The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-07-17 00:00:00

THE CAMP AT WIMBLEDON.

The Special Correspondent of the Daily News,
writing from Wimbledon, on Tuesday night, says:—
• •• • - •

Corporal Cameron, of the oth Inverness„ is the hero of
the hour, and of the volunteer world generally. Ile has just
won the Queen's Prize for the second time, a feat anprece.
dented, and hitherto thought to be impossible, and has more-
over made the two largest score, on record. " Any odds
against it" this morning—" Never such a thing done before,
and never will be again"—" Deserves it as a thoroughly
honest and straightforward allot." So went the running
comments of the crowd.
For quite an hour and a half before Mr. Cameron was de-
clared the winner, that indefinite period, "a few minutes,"
was given as the time to elapse before the great prize was
won. Through the day the various squads competing for it
had been at work at different portions of the enclosure, some
firing from the mound near Wimbledon, others at Inter-
mediate points, and others again at a corner close by the
busy camp. All these had their quota of spectators, but with
a prescience Justified by results those assembled at the place
last named were to thereat as twenty to one. Mr. Cameron shot ,
here, and military men, volunteers, fashionables of both
sexes on foot, on horseback, arid in carriages, talked over his
chances, arni announced the certainty of his .ccess. It was
an eminently sympathetic crowd. After each shot tarzet
was gazed at eagerly, until the result was known, when wholly
imaginative totals were given out, until, as one old gentleman
remarked querulously, "You got quite muddled with the
different stories you heard, for 69, 64, and 66 couldn't all be
right, yet they were given out quite positively."
Itut general opinion was right and the people who
pointed Mr. Cameron out as the man sure to will,
were good enough to explain that he aimed anti
looked exactly as he did when he was successful three years
ago. A fair-haired youthful Scotchman, in trousers of blue
and green tartan, a grey coat, and a white broad-brimmed
hat, the winner to-day, was eminently coil thr.mghout, seat,
jog himself after each shot he had, speaking rarely, anti ap-
parently unconscious of the crowd. As i ion time drew or) the
excitement of this last grew more and more intense People
flocked round from all parts of the camp, until when live
chimed oat from the great clock there were some thousands
waiting patiently for the end. This was not for three quarters
of an hour.
. . .

Mr. Cameron WAS currently reported to have won long
before the final bull's-eye which placed the matter beyond
doubt, and when this was given, the remaining competitors,
who went on with their scores did so almost under protest,
Lusty throats were longing to shout their owners' congratu-
lations, stalwart shoulders were impatient to carry the young
Scotch champion in triunipli, wind instruments were
anxious to play the conquering hero in. it was with
difficulty they were restrained. The band of the Vic-
Weals had given up their place in front of Lady Elcho's
tent to some young musicians from the Mai ylebone Schools,
in order that they might, according to annual custom, pl..y
the whine; of the Queen's to the Council tent and round the '
camp, a proceeding which commenced direct.), Mr. Cameron
was hoisted on the shoulders if his compatriots Then came
the usual scene Members of Parliament ahe have been
carried through market pl.,ces by enthusiastic constituencies
declare the process to be uncomfortable; and certainly
Mr. Cameron seemed, for the moment, to be pay-
log rather dearly for his success. Those near him
pulled his legs, wrung his hands, waved their caps excitedly
in his face, shouted vociferously in his ears, and all to wish
him Joy. So up from the firing point to the Council tent.
Then another crowd of sympathisers came up, and the result
was a dead lock More cheering, pushleg, and good-tempered
hustling to see the winner's lace—more fruitless attempts to
gaki the Council tent, more dead lock, until a mounted [sneer
backed a mare so as to clear a passage, saying pleasantly,
" Don't anybody be afraid, my mare won't hurt anybody,
she'll only just clear the way."
A moment's pause while Mr. Cameron disappears to re-
ceive the congratulations of the Council. More chairing,
more cheering, a tour to the camp., and hospitmble Hers of
champagne, the brass instruments, arid the "Conquering
Hero "always leading the way, until quiet Mr. Canieron is
set free, and, avoiding all conviviality, betakes himself to
Messrs. Spiers arid Pond's to tea, where for some time after-
wards he is an thject of attraction to all.
Meanwhile, far away over the common were greater
crowds, and interest to the full as intense. The Public
Schools Match had brought down the usual aristocratic con-
course, and the rival merits of the gallant lads shooting kept
these so steauily engaged that riot eveu the cheering of
Mr. Canieron made a perceptible difference in their
ranks. Eton, Barrow, Winchester, Rugby, Marlborough,
Cheltenham, Rossall, and Derby were all competing,
and had their own assembly of coronetted c °Tines,
draws, and equestrians The very slenderest COMWe-
tion with a public school sufficed, to give a special in-
terest in its success; and in the numerous cases where near
relatives were present, busy emissaries were kept constantly
at work between mothers and sisters in carriages and their

darlings in uniform beyond the ropes. The matches of to-day
have made tile place like a fair and when the success of
!Jarrow was rumoured, and the capital figure cut by Rugby
and Eton mentioned in the same breath, the news went
speedily round. Though not so crowded as on Saturday the
camp has been gayer to-day than then and there has been a
far dos, esprit de corps among the people looking on.
Five minutes before gun-tire another burst of cheering was
heard, and a young gentleman—" Sum, of Cheltenham "—was
seen struggling on the shoulders of his friends, lie had Just
won the Spencer challenge cup, and was being borne In
triumph like Mr. Cameron. The effect was a little marred by
the whole party coming to the ground In front of the official
tents ; but there was abundance of merriment, and public
school lads are rarely discouraged by a fall. This cup is
giver by bard Spencer to be competed for by the best shot in
each of the elevens from the different schools, and becomes
the property of the winner. The young gentleman carried
aloft had, it was said, made five bull's-eyes running—to the
intense delight of his schoolfellows.