Oct. 17, 1903.1 
FOREST AND STREAM, 
811 
-BEIJ^G T^VSHED TO FHOJSfT. 
UNITED STATES CARTRIDGE CO. 
LOWELL. MASS. 
Agencies: 
497-503 Pearl St., 35-43 Park St.. New York. 
114-116 Market St., San Francisco. 
The Hill Top Handicap. 
AusTERLiTZ, Ky. — Thursday morning, Sept. 30, there was gath- 
ered at the C. & O. Depot in Lovtisville, Ky., a happy gathering 
of trapshooters, and among them some of the most prominent in 
America, bound for Austerlitz and Paris, Ky., having been for- 
tunate enough to receive an invitation from the Clay Brothers, of 
the former, and J. Quincy Ward, of the latter place, to take part, 
Oct. 1 and 2, in the annual Hill Top Handicap at live birds, which 
is held annually upon the justly famous Hill Top Gun Club 
grounds, upon the farm of Alfred Clay, near Austerlitz, Ky. 
I say a happy gathering, for such was indeed the congenial 
crowd, composed of Col. J. T. Anthony, Fred Gilbert, C. W. 
Phellis, Hood Waters, Herman Hirschy, W. H. Heer and your 
humble servant; but there was among them a man who indeed 
had a close call for his happiness. For personal reasons, I re- 
frain from giving his name, but he had a small adventure upon 
that morning which was sufficient to mar his happiness for at 
least one day, but the joke is too good to keep, and I give it to 
you, thinking that by publishing it he may be more careful in the 
future. • 
It appears that this gentleman— and I presume he has traveled 
•as much as any man in the shooting game— had left a call at his 
hotel for a very early hour in order to catch this train and accom- 
pany his friends to Hill Top. For some reason his call was not 
registered, and when he awoke, with but a scant hour to pack 
bis trunk, get a breakfast and catch his train, there was some 
tall hustling. Hurriedly throwing about everything in sight into 
his trunk, with the porter standing by and whispering "De 
wagin am waitin', boss," he was perhaps not as careful as possible 
in collecting his various wearing apparel, but the job was at last 
accomplished, and with the porter to help buckle the straps and 
hustle the trunk out the door, he began his morning ablutions. 
Returning from the bath room to dress, he looked about for his 
traveling clothes, and found them all right except the trousers. 
Ye Gods, what an awakening. His trunk, perhaps on the way to 
the depot, and every prospect of his following in a barrel, with 
no barrel convenient, he lost no time in getting to liis room 
telephone, whereupon the following conversation took place with 
the demure maiden in the office: 
Rin-n-n-g! 
"Hello! Is this the office?" 
"Yes." 
"Well, the porter took a trunk out of this room about five 
minutes since that had every blooming pair of trousers to my 
name locked up in it." 
"Yes. [very leisurely] I think the wagon has gone with the 
trunks." 
"It has? AVell, you tell that hotel clerk that failed to call me 
as per directions, that if he don't get that trunk back up here 
in five minutes, so that I can catch that train, I will be down to 
the depot wrapped in a blanket." 
The wagon was caught all right, and the trunk returned; but it 
is safe to say that this trapshooter, when he packs his trunk here- 
after, will leave out at least enough clothes to appear in public 
witli. 
The ride to Winchester via the C. & O., where we were to 
change to the L. & N., for Paris and Austerlitz, was indeed a 
pleasant one, with time at Winchester for a splendid lunch at the 
Reed House. Arriving at Austerlitz about 3 P. M., Col. Anthony, 
Fred Gilbert, Phil and the writer alighted to be the guests of the 
Clay Brothers, while the remainder of the party went on to Paris 
to accept the hospitality of that prince of Blue Grass sportsmen, 
Mr. J. Quincy Ward. Awaiting us at Austerlitz was Mr. Geo. 
W. Clay, with his steam auto car, Thomas H. Clay, Jr., with the 
family coupe, and Sambo with the baggage wagon. Mr. John 
Gerlaugh, of Dayton, a pupil and disciple of Pop Heikes, was 
already at Austerlitz, and it was a merry procession that wended 
its way to the Heights, the palatial home of Mr. Thomas Henry 
Clay, Sr., his most hospitable and accomplished wife, and Mr. 
and Mrs. Thomas Henry Clay, Jr., Geo. W. Clay, and last, but 
not by any means least, in the estimation of his acquaintances, 
Thomas Henry Clay 3d. Did Fred Gilbert ride in the auto-car? 
