Nov. 9, 1912 
FOREST AND STREAM 
597 
Airdhi©5f j 
Scores ofJ Thirly-fourth Meeting. 
A limited number of copies may be had of 
July 31 issue of Forest and Stream in which 
appeared the story and complete scores of the 
thirty-fourth annual tournament of the National 
Archery Association, held in Boston. 
Fine Archery. 
BY EDWARD B. WESTON. 
Chicago, Ill., Oct. 30 .—Editor Forest and 
Stream: E. J. Rendtorff is a teacher of science 
in Lake Forest (Ill.) Academy. 
After receiving a report of his wonderful 
team round score of 95 hits, 631 score, which as 
far as I know has only been surpassed in this 
country by Homer S. Taylor’s score of 96 hits, 
638 score, made thirty years ago, I wrote him 
asking numerous questions. His answers fol¬ 
low : 
“It was with considerable reluctance that I 
let Mr. Wheeler, the captain of our Lake Forest 
Academy Association, report my recent team 
round of 24 hits, 170 score; 23 hits, 151 score; 
24 hits, 152 score; 24 hits, 158 score; total, 95 
hits, 631 score. Had he not shot with me, and 
counted every arrow, I would have kept the 
score a secret. At present I could not hope to 
duplicate my better scores on a strange course. 
I will, however, give you a history of my arch¬ 
ery experience. 
“Before entering the University of Wiscon¬ 
sin I spent considerable time training for base¬ 
ball and boxing. During my Sophomore year I 
took up football and played right tackle on the 
university team of 1893. Before the season closed 
I dislocated my right knee, and was not able to 
do much playing after that. 
“Prof. Thomas, of Lake Forest College, is 
responsible for my taking up archery. I knew 
for years that he shot, but considered it child’s 
sport. In the fall of 1910 I saw him shoot for 
the first time, and at once realized that it was a 
game of skill and worthy of a man’s attention. 
“Next spring I purchased an outfit and shot 
for the first time in my life early in March of 
1911. After two days’ practice at 20 yards, under 
his supervision, I shot 96 arrows at 40 yards, 
making a score of 66 hits, 286 score, 3 golds. 
The weather then became quite bad, and I could 
not shoot again until the 17th of April. On May 
3 I shot above 500 for the first time, the score 
being 93 hits, 517 score, 20 golds. My best score 
at 40 yards was made on May 29, 1912, 96 hits, 
712 score, 34 golds. 
“My first attempt at the team round, 96 ar¬ 
rows at 60 yards, was on May 11, 1911, when I 
made 58 hits, 213 score, 4 golds. On Oct. 13 of 
that year I shot my first team round of over 
500, making 96 hits, score 544. This year I have 
passed 600 twice; first on Aug. 26, making 96 
hits, 612 score, 30 golds, and then the 95 hits, 
631 score, 32 golds, which has caused all this stir. 
“At first my shooting at 50 yards was not 
good, but on May 25 I shot 96 hits, score 620. 
Since then I have shot at 50 yards only in con¬ 
nection with the American round. 
“In the American round I have shot above 
600 twice, first on May 30, making: 
60yds. 
50yds. 
40yds. 
Totals. 
H. S. 
H. S. 
H. 
s. 
H. S. 
Golds. 
29 193 
30 208 
30 
236 
89 637 
33 
On July 
16. the second best score was made: 
60yds. 
50yds. 
40yds. 
Totals. 
H. S. 
H. S. 
H. 
S. 
H. S. 
Golds. 
30 170 
30 212 
30 
234 
90 616 
•• 
Best double American 
round: 
60vds. 
50yds. 
40yds. 
Totals. 
H.' S. 
H. S. 
H. 
S. 
H. S. 
Golds. 
29 193 
30 208 
30 
236 
89 637 
50 
29 177 
30 184 
30 
222 
89 583 
178 1220 
“The 
30 hits, 236 
score is 
my best 
score at 
40 yards; 30 hits, 212 score the best at 50 yards 
and 30 hits, 208 score (13 golds) at 60 yards. 
It is needless to say that these were not made 
in the same round. 
“I never shot at 80 yards, with the excep¬ 
tion of a few occasional arrows, until last Wed¬ 
nesday afternoon, when Wheeler and I shot 96 
arrows, I making 84 hits, 204 score, with 11 
golds. Next day we repeated, and made 89 hits, 
204 score, with 12 golds. The first 48 arrows 
scored 45 hits, 259 score. On Oct. 28 I shot for 
the third time at 80 yards, making with the first 
48 arrows, 47 hits, 287 score, and with second 
48, 46 hits, 234 score. 
“I have never shot a York round, and have 
had a very limited experience at 100 yards. Last 
spring I occasionally shot a few arrows at that 
distance. On Oct. 29 I shot my first 72 arrows 
at 100 yards. It was very windy so that the 
best results were not possible, but I made 49 
hits, 197 score. 
