Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1847-07-23

severatlon, truly, upon so hight suOjeo''1
Well, that's not my fault
No, nor it's not mine natner' Sdlo Tic
squire
Here we were interrupted by the cry OF an
other Rancey Snifae. Hello, here! All you
as wish to put in for the shootn'- match, come
on here for the putin ms riddy to begin
About sixty persons, including mere spec
tators, had collected the most of whom were
more or less obedient to the call of Mealy
Whitecotton, for that was the name of the
self-constituted commander-in-chief Some
FASTENED and some loitered, as they desired to
be first or last on the list; for they shoot in
the order in which their names are entered.
The beet was not present, nor is it ever up
on such occasions but several of the compa-
ny had seen it, who all concurred in the opin-
ION that it was good beef, and well worth
the price that was set upon it-eleven dollars
A general inquiry ran round, IN order 10 form
some opinion as to the number OF shots That
would be taken; for, of course, the prlce OF
shot is cheapened in proportion to the increase
of that number twas soon ascertained that
not more than twenty persons would take
chances but these twenty agreed to take the
number of shots, at twenty-five cents each.
The competitors now began to give in their
and few for as many as four shots.
Billy Curlew hung back to the last and
when the list was offered him, FIVE shots re-
NAMED undisposed of.
How many shots left " inquired Billy.
Five was the reply.
We'll, take 'em all. Put down four shots
to me, and one to Lyman Hall, paid for by
William Curlew'
IL L,
to pay for my shot, because knew that Billy
have been hurt if had refused to let him do
ment of my name as competitor for beef, at
least one hundred miles from the place OF my
residence. | was prepared for a challenge
from Billy to some of his neighbors for pri-
gate match upon me but not for this
therefore protested against his putting in
for me, and urged every reason to dissuade
him from it that could, without wounding
his feelings.
Put it down p said Billy, with the authori-
ty Of an emperor, and with look that spoke
volumes ineligible to every by-stander -
Reckon don't know what Pm about p Then
wheeling off, and muttering in an under, self
confident tone, Dang old Roper continued
he, if he don't knock that cross to the north
corner of creation and back again before cat
can lick her foot
Had | been king of the cat tribe, they could
not have regarded me with more curious atten-
ton than did the whole company from this
moment. Every inch of me was examined
with the incest scrutiny; and some plainly
expressed by their looks that they never would
have taken me for such bite. I saw no al
tentative but to throw myself upon third
chance shot; for though, by the rules of the
sport, | would have been allowed to shoot by
proxy, by all the rules of good breeding | was
bound to shootin person. 1t would have been
objectionable to disappont the expectations
which had been raised on me. Unfortunate
| ly, too, for me, the match differed in one re-
| spect from those which had been III the ha-
bit of attending in my younger days. In olden
time the contest was carried on chiefly with
shot-guns, generic term which, in those days
embraced three descriptions of firearms IN
| dlan-traders "a long, cheap, but sometimes ex-
| cellent kind of gun, that mother Britain used
to send hither for traffic with the lndlans;) the
| large musket, and the shot gun, properly SO
called. Rifles were, however, always permit
| ted to compete with them, under equitable re-
strictions. These were, that they should be
fired off-hand, while the shot-guns were al
lowed a rest, the distance being equal or that
the distance should be one hundred yards fol-
a rifle, to sixty for the shotgun, the mode OF
| firing being equal.
But this was match of rifles exclusively
and these are by far the most common at this
time.
Most of the competitors fire at the same tar
get; which is usually board from nine inch
es to a foot wide, charred on one side as black
as it can be made by fire, without impairing
materially the uniformity of its surface; on
the darkened side of which is pegged square
piece of white paper, which is larger or small
er, according to the distance at which it is to
| be placed from the marksmen This is almost
invariably sixty yards, and for it the paper is
reduced to about two and half inches square
Out of the centre of it is cut rhombus of a.
bout the width Of an inch, measured diagonal
| y; this is the bulls eye, or diamond, as the
marksmen choose to call it: in the centre Of
this is the cross. But every man is permitted
to fix his target to his own taste and accord
ingly, some remove one fourth of the paper
cutting from the centre of the square to the
! two lower corners, so as to leave large an
| gle opening from the centre downward; while
others reduce the angle more or less but it il
rarely the case THAT oil are not SdtlSuCu VIII
one of these figures.
The beef is divided into five prizes, or, al
they are commonl y termed, five quarters-th'
hide and tallow counting as one. For severa
years after the revolutionary war, sixth wa
added the lead which was shot in the match
This was the prize of the sixth best shot AM
it used to be carefully extracted from the boar(
or tree in which it was lodged and afterwar(
remoulded But this grew out of the exigen
cy of the times, and has, believe, been Ions
since abandoned everywhere.
The three master shots and rivals were Mo
SEES Firmly, Larkin Spivey, and Billy Curlew
to whom was added, upon this occasion, BY
common consent and with awful forebodings
your humble servant.
The target was fixed at an elevation of a
bout three feet from the ground; and the judg
es Captain Turner and Squire Porter,) tool
their stands by it, joined by about half tn
spectators.
The first name on the catalogue was Meal,
Whitecotton. Mealy stepped out, rifle il
hand, and toed the mark. His rife was abou
| three inches longer than himself, and near e
J nough his own thickness to make the remarl
of Darby Chislom, as he stepped out, tolera
: bly, appropriate Here comes the corn-stoc
and the sucker = said Darby.
5 Kiss my foot = said Mealy The way II
creep into that bull's-eye's fact
You'd better creep into your hind sight
| said Darby Mealy raised and fired
) "A pretty good shot, Mealyn said one
; Yes, a blamed good shot said second.