JAN. 6, 1906.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 

WESTERN TRAP. 
Cincinnati, O0., Gun Club. 
There was a large attendance at the grounds on Dec. 
29, the occasion being the preliminary shoot for the gold 
medal given by Mrs. Esther Tittle Crater. The day was 
pleasant, but a gale of wind blowing across the traps 
caused the targets to perform all sorts of unexpected 
stunts, and kept some of the scores below the usual 
mark. The medal is to be shot for three times, and the 
member making highest average in the three contests 
becomes the owner. Each shoot is at 100 targets in five 
20-target events, with handicap of added targets. The 
contest is open to amateur members of the club. En- 
trance $2, divided 50, 30, 20 per cent. The sweep is 
optional. The first regular shoot will be held on Feb. 22, 
the second on Decoration Day, and the last one on July 
4. To-day’s contest was won by Horace Bonser with a 
score of 84 actual breaks, his handicap bringing his total 
up to 88. Bonser is the youngest member of the club, 
being only nineteen years old. He also has the distinc. 
tion of being the heavy-weight member, tipping the 
scales at 275. He has not been shooting long, and has 
made wonderful progress on the firing line. Bleh, scratch 
man, was a close second with 87. Ralph Trimble was high 
man in actual breaks with 98, very remarkable work in 
such a gale. 
Mr. and Mrs. Crater were present, the former taking 
part in the sport, and both enjoying thoroughly the hos- 
pitality of the club. Mrs. Crater, known as “Fanchette” 
of the “Rollicking Girl,’ is an expert with the rifle, 
but does little shooting with the shotgun. She tried a 
few shcts to-day, but soon gave it up and turned specta- 
tor. / 
Sam Leever, the well-known baseball pitcher, will 
bring a team from Goshen, O., on Jan. 1, and do his 
best to do up the Cincinnatians. In the practice shoot- 
ing Trimble did the best work, breaking 60 out of 65. A 
team race was shot, resulting in a victory for Gambell 
with 22, Bonser 22; total 44. Williams 23, Crater 13; 
total 36. The scores: 
Esther Tittle-Crater gold medal, 100 targets, handicap 
of added targets: 

Events: eae 4" 
Targets: 20 20 20 20 20 Broke. Total. 
CEILS ee So eS a eee 14 17 11 17 12 {il 100 
UA TITAN EEO ors ce sues eines sss 18 19 20 17 19 93 93 
isonet Sot Aone cna Dee Eee 17 17 18 16 16 84 88 
PS SLI LOR est ataintvecia:s,«-cx0l sisie's «cs 18 17 19 16 17 87 87 
Pohlar, 3 12 20 18 14 16 80 83 
Barker, 0 14 17 18 18 15 82 82 
Pfieffer, 10 13 15 17 11 16 72 82 
Randall, 2 18 15 16 17 17 79 81 
ESOC MAG aie ste eis) rcinieleie wine's cna © @ 14 13 16 14 18 “40 81 
VWNGUISEE ICE A 5 16 17 13 18 14 78 80 
ASAE MOG ck aces ccc lee cie 16 14 13 17 16 76 76 
Bea ets omer Sars pec bstic sicisle.eviesa.s « 14 15 16 16 13 74 76 
FEATS EOAGESEYIM, creie:c crete ainsslestse oucre 13/12 12°16 15 67 72 
Gambell, 1 
Jac ohanpebogdannee 12 11 13 14 16 66 67 
At St. Louis and Vicinity. 
St. Louis, Mo., Dec. 27.—During the open season on 
quail there has been very little shooting at the traps in 
St. Louis, but we believe that more interest will be taken 
from now on. St. Louis has always been devoted to 
live-bird shooting, and if the men would only turn out, 
we believe that this city could furnish more good pigeon 
shots than any other city in the United States; but since 
the advent of golf and automobiles, a great many of the 
advocates of live-bird shooting have given up this kingly 
sport. The target shooters in St. Louis are few in num- 
ber, and it is very difficult to get them together at one 
time, as the members of the numerous clubs are rather 
clannish, and do not like to stir from their own grounds. 
Numerous inducements have been offered, and ways and 
means discussed whereby the game could be bettered, 
but none of these plans seem to be effective. Several 
clubs have tried trapping targets at 1 cent each; others 
have added money and merchandise prizes, but in this 
immediate vicinity no improvement has been shown 
during the past year; in fact, no matter what the in- 
ducement offered, St. Louis shooters are very backward, 
and do not offer sufficient support to any tournament 
held in St. Louis. 
An article was published some few days ago, regard- 
ing the expert amateur. This article stated that there 
were a number of men classed as amateurs who did 
very little else than follow the tournaments, and shut 
out the ordinary amateur, who shoots for pleasure. I 
agree with this writer to a very great extent, and believe 
that the attendance of this class at tournaments given 
throughout the country has a tendency to keep some 
others away; but there has always been and always will 
be some men who will outclass all others, and a remedy 
has not yet been sugested which has proven satisfactory. 
There are not enough shooters in this class who attend 
a tournament together to shoot for each other’s money, 
and it must be remembered that these men have at- 
tained their success by constant practice. There was a 
time, it must be remembered, when they put up their 
money to be shot for by men who were their superiors. 
The writer recalls the time when he attended a shoot 
in a small town in Illinois, where a committee of four 
waited on the management, requesting that the writer be 
barred, stating that he was a professional. When con- 
| vinced of his amateur standing, one man objected because 
the writer shot better than he did, but further question- 
ing produced the fact that this particular man was shoot- 
ing an 80 per cent. gait, while the majority in attendance 
were shooting an average of 75 per cent. The boss kicker 
was perfectly willing to shoot withsthese men and take 
their money himself. The whole proposition resolves 
itself into the combination of a game of skill and 
chance; in plain words, it is a “gamble.” 
Statistics show that trapshooting throughout the coun- 
try is on the increase, and a great many more tourna- 
ments are held now than there were some few years 
ago. Say ten years ago, there would be one or two big 

