March 3&t SfOt/J 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
2 B 9 
Cruelty to Animals. 
The following, taken from the London Field, discussea a uni- 
versal principle of shooting pigeons at the traps which has been 
made much of by the opponents of the sport in this country, It 
is so admirable in its clean cut presentation of the subject, and 
so apropos of the situation at present in America, that we present 
it herewith in full: 
The Bishop of Hereford's new prevention of cruelty to wild ani- 
mals bill is, for all practical purposes^ Mr. A. C Morton's Sports 
Regulation bill of 1S94 over again. Ihe Bishop's measure is pre- 
faced by a memorandum which frankly states that its aim is "the 
abolition of certain spurious kinds of sport," by which, it is 
hardly necessary to say, the chase of the carted deer, pigeon shoot- 
ing and rabbit coursing are meant. This memorandum further 
states that the bill "is, in fact, nothing more than a much-needed 
extension of the Wild Animals in Captivity act of 1900, which 
passed through both Houses of Parliament unopposed." This is 
scarcely a fair statement. The eminently laudable object of the 
act of 1900 was to provide protection for caged and performing 
animals, which are liable to provocation, and on occasion to such 
ill-treatment as trainers may venture to inflict; but Clause 4 de- 
clares that the act shall not apply "to the hunting or coursing of 
any animal which has not been liberated in a mutilated or injured 
state in order to facilitate its capture or destruction." This reser- 
vation can apply only to rabbit "coursing" as sometimes practiced, 
more especially among the miners of the northern counties, where 
a rabbit with one or more broken limbs has been held as good for 
coursing (save the mark) as a sound rabbit. Inclusion of this 
clause in the interest of the unfortunate rabbit displays the de- 
liberate intention of Parliament to draw a most proper line be- 
tween rabbit coursing attended by cruelty on the one hand and 
the same pastime fairly conducted, and stag hunting and pigeon 
shooting on the other. The Bishop of Hereford goes further than 
did the chosen instrument of the Humanitarian League in 1894. 
The former proposes three months' imprisonment with or without 
hard labor in default of payment of fine, whereas Mr. Morton was 
content with the pecuniary penalty; also, the Bishop's measure 
applies to any animal which has been at liberty less than two 
months, while release on the day before pursuit placed the animal 
and its pursuer beyond the reach of Mr, Morton's act. 
If the bill introduced by the Bishop of Hereford were to pass 
into law, it cannot be said that it would seriously circumscribe 
the arena of high-class sport, or materially affect the pastimes of 
the majority of our readers. The objections to its principles which 
were raised by the members of the Upper House during debate lie 
deeper than any apprehension that the effect of it could materially 
cripple field sports. The bill was unsatisfactory and self-condemned 
because, firstly, it was based upon a series of statistics of which 
many were fictitious and more were exaggerated; and, secondly, 
it postulated that cruelty per se was the motive power which stimu- 
lated all who take part in those subsections of sport which the bill 
sought to extinguish by its procedure. To realize better the policy 
of this bill, we may refer to the existing state of the law. By 
statute it is already criminal to inflict wanton and unnecessary pain 
upon any domestic animal, and further it has been ruled that an 
animal which by nature is wild, and is reduced to subjection by 
confinement, may be the subject of a prosecution if wantonly 
tortured. This being the present state of the law, the Bishop 
sought to amplify it by enacting penalties against any one who 
shall hunt, shoot or course any animal kept in confinement and 
released for the purposes of such sport. He admitted that his main 
object was to suppress stag hunting, pigeon shooting and rabbit 
coursing; he admitted that one effect of his text would be to make 
criminal the shooting of imported pheasants turned down for the 
week; and with this view he imposed a limit of two months' 
freedom for such turned-down birds before they should be free for 
the gun. As to this latter proviso, the Bishop, in his general want 
of knowledge of sporting matters, does not appear to have realized 
the practical difficulty, which would arise in any prosecution under 
this head, of proving that a given bird shot was one of a turned- 
down batch or one reared the previous May in the covert. It would 
seem also, from the text of the bill, that it would be criminal to 
release a trapped rat or mouse to the tender mercies of a cat or dog. 
