770 
FOREST AND STREAM 
Dec. 13, 1913. 
birds, and which, I flatter myself, was received in 
the kindly spirit in which it was tendered, i. e., with 
an eye single to the advancement of the greatest of all 
events, without disparagement to any. . It was em¬ 
phasized by the gratifying success of the Grand Amer¬ 
ican Handicap of 1913. A success unparalleled in the 
history of trap shooting, where the largest and finest 
array of skilled trap shooters ever marshalled on the 
planet, carried the contest to a close without jar or 
friction. 
Only those actually engaged can fully appreciate 
the enormous task of carrying such a gigantic enter¬ 
prise to a successful terminus. The 1913 Tournament 
was up-to-date in every respect and subject matter for 
comment by all our sporting journals, and it has 
ever since furnished a conversation topic to the trap 
shooting fraternity. It might be well, however, to 
ponder the objections raised by experts to the im¬ 
mensity of such tournaments. Many will agree with 
them that notwithstanding its success, the scale was 
too extensive to obtain the best results possible. On 
this head, of course, there is room for honest con¬ 
tention. Tournaments of such magnitude undoubtedly 
tax the resources of even The Interstate Association 
to the utmost, and success is only attained by Her¬ 
culean exertion. 
I would emphasize the fact that from a managerial 
standpoint 501 entries are not unwieldy and from ex 
perience gained this year I believe it possible to man¬ 
age the Grand American Handicap successfully even 
up to the point of 1,000 entries, but in the interest ot 
contestants to have a greater number of entries than 
this year would, in my opinion, tend to cheapen our 
annual contest by reducing it to the level of a show, 
which we are not by any visible exigency constrained 
to do. I feet confident that this will meet the views 
of the best sportsmen, who had rather fail nobly con¬ 
testing under difficulties than win what might possibly 
degenerate into a barren honor, where conditions were 
made easy inducing a multitude to compete no mattei 
hew much outclassed. I think the Grand American 
Handicap has accomplished all The interstate Asso¬ 
ciation proposed in the outset, and probably more, 
but to continue to allow more and more entries 
would, in my view, be retrogressive. Tt lias reached 
that point where it cannot be the ambition of any 
to make it the largest, but the best in existence. 
In my judgment the Grand American Handicap 
should be so arranged as to make conditions harder 
without departing from our system, and made so that 
it can be finished in one day. Without detracting 
from the interest in the least, conditions might be 
made so that contestants would not exceed four 
hundred. The suggestion that a highei entrance fee, 
more targets to shoot at and more severe handicaps 
would have greater public significance than opening oi 
the list to all manner and condition of shooters, is 
worth careful consideration. I would not wish to be 
understood as advocating that the entire tournament 
be conducted on such rigid lines, but the main event 
only—The Grand American Handicap—the remainder 
of the program to be constructed in a manner similar 
to our previous tournaments. By limiting the num¬ 
ber of entries we would do away with otherwise possi¬ 
ble unavoidable mishaps, such as changes of 
weather, sudden illness of contestants and other de¬ 
mands which readily present themselves to all. It 
is certain that the Grand American Handicap has be¬ 
come a very severe strain on contestants, though the 
stoical fortitude which sustained them in the last 
trial may not have impressed outsiders as it did those 
whose duties compelled them to follow with scrutiny 
every phase of the contest. 
Whatever view may be taken of these suggestions, 
I wish to be understood as making them with an eye 
single to the best interest of The Interstate Associa 
tion devoid of any selfish consideration whatever and 
I am honestly convinced that time will prove my 
prognostications correct. 
The Future. 
Relative to the future there is little to say ex¬ 
cept to repeat what has been said over and ovci 
from year to year in the past. The Interstate Asso¬ 
ciation continues to be to trap shooting what the 
base ball leagues are to the game of base ball, keep¬ 
ing alive interest in the sport and keeping the in¬ 
terest unflagging among local clubs. Money expended 
by our members through the Association is well spent. 
In my opinion, no other form of advertising brings 
equal results to our individual members. 
While the sport is dormant in a few particular 
localities, our records, and the best information ob¬ 
tainable from the manufacturers of sportsmen's supplies, 
show there is more trap shooting now than ever 
before, and interest will continue to accumulate just 
so long as the sport is controlled on the present 
equitable lines. 
Our honorary press members are to be commended 
for their unswerving support of the Association and 
its policies and I wish to acknowledge the aid they 
have given the Association. 
Very respectfully submitted, 
ELMER E. SHAVER, Tournament Manager 
The Interstate Association’s Annual Meeting 
The annual meeting of the stockholders of the Inter¬ 
state Association for the Encouragement of Trap Shoot¬ 
ing was held at the Association’s office with the Cor¬ 
poration Trust Company, 15 Exchange Place, Jersey City, 
N. J., on Thursday, December 4th, at 10 o’clock in the 
forenoon. 
