FOREST AND STREAM 
S2S 
10 ; Empire Rifle Club, team 2, 116 New York Rifle Club, | the third beet score, 10 per cent, of pool. 
11- Nof 29 at 200 yards— E. E. Lewis, 31 ; J. W. Mangam, of the N. R. A. 
1 
111 . 
All under the rules 
oi ,’r) p Davids aud A. H. Wickham, 30 (tie). No. 30. at 
oaa i!_w M Farrow, 33 ; 11. Fisher, 29 ; W. R. Liver- 
more^th No 3 at200 yard8-A. Steele, 29; O. O. Hoffman, 29; 
O h’ Eagle, 28. No. 34, at 200 yards— J. M. Robertson, J8; 
C H l£fle 23 ; H. F, Clark, 27. No. 48, at 500 yards— J. 
M Gardner, 24; G. Gilfort, J. R. Washington, 10. In each 
of these matches the number of rounds was 7, and the indi- 
vidual possibility 35 points. 
Cbbedmoob Convention of Riflemen.— At this convention 
the following organizations were represented : The National 
Rifle Association by Messrs. N. P. Stanton, G. W. Wingate 
and G. S. Schermerhorn ; the Amateur Rifle Club by Col. 
Sanford aud Mr. G. P. Waters; the Stock Exchange Rifle 
Club by Messrs. J. Grant and R. W. Day ; the New Jersey 
Rifle Association by Major H. Fulton ; the Massachusetts 
Rifle Club by Messrs. Jackson, Shepard and Rockwell ; the 
Maryland Rifle Club by Mr. A. Canfield, aud the Oolumbia 
Rifle Club, of Washington, D. C., by Mr. J. O. Burnside. 
General Wingate was elected president and Messrs. Schermer- 
horn and Johnson, secretaries. A committee was appointed 
to .lecide upon a plan for future conventions and the manner 
of choosing representatives to them, as well as to define the 
powers of delegates in convention, who reported that the 
powers of this convention would only extend to the recom- 
mendation to the Directors of the National Rifle Association 
such measures as might seem beneficial to the interests of rifle 
shooting. They also recommended that all future interna- 
tional matches be shot in the vicinity of New York, and that 
facilities be afforded to riflemen in other States to obtain 
places on the American team. These resolutions were adopt- 
ed, as was also one requesting the Directors of the National 
Rifle Association to obtain reduced rates of fare for delegates 
from distant cities to the next convention and competitors in 
the next fall meeting. It was also proposed that an annual 
convention should be held during the fall meeting of the N. 
R. A. Acting on this, the next convention will be held as 
designated. 
New Yoke, May 21.— Weekly shoot -, Zettler Rifle Club ; 
Creedmoor targets reduced to gallery distance; possible 50, 
ten shots. 
M B Engel ..47 
p Penning 47 
B Zeuler 47 
Ttuo KlelBr.th 40 
H OcMI 10 
L Beatese ifl 
J L'vy 46 
C G Zettler 46 
M L tiggt 46 
M Dorrler *5 
M W Farrow 46 
W Wlegant 4' 
KHanziger 45 
M Miller 43 
J DutU - 42 
R Zimmerman <2 
N DWard 42 
DCaiabane 42 
CJndson 46 C Wallers 40 
Zettleb Rifle Club, May 25.— Shooting for places on the 
team to compete for the Forest and Stream and Rod and 
Gun medal. 80 shot6 per man ; 200 yds. off-hand ; possible 
750 points : 
H Oohl 819 M L Riggs ;.....530 
M W Farrow 619 CJndson 530 
P penning 619 L Beates -...528 
M Dorrler -617 QSchnrman 622 
D Ml ler 610 F Fabarius 4S7 
Tneo Kieiarath 595 R Zimmerman 471 
B Zettler 57® M Ward 452 
OG Zettler 675 J Joiner 435 
j p Q a 663 W Ca.hane 402 
M B Engel 682 
State Convention.— Distance 100 yards ; off-hand ; string 
measure ; any sights except telescope allowed, ortherwise, ac- 
cording to the rules of the State Association. O. G. Jones, 
Syracuse, 20$ in ; C. E. Rider, Rochester, 27$ in.; G. P. 