Not by a whole lot. Some of his friends threatened to blindfold 
and hobble Mr. Fritz, but he wovdd have none of it. Did I say 
wended our way to the Heights? Those of us who were in the 
auto-car certainly wended a rapid way. Geo. W. Clay certainly 
knows how to handle an automobile, and as he fairly flew over the 
hard turnpike, turned rapid corners, shot through bridges, ran up 
to the front gate opening from the vast Clay domain upon the 
highway at a rate that threatened destruction to that gate, but 
stopped within almost a hair's breadth of the same, then shot 
through bridge with a reverse curve upon it, tip a steep hill and 
stopped exactly at the front door of their palatial home, the 
writer wished that he had rode in the family carriage along with 
one Fritz Gilbert. 
It was. a hearty welcome that awaited us at the Clay home at 
the hands of Mr. and -Mrs. Thomas Henry Clay, Sr. The writer 
has met matiy men who took an interest in. the sports, pastimes 
and pleasures of their sons, but never have I seen a man so 
deeply interested in the welfare of liis children, their pleasures, 
and particularly their friends, as is Col. T. H. Clay. He is a 
typical Southern gsntleman, and can entertain as only the South- 
erner of the old school can entertain. Possessed of one of Ken- 
tucky's largest blue grass farms, pasturing hundreds of head of 
fattening cattle, this gentleman lives a life that is ideal. Unlike 
the captain of finance who haunts the board of trade or makes 
his money from others' misfortunes, this gentleman derives a 
vast income from nature, and the natural growth of that which 
he has acquired; and he lays not awake at night scheming as to 
how he can squeeze a fortune out of some other fellow the next 
day. Show me a man avIiq lives as does Col. Thomas Henry 
Clay, and I will show you a broad, open, honest countenance, 
entirely free from care, and living above the little things of life. 
We had been at the Heights but a few hours when we were 
joined by Messrs. R. Stanley Rhoades and J. E. Hicks, of 
Columbus, .O., and Irby Bennett, of Memphis, Tenn., these gen- 
tlemen coming iii at the same time as Pop Heikes, but he going 
on to the hOme of Alf Clay, to join Phil and John Gerlaugh. It 
was indeed a merry party that sat about the Clay board to enjoy 
the sumptuous dinner presided over by Mrs. Clay, and later re- 
paired to the spacious reception hall, where the party was delight- 
fully entertained b^^ that prince of dialect story tellers, Irby 
Bennett, and Col. J. T. Anthony, who is none the less an en- 
tertainer, and was fairly at home among his surroundings, the 
Colonel himself ' being a Southerner born and bred. Never a 
thought of shooting or shop talk, but the entire evening was 
spent in a most delightful manner, the gentlemen being most 
delightfully entertained by Mrs. Clay, Sr., Mrs. Clay, Jr., and 
Mrs. Clay's sister, Miss Williams, of Paris, Ky. 
But the shoot; it had to come, and. we must finally bid our 
hosts good night and repair to our rooms, for there was to be a 
race to-morrow. 
What did Stan. Rhoades and John Hicks find upon going to 
their room but one Fritz Gilbert sound asleep, the rascal having 
slipped off ahead to get a little more sleep than the others in 
preparing for the coming fray. There he lay, sound asleep, with 
his right hand extended out from the bed and tightly clenched. 
One of the party took from the fireplace a long iron poker, and 
placing it in the tightl}' clenched fist, called us all to see and 
then awake Fritz. What Chief Heap Talk said, I will not repeat. 
First Day, Wedaesday, Oct. J. 
The opening day of the Hill Top Handicap opened cloudy, with 
threatening rain, which rain soon came; but as it was much 
needed in that locality, tlie shooters were content. We soon re- 
paired to the Hill Top grounds — and. a beautiful spot it is! Sit- 
uated upon perhaps the highest point within miles, it commands 
a beautiful view of tlic Clay lands, where, being entirely upon 
private property, there is none to object or say aught as to the 
shooting of pigeons, and those who are i^resent are there at the 
invitation of Alfred, George W. and Thomas H. Clay, Jr.. 