The roll-call showed the following members repre¬ 
sented in person: 
Remington-Arms-Union Metallic Cartridge Co., by F. 
B. Clark, A. F. Hebard and T. A. Marshall; E. I. 
F. G. DREW, PRESIDENT INTERSTATE ASS’N 
du Pont de Nemours Powder Co., by T. E. Doremus and 
I- J. Squier; Winchester Repeating Arms Co., by -F. G. 
Drew; Parker Brothers, by W. F. Parker; the Peters 
Cartridge Co., by W. E. Keplinger and T. H. Keller; 
the Chamberlain Cartridge and Target Co., by Paul 
North; -the Western Cartridge Co., by A. J. iN-orcom and 
H. E. W-imans; American Powder Mills, by Murray 
Ballou; Hunter Arms Co., by H. McMurchy and T. II. 
Keller, Jr.; Hercules Powder Company, by J. T. Skelly 
and Edward Banks; the United States Cartridge Co., 
by C. W. Dimick and the Lefever Arms Co., by A. II. 
Durston. 
The United Lead Company and the Selby Smelting 
and Lead Company were represented by proxy. 
Thomas D. Richter and A. J. Dando, of “Sporting 
Life”; H, S. Rosenthal and L. Work, of “Sportsmen’s 
Review”; W. G. Beecrof-t and W. J. Gallagher, of “For¬ 
est and Stream,” and A. W. Higgins, honorary members 
of the association, were also present, as -was John R. 
Turner, resident director; E. Reed -Shaner, secretary, 
and Elmer E. Shaner, treasurer, of the association. 
The secretary presented and read a copy of the notice 
of the meeting, together with proof of the due mailing 
thereof to each stockholder of -the association at least 
two weeks before the meeting, as required by the by¬ 
laws. 
The transfer-book and stock-book of the association 
were produced and remained during the meeting open 
to inspection. 
Upon motion, duly made and seconded, the minutes 
of the last meeting were approved. 
Messrs. Thomas D. Richter and Henry S. Rosenthal 
(neither of them being a candidate for the office of 
director) were appointed inspectors of election and duly 
sworn. 
The meeting -then proceeded to the election of the 
directors by ballot in accordance with the by-laws. 
The report of the president for the past year was 
presented, read and ordered to be filed. 
The secretary’s detailed report for the past year was 
presented and ordered to be received and filed. 
The financial report of the treasurer for the past 
year was presented and ordered to be received and filed. 
The annual report of the tournament manager was 
also presented and ordered to be received and filed. 
The polls having remained open the period prescribed 
by statute, were ordered closed and the inspectors pre¬ 
sented their report in writing, showing the following 
persons, stockholders of the association, had received 
the greatest number of votes: 
F. B. Clark, A. F. Hebard and T. A. Marshall, of the 
Remington-Arms-Union Metallic Cartridge Co.; T. E. 
Doremus, L. J. Squier and C. A. Haight, of the -E. I. 
du Pont de Nemour’s Powder Co.; F. G. Drew, H. S. 
Leonard and W. R. Clark, of the Winchester Repeating 
Arms Co.; W. F. Parker, of Parker Brothers; W. E. 
Keplinger and T. II. .Keller, of the Peters Cartridge 
Co.; Paul North and J. II. Webster, of the Chamberlin 
Cartridge nad Target Co.; A. J. Norcom and F. W. 
Olin, of the Western Cartridge Co.; Murray Ballou and 
E. B. Drake, of the American Powder Mills; John 
Hunter, of the Hunter Arms Co.; J. T. Skelly and Ed¬ 
ward Banks, of the Hercules Powder Co.; C. H. Dimick 
and Orrin R. Dickey, of the L’nited States Cartridge 
Co.; A. II. Durston, of the Lefever Arms Co.; P. D. 
Beresford and J. R. Wettstein, of the United Lead Co.; 
William B. Stadtfeld, of the Selby Smelting and Lead 
Company, John R. Turner and Elmer E. Shaner. 
The chairman thereupon declared that the above- 
named persons were duly elected directors of the associa¬ 
tion. 
F. B. CLARK, VICE-PRESIDENT INTERSTATE ASS’N 
Upon motion, duly made and seconded, the secretary 
was directed to file with the records of -the association 
for the purpose of reference, the following papers: 
(1) List of stockholders entitled to vote at this meet¬ 
ing. 
(2) Proxies presented at this meeting. 
(3) Notice of meeting and proof of mailing thereof. 
(4) Inspector’s oath and report. 
