The Sun.
London, England, 1865-07-22 00:00:00

The Wimbledon Meeting.

Yesterday the statistical department issued the
final list of prizes gained at the present meeting, and
in doing so brought to a close the arduous labours,
of which few, even of those taking part in the com-
petitions, could form any adequate conception.
Other members of the executive staff from time to,
time enjoyed a change of scene, or at least a change
of occupation, in dealing with appeals urged or
questions asked upon the wildest range of subjects.
But the inmates of the marquees devoted to statis-
tics were always compelled to be always on the
same spot, either poring over registers sent in from
the various firing points, or on the watch for the
arrival of others, enabling them to arrive at results
that might stand the scrutiny of men anxious both
for prizes and for fame. Colonel Bewes and the
staff under his direction had probably the most
serious and least inviting portion of the duties g
Wimbledon to perform ; an acknowledgment,
therefore, is due to them for the great ability, care,
and patience shown in the fulfilment of their task.
The principal item in their record yesterday was
the "Dudley" prize, always shot for on the last day
of the Wimbledon competition, and restricted to the
winners of small-bore prizes during the meeting.
Unlike the
previous day, when the use of shooting
screens was attended with obvious advantages,
there was scarcely a breath of air yesterday, and
just that light greyish haze prevailed which enabled
the picked shots entitled to shoot in this match to
plant their shots in the centres of the targets, with
almost as much accuracy as if placed there by hand.
The ranges shot at' were 500- and 800 yards, and
the prize of £5O fell to Lord Aberdeen, who made
47 points. The score next in point of merit was
scarcely inferior, but in this corps d'llite of prize-
men there was no second prize.
The question standing over from the previous
day, and raised by a claim on the part of the Scot-
tish Eight to have a pointin the match for the Elcho
Challenge Shield decided in their favour, was for-
tunately settled by mutual arrangement, without a
formal appeal to the umpire. Some evidence had
been collected in support of the claims, but the
more judicious friends of Scotland saw that even if
the controversy could be freed from the grave doubt
resting upon it, it was quite possible that a success
so gained might prove less for the real interests of
their country than a defeat gracefully acquiesced in.
it transpired also that during the match a bull'seye
having been marked for the English Eight, the
members of which believed that only a centre had
properly been obtained, they declined to accept the
extra given them till a mounted officer had
been despatched to the target to verify the marking.
Some suggestions were thrown out on Thursday
evening that the match ought to be shot over again,
but no action was taken upon them ; and eventu-
ally the following letter was addressed to Lord
Ducie, Captain of the English Eight, by Captain
Horatio Ross, the leader of the Scottish team :
Lingfield-villa, Friday Morning, July 21.
Dear Lord Ducie,—Since the termination of the Na-
tional Match yesterday I have thought a great deal of the
unpleasant position in which it at present stands.
I believe that a centre made on our side was improperly
marked as a "ricochet," and I also think it quite possible
that if the case was laid before the umpire it might be given
favour. I, however, think that if such should be
the result, it
might cause unpleasant feelings, and would
satisfactory way of winning the Elcho Shield.
in
t u
boa a
I, therefore, fherltefore, as captain of the Scottish Eight, give up the
point, hope
we shall have a good fight for it next
year. and I
Believe me always, yours very sincerely,

HORATIO ROSS.
Lord Ducie returned the following reply :
" National Rifle Association Camp, Wimbledon, July 21.
My dear Ross,—I am glad to hear that you acquiesce in
the scores sent in by the officers in charge of our respec-
tive firing points, without further reservation as to the value
of a shot fired at some period of the competition.
L, Being perfectly satisfied with the result of the Match, I
have nothing to add except a hope that our future contests
may be as equal as that of yesterday, and that England may
never fail to produce an eight worthy of such skilful com-
petitors as you and your countrymen have always proved
themselves to be.

t 4 Believe me yours very truly,
tt captain Ross."

" DUCIE.

During the day an official report was sent in to
the Council upon a point forming one of the best
tests of the success of the meeting. To this docu-
ment were appended the signatures of Sir A. Malet,
on behalf of the National Rifle Association, Colone
Johnston, representing the military residents in
Camp, and Colonel King, on the part of the Volun-
teers, expressing unanimous approval of the man-.

For some hours yesterday Col. Clark Kennedy
and Captain Mildmay were occupied in measuring
the thousands of cartons pierced at the Swiss ranges,
with the view of ascertaining the most central shot.
The relative merits of the shot holes are determined
by means of an instrument of great precision exhibit-
ing differencesas minute as the thousandth part of
an inch. And the interest attaching to the opera=-
tion of measuring these pieces of pasteboard may be
gathered from the fact that the distribution of £470,
in amounts varying from £5O to £5, is governed by
the verdict of this unerring index. The £5O prize
for the most central shot was awarded to Mr. Win.
Wells, who on a recent occasion nearly became one
of the representatives of Peterborough. In the case
of a minor prize-winner a curious circumstance oc-
curred. In this contest the object is to get as many
cartons as possible, and competitors go on shooting
without knowing anthing of the character of their
shots, beyond the fact that so many cartons pierced
by them were taken down at the other end of the
range, and preserved for examination by the Coun-
cil. It turned out that one gentleman made two
cartons of merit so exactly equal that he had " tied"
himself for the prize to which he became entitled.
The contest for the photographic series excited
greatlinterest, the album value £5O, annually given by
Mr. Herbert Watkins, and containing photographs
selected for their relation to rifle shooting and to the
Volunteer service, being accounted by prize-winners
one of the most interesting souvenirs of Wimbledon

that they can carry off. Mr. Watkins aims chiefly
at perpetuating what may be called the historic
groups of Wimbledon, and his gallery of celebrities
some years hence will possess considerable value.
Mr. Vernon Heath chooses rather to reproduce the
natural features of Wimbledon, and some of his
photographs of the wilder poitions of the Common
are admirable studies of nature, and very superior
to ordinary photographs of the kind. Several of the
views taken by him during the present meeting were
exhibited yesterday. A favourite subject in the
collection was the firing point for the " Horatio
Ross" prize.
The Council yesterday were called upon to enter-
tain rather a critical point—namely, whether Mr.
E. Ross was in strictness entitled to the Enfield
Wimbledon Cup, won by him a day or two ago.
The conditions of that match were as follows :
" The Enfield' Wimbledon Cup, value £lOO ; restricted
to the winners oft first prizes of the value of £2O and up-
wards in Enfield Rifle' competitions, at any of the
Wimbledon meetings previous to 1863, and highest scorer
in International Enfield Match and Oxford and Cambridge
Challenge Plate in 1861."

Mr. Ross's was the highest score in the Oxford and
Cambridge match, not in 1861, but in 1865, and the
question arose whether this was sufficient qualifi-
cation. The intention in forming the rule no doubt
was to apply the date 1861 to the International
Enfield Match, first shot in that year, the Univer-
sity Challenge Plate being a competition senior in
point of time. The wording of the condition, how-
ever, is unmistakable, and attention having been
called to the matter the Council were confronted
with the difficulty. Owing to the pressure of other
business, a meeting could not well assemble till a
late hour, and the decision at which the members
finally arrived did not transpire last evening.
The following is the list of prizes not already re-
ferred to won at Wimbledon yesterday :