Miller, Corning, 38$ in.; E. S. Coombs, Rochester, 47$ in. 
Pistol Shooting.— Deliberate; 10 shot; string measure; 
distance 15 yard9 : John B. Sage, Buffalo, 19 in ; E. Red- 
mond, Rochester, 36 in.; E. S. Combs, Rochester, 19 in.; 
George J. Marsh, Buffalo, 10$ in.; J. H. Andrews, Rochester, 
20$ in. Ties: Sage, 18 3-16 ; Combs, 27$. 
The National Sohuetzenfest.— The arrangements for 
the great National Schuetzenfest at Union Hill, N. J., are 
rapidly approaching completion. Judge Gilders’.eeve will fill 
the vacancy caused by the death of Gen. Dakin. A conven- 
tion of delegates from the various shooting societies in this 
country and abroad will be one of the features of the prize 
meeting, which is to take place at Union Hill on Wednesday, 
June 19. Additional prizes to be contested for at the “ Tar- 
gets of Honor" have been received, as follows : H. W. Cordts, 
cash, gold, $50 ; Lieut. W. Jose, cash, gold, $100; Zettler 
Rifle Club, a glass case containing fifty gold dollars, arranged 
so as to form the initials of the club ; Baltimore Schuetzen 
Corps, gold watch valued at $1.25. 
—At a meeting of the Schutzen Bund in this city last week, 
Judge Henry A. Gildersleeve was appointed as one of the 
Committee on Prizes and Honorary Members, in the place of 
General Dakin, deceased. 
First Regiment Alabama State Troops.— We take great 
pleasure in publishing the programme issued from Mobile, 
containing a general invitation to a rifle contest to be held on 
the 15th, 16th and 47th days of July next, under the auspices 
of the First Regiment Alabama State Troops. There will be 
three competitions. The following are the matches with the 
prizes : 
Competition I.— Open to teams of five from each company, 
of the Organized and Uniformed Militia of the United States. 
Each member of the team mu9t be an officer or a regularly en- 
listed member of the company he represents, and shall appear 
in uniform— full dress or fatigue. Distance, 200 and 500 
yards, setfbn shots. First prize, to the team making the 
highest score, the Southern Company Trophy; second prize, 
to the highest individual score, a gold medal; third prize, to 
the team making the second best score, prize, or $50 gold. 
Competition II.— Open to teams of eight from each State of 
the Union. Each member of the team must be an officer or a 
regularly enlisted member of the Organized Militia of the 
State he represents, and shall appear in uniform— full dress or 
fatigue. Distance, 200 nod 500 yards, seven shots First 
prize, to the team ma.< ing the highest score, the Southern 
State trophy; second prize, to the highest individual score, 
gold medal; third prize, to the team making the second best 
score, prize, or $50 gold. 
Competition III.— Open to all regularly enlisted members of 
the Organized and Uniformed Militia of the United States. 
Distance, 300 yards; position, standing; rounds, seveu. First 
prize, to the highest score, 40 per cent of pool; second prize, 
the second best score, 25 per cent of pool; third prize, to 
6—46 
6-46 
4—46 
6—44 
4 — 43 
6—42 
6 - 11—307 
6—44 
5 — 43 
6 — 42 
5-42 
4 - 40 
5 — 40 
4 - 39-290 
Any ammunition may be used and must be provided by 
competitors. Captains of teams will address in person Major 
James M. Williams, Inspector of Rifle Practice, at Headquar- 
ters in Armory Hall, at 12 m., on the day preceding the match. 
Telegraphic Match— Chioago and Warben Teams.— 
The return match was shot on Thursday, and resulted in a 
victory for Chicago. We give the scores : 
Chicago Team. 
B G Gleason * * * 
W H Chenoweth 4 5 6 
8 M Terrill f « 6 
J C 4 6 4 
F W Borcherdt 4 4 4 
LR Drury * * * 
JK Evans 0 * 0 
Warren Team. 
