fk1l a, too^.J 
FottESl AND STKEAM. 
&§7 
Grand American Handicap* 
Kansas City, Mo., March 3J— April 5, 
The tenth Grand American Handicap tournament, of the Inter- 
:tate Association, March 31-April 5, was a record breaker in many 
ways, but chiefly in the number of its entries, it being overwhelm- 
ingly greater in that respect. The total number was 493 m the 
tnain event, the Grand American Handicap, and of these there 
were 37 forfeits. The programme of each day, devoted to events 
)ther than the G, A. H., was also astonishingly well supported. 
The machinery was taxed to its utmost capacity from the moment 
that the first gun was fired to that of the last gun. With such 
an infinity of detail the most perfect organization and manage- 
ment were necessary. Without doubt, for the successful manage- 
ment of the shoot, unstinted praise is due to Mr. Winer tL. 
Shaner, manager of the association. He arrived on the grounds 
about two weeks before the tournament began, and was an in- 
valuable assistant in all the preliminary arrangements. lhere 
was grading to be done, boundaries to be arranged, buildings to 
be built, etc., and while everything was not perfected as con- 
templated, the arrangements were adequate to run the shoot ott 
smoothly and promptly. Much praise and admiration were 
bestowed on Mr. Shaner for his skillful management. He was 
here, there and everywhere, answering three or four questions 
asked all at once; giving instructions wherever needed; ruling 
on this thing and that promptly, patiently and correctly. 
The tournament was truly a representative one in its support. 
Every section of the country was represented, though the Middle 
West was most conspicuous in this respect. As to age, there 
were all degrees from youth to old age. As to skill, there were 
all degrees from that of the man who was an expert to that of the 
man who was a novice. There were a great many good held 
shots who were not good trap shots for the reason that they were 
deficient in the necessary schooling, hence there were many 
phenomenal kills and misses outside the boundary. Many know 
now who did not know it before, that a dead duck scores as dead 
wherever it is gathered, and that a pigeon, dead out bounds, is 
lost. There is no boundary in one instance, and there is one 
in the other, a circumstance which makes essential difference in 
th ft r fs SU a. tS fair presumption that the Middle West would always 
give a larger support to the G. A. H. tournament than would the 
East, for the reason that there are many more users of the shot- 
gun in that section. It is not a fair presumption, however, that 
anv future G. A .H. tournament of the Middle West will ever 
reach the same degree of magnitude as that of the one just held. 
It is safe to say that the G. A. H. represented the full power 
of the country in every way as it concerns trapshooting compe- 
tition. It had the further attractiveness of great fame and 
novelty. Many entered who were new to competition, yet who 
•were not without the most implicit confidence in their own 
ability to come out victors of more or less degree. There is no 
doubt whatever that many of the latter now know more of trap- 
shooting competition than they ever did before. Many of the 
latter would not enter again, and it is all the better for themselves 
and for trapshooting that they .should not. _ 
A shoot of such great magnitude has many undesirable features. 
It is cumbersome to manage, tiresome to the contestants, and 
dangerous to the sport, the latter as it concerns the sentiment of 
the public in respect to prohibiting pigeon shooting on the 
ground of cruelty, or that hostility to the sport which is paraded 
as public sentiment. Indeed, at the great tournament last week. 
April 4, there was a delegation of five Chicago ministers m attend- 
ance, sent by a Chicago newspaper to see whether the sport had 
anv cruelties and to express their opinions concerning it, and 
whether it should not be stopped by law. They were Rev. Dr. W, 
Edward Fawsett, pastor of St. Bartholomew Episcopal Church; 
Rev C C. Kindred, pastor of the Englewood Church of the Dis- 
ciples of Christ; Rev. H. Atwood Percival, pastor of the Mound 
Park Presbyterian Church; Rev. K. Keene Ryan, pastor of the 
Garfield Boulevard Presbyterian Church; and the Rev. F. C. 
Priest, pastor of the Church of the Redeemer (Universalist). 
They were met by a delegation of Kansas. City ministers. None 
of the reverend gentlemen were familiar with the sport, and it 
seemed to impress them unfavorably. They were treated cour- 
teously and with consideration. But, aside from the fact that the 
G. A. H. draws hostile sentiment and action to it, its mammotli 
proportions make it cumbersome to manage and tiresome to 
attend. There are very few cities in America which can furnish 
the necessary grounds and trapping equipment necessary to hold 
it; the resources of the country are taxed to get skillful referees, 
etc. It is a very expensive shoot for these reasons. Also, the 
evolution of trapshooting has passed to a higher stage in respect 
to conditions. To have the necessary dignity and importance, the 
greatest shoot should be up with or ahead of the times. Twenty- 
five birds, $25 entrance, is no longer considered much of a race. 
Indeed, last fall, by the energy of one individual, Mr. C. R. 