Shells. 



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FACTORY LOADED SHELLS 
First for the Sixth Consecutive Year. 
Sporting Life’s Trap Shooting Review for 1906 tells the same story, 
only in different language, that it has told for the last six years: 
That is, that Winchester Factory Loaded Shells stand first in 
records, first in popularity, and first in shooting qualities. The two 
leaders for 1905, Fred Gilbert and W. R. Crosby, shot Winchester 
Factory Loaded Shells exclusively. The former’s average for the 
year was 95.6 per cent. and the latter’s 95.5 per cent., both having 
fired over 16,000 shots during the year. 
ateurs and professionals that shot at least 3,000 targets and made 
Over 90 per cent. averages, and of this number more used Win- 
chester Factory Loaded Shells than all other makes combined. Of 
the first fifteen leaders, ten used Winchester Factory Loaded 
Such an array of facts is indisputable evidence as to which 
shells are the first choice among shooters, and further is a testimo- 
nial by the masters of the art as to the superior shooting qualities 
of Winchester Factory Loaded Shells. 
1904 and 1905, Winchester Factory Loaded Shells won 
first average for the year:—an unbroken chain of evi- 
dence of merit and popularity that speaks for itself. 
They are the Only Shells to Shoot. 
AMATEURS) 
¥4 CHAMPIONS 




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There were forty-five am- 
In 1g00, Ig01, 1902, 1903, 







WFHIGHS 
HV AVERAGES 
‘FOR: 


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4 




tournaments held a year in each State, and the attend- 
ance was large. Shooters in those days shot for the 
pleasure they derived, and took a chance on making ex- 
penses; but even if they did not pull down a cent, they 
were satisfied to pay for their pleasure at the rate of 
about $20 per day, and as mentioned before, there being 
only one or two tournaments held yearly, expenses for 
trapshooting did not amount to a great deal. During 
the last three years, a dozen or more tournaments have 
been held each year in localities available to the same 
shooter who a few years ago would attend only two tour- 
naments, consequently this shooter’s yearly expenses at 
the traps would amount to a great deal, and he is look- 
ing for a remedy, which we do not believe exists. 
A gun club in one of our large cities, inaugurated a 
system of 1 cent each for targets instead of 2 cents, 
which has always been charged. This club very gener- 
ously stated that they wished the shooters to have all the 
profits. Now this particular gun club has a great many 
active members, who are not only willing to help 
financially, but devote a great deal of time toward getting 
up a tournament and soliciting advertisements. Thus 
they have been able to pay the expenses of running a 
tournament, and reserve a surplus for their treasury. 
I say it with regret that the shooters of St. Louis do 
not seem to have any pride when it comes to giving a 
tournament, and the work and expense is shouldered by 
one or two, and as it is impossible to solicit enough ads 
from local concerns to pay for programmes and running 
expenses, it is impossible to conduct a first-class tour- 
nament, and charge less than 2 cents per target. 
When starting this communication, the writer had no 
intention of writing such a lengthy article, but believes 
the points covered will not come amiss. 
Atec D. MeErRmop. 
Narberth Gun Club. 
NARBERTH, Pa., Dec. 30.—There was a mixed pro- 
gramme of live birds and targets. A team shoot also 
enlivened the competition. There were five men to a 
side, 25 targets per man: 
Schmidt’s Team. Alker’s Team. 
SCHMIdt Posies cre wets ore PULSES Ve eres ai ne eerereie sere 18 
Rudolph tress eas netiew 18 Ge EMeLrsOmn Asis bree. 15 
TE 1tloWialaec'vin ce cisioince 16 Sharprccccwantecve rss 16 
Nii ers OL eee cies 17 Babbyt sixes secs ce vs 20 
RGEHAM heehee seeks 9—78 Dutheld! cabs ecxle 21—90 
Live bird match, scratch: 
Raudolphistisaseds fies 12221—5 JMEMISKSO Nace. ass 12210—4 
Schmidt ...........21212—6 Hamelledt. owes 4437 *2121—4 
ALG ye Sealand! sies:es 12122—5 Roehm: s...as@anaees 01202—3 
Ge Bmersonn cess .5n 12122—5 Babb) seus aera sie 02011—3 
Match, 5 birds: 
Shameless ceresteoers 01222—4 G Emerson . .12222—5 