After a few- bye birds, the contest, the far-famed Hill Top Han- 
dicap, opened with the following contestants: C. W. Phellis, 
Mechanicsburg, O.; R. O. Pleikes and John Gerlaugh, Dayton, 
O. ; Fred B. Gilbert, Spirit Lake, la. ; R. S. Rhoades and J. E. 
Hicks, Columbus, O. ; J. L. Head, Peru," liid. ; J. Q. Ward (Kain- 
tuck), and Mr. McMeckin, Paris, Ky.? Col. J. T. Anthony, 
Charlotte, N. C; T. H. Clay and Alfred Clay, Austerlitz, Ky. ; 
Hood Waters, Baltimore, Md.;, H, C. Hirschy, Minneapolis, 
Minn.; W. H. Heer, Concordia, Kans. ; J. D. Gay, Pine Grove, 
Ky.'; Farmer Jones and Medico, Cincinnati, O. 
The birds virere a good lot,, and had there been a little more 
wind, the high scores made would have been impossible within 
the 3.3yds. botindary. As it was, the shooting of Mr. C. W. Phellis 
(Phil) was truly wonderful. Ilis score of 50 straight in a 33yd. 
boundary seerns to me to be^ a record; at least, one that I have 
never heard of having been beaten, and I am positive no man ever 
handled a shotgun w^ith greater skill and precision that did Phil 
on this day. 
Old "Pop" Heikes was als.o in. great form. When "Pop" ap- 
peared on the ground, walking with his head erect, his eagle eye 
snapping, and his well-developed front thrown forward, Fred 
Gilbert shouted, "What is it. Pop? What makes you feel so good 
to-day?" *'It is the "ham what am,' " responds Pop, referring to 
some of Alf Clay's well cured couutry ham. "Tliat settles it," 
says Fritz, "the man that beats Mr. Pop Heikes shooting to-day 
will know that he has been to a shooting match." And his 
prophesy proved trUe. 
Pop was 2 birds behind ^hil^ with. 4S; and along came Fritz 
Gilbert and Jake Gay, with -47, all the above scores proving 
records for the Hill Top grounds, as 46 had never been beaten 
before. 1 . . 
Jake Gay was in great form/ and here is a pigeon shot whs> 
has been seen but little at the traps in the past two years, and 
one whose true greatness as the handler of a shotgun is rarely 
mentioned, though fully understood. Jake's good work consists 
in keeping his birds easy. He is speed itself, and rarely ever 
wins applause from the spectators from the fact that they do not 
understand the skill required to kill a pigeon before it gets fast. 
It was nothing but the hardest kind of luck and the darkness 
that kept Fritz Gilbert out of the 49 hole. He had lost but one 
in the first 45, shooting from the extreme mark, 31yds., and as it 
had been the intention of the club to shoot btit about 40 birds 
on the first day, the shoot was run off in the squads of five men; 
and this caused all the squads, except the first, to be handi- 
capped a little by the bad light. When it was found that the 
race would be finished, it was too late to change to shooting to 
regular turns, and it is notable that not a man following the 
first squad killed his last five. Fritz's 47th bird was a corker, 
hard hit, and knocked down apparently dead; but it arose and 
flew out before the dog reached him. An unfortunate premature 
discharge of his gun lost him his 49th, and he had to be content 
with 47, the above with R. S. Rhoades in the 46-hole, took all the 
money. The scores of the first day are as follows: 
Event No. 1, Hill Top Handicap, 50 birds, entrance, $20: 
Phil, 29 2122222112222222222222222—25 
2222222222222222222222222—25—50 
Heikes, 30 2222222222222222222222222—25 
2222202222222222220222222—23—48 