Stephens, of Moline, 111., one open to the- world was nearly ar- 
ranged on a basis- of 100 live birds, $100 entrance. To be really 
important, the race must be of a length which will test the skill 
of the contestant, and for a consideration sufficient to command 
respect. Col. Oscar Guessez, of San Antonio, Texas, a mighty 
shooter himself, and high in the friendly esteem of his brother 
shooters, was present at the tournament, and in behalf of San 
Antonio he made a proposition to the Interstate Association 
that the next G. A. H. tournament be held there. He declared 
that there were grounds in broad abundance; that as many sets 
of traps would be installed as were necessary, and that whatever 
the programme that the association arranged, San Antonio would 
add $1,000 in cash. It was a generous proposition, and one 
worthy of serious and friendly consideration. Still, it would seem 
as if the time had arrived for a rearrangement by making a higher 
entry "fee, more birds to shoot at, and longer distances, that is 1 
to- say, cut out all the marks under 29 or 30 yards. With 50 to 
75 shooters, such a race would have more public significance and 
therefore more value to its promoters than has the present G. 
A. H., which is alluring to every owner of a gun whether he can 
use it skillfully or not. 
The Grounds. 
The grounds are situated close by Blue River, about seven or 
eight miles of a ride. They were reached from the hotels via 
the Ninth, Twelfth and Fifteenth street cable cars, and the Inde- 
pendence electric line. In passing, it may be said that the car 
service was admirable. The large crowds were handled with 
expedition. Special cars would , run during the rush hours, and 
some real energy to accommodate the public resulted in gratify- 
ing success. 
The grounds were hardly large enough for the purpose, but 
the arrangements were so well made that the great shoot ran 
like clock work. Two sets of traps were on the north side of the 
grounds, two on" the south. Thus the shooters faced north at 
Nos. 1 and 2, and south at Nos. 3 and 4. ' At one set of trap ( s 
only a 40-yard boundary could be laid out, so, to make them uni- 
form, all were made 40 yards. This i narrower boundary had a 
very important bearing on the results, and brought disaster to 
many, for just over it many and many a bird fell dead, and with 
it many a hope. Blue River Park is on a kind of a hillside. 
Each set of traps has its own peculiar slope. No. 1 sloped gently 
outward; No. 2 had a more positive pitch, particularly smooth 
for left quartering drivers; No. 3 was dished, and No. 4 curved 
downward and upward to the left and downward to the right. 
The traps were Fulfords, and the trapping was underground. 
Boys did the retrieving. 
The new long building was used for an assembly room, for gun 
racks, check room, etc. The office of compiler of scores was close 
by No. 1 set of traps, and a few steps away, across the room from 
it, was the cashier's office. 
The Workers. 
Great credit* is due to Messrs. R. S. Elliott, C. Gottlieb and 
E. Hickman, the working committee, for their interest and efforts 
in connection with the shoot, and their uniform kindness and 
courtesy toward the visiting sportsmen. They were ably assisted 
hy the Schmeltzer brothers. The force directly associated with 
conducting the competition was as follows: 
Manager — Elmer E. Shaner, Pittsburg, Pa. 
Cashier — Fred C. Whitney, Des Moines, Iowa. 
Compiler of Scores — Edward Banks, New York, N. Y. 
Assistant Compiler of Scores— J. K. Starr, Philadelphia, Pa. 
Clerk in Compiler of Scores Office— F. C. Riehl, Alton, 111. 
Clerk in Compiler of Scores Office — J. B. Hayes, Jr., Kansas 
.City. 
Clerk in Compiler of Scores Office— W. H. Matthews, Kansas 
City. 
No. 1 Set of Traps: Referee— W. V. Rieger, Kansas City, 
Mo. Scorer — J. H. Quistgaard, Kansas City, Mo. 
No. 2 Set of Traps: Referee— J. G. Smith, Algona, Iowa. 
Scorer— J. H. Manahan, Kansas City, Mo. 
No. 3 Set of Traps: Referee— H. S. McDonald, Omaha, Neb. 
Scorer— H. S. Taylor, Kansas City, Mo. 
No. 4 Set of Traps: Referee— E. P. Frisbee, Des Moines, Iowa. 
GRAND AMERICAN HANDICAP TROPHY, l<p2. 
Scorer— High Callahan, Platte City, Mo. 
Messengers— Lee Hickman, Kansas City, Mo., Nos. 1 and 2 
sets of traps; Jos. Hayden, Kansas City, Mo., Nos. 3 and 4 sets 
of traps. 
Squad Hustlers— Louis Erhardt, Atchison, Kansas; Geo. W. 
Morris, Jamaica, L. L, N. Y. 
Bulletin Board— Ed. A. Hickman, Kansas City, Mo. 
Check Room — Gill Snow, Kansas City, Mo. 
Birds, 
The birds were an excellent lot. They were, as a class, strong, 
vigorous birds, oftentimes requiring hard hitting to stop them 
within bounds. Betimes as swift a bird as ever left a trap would 
be sprung for a contestant, and then it was not infrequently the 
case that the bird was too swift for him. A very important per- 
centage escaped from the traps, and there must have been a very 
important loss from this source. 
Special Part'es. 
There were four special parties in attendance at the G. A. H. 
tournament, namely, the Interstate Association party from New 
York, the E. S. Rice party from Chicago, the Will K. Park party 
from Philadelphia, and the A. V. Waddell party from Cincinnati. 