J C Woodworth 4 5 4 
AH Totten 4 6 6 
FSSp'fard 4 4 4 
Go D Wells.... 4 4 5 
F H Cole 0 4 4 
John Bird 6 3 3 
H W Foss 6 4 4 
Motana —Helena, May 12.— A rifle organization, with 
nearly fifty members, under the title of the Helena Rifle 
Club, has just been perfected here for the purpose of off-haud 
and long-range shooting. Many of the members are old rifle- 
men, whose average is "‘way up” near the “possible,’ while 
olhers, as yet unknown to fame, manage to make the old 
hands mind their p's and.q’s. If Mr. Bitting Bull comes 
around this summer we will try long-range tactics on him, but 
we re not to say exceedingly anxious. The officers are : B. H. 
Tatem, Pres.; Col. W. B. Hendlcy, Vice-Pres., and Granville 
Stuart, Sec. Amateur. 
Canada. — A meeting of the Council of the Ontario Rifle 
Association was held at the Drill Shed, Toronto, on Thursday, 
the 16th instant, when it was decided that a team should not 
be sent this year to compete in the military match at Creed- 
moor. Shooter. 
Natural Point Blane. — Major Merrill, whose articles in 
our paper are considered as the best authority on all points 
regarding rifle matters, has very kindly placed at our disposal 
a letter of his addressed to Col. James G. Benton, U. S. A., 
commanding U. S. Arsenal at Springfield, and Col. Benton's 
reply. Colonel Benton's opinion, which may be considered as 
the soundest among professional ordnance officers, is likely to 
set at rest that ambiguity which has existed in regard to the 
terms “natural and artificial lines of sight.” Communications 
of such a high character we appreciate very fully, and their 
value will be fully understood by riflemen. Colonel Benton is 
the author of the text book now used at West Point. Much 
credit is due to Major Merrill for having first defined in 
Forest and Stream, the exact meaning of the various terms, 
and to have cut away a great deal of unnecessary verbiage 
which has hindered our riflemen : 
New Rochelle, Webtouester County, > 
, New York, May 7, 1878. / 
Col. James G. Denton, U. S. A., Commander U. S. Arsenal, 
Springpela, Mass : 
Dear Colonel : I wish to assert, If It be true, and I think It la : 
Flflt. Tnat the rifle has no "natural point” blank and range, because It 
has no “natural line of sight." It does not alght over or along Its “metal" 
In rear, which Is a condition of the natural line of sight and range. The 
cannon has bota oPthese. They arise from the peculiarity of Its con- 
struction, and are found convenient for racords, etc., In Held practice. 
Second. That the rifle has no distinctive "artlflolal point blank rang e. ’ 
The term “artificial, ” as used fot the cannon, Is In contradistinction to 
“natural,” and If no “natural,” then "artlflclal" falls with It. I see no 
use for either of theBe terms In reference to the rifle, and If they could 
be dragged Into the subject, they would only serve to confuse the com- 
mon reader, an 1 hence would be decidedly objectionable. 
Ergo : This leaves for us simply the “point blank and range" proper 
for the rifle. These, with moveable eights, vary with the distance, and are 
always feund at the second cut of the trajectory by the Hue of sight. 
This definition Is general, as will be seen, and at once grasps the facts 
and results of all point blank rifle shooting, whether It be over the 
level plain, up Into the mountain, or down Into the valley. 
A deflnltion at once so simple can be easily understood by the public, 
and this Is Just what we require for the rifle as a distinct weapon from 
the cannon. 
I give, ae an Illustration, one example. No deflnltion could be 
plainer for a "cross-road” thaa that It Is the intersection of one road 
with another. So with the rifle point blank proper. It Is the second 
Intersection of the trajectory with the line of sight. It embraces the 
facta of the case, and stops there. Such a deflnltion I have hitherto, 
with full explanations, put forth In Fubbst and Stream. It Is, I find, 
well understood and appreciated generally. 
The same uellaltlon, however, la exactly true for the cannon, after 
leaving out the two distinctions peculiar to this arm— “natural" and 
“artlflclal”— which terras I purposely dropped, as clogs to a definition 
tor rifle and small aims' practloe. I know full well that we can com- 
pare and assimilate the points blank and ranges of those different arms, 
the one with the other, elc.; bnt this la confnBlng, and entirely un- 
necessary to the subjectof rifle shooting and for a good, plain deflnltion. 