Gilbert, 31 2212221222112011111221122—24 
222221222222222222222*202—23—47 
Gay, 29 *222222222222222122222222— 24 
21102222222221222222*2222—23—47 
Rhoades, 29 *222220022222222222212202— 21 
2222222222222222222222222—25—46 
Head, 29 1120220222112220202222222—21 
12221222220221220211211 12—23—44 
Kaintuck, 29 222210222222222221222222*— 23 
1222112222222221022220021—22—45 
Anthony, 2S 2122022210111111212212111—23 
0122112122122112*22212002—22—45 
T H Clay, Jr, 29 222222222222222*2222222*2—23 
2222222122022202222001222—21—44 
Alfred Clay, 29 2222222202222221212201122—23 
0121220221122220220222112—21—44 
Heer, 30 20122122*11112*122*111001—19 
2222122222011201111211211—23—42 
Hirschy, 30 ....2220222222222222020222222—22 
22222222**222222222202222—22—44 
Waters, 29 20222122222221202221102*1—21 
2*2*121220112212022212210—20—41 
McMeckin, 27 011122Q021211212111121200— 21 
1202200202022211202222022—18—39 
Hicks, 27 ...222222222220222022222*222—22 
2222222222222222*22**2212 22 44 
Gerlaugh, 27 2002212121112111022221211—22 
0010022222221002110021122—17—39 
Farmer Jones, 27 2100022112022212210012212—19 
112*222120222*21*00222120—18—37 
Medico, 28 011011*122*11210012*20*22—16 
111111222112*2*2011022222—21—37 
Seco.d Day, Thursday, Oct, 2. 
The weather was simply beautiful; in fact, too beautiful for 
pigeon shooting, as there was not sufficient wind to make the 
birds snappy; yet they were a good lot, some veritable corkers 
among them and the shooter had to be on his mettle to stop them 
inside the 33yds. 
The programme for this day was first a miss-and-out, then a 10- 
bird and lastly a 15-bird race, which exhausted the birds, and then 
two 25-bird target races were shot, in which some splendid work 
was done, one William Heer, of Concordia, scoring 49, closely 
followed by Hood Waters and Charlie Young, who came in for 
the second day, with 48. 
Thus ended a most enjoyable shooting match, but not the 
pleasure, as we were to ascertain upon again repairing to the 
Heights that last evening. 
The scores for the second day were as follows: 
Event No. 2, miss-and-out, |2 entrance, all 30yds. rise: 
Voung 222222222 Heikes 2221120 
Phil 222222221 Hicks 222220 
Gilbert 222122211 Head 12220 
Rhoades 22222220 Gerlaugh 1220 
T H Clay, Jr 2222210 Anthony 0 
Event No. 3, 10 birds, $7.50 entrance, handicap rise: 
Head, 29 1111111211—10 Gilbert, 31 0211122121-^ 9 
Heer, 30 2112112211—10 Rhoades. 29 2121202221— 9 
Gerlaugh, 27 2222221122—10 Hicks, 27 221*212222— 9 
Young, 29 2222222222—10 Pinney, 28 2122202212— 9 
Heikes, 30 2222222111—10 Medico, 28 012211112*— 8 
A Clay, 29 1122122111—10 Anthony, 28 01111122*1— 8 
Phil, 30 2212201122— 9 Farmer, Jones, 27. .1012202120— 7 
Event No. 4, 15 birds, entrance $10, handicap rise: 
Rhoades, 29. .. .222222222222222— 15 Buckner, 27. . .202222022222222— 13 
Phil, 29 121112112112211—15 Kaintuck, 29. . .222220221012202— 12 
Heikes, 30 121211122221222—15 Osborn, 27. .. .122022220202222— 12 
Waters, 29 111122112222122—15 Old Ham. 27. .021021211011221— 12 
T Clav. Jr. 29.022222222222222—14 Bennett, 28 ... 0122221] •"'10102— 12 
Heer, ■ 30". .111120122121212— 14 Hicks, 27 221220222012021—12 
'"-priMurh. 27.. 00211 2222222221— 13 Betts, 27 122001112212200—11 
Head, 29 010121212212221—13 Anthony, 28 .022111221022100— 11 
Young, 28 222202222202222—13 Pinnev, 28. ... .02222**19110022— 10 
Herndon, 28 ..021112121212210—13 Farmer Jones, 
Medico, 28 001111U1222233-13 27... ....000221200222011—9 
