Nov. 29, 1913. 
FOREST AND STREAM 
691 
Forest and Stream is the official organ of the National Archery Association 
Archery and the Weather 
The archers are on the range and there is 
a strong, gusty wind. And still good scores are 
made. 
The archers are on the range, and the wind, 
the temperature and the light are perfect for 
the sport, and the scores average low. 
An archer goes out to shoot, feeling fine, 
mentally and physically, and hopes to beat his 
record, and he scores far below his average. 
An archer goes out, having been sick in bed 
for three days, and physically looking and feel¬ 
ing badly. He expects nothing but a little light 
exercise, and yet he makes scores rivaling his 
best, and they have been high. 
These statements present questions which 
are decidedly enigmatic, and cannot be satisfac¬ 
torily answered, except in isolated cases. 
If an archer of experience and average skill 
is shooting badly, he should be able to discover 
the reason for it. You often hear an archer 
say, “I don’t know why I am shooting so poorly.” 
He ought to know. And if he does a little think¬ 
ing, reasoning, he will be able to do so, even 
though he may not at once be able to remedy 
the fault. 
It will be interesting to refer to the three 
public meetings held here this year, and the 
weather conditions which prevailed during them. 
At the meeting held on the lake front in 
Chicago, July 3, 4 and 5, in connection with the 
pre-Olympic game, the weather was nearly as 
bad as could be. The range was free from turf 
and baked so hard that no arrow stuck where it 
struck, if it hit the ground. Polo had been 
played on it and the ground was pulverized by 
the ponies’ hoofs. The air, much of the time, 
was filled with a blinding dust. The strong 
wind from the south and west, once suddenly 
blew from the northwest and overturned targets. 
The lowest temperature for the three days 
was 92 degrees. And yet with these conditions 
the highest scores of the year were made. The 
double York round was 209-989; the double 
American, 179-1169; and the men’s team round, 
336-1764; best individual team round score, 94- 
562. The other scores were about up to the 
average of the archers making them. 
The Eastern Archery Association shot the 
double American round at Wayne, Pa., on July 
4. It was shot on different ranges. The weather 
was reported as good, but the scores were not 
high for the archers who made them. The best 
double round was 176-1032, and made by the 
winner of the American round at Boston. 
The national meeting at Boston, in August, 
was the surprise of the season. Nearly all the 
best archers of the country took part in it, and 
it was expected that the scores would average 
higher than in any previous tournament. 
I am told that the weather conditions were 
all good, except the wind, and that that was 
very bad. It blew a half gale over the Harvard 
Stadium to the east, and sometimes around one 
end of the building and then around the other. 
And yet was it the very bad weather that 
caused the champions and ex-champions to go 
to pieces as they did, and make so much lower 
scores than was expected of them? 
Sometimes one will make better than an 
average score, in a bad wind, because he has to 
hold his bow more firmly, and take more pains 
than usual. Or was there same psychological 
condition which affected nearly everyone? 
The highest double York round made in 
Boston was 176-832, and last year the same 
archer made 230-1094. The highest double 
American was 170-1000, and the best team round 
338-1538; best individual team round score, 91- 
479 - 
Of course there are other than weather con¬ 
ditions, which affect scores, particularly those 
made at a public meeting. A long journey, loss 
of sleep, irregular hours, change of food and 
water often put one out of condition. 
The London Field in its report of the 
Northern Counties’ Meeting, held Aug. 27, 28 
and 29, at Derby, comments on the low scores 
as follows: 
“Why this should have been the case it is 
difficult to say, nor could anyone give a valid 
reason to account for it, but as nearly everyone 
was affected in the same way there must have 
been some adverse influence at work. It is diffi¬ 
cult to give any reason why the shooting was 
not better, unless it be that the atmosphere of 
Derby has a peculiarly malevolent effect on 
archery, and especially on that of men.” 
The highest double York round was 167-619. 
Edward B. Weston. 
Bloomfield Archers. 
Bloomfield, N. J., Nov. 13, 1913. 
The following are scores recently made on 
the local range: 
York Round—November 2, 1913. 
xoo yds. 80 yds. 60 yds. Total. 
Alfred Pettit . 9-25 16- 62 13- 49 38-136 
F. Nelson Clay .. 22-68 24-90 20-100 66-258 
American Round—November 2, 1913. 
60 yds. 50 yds. 40 yds. Total. 
Alfred Pettit . 22-86 26-114 25-117 73 W 7 
F. Nelson Clay .. 24-90 28-130 28-168 80-388 
While shooting the American round, a couple 
of neighbors happened along, one with a silk 
beaver and the other with a soft hat. To show 
their contempt for our archery prowess, while 
we were returning to the fifty yard mark they 
thrust a button hook in the center of the target 
and hung the silk beaver thereon and later the 
soft hat. The writer smashed three hats and hit 
the fourth in two ends. Our option on hats was 
withdrawn. We finished the round in a hilarious 
manner, but with poor results. 
F. NELSON CLAY. 
Pittsburgh Archers. 