Third. When United States arms, snoh as rifles, carbines and pistols, 
come from the manufacturer, do they come sighted on a “level,” that Is, 
with the rear sight and front equidistant from the axis of the boro (and 
thna giving no point blank), or do they come, as I suppose, with the 
rear sight the highest (I mean the fixed standard sight), and so give a 
point blank and rang e at once without any elevation 7 If so, what Is 
the flxed or standard range, and has it any special name 7 If so, what 
Is It ? I see It stated that small armB are Issued with sights to the 
“level.” 
I hope yon will pardo'n me for Infringing upon your timo and 
patience, and favor me with an authoritative answer, and all pro bono 
publico, you know. Yours truly, H. W. Merrill. 
P. S.— If you like It, or will permit me, I will have your reply pub- 
lished In the Forest and Stream and Rod and Gun. It will bo duly 
appreciated. Otherwise I will use private, of course. 
the axle of the bore. In mortars the lino of metal Is parallel to tho 
axis of the bore. Cannon, therefore, In our service, have no point 
blank In tho usual slgnlflcanco of tills word. I agree with you that 
the farther uso of the words “natural and artlflolal," as applied to the 
lino of sight of a firearm, maybe dispensed with. The term point 
blank tuny be retained, understanding by It that It lathe point of Inter- 
section of the flxed or lowest line of sight with the trajectory. The 
term "point blank range” will, of course, menu the distance of this 
point from the gun. Benton. 
National Armort, Springfield, Mass,, May 14, 1878. 
Major U. IF. Merrill, Neio Rochelle, N. Y. 
My Dear Major : Y’our note Is received. The terms, "natural and 
artlflcial lines of sight," “point blank,” eto., are now bat little used In 
tho military service, for the reason that aim Is no longer taken along 
the line of tho "metal" of tho piece. In military rifles and carbines the 
lowest, or flxed line of sight, outs the path of the ballet at 100 yards. 
In gnus (cannon) and howitzers, the height of the front eight Is made 
equal to that of the rear sight, and the lowest line of sight Is parallel to 
jfp# mid Qivcr fishing; 
FISH IN SEASON IN MAY. 
Trout, Salmo Jontinalis . 
Salmon, Salmo talar. 
Grayling, ThymmallM tricolor. 
Salmon Trout, Salmo conjlnit. 
Shad, Alosa. 
Land-locked Salmon, Salmo glooeri. 
flies in season in may. 
Black May, No. 10.— Body, black ; feet, black; wings, grayish 
hyaline. 
Cow Dung, No. 10 and 11.— Body and feet, brownish yellow , 
wings, yellow-gray. 
Great Dun, No. 9 and 8.— Body, purple brown; feet, gray 
brown ; wings, dark gray hyaline ; seUo, dark brown annulatcd with 
gray. 
Red Spinneb, No. 10 and 9.— Body, bright olaret, ribbod with 
gold tinsel; feet, briok color; wings, gray hyal; setio, paleine 
briok, color 
Yellow May, No 10.— Body and feet, pale yellow ; wings, pale 
yellow, mottled with brown ; eette, yellow. 
Coachman.— B ody, peaokcook berl ; feet, dark red hackle ; wings, 
white. 
Kino of the WATEn.— Same as queen of the water, with ecarlet 
body instead of orange. 
Gold Spinneb.— B ody, orange, ribbed with gold tinsel; feet, 
pale red baokle ; wings, bright gray. 
Captain.— Body, posterior half, peacock berl, anterior half, 
gray ; white feet ; red hackle ; wings gray ; setce, soarlot green 
and wood duck feathers mixed. 
Soldier.— Body, orimeon ; feet, red haoklo ; wings, gray. 
Kingdom. — B ody, white, ringed with green ; feet, peaoook berl, 
and red baokle ; wings, gray, mottled with brown. 
Black Palmer, Brown Palmer, Bed Palmer and Gray Palmer 
are made respectively of the different colored hackles tbat dis- 
tinguish them. 
