The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-07-16 00:00:00

THE WIMBLEDON MEETING,

The opening day at Wimbledon Camp is seldom
productive of anything in the way of sensational
shooting or striking incident, and Monday presented
no exception to the general rule. It was, however,
consolatory to those who remember the first day of
the meeting of 1886 to find that the umbrellas,
makintoshes, and wading boots which proved so useful
on that occasion were not required, although unfavour-
able symptoms manifested themselves in the early
hours of the day. The memory fails to recall a single
day at Wimbledon when the weather was all that a
marksman could desire, but there was really little to
complain about on Monday. True, the wind was a
little unsteady, and bustled over the common at a
fair round pace, but there was not much fault to find
with the light. The day's shooting on the whole
appeared to be rather under the average.
A large number of competitions were commenced
and a fair muster of volunteers was present,
thought at no period during the day did the camp
appear to be full, and visitors were by no means
numeroes. The increasing number of volunteers
who wear scarlet had the effect of brightening the
scene at the various firing points, which now pre-
sent a much more attractive as well as military
aspect than was the case in the earlier years of the
gathering.
The principal item in Monday's programme was
Vie Alexandra at 500 and 600 yards, the £IOOC shot
for being divided into 325 prizes. This competition
NI as concluded on Monday night, but the Windmill is
a fixture which extends over some days. Next in
iuterest was the Humphry Cup, or Inter-University
n atch, which again fell to Oxford, who scored 71
wints more than their opponents. The scoring was,
however, very far beyond that of lsst year. The
fcllowing is the record, the figures indicating the
scores at 800, 900, and 1000 yards respectively, the
totals in elch case following :
Oxroen.—Lieu'enant Barnett, 65, 55, 57-177;
Corporal Harris, 67, bO, 38-175; Lieutenant Great-
bead, 52, 57, 45-154; Private Allan, 51, 40, 41-
132. This gives the Dark Blues an aggregate of 638.
CAMBRIDGE.—BugIer Williams, 55, 50, 49-154;
Corporal Newman, 62, 43, 40-145; Private De
Jersey, 50,48, 30-134; Corporal Sargent, 62, 39,
33-134. The Light Blue aggregate is therefore
567.

A new match, which excited considerable interest,
and which was shot at similar ranges to those of the
Humphry Cup, was one between Regulars and
Auxiliaries, six officers on either side, the object
tieing to encourage long range shooting and to pro-
vide a kind of nursery for the Elcho Shield contest.
The following was the scoring, the figures again do-
noting the results at 800, 900, and 1000 yards, and
the individual totals following:
AUXILIARIES.-Sir Henry Raiford, 68, 67,
56c-
-191; Major MeKerrell, 69, 62, 58-189; Lieutenant
Milner, 70, 62, 53-185; Captain Gibbs, 66, 63, 55
—184; Captain Murphy. 65, 60, 38-163; Captain
Thorburn, 61, 52, 36-149; auxiliaries aggregate,
1051.

RFour.A.Ps.—Lieut. Dutton Hunt, 71, 60, 55-186;
Major Fenton, 70, 59,. 50-179; Captain Young,
59, 61, 55-175; Captain Lamb, 66, 63, 55-173;
Ca pain GodFal, 68, 61, 40-169 , Major Glendonwyn,
70, 49, 48-167; regulars total, 1049.

The official returns of the shooting for the Alex-
andra prizes were not completed on Monday right,
but the statistics compiled in the press tent tend to
show that the scoring was not up to last year's
average, the first 10 scores being four points behind in
the aggregate. Private Ward, 4th Devon, goes far,
however, to redeem the shooting, with the splendid
total of 68 points, being three points in advance
of the winning number last year. Private Love,
Ist Ayr, made 64; Captain Young, 2nd Renfrew,
and Private Plowman, Ist West York, 63 each;
following whom are four scores of 62 and seven
of 61. None of the scores in Monday's cempetitiong
call for particular notice. In the longer range for the
Windmill a total of 34 was achieved by Lance.
Corporal Gowman, Ist West Surrey, and Private
Winger, 2nd Sussex; while Private Comber,2nd West
Surrey, made 33, and Private Walker, Ist East York,
32. For the Heath Series, Sergeant Leonard, St.
George's. Private Gillies, 9th Canada, Sergeant Hollis,
13th Middlesex, and Captain Penn, Ist Welsh; each
scored 33 points. A similar number of points was the
highest on record for the Robin Hood and the
Kynoch ; while 24 was achieved in the Bertram, the
Graphic, and the Association Cup. With the revolver,
at a disappearing target, Lieutenant Milner scored
24, and Mr. W. Winans 22. The band of the London
Rifle Brigade, under Mr. Henton, played under the
Umbrella-tent, and later in the day within the Cottage
enclosure, where a capacious and handsome tent has
been erected for special receptions in addition to the
usual officers' mess tent.

Brilliant weather again attended the second day of
the gathering at Wimbledon. Being the first day of
the contest for the Queen's Prize, in which nearly
2500 competitors were engaged, all of whom had to
shoot in uniform, the Common presented a par-
ticularly lively scene throughout the day. There was
also noticeable a large influx of visitors, and the
Cottage enclosure, with its tasteful floral decorations
in unimpaired beauty, was brightensd with the
presence of many ladies. The camp altogether wore
an air of greater completeness than on the opening
day, and the surroundings of the private tents in
what is called the fashionable quarter have again
assumed the bright and cheery aspect which con-
stitutes one of the few attractive features of the
canvas town.