Although we have no taste for rabbit coursing, one of the pas- 
times which this bill aims at suppressing, we fail to see that the 
pursuit in itself entails any greater cruelty to the rabbit than would 
have ensued if the creature had been shot or netted and knocked 
oc the head the moment it bolted from its burrow. If the first- 
named predicament is not branded as "brutal" by the Bishop, then 
to give the captive a subsequent run for its life is not more so. The 
Bishop overlooks, or fails to realize, what is the primary constit- 
uent element in all forms of hunting. It is not the compassing of 
the death of the hunted victim, but the competition involved in the 
chase, coupled with the obstacles to success propounded by the 
laws of the game, and the triumph of overcoming them. It is on 
this principle that law is given to a chased rabbit, or to a hare 
roused from her form; that a fox is not headed and mobbed; that 
a pigeon is not trapped at 10yds. from the gun, and in one trap 
only on which the eye can be fixed before the bird is liberated. The 
same people who are alleged to be brutalized by the spectacle of a 
course, or of a pigeon shooting match, would not care to cross the 
road to see the same rabbit knocked on the head at the hutch door, 
or the pigeon's neck wrung outside the loft. It is not the death or 
struggles of the animal which command their interest, but the 
difficulty of capture under the conditions prescribed; the death 
when it occurs is but incidental, and not the ultimate goal of in- 
terest. As a rule, the true sportsman is a humane being; he enjoys 
his sport, and does not hamper his ethics by moralizing over the 
humanitarian question of alleged mental agony on the part of the 
creature which he hunts or shoots; but when once he has reduced 
his quarry to possession, no one is more careful to ensure ex- 
tinction of life, if any remain, with promptitude and an effort to 
reduce the suffering to a minimum. He will rate an under keeper 
who allows a retrieved bird to flutter needlessly, instead of rapping 
it on the head; he will kill his fish so soon as it is taken out of 
the landing net, and not leave it to expire of asphyxia. 
There is another aspect which the Bishop overlooks, which is 
that each and all of these captured animals, whose release for chase 
he would veto, would die the death anyhow, and all the sooner, and 
with greater certainty and no less discomfort, if they were utilized 
for food at the first capture, and not allowed the respite and nevr 
chance— however remote— for life in the artificial chase for which 
they are otherwise destined. If it be cruel to take their lives later, 
comparatively, for sport, it is equally cruel to put them to death at 
the earlier stage for mere utility bereft of sport. We can under- 
stand the tenet of the Brahmin, that all such slaughter for food is 
contrary to moral law. ' That is a consistent creed, at the least, 
even if we dissent from it; but the difference which the Bishop 
strikes between the morality of life taken early, solely for appe- 
tite, and that of life imperilled after respite, for sport, is one in 
which we fail to discern consistency. In order to justify his dis- 
tinction of circumstances, he affirms that the sport is brutalizing 
to the ethics of the spectators, and seems to base this assumption 
upon an imaginary postulate that the mere spectacle of the ex- 
pected death of the victim is what attracts. The unsoundness of 
this postulate (without which his syllogism seems to break down) 
is demonstrated by the fact that the same persons who would be 
interested in viewing the chase, with its competitive rules and 
excitement, would not waste a second of time or walk 20yds. to 
witness a hecatomb of the same victims butchered merely for food. 
If the mental feelings of a beast of chase or warren are to be 
weighed in estimating the ethics of sport, then let us imagine a 
royal commission and the brute creation in the witness box. Ask 
the pigeon his choice, whether to have his neck wrung for a pie 
soon after he is fledged or to be respected and well fed till he is 
fit to fly for his life? Ask the like of the carted stag? Inquire of 
the fox whether he would prefer to be exterminated as vermin, 
like weasel or stoat, or to be officially protected, and in return 
sooner or later take his chance before the hounds? If human 
sentiments can offer any analogy (and we must bear in mind that 
the arguments in this line of humanitarians are repeatedly based 
on that analogyl, then classic history is all in favor of the sporting 
ethics of our- own day, as witness the gladiators of old. Mostly 
prisoners of war or slaves, they accepted the profession of arms 
and professional duelling to the death in preference to the role of 
slavery or captivity or maybe death by the sword in the hour of a 
victor's triumph. But we fear that the mainspring of the tone of 
legislation which the Bishop of Hereford fosters is more or less 
akin to the proverbial sentiment of the Puritans as to bear baiting. 
