April 30 , 1910 .} 
FOREST AND STREAM 
709 
Post Series Tournament. 
In the program of the Interstate Association’s fifth 
Southern Handicap, to be heid at Columbus, Ga., May 
3-5, a reference to the contemplated post series tourna¬ 
ment is made as follows: “If a Post Series Tournament 
is not given, the season’s average for professionals shall 
then be computed on not less than 1200 single targets 
shot at the Handicap tournaments named.” The last 
clause refers to the Grand American Handicap and sub¬ 
sidiary Interstate tournaments. 
The “if” implies that there is a possibility that the 
post series tournament may not be held. 
In our opinion, the abandonment of the purpose to hold 
a post series tournament would be a distinct loss to the 
advancement of trapshooting interests in general, which 
in particular is a more direct loss to the members of the 
Interstate Association for obvious reasons. 
To hold public interest and support in trapshooting 
matters, new features must be introduced at opportune 
junctures. Men, old in the sport, must be held in the 
faith, while new comers are being made. Sawing wood 
in the same old way with the same old saw, year after 
year, will pall on the most enthusiastic man after a time. 
All progress means change. To make the public 
change for advancement, it does not follow that every 
innovation will prove a success; but every such inno¬ 
vation is an aid in determining what the people want. 
Experimentation, therefore, is an essential to this end. 
In respect to the post series tournament, however, 
there is an minimum of experimentation, since the es¬ 
sentials of it embody much that has already proven to 
be sound and lasting. The change is mostly in the 
matter of season. 
The matter of a post series tournament was considered 
at an Interstate Association meeting held in October of 
last year, and was adopted. 
The original plan, concerning this tournament, was to 
hold it as soon as possible after Jan. 1, or after the 
season’s averages were compiled, thus instituting a great 
tournament in the dullest part of the trapshooting year, 
near the middle of winter. This would tend to relieve 
the trapshooting competition, in its tournament relations, 
from the apathy which is inseparable from the months 
which are now so neglected. 
The winter season cannot be urged as a true objection 
to the holding of a tournament, since many clubs hold 
their club shoots throughout the winter with good at¬ 
tendance. v 
Further, the plan was that the eligibility’- was to be 
determined as follows: Only such amateurs as qualified 
by having shot at 2000 or more targets in registered 
tournaments, and only such professionals as qualified by 
having shot at 5000, and had made an average of 90 per 
cent, or better, were eligible. 
The program suggested was to cover four days, 250 
targets per day, of which 50 were to be shot in pairs, 
that is, 25 pair. Thus the total for the four days would 
be 800 singles and 100 pair, the singles and the doubles 
to count respectively in their proper relation in the 
averages of the season of 1910. 
As to the financial feature, the advisability of adding 
$1000 was considered, such sum to be disposed of as 
follows: Trophy for high professional, $100. Trophy for 
high amateur, $100 and $200 in cash. The balance of 
$600 to be added to the amateur sweepstakes, which 
should be optional as to shooting for moneys or targets. 
The number of targets allotted to each day could be 
nicely subdivided into eight 25-target events and one 
event at 25 pair. 
As this would be an Interstate tournament, the ex¬ 
penses, as a matter of course, would be met by the 
Association. The revenues of the year might not be 
sufficient to meet such expenses, in addition to the prior 
heavy expenses of the G. A. H. and subsidiaries. But 
its importance in keeping the enthusiasm alive in the 
winter months, and its direct benefits in the way of 
stimulating broader trapshooting activity during those 
months, cannot wisely be ignored. 
By implication, the Interstate Association now says 
that the trapshooting season begins in late spring and 
ends in early fall, inasmuch as its trapshooting activities 
are confined to those months. It is quite as essential that 
the other and larger part of the year should not be left a 
blank in Association matters, if the Association is to 
properly fill its provision as set forth in its charter, and 
properly keeps an open eye on the possibilities, in a 
trade way, of stimulating shooting at the traps during 
the winter months. In fact, there should be trapshoot¬ 
ing all the round of which the Interstate Association 
should take cognizance. 
Annie Oakley’s Vindication, 
The Pinehurst, New York .—Editor Forest and Stream: 
With the settlement a few days since of two small cases 
ends Annie Oakley’s six years of strenuous litigation in 
courts of nearly every State in the Union, all caused by 
a poor wreck of a woman, a morphine fiend, who when 
arrested and asked her name, replied, that she was the 
champion shot of the world. 
A reporter from a sensational paper and a press asso¬ 
ciation added the name “Annie Oakley,” and sent it 
broadcast, so you see the very word champion, which 
she did not allow managers to use in connection with 
her name, caused her six years of lawsuits and many 
days and nights of worry and trouble. As well as we 
could find out, fifty-seven papers published the article. 
She entered suit against fifty-five, two being practically 
bankrupt. Of these, she either won or settled with 
fifty-four; many of the cases were carried up to the 
Supreme Court. Nearly all returned in her favor, but 
very often the amount was cut down from the original 
verdict. Sometimes when the amount given was small, 
her attorney had the verdict set aside and got a new 
trial, so that some of the cases were tried two and three 
times. The general impression is that she made a lot 
of money out of these suits. Only a short time since I 
read a statement made by one of her opposing lawyers 
that she made about a quarter of a million dollars. I 
only wish this was true. If it was, every dollar above 
her expenses and above the amount she might have 
earned during these six years would have been spent 
on a charity that would be a monument to the name of 
Annie Oakley; but any one who has had any lawsuits 
knows they cost money, and wherever it was possible 
to do so, she had the best attorneys. They come high, 
but are the cheapest in the end. 
Her success in winning these suits is due very largely 
to her main attorney, A. H. Larkin, himself a good 
shot and sportsman. 
I am sure no lawyer ever worked harder than lie did 
in the interest of his client. I want to say right here 
that when she entered these suits, it was not money but 
vindication she was after. I also want to say a word of 
thanks to the shooting papers and sportsmen of America, 
who not only helped to win out, but when the article 
was published, first, came to her aid with strong edi¬ 
torials and hundreds of letters, all of which cheered and 
encouraged her. During many of these cases, sportsmen 
left their business, going on the stand to testify in her 
behalf, all of whom have her heartfelt thanks and the 
assurance that the latch string still hangs on the outside. 
Frank E. Butler. 
WIN CHE 
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