The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-01-10
Pistol Shooting HEatcI, for One T'fiorsazl, I
Dollars q Side

The great pistol shooting match for 81 COO
a side, between John Travis and Samuel 4
Suydam, which has for several weeks past
Kept the sporting world on the qUi rice, came
on On Tuesday evening at Academy Hall,
Broadway, III the presence Of from six hul-
dred to eight hundred persons. Among those
present were lerge number of the sporting
gentry and the personal friends of Travis and
Suydam AT the end Of the stage was placed
large iron plate, on which was drawn the
ordinary sized figure OF man. In a few
minutes after the hour announced for the
commencement Of the sport, the parties with
Their judges appeared on the stage and were
received with loud applause. The distance.
ten PAGES, having been measured, the terms
OF the match were announced. Each party
was to have forty shots, and the one making
the most hits at the target to be the winner
1ncy were not raise the pistol till the word
IRE, and not shoot till after the word
one" The preliminaries having been ar
ranged, each party fired six shot by the way
Oh getting his hand in and gaining know
icdge OF the pistols to be used on the occa-
SION. These shots, on both sides. were ex-
celent and received applause. The great
match was then commenced-Messrs Law
renee ana Brent acting as Judges the former
Tor Suydam and the latter for Travis. Gen.
neat, OF tennessee, acted as referee. Mr..
travis took his position, and amid almost
bFeithiess silence, John Britton gave the
word, Are you ready ?" Fire. :'One,'
Thus the first twenty shots were fired. only
rineteen OF which were counted as hits the
twentieth having been ruled out as after
time. After brief respite. Mr.. Travis fired
ms second round, putting every shot on the
target. On this round he rang the bell on
the twelfth and fourteenth shots, and placed
four shots ION the line" His success was
greeted with tumultuous applause.
Mr.. Suydam next took his position and
hced his first twenty shots, one of which be-
ING on the target was Of course ruled out.
AMI the Judges announced the parties as even
on the first round. Four of the shots were
on the line. Loud applause greeted his sue
cess.
Alter the lapse of a few minutes, order was
again restored, and Mr.. Suydam commenced
bis second round favorably On the fourth
shot he rang the hell and was applauded.-
The fifth shot hitting the target. he hand
ed tie pistol to the loader,' and told the
judges that he did not desire to shoot any
more. Thus the match terminated. and th.,
Judges announced Mr.. Travis as the winner.
The firing was made thus rapid on account
OF the great skill and proficiency of tie par
ties with this patent weapon-the hair trg-
ger duelng pistol The match was one IF
unusual interest, both parties being acknow-
lodged as among the very best pistols shots
in the country. Travis is a professor of the
art, and for nearly twenty year has prac-
ticed it, having given lessons TO thousands of
pupils. He has performed tie most daring
eats, as that Of shooting an orange off mans
head. Snydam is a very rapid and dexter
ous shot. Some three years since he shot q
match for s 900 that he would hit the ortli-
nary sized figure of man at ten PAGES, nine
ty consecutive shots, at the word fire -
" One!" and he won it. After the nile'y
shots were fired, he bet 800 on each shog
that he would compete 500, but missed or
the 93d, though he succeeded in hitting the
target 90 times in 100 shots.