at the same time 
a hearty welcome and a good shoot. It was the sense of the 
meeting that much of the success of the Grand American Handi- 
cap of 1897 was due to the thirty-three shooters who came from 
beyond the western bank of the Ohio River, and it was felt that 
their services in this respect should be recognized. 
It should be stated that the restrictions placed upon paid men 
and manufacturers' agents, etc., do not extend to the Grand 
.\merican Handicap, being intended only for the association's- tar- 
get tournaments. 
