March i, 1913 
FOREST AND STREAM 
277 
Where the Grand American Handicap Will Be Shot 
History of the N. C. R. Gun Club, Dayton, Ohio 
By MACK 
H. L. MONBECK, PRESIDENT. 
W. F. MacCANDLESS, SECRETARY-TREASURER. 
L ate one Saturday afternoon in .April, 1909, three 
tired but h; ppy snipe hunters sat on a log in the 
Big Beaver Swamp, resting from their tramp 
through the swamp. They had shot a few of the flavory 
jacksnipe, but, best of all, they had fully enjoyed the 
pleasure and companionship of several hours in the 
glorious outdoors, with the warm sunshine, green grass 
and wild flowers, the many robins, thrushes and other 
song birds chirping and flying back and forth, and the 
fresh, balmy air of spring (nature at her best). How 
their red blood had tingled whenever a wily jack rose 
suddenly from some grassy tuft, and with a shrill “skack” 
darted away like a flash on his zig-zagging course across 
the swamp. These men- Harve L. Monbeck, Fred W'. 
fjswald and W. F. MacCandless-eniployees of the 
National Cash Re.gister Co., were regretting the fact that 
it was the last Saturday afternoon of the open snipe 
season, and tha.t they could not be together outdoors for 
any shooting until the next fall. Suddenly the idea 
occurred of forming a shotgun club to shoot clay birds 
on Saturday afternoons. Harvey had taken a very active 
part in trapshooting for over sixteen years. Fred was 
also a well-known amateur shooter with several years’ 
experience on the firing line. “Mac” had never shot in 
any blucrock shoots, but he recalled how, when a boy 
of twelve, he had once or twice crouched in a large box 
and loaded an expert trap while some men “boomed” at 
the targets with black powder shells. However, for years 
he read and admired the scores made by “Pop” Heikes 
and other leading shooters. They talked of plans for a 
club all the way home, and the next week they began 
trying to interest the shooters among their fellow work¬ 
ers. On Thursday evening. May 20, Alonbeck, Oswald, 
MacCandless, C. A. Sheets, \\'. O. Bonders, Frank Os¬ 
wald, J. S. Neff, W'. C. Breen, E. Allen, J. L. Shrop¬ 
shire, C. B. M'ertz and O. R. Schoenherger met and 
organized a club; as they were all employees of that com- 
jiany, they named it N. C. R. Gun Club. Each of these 
twelve men contributed ■$! to the first treasury fund to 
buy loaded shells and targets. The officers chosen were: 
President, Wertz; Captain, Monheck; Secretary, Sheets; 
Treasurer, Fred Oswald. On the following Saturday 
afterrioon, Alay 22, the club’s first shoot was held, using 
two. expert traps, which Monbeck had owned for several 
years, our company having readily granted permission 
to place the traps in their field at a safe distance from 
the baseball diamond. Then three more members were 
secured, and each of the fifteen contributed $1, and a 
second-hand blackbird trap was bought. From then on 
the membership fee was made $2, so that all members 
Mould he on the same basis. 
It had been our company's policy fer years to assist 
W. F. BIPPUS, VICE-PRESIDENT. 
S. W. EVERETT, CAPTAIN. 
Imi 
NATIONAL CASH REGISTER GUN CLUB, DAYTON, OHIO. 