They condemned it not because it annoyed the bear but because it 
amused the spectators. By his own admission the Bishop feels 
that his main objection to hunting trapped animals (while wink- 
ot necessity tujisaai h— — .. .-57, 
oain to the hunted animal, ignoring all sentiment of sport in the 
spectators. This fallacy arises because the Bishop himself has no 
aoal for apart, and aeema unable to conceive that attraction to the 
British mind which is aroused by the, surmounting of difficulties 
purposely created, and especially when coupled with competition 
in that surmounting. It is that which gives a charm to the chase, 
whether natural or artificial. 
WESTERN STRAPS. 
The Biggest Handicap. 
Chicago, 111., March 15.— It was more than half imagined by 
many Western shooters that when the Grand American Handicap 
came West it would not come as a failure, and would not assume 
proportions less than those known heretofore. No one, however, 
suspected a month ago what proportions this affair might assume. 
It is to-day safe to call it the biggest thing of the kind that ever 
happened, for probably more than 500 shooters will be there. On 
Thursday of this week Mr. E. S. Rice had enrolled 125 shooters 
for his party alone. If other parts of the country come to the 
front with anything like these numbers, the Kansas City boys 
will have all they can do to keep from being swamped, and the 
hotels will be fuller than they have been since the last political 
convention. There is no indication that Kansas City, however, is 
scared at the prospect. There will be five sets of traps promptly 
served, which will take care of a lot of shooting, and as to the 
ability of any Western city to rise to any big occasion, there can 
be no doubt whatever. Come to the handicap, and bring your town 
along with you, Kansas City will provide a way of taking cave 
of you, and doing it handsomely. 
E, Hough. 
Hartford Building, Chicago, 111. 
Garfield Gun Club. 
Chicago, March 15. — The appended SGores were made on our 
grounds to-day on the occasion of the fifth trophy shoot of the 
second series. Dr. Meek carried off the honors of the day by 
capturing Class A trophy on a score of 11 out of 12. A. McGowan 
won Class C on 7 out of 12. No Class B shooters were present. 
The birds were a fairly good lot; a little slow about taking wing, 
but fast when they got up into the strong wind which blew directly 
across the traps, making almost all of the birds left-quartering 
tailers. 
The day was a very dark and gloomy one, threatening rain, 
which came down in torrents before the trophy event was finished, 
the last three rounds being shot in a heavy rainstorm. Many of 
our shooters are away after the poor spring ducks, and might be 
engaged in belter business, even shooting craps would be some- 
what better. 
Dr Meek 21*112112222—11 2*0022—3 
A McGowan ' 010212110020— 7 100201—3 
T W Eaton 120*20010122— 7 1*2110—4 
H B Weller 100*21121001— 7 112222—6 
A D Dorman 01*010*00220— 4 122211—6 
J McDonald 022110*2*022— 7 001220—3 
Dr Mathews *2*2120a0221— 8 211111—6 
S E Young .*201H1*2122— 9 212212—6 
Dr Huff 2*2002120122— 8 
Dk. J. W. Meek, Sec'y. 
Audubon Gun Club. 
Chicago, 111., March 15. — At Watson's Park to-day the Audu- 
bon Gun Club held a shoot, the scores of which are appended: 
Amberg, 0 001102210110222 —10 
Felton, 2 0l20201122**110w 
Johnson, 2 1011*121221221*11—14 
♦Clinton U1121121122221 —15 
* Guest. 
Clinton ..' 21U11210111222 - 14 Johnson 22201 
Flynn 000011212201121—10 Wilks 220 
Amberg 01002 Felton 200 
Ravelrigg. 
Mississippi Valley Notes. 
The Kansas City Star, in an article devoting half a page to the 
Grand American Handicap this week, says that from the assur- 
ances now in the hands of R. S. Elliott & Co., the local mana- 
gers for this great event, it is certain that the attendance will very 
far_ surpass anything in the history of American trapshooting. 