Pittsburgh, Nov. 17, 1913. 
On Saturday in a drizzle, Mr. Jiles and the 
writer made a successful effort to capture the 
“elusive five hundred” immortalized by Jas. Duff. 
A few more poems from the pen of our lawyer 
friend will place him, along with Thompson and 
Hussey, high in the ranks of past toxophilites. 
Archers are all more or less gifted with 
the power of rhyme, for the necessity of perfect 
co-ordination of mind and body makes the musical 
and appropriate arrangements of words a matter 
of easy accomplishment. For instance: 
Oh, Jiles’ smile, it spreads a mile. 
Will it ever come off? 
Just wait a while. 
Scout American Round. 
Jiles . 30-156 30-182 30-188 90-526 
Hertig . 30-186 30-186 30-202 90-576 
Team Round. 
Jiles .. 94-524 Hertig . 92-51-2 
O. L. HERTIG. 
Eighth N. A. A. Mail Match. 
In the 8th mail match held on November 15th, all 
the York Round scores that were made came from 
Newton. Mr. Gray writes that while the rest of the 
country was scourged by blizzards they enjoyed 
beautiful 'balmy weather. Eight men shot the long dis¬ 
tance event and among them was Phil. Bryant. That 
his broken arm is strong enough for the strain of shoot¬ 
ing is a very remarkable thing and shows that he must 
have had a mighty good doctor. 
YORK 
ROUND. 
B. P. Gray . 
. 44-180 
33-151 
24-104 
101-435 
P. Bryant . 
• 38-142 
32-140 
21-109 
91-391 
S. W. Wilder ... 
. 34-112 
30-150 
20-112 
84-374 
L. C. Smith _ 
. 24-104 
30-128 
22- 90 
76-322 
Ellis Spear, Jr. . 
C. T. Switzler 
• 23- 91 
19- 74 
20- 92 
62-257 
28-118 
21- 95 
49-218 
H. B. Wilder . 
6- 22 
7 - 25 • 
7- 37 
20- 84 
F. I. Peckham 
■ ■ 3-7 
5 - 27 
4- 22 
12- 56 
AMERICAN ROUND. 
It seems to be the regular thing for some records 
to be broken in each succeeding mail match. S. W. 
Wilder and L. Smith have moved up again. Perhaps 
Sir James Duff’s poem about the 500 score has proved 
an inspiration to the American Round shooters for 
the list of men who have passed that mark is steadily 
growing. When one looks at Smith’s scores now and 
thinks that last year he held the wooden spoon he must 
be 
tie. 
filled with admiration. 
Taylor 
D. 
A. Hertig _ 
^0-l86 
30-186 
II. 
S. Taylor .... 
29-169 
30-194 
H. 
W. Bishop .. 
29-l6l 
30-186 
B. 
P. Gray . 
28-160 
30-168 
T. 
Tiles . 
30-156 
30-182 
S. 
Wilder . 
25-143 
29-179 
L. 
C. Smith _ 
30-148 
29-167 
Dr 
Elmer . 
28-146 
30-190 
T. 
El. Pendry ... 
21- 83 
30-142 
C. 
T. Switzler ... 
. 21- 93 
29-141 
M rs. Gray . 
. 21- 97 
22-110 
Dr. 
Weston . 
. 19- 75 
21- 91 
TT. 
B. Wilder ... 
9- 43 
15- 57 
F. 
T. Peckham ., 
7- 31 
11- 39 
B. 
P. Gray, Jr.. 
■• 5-27 
3- 25 
30-202 
30-186 
30-202 
30-200 
30-188 
29- 199 
30- 200 
30-178 
30-148 
28-136 
26-134 
24-120 
X. 3 - 69 
9 - 43 
10- 38 
90-574 
89-549 
89- 549 
88- 528 
90- 526 
83-521 
89 - 515 
88-514 
Si -373 
78-370 
69-341 
64-286 
37 -i 69 
27-113 
20 - 90 
would have won almost every annual tournament of 
the N. A. A. Let us hope that next August will see 
them all in form as good or better. Mr. Pendry has 
been prevented by sickness from shooting for ^most .of 
the fall and it is good to hear that he is at it again. 
TEAM ROUND. 
Dr. Elmer . 20-84 23-129 22-120 19-99 84-432 
Mr. Pendry .... 20-88 15- 51 20- 96 18-94 73 ‘ 3 2 9 
At the Newton shooting a matcn of 30 arrows at 
/o yards was held as a wind up in' the rapidly deepen¬ 
ing dusk. Gray and Smith challenged Wilder and 
Switzler with the following close result: 
Gray .30-202 Wilder .30-184 
Smith .30-198 Switzler . 3°- T 84 
60-401, 60-368: 
Not an arrow missed! 
Here is another case where the same thing hap¬ 
pened; “William D. Marshall, of West Chester, Pa., 
at 5 yards with a home-made hickory bow and arrows 
hit a 2-inch paper target every time.” Now let us- 
(Continued on page 702.) 