Kansas City did itself proud. It had the honor of making good 
the claim that the West could hold a big shoot, which proved 
to be the "biggest ever held in the world in a peaceful way. Be- 
side being great in numbers, it was a success in its management 
from its inception to its conclusion. 
Monday, First Day, March 31— Kansas City Sweepstakes. 
The bad weather of Saturday was still in evidence in the way of 
a wet soil in the high places, and more or less muddiness in the 
low places. Heavy, billowy, white clouds, in widely scattered 
masses floated lazily across the sky, though they had no effect 
upon the light. The latter was rather high and glary at times. 
A stiff wind blew from the north, almost straight in the faces 
of the contestants at Nos. 1 and 2 sets of traps, and almost straight- 
away from them at Nos. 3 and 4 sets. This wind made exceed- 
ingly hard shooting. The birds oftentimes went out of Nos. 3 and 
4 down wind with astonishing speed, and at Nos. 1 and 2 they 
curved out right and left with a speed which also taxed the best 
skill of the contestants. 
Mr. Shaner had the competition running like clockwork from the 
very start. So carefully had all contingencies been foreseen and 
provided for that there were no delays of any importance, and 
therefore competition proceeded expeditiously. It was evident, 
however, that owing to the large entry, but one event of the two on 
the programme of the day could be shot, so the Blue River Park 
Introductory at 8 birds, $5 entrance, was cut out. Competition 
began, therefore, with the second programme event, at 12 birds, $7 
entrance, birds extra, 30yds. rise, high guns, two places for each 
ten entries or fraction thereof up to 150 entries, or a maximum of 
thirty moneys. There were 368 entries, of which thirty-six went 
straight, and they agreed to divide without shooting out the extra 
six contestants. . Each contestant with a straight score received 
$71.55. It was evident early in the event that .extreme diligence 
would be necessary to finish it; hence to expedite it Mr. .Shaner 
announced that those who had missed two up to the eighth round 
would be retired. The wisdom of this decision was well proven 
in the end, for those who had missed but one were not in the 
money. The list of those who scored 12 and 11 is as follows; 
Straight scores: 
W R Milner 12 
J E Avery 12 
J E Hicks 12 
G Tucker 12 
W R Crosby 12- 
J D Gay 12 
Hood Waters 12 
S Hoffman, jr 12 
W L Hansbro 12 
W A Baker 12 
Farmer Burke 12 
H McMurchy 12 
C C Herman 12 
T W Morfey 12 
M Eich 12 
I L Williamson 12 
A H Fox 12 
E Kuss 12 
- Those who missed but one: 
F N Cockrill 11 
Ed Hickman 11 
F Gilbert 11 
A W du Bray 11 
W Turner... 11 
A J Law ton 11 
E H Tripp 11 
S Perry....... 11 
J S Fanning 11 
C W Budd 11 
G Simpkins 11 
Arno 11 
A C Bottger 11 
H H McKinnev 11 
B P Woodford. 11 
T W Huse 11 
W Wettleaf 11 
G Raines 11 
F L Snyder 11 
Watertown Kid 11 
T F Gorman 11 
Le Roy 11 
Levy .11 
W Mattox 11 
W P Deveney 11 
J McMorris 11 
C A Calib 11 
C W Phellis M 
J T Page 11 
S S Johnston 11 
W M Clegg 11 
T J Cornett 11 
E D Fulford..... 11 
J T Anthony 11 
A D Mermod 11 
G Shroeder 11 
E Hinshaw 11 
T A Marshall. 
L Folev 
W H Herr.,.. 
F N Cockrill.. 
T L D Morrison. 
.12 
.12 
.12 
.12' 
.12 
H C Hirschey 12 
T L Alabaster ..12 
H D Bates 12 
E D Trotter 12 
F D Alkire 12 
H B Hill 12 
R S Rhoades 12 
E M Stout 12 
C Kilgore .12 
G A C 12 
A C Connor.... ..12 
J R Graham 12 
Theo Dockson 12 
C A Young 11 
W J Graber 11 
E C Fort 11 
J E Vaughn 11 
W W Shemwell 11 
J H Boisseua 11 
C R Stephens 11 
T E Hubby 11 
B-27 11 
J Taggart 11 
F M Faurote 11 
H B Money 11 
A C Schwartz 11 
T P Hicks 11 
J B Barto 11 
H Arp U 
Ed Voris 11 
C Gottlieb 11 
R R Kimble 1] 
G E Trent 11 
S Glover 11 
G Roll 
C R Wilkins 11 
H H Stevens 11 
Alf Hill li 
T H Clay H 
B F Downs H 
Kaintuck .n 
E Emmers 11 
Dave Elliott ..11 
W Howe 11 
G W Clav 11 
O R Dickey .....11 
F See 11 
M T Smith 11 
C E Geikler 11 
Tuesday, Second Day, April I— Nilro Powder Hai dicap. 
The programme for the second day was the Nitro Powder Handi- 
vap, 16 birds, $10 entrance, birds extra, handicaps 25 to 33yds., 
high guns, not class shooting, two high guns for each ten 
cap 