Thirty-seven Kansas Cityans' names are given as having already 
entered for the event. These are J. W. Beach, E. A. Hickman, 
J. B. Porter, J. H. Dukes, Harry Tipton, J. E. Campbell, A. C. 
Holes, J. C. Wright, A. F. Rickmers, J. E. Rilev, C. C. Hickman, 
Wm. Herman, Wm. Merman, J. Vaughn, J. M. Curtis, G. W. 
Stickwell, A. H. Glasner, Lil Scott, C. P. Fairman, H. C. Reed, 
F. M. Plank, T. J. Simms, W. M. Hill, W. A. Laidlaw, W. S. 
Halliwell, H. H. Gregory, H. E. Sherman L. A. Sherman, T. F. 
Norton, Chris Gottlieb, F. A. Smith, F. M. Berkey, J. W. Bram- 
hall, Paul Franke, R. S. Elliott, J. A. R. Elliott,' Dave Elliott, 
James Rooney. 
Harry Lee, who is just in from a California trip, says that many 
are coming from the Pacific slope, and Harvey McMurchy sends 
word for himself, C. Nauman, C. Haight and O. Feudner, from 
the Golden Gate. The Chicago special in charge of Mr. E. S. Rice 
is expected to bring in at least 100. Dan Bray writes that the 
Nebraska farmers will lay aside the duties of everyday life to par- 
ticipate in the big event. A. B. Daniels and Capt. Jake Sedam 
will head the Denver delegation; Frank Pa/-melee will captain the 
Omaha crowd, Lou Ehrhardt will bring in a long list from Atchin- 
son, Frank Hodges will bring the Olathe contingent, R. S. Wad- 
dell is coming with all the Cincinnati experts, while Dr. Stark- 
loff will take up not less than thirty entries from St. Louis. 
All arrangements are progressing satisfactorily. Programmes 
were all sent out last week, and Manager Elmer Shaner estab- 
lished his headquarters at the Midland Hotel, Kansas City, on the 
15th, where he will he at home until the G. A. H. shall once 
more have been decided. 
The Kansas City Gun Club held its first quarterly medal shoot 
for the year at Blue Riwer Park on the 15th, with a large atten- 
dance. " 
The Piasa Gun Club, Alton, held its first reunion shoot for the 
year this week. 
The Dupont and Rawlinps medals were contested for in the reg- 
ular meeting at Dupont Park, St. Louis, on the 16th. 
Fred Chappell and Emil Tonsenberger shot a match at 25 live 
birds far 50 a side at McCkiskey, 111., last week; The birds were 
very strong, and proved a hard proposition for both contestants. 
Chappell won easily, however, with 27 kills, while his opponent 
scored 22. F. C. Riehl. 
New York to Kansas City— G. A. H, 
New York, March 15. — Editor Forest and Stream: Am sorry to 
trouble you again, but will you once more find room in your trap 
columns for a brief announcement of railroad rates and accom- 
modations for Eastern shooters who will visit Kansas City to take 
in the Grand American Handicap, March 31 to April 5? 
Will you inform them that the Trunk Line Association, the 
party controlling uie Eastern lines, has refused to grant us any 
reduction? The Commissioner's report on the action of the 
Trunk Line Association 'at its meeting, held Tuesday last, the 11th 
inst., showed that the Association was unwilling to grant us our 
oft-repeated request for reduced rates, althought the Central, the 
Southeastern and the Western Passenger Associations have of- 
fered special inducements, the two former making a fare and a 
third rate to Kansas City, and the Western Passenger Association 
a single fare for the round trip, all of course on the certificate plan. 
The Trunk Line Association's reasons for not granting our 
request, as stated by Mr. Farmer, is as follows: "Fare and one- 
third on certificate plan is reserved for societies, conventions and 
organizations of an educational, benevolent and religious char- 
acter, and it did not seem that your tournament came tinder any 
of these categories." 
We in the East are therefore compelled to travel either to 
Buffalo or to Pittsburg before getting a reduced rate, and it has 
been decided that the party leaving New York will travel to 
Kansas City from Buffalo by way of Wabash Railroad to St. 
Louis, and the Missouri Pacific from St. Louis to Kansas City , 
arriving at the latter place about 7:30 Monday morning, March 29, 
leaving New York Saturday the 27th, either in the morning or in 
the afternoon, this point being yet-held under advisement. 