Fish in Mabkxt— Retail Priobs.— Bass, 18 cents ; blue fish, 
12 ; salmon, 25 ; mackerel, 15; shad, 25; weakflsh, 12 ; white perch. 
16 ; Spanish mackerel, 50 ; green turtle, 15; halibut, 15; haddock, 
6 ; king fish, 15 ; codfish, 6; black fish, 10; flounders, 8; porgiee, 
6; sea base, 15; eele, 18; lobetere, 8; eheepsbead, 15; Long 
Island brook trout, $1 ; pompano, 50 ; white bait, per pound, $1 
hard crabs, per 100, $3 ; soft orabs, per dozen, $1.26. 
Reatigouche salmon arriving in very large quantity, fully 
two weeks earlier than usual. Market somewhat overstocked 
and salmon selling for 25 cents a pound. Receipts of Con 
necticut salmon in New York light, but the catch said to l o 
increasing. Prices of salmon having been cut down by ti e 
advent of fish from tho Dominion, better prices can be had in 
Connecticut in than New York. Bluefish plenty, weighing 
four pounds, caught on the Jersey coast and south side of 
Long Island. Fish much larger and in better condition than 
in former seasons. Very heavy hauls of striped bass have 
been taken in the vicinity of Westhampton and Freeport, L, 
I. , averaging 45 pounds. Sheepshead are plenty from the 
Chesapeake and a few from Long Island. 
We noticed on the slabs of Middleton, Carman & Co., the 
first two red salmon caught in the Restigouche River this 
season ; they weighed 45$ lbs. A salmon from Port Mon- 
mouth, N. J., was the novelty. 
Canada— Walkerton, Ont., May 20.— On the 15th I got a 
basketful of trout, from 7 to 23 and 24 ounces. 
J. F. H. G. 
Montreal, May 23. — Salmon have|arrived in large quantities 
at Matepedia, in the Restigouche. Some 35-pounders have 
been taken. Stanstead. 
Maine — Rangeley Lakes, May 20. — On the llth instant 
Fish Commissioner H. O. Stanley, on his return from Bema 
Stream, where he had been engaged in depositing fry, made a 
few casts of the fly at the Upper Dam, und speedily hooked 
and captured two magnificent trout, weighing four aud five 
pounds respectively. I believe this is the earliest catch with 
the fly on record in these waters. Mr. Stanley is the champion 
fly fisherman in this section. He has visited the Kangely 
Lakes for thirty years, and has taken many hundred brook 
trout, weighing from three to nine aud a half pounds. Prob- 
ably half of these were returned to the water uninjured. He 
has superintended the hatching of 750,000 trout, to keep up 
the supply of these giants among the Salmo fontinalis. I lie 
first among the anglers who visited the Rangeley Lakes was 
Theodore L. Page, of Boston, the owner of the lovely Lake 
Point Cottage, at the outlet of Rangeley Lake. He arrived 
April 20, and will remain until October 1. Henry Lampsou, of 
New York, is now there as his guest. Among the members 
of the Oquossoc Angling Association who will report at Camp 
Kennebago next week are J. H. Kimball, of Bath, Me., presi- 
dent; L. B. Reed, of NewYork, vice-president; James A. 
Williamson, of New "iork, secretary and treasurer; Hon. 
William P. Frye, M. C., of Lewiston, Me.; A. D. Lockwood, 
of Providence, R. 1.; J. R. Payson, of Chicago; Dudley Al- 
cott and Abraham Lansing, of Albany, and W. B. Wood, ol 
Boston. Gentlemen and ladies desiriug to be enterlamed at 
Camp Kennebago will be received during July aud August 
without the necessity of obtaining a letter from a member. 
They will find excellent accommodations, good guides and 
boats, and very reasonable charges. 
Geo. Shepard Page. 
Massachusetts— Neu> Bedford, May 21.— Our market is 
Ailed with an unusual variety of fish for this time of year ; 
they are some three weeks earlier than usual. Bluefish aie 
caught by the hundred. Striped bass are running up our 
frem water rivers, and are caught plentifully lrorn tho 
bridges, etc. Sea bass, tautog, scup, etc., are for the season 
unusually fat and in good condition. Concha. 