If there was but little to say about the shooting on
the first day at Wimbledon, there is really less that
is worthy of record concerning the second day.
Indeed, from one point of view, perhaps the less said
the better for the credit of the marksmen. Com-
parisons are proverbially unpleasant, but, unhappily,
much of the value of the annual gathering on
Wimbledon-common depf nds on the relative merits of
the shooting as compared with that of former years.
Given conditions of a fairly favourable character,
we naturally look, if not for improvement, at least
for the due maintenance of the average standard
hitherto achieved. Tuesday's shooting, so far
as it can be gauged by statistics compiled by the
representatives of the press, shows a woeful fall in
the averages. The competition for the Alexandra
Prizes was not, after all, quite finished on Monday
night, and a few competitors had to complete their
tack on Tuesday morning. This, however, had no
appreciable effect on the top scores, but an estimate
of the general average of the shooting may be formed
from the fact that whereas last year no less than 98
scores of 54 were counted out of the prize list, this
year all the scores of 54 and 53 are included, while
40 scores of 52 are counted out, and 46 take prizes.
The winner of the first prize, Private Ward, 4th
Devon' made seven bulls at the longer range.
The following were returned as the winners of the
principal prizes;
ALEXANDRA. —Private J. Ward, 4th V 8., Devon,
£3O, 68; Private T. Love Ist Ayr, £2O, 64; Private
W. Plowman, Ist W. York, .Cl 5 63; Capt. T. Lamb,
Ist Bat. S. Lan. Regt., £l5, 63; Captain J. H.
Young, 2nd Renfrew, £lO, 63; Major G. Pearse, 4th
V.B.' Devon, £lO, 62; Sergeant J. Ball, 2nd Glamor-
gan, ..ClO, 62; Sergeant H. Clark, 5L12 V. 8.. Hants,
£lO, 62' Corporal J. Howatson, 2nd Ayr, £lO, 62;
Corporal W. Caldwell, Ist Renfrew, £lO, 61; Corp.
D. W. Bremner, Ist VB., West Kent, £lO, 61.
The only competition fixed for conclusion on
Tuesday was the Alfred, which is not ranked
among those which obtain most favour at Wim-
bledon, on account of the standing position,
incumbent upon the competitors. The four highest
scores attained last year were not achieved on Tues-
day, and the top score of 31 points was only reached
by five marksmen as against seven in 1886; while 18
made 30 points, of whom, by the way, ten hail from
Scotland, and 51 scored a point less. It may be re-
membered also that the ehooting last year showed a
lower average than did that of 1885. The higher
scores are as follow:
Aixecn.—Sergeant Ringer, Ist Norfolk, 31; Ser-
geant A. Hill, sth Lanark, 31; Private Smellie, Ist
Linlithgow, 31; Corporal Watson, Ist Suffolk, 31;
Private Howard, Bth Middlesex, 31; Private Kydd,
2nd Forfar, 30; Private Brown, 2nd Mid. and
Peebles, 30; Lieutenant Coates, jun., Ist Lincoln, 30;
Corporal Redgrave, let West Kent, 30 ; Sergeant
Leer, 2nd Mid. and Peebles, 30; Sergeant Leonard,
6th Middlesex, 30; Sergeant Dunlop, Ist Lanark, 30.
Although the first stage of the Queen's Prize was
commenced on Tuesday at gunfire, and shooting con-
tinued with exemplary despatch throughout the day,
it seemed evident that the decadence which has

characterised other important competitions this year
was equally conspicuous in the early stage of the
Queen's. Turning again to previous records, there is
to be found one score of 34 in 1886, and four of that
number in the preceding year. Tuesday's record
fails to present a single instance of so high a score,
while there are only six of 33 as agailst 10 last year.
The next highest score shows an equally lamentable
result, there being but 25 totals of 32, against 42 in the
preceding year. The initial stage of the Queen's, it will
be remembered, as arranged last year for the first time,
is divided into three sub-stages,the first of which was shot
on Tuesday at the 200 yards range. The following
are some of the higher scores: Sergt. Welsby, 2nd
Warwick, 33; Corpl. Rothon, Ist London, 33; Sergt.
Newman, Ist West Kent, 33; Sapper Brotherton, 2nd
Cheshire Engineers, 33; Private Hunter, Ist Edin-
burgh, 33; Sergt. C. Wood, 3rd West York, 33;
Colour-sergt. Lee, Ist York, 32; Corpl. Craig, 4th
West Surrey, 32; Bugler Groves, Ist Lincoln, 32;
Private Groves, Ist Notts, 32; Sergt. Mackay, Ist
Sutherland, 32; Private Mackenzie, let Sutherland,
32; Armour-sergt. Prest, let West York, 32; Coml.
Pike, 6th Middleoex, 32; Bugler Milliken, Ist Lane.,
32; Private Baker, Ist Huts, 32.
There is but little to record concerning the un-
finished competitions, but in the Windmill contest
Private Wattleeworth, sth Lancashire, achieved a
highest possible 35 points at the 500 yards range, and
Sergeant Dean, 13th Lancashire, made 34. Lieu-
tenant Rigby scored 31 in tho Graphic; Quarter-
master-Sergeant Archibald made a similar total in the
Robin Hood; as also did Captain Young in the
Heath, and Major M'lntyre and Lieutenant Brown
in the Bertram. The revolver practice is becoming
very popular, especially under the new regulation
permitting competitors to use their own weapons.
There is, however, a general desire for a fixed target
as well as the disappearing one.