The cost of the trip to Kansas City under above conditions is 
$39.40, including sleeper, but the return will be made for $23.10, 
including sleeper. Meals of course will be extra, and the strain 
on each individual's pocketbook in that respect will be regulated 
by his own appetite. 
The reduction on the return trip will be especially grateful to 
any who may have been contemplating a walk home after the 
shoot. 
All those intending to join the party leaving New York as 
above should write at once to J. A. H. Dressel, 313 Broadway, 
inclosing check for $39.40, payable to him, in order that he may be 
able to secure the necessary transportation to Kansas City. 
By giving this as prominent notice as possible you will very 
greatly oblige, Edward Banks, 
Sec'y-Treas. Interstate Association. 
Cincinnati Gun Club. 
Cincinnati, O.— The twenty-first contest for the Peters gun, a 
distance handicap at 50 targets, took place on the 8th inst,, and 
was favored with fine weather. The results are as follows: R. 
Trimble (20) 45, Gambell (18) 41, Ahlers (IS) 41, E. Trimble (17) 
41, Osterfeld (17) 41, Squier (18) 38, Falk (16) 38, Corry (15) 38, 
Captain (16) 38, Tennv (17) 37, Maynard (18) 36, Boyd (15) 36. 
Faran (16) 36, Heyl (18) 35, Littleford (16) 35, McB. (15) 34, 
Herman (18) 31, Boeh (16) 31, Block (17) 30, Davies (15) 29, Jay 
Bee (18) 28, Butts, (15) 27. 
March 12.— The fourth live-bird contest of the Cincinnati Gun 
Club had twenty-five contestants. Duncan made the only straight 
score. Entrance $5.50: 
Duncan, 30 2222222222222222222222222—25 
Mumma, 29 1212211022211122212122122—24 
Trimble, 31 2222222222222222 '22222222— 24 
Rhoads, 32 2222122*22222222222122222—24 
VVaddell, 27 1102221211220212121121112—23 
Post, 29 222222022222222222222i)222—23 
T Clay, 31 2*22222222222222222220222—23 
Ahlers, 31 •. 2022222222222222222222220—23 
King, 30 22222222222222222222220*2—23 
Phil, 30 2*02222222222222202222222—22 
Gambell, 27 22222j2212*222122.*122 .22—22 
See, 30 22022122222222222*2122220—22 
Bailey, 27 M 1220022222111112200221212—21 
Rike, 29 L 2000022222222222222212222—21 
Morris, 30 *22222222*022121222212202— 21 
Heyl, 31 2222222001122222120222120—21 
Dick, 27 202010221101221112111*111—20 
Herman, 27 211*021121202211202102222—20 
Lindsley, 30 2222202022222222*22210202—20 
Jerry, 27 22222022222222*0202202*22—19 
Wirk, 27 202202122221121101222**10—19 
Boeh, 26 11*22022221120*1022111220—19 
Case, 27 22012222022211011011000w 
Sch uler, 29 : 022002200220222220* w 
Kohler, 26 012021021*1000021210w 
March 15,— Cash prize shoot, a handicap at 50 targets. The 
weather was fine, and the scores are improving therewith: Ahlers 
(18) 46. E. Trimble (17) 44, R. Trimble (19) 43, Rike (19) 43, Gam- 
bell (18) 42, Squier (18) 41, Tenny (16) 40, Osterfeld (18) 40, Heyl 
(IS) 39, Jay Bee (17) 38, Faran (16) 37, Herman (18) 37, Maynard 
(20) 37, McB. (14) 37, Butts (15) 36, Captain (16) 36, Roll (17) 36. 
Willie (15) 36. Littleford (16) 36, Block (16) 35, Coleman (16) 34, 
Davies (15) 34, Corry (16) 31, Boyd (15) 30, Falk (16) 31, Froliger 
(14) 25, Tuttle (16) 22, Brown (15) 20. 
Winchester Gun Club, 
Detroit, Mich.— Eight members and two visitors, Mr. Andrew 
Reid, one of the WalkerviUe cracks, and Mr. Oliver Barthel, oi 
Detroit, a prospective member, took part in the regular shoot of 
the club Saturday afternoon, March 8. 
The new trap gave some swift birds to negotiate, and no one 
landed on the straight score prize. 