“About the middle of September I got a 
53-pound lemon wood bow from Duff. At first 
it shot the arrows a little to the left of the target. 
Some ten days ago I discovered a slight skew 
on the back of the bow, which I at once re¬ 
moved with a file. My score of 95 hits, 631 
score at 60 yards I made the day after making 
the change in the bow. 
“I shoot a Whitman arrow, 29 inches long, 
of 435 grains weight. When I first got them I 
adjusted their weights until they were the same 
within about one-seventh of a grain. 
“I do not release from underneath the chin, 
as I believe most archers do, but from the hol¬ 
low between mouth and chin. At 60 yards my 
point of aim is on the ground about 25 yards 
from the target; at 50 yards, 27 yards, and at 
40 yards about 23 yards. At the 80-yard range 
my point of aim is on the target itself; on the 
top for arrows No. 1 and 5, on the gold for 
No. 3, and on the upper blue for the remaining 
three arrows. It was the discovery of this vari¬ 
able point of aim that helped me to raise my 
80-yard score from 84 hits, 404 score, to 89 hits, 
score 481, in one day. The arrows seem to be 
about the same weight, but the feathers produce 
a somewhat different flight. 
“The score of which I feel most proud was 
made this last summer, Aug. 26, when at 60 
yards I hit the gold with the six arrows of an 
end and got another gold with the first arrow 
of the following end. 
“I aim on the full draw, with the direct 
vision on the center of the target, and the sec¬ 
ondary vision on the point of aim for the 40, 
50 and 60 yards. At 80 yards the two coincide 
as my aim is on the target. I do my best shoot¬ 
ing when not conscious of the fact. I have my 
bad as well as my good days, but always try to 
shoot each arrow to the best of my ability. 
When I find that my best efforts are poor, I 
quit shooting until another time, so as not to 
get into careless habits. 
“Whatever success I have had, I attribute 
to constant practice at the short ranges during 
the time I have been an archer—great care in 
shooting each and every arrow, keeping the tackle 
in the best of order, and to a fair knowledge of 
the physics and mathematics of the sport. I 
also believe that selecting a heavy arrow (435 
grains) instead of the customary lighter one, has 
had something to do with my success. I also 
believe in using a heavy bow, and one somewhat 
shorter than the customary 6-foot length. I 
have very radical ideas concerning arrows, and 
now have in mind slight alterations that I will 
try to incorporate in arrows that I intend to 
make this winter. 
“There is one more thing I failed to state 
before, and that is the effect of my previous 
training. At college I took an engineering course 
for four years, and then specialized three years 
in physics. Before that I graduated from the 
Chicago Manual Training School. My training 
in accuracy in the shop, the drafting room and 
the physical laboratory is greatly responsible for 
a consequent accuracy in archery. 
“I believe I have now answered all of your 
questions. Permit me to add, however, that in 
the Lake Forest Academy we now have a regular 
archery club, of some dozen members. None of 
them have become experts, but the enthusiam is 
there. I believe ours is the first boy’s school to 
start a club of that nature.” 
Archers will be interested in comparing these 
private practice scores of a comparative novice, 
with the practice scores made by Col. Williams, 
Phil Bryant, Wallace Bryant, L. W. Maxson, W. 
A. Clark, C. C. Beach, H. B. Richardson, W. H. 
Thompson, H. S. Taylor, Dr. R. P. Elmer, W. 
H. Wills and other old masters of the art of 
archery. 
Pittsburgh Archery Scores. 
The shooting of Mr. Holmes, of the Bon 
Air Club is remarkable, as he has been engaged 
at the sport just fourteen weeks. A tally of 
90 hits, score 452, would be a creditable per¬ 
formance for anyone. His tutor, Dr. Hertig, had 
to bestir himself to escape defeat, and, no doubt, 
if he continues to improve, Mr. Holmes will make 
a top-notcher. 
AT THE BON AIR RANGE. 
Oct. 26.—Team round, 96 arrows, 60yds.: 
Hits. Score Hits. Score 
Dr Haines . 45 180 Dr. Hertig . 91 495 
W. J. Holmes.. 90 452 
AT THE BEECHVIEW RANGE. 
Oct 27.—American round: 
60yds. 
Jas. S. Jiles. 25 99 
18 61 
O L Hertig. 27 145 
Team round: 
Hits. Score 
O. L. Hertig... 94 506 
J. S. Jiles. 71 295 
50yds. 40yds. Total. 
28 115 30 156 83 370 
24 108 30 142 72 311 
28 162 30 188 85 495 
Hits. Score 
W. J. Gray. 32 120 
On Saturday, Nov. 2, a new archery club 
opened its range on the golf grounds of the Oak- 
mount Country Club. This is one of the most 
important steps forward that the cause of archery 
has yet taken, and it is to be hoped that all the 
golf clubs in the country may soon install 
archery ranges as adjuncts to their links. 
The bowmen of the Pittsburgh Athletic Club 
hold shoots every Monday and Friday evening; 