Messrs. Thos. Reid and ditto Brodie (popularly known as 
"Steve") shot a determined race for the Class A medal, tieing at 
20, and in the shoot off again tied at 9 out of 10. The medal was, 
however, awarded to Mr. Reid on his average of 83 per cent, for 
the day against Mr. Brodie's 77 per cent. 
Mr. Henry Guthard shot his final classification score, and is now 
a very dangerous member of Class B, winning that medal handily. 
Mr. Archie McAdams' low score leaves scarcely any doubt of his 
landing in Class C, and he was awarded the medal in that class. 
Mr. F. C. McMath, of WalkerviUe, whom we are glad to claim 
as a member, shied his castor into the ring, eligible for the gun 
prize. 
Events: 123456789 10 
Targets: 10 15 10 15 10 10 10 15 10 25 
Brodie 6 11 7 12 9 ., .. 9 20 
Guthard 7 6 5 8 .. 6 7 .. 6 16 
T Reid 7 13 .. 9 .... 9 20 
A Reid 4 12 .. .. 7 „ 5 .. 18 
Hitchcock 3 9 8 .. 6 '.. 11 
Jarvis 6 11 7 6 8 .... 17 
Barthel 2 1 , 
McAdam 5 5 2 3 .. 1 8 
McMath 5 4 10 
Shiell ' 9 7 8 . . 18 
G. A. H.— Olathe— St. Joseph— Omaha. 
Leavenworth, Kan., March 13.— To all shooters who attend the 
Grand American Handicap, it has been made possible to attend 
this circuit of shoots that will give them the opportunity of not 
only seeing how the great West cater to the care of its visitors 
but also keep them busy shooting live birds and targets for four 
weeks continuously. The shooting circuit that has been arranged 
to give all those who come a long ways, a chance to spend one 
month with us, is certainly a good one. Good purses, with plenty 
• of added money, and the whole circuit only a few miles apart. 
Olathe, Kan., where the Kansas State Sportsmen's Association 
opens up the next week following the Grand American Handicap, 
is only about one hour's ride from Kansas City. This shoot will be 
one of the best target tournaments in the West this year, and 
the management guarantees all visiting sportsmen a good time 
and plenty of sport. 
Following this shoot will come a tournament at St. Joseph, Mo., 
which is only about ninety miles from Kansas City, where also 
a splendid shoot is arranged for. Following St. Joseph, Omaha 
opens her hospitality to all. 
Bring all your guns and plenty of shells, and we will keep 
you busy and in good humor. 
H, W- Koohler, 
Sec'y Kansas State Sportsmen's Association. 
Sport Gun Club. 
Shreveport, La., March 9. — The Sport Gun Club held a shoot 
here to-day, in which the renowned trapshooter, Mr. Hood Waters, 
participated and made an excellent performance, chief of which 
birds for $50 a side at McCluskey, HI., last week. The birds were 
Events: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 
Targets: 30 30 1$ 30 30 15 15 
Hood Waters 26 29 .. 30 29 15 .. 
Spicer 19 8 .. 13 12 .. 
Wade 18 14 .. 18 30 10 9 
Shafer 25 21 .. 23 21 .. 
Dickard 18 .. 10 
Dickinson 21 14 23 29 .. 9 
VVagenfurat 14 .. 7 .. .. .. .. 
Buckett 6. 6 
White vs. Kennedy. 
S want on, Vt.— There was a close contest here to-day on the 
Robin Hood Powder Company grounds, lor the international 
trophy between E. G. White, of the Robin Hood Powder Com- 
pany, and J. K. Kennedy,, of Montreal, at 100 artificial targets 
a side. It was a closely contested race. -Mr. Kennedy won by 
a close margin of one bird. Score, Kennedy 7S, White 77. The 
trap worked badly. This, with a dark background, made the shoot- 
ing very difficult. Mr. White put in another challenge, and the 
contest will come off on the Westmount Gun Club grounds, 
Montreal, quite likely on the 22d inst. 
Now, boys, keep this up, as it is a fine trophy, and open to 
New England and eastern Canada shooters. S. 
All communications intended for Foajtsr and Stream should 
always be addressed to, the Forest and Stream Publishing Co., and 
not to any individual connected with tha paper. 
