Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-06-06
@Ortester Qailp Spp,


SHARP SHOOTERS,
ABOUT htteen years ago it was thought that
Mr.. John IL. Chapman, of Oneida Lake N
T., could use the rifle at rest, or off hand mr.
at moving objects well as any other man.
He spent three years in practising, day in and
DAY out. lie practised at rest from ten rods
up to one thousand yards, and at off hand from
ten rods up to six hundred yards. He could
hit oranges and apples, and chips, thrown into
the air, with single bullet, fact well known
to several of the inhabitants OF Utica Mr.
chapman was The president of the New York
Central Rifle Club some ten years ago, and at
that time the club could muster some twenty
most excellent marksmen at rest. Mr.. Chap.
man informs us that he thinks he is sale in
saying that mans head at five hundred yards
could have been hit once i'll three shots BY any
of them. The rifles used by the members
were OF the best and finest make of Edwin
Wesson, of Hartford M. James, of Utica !;
Fish, OF New York; BiIlinghurst of Roches.
ter Abby, of Chicago and others.
General A. Durham, of West Troy at one
time probably was the best rifle shot, off hand
and at rest combined, that we had in the east
ern states. The best marksmen at game are
always found on the trontiers-where game
most do congregate.
So much tor what was thought ten or fifteen
years ago. Now for figures.
In 1845 Mr.. Van Valkenburg, at 220 yards
made ten shots at target nine inches in di-
ameter, the tarthest from the centre being
three inches. Two balls drove out the cent,e
of the bulls eys and the total measurement
being 1873 inches.
In the same year, John L. Brown, of New
York, at 2Ol yards, made ten shots which
measured, from centre of bulls eye to break
of ball. 124 inches.
In 1916 Mr.. S. Lloyd, of New York, made
pat,ital etrntr
centre, only a inches for FIVE shots at 200
yards
Up to the close of 1847 the shortest ten shot
string at 200 yards we can find measured 9S
inches, centre to centre, which was made by
green hand III the western part of this state,
and is well authenticated. We believe Mr..
Lloyd vouches for this being the best shot. up
to that time.
1848 is memorable for the best strings on rec
ord! On the 9Th OF April of that year Mr.. IL.
Berdan of Michigan and Mr.. Dimick OF Gin
cinnati, met at Covington, Kentucky, to shoot
match, the first and last which Mr. Berdan
was ever engaged in MIR. Berdan used n
Wesson rife, and Mr.. Dimick one of Mr..
Budson's make. After shooting two matches
of ten shots each, 200 yards. they shot third
at the same distance, and the same number OF
shots which Mr.. Ber'lan won, making string
of eight inches! Mr.. Dimck's being 151. Mr.
DeTudH Wou tHe lilTee tDdtcneS, ana we
informed that the shot fartlest away from the
bulls eye measured only Is inches, while MIR.
Dimick reports the thirty shots OF Mr. Berdan
to measure only, from break of ball to centre
of bulls eye, thirty eight and one-tbird inches!
In his matches at New Orleans, in l848 Mr.
Dimick averaged little more than two inches
at zoo yards, and a little more than one inch
at 100 yards.
In 1850 Joel d. Owens made a string of
144 inches in ten Shots 220 yards.
Same year, Mr.. Ferris of Utica, made a
string of SO inches in ten shots, at $50 yards
1851, L. f. Green, of New York, in ten
shots, at 500 yards, made a string of 944
inches.
1853, Mr.. Lewis of Troy, at 800 yards.
measured 36 inches, in twenty shots.
Same year Mr. John Schiff, 2l0 yards, bea t
five competitors, 10 shots each, measuring 295
inches.
1858, Morgan James, OF Utica, N Y, made
a string of 81 inches, at $50 yards, forty shots;
and again in 1854 made a string of little
more than 81 inches in forty shots, at 220
yards IL. E. Dimick's forty shots measuring
81 inches. o
1854, r. Parks, at 221 yards and one foot in
twenty-five successive shots, made string
averaging Il inches from centre to centre
1866, A. f. Spencer, of Winsted, Conn, in
ten shots, measured from center to center,
made string of 164 inches at 22O yards.
1856, Mr. Ii. c. Newcomb, OF Natchez,
Miss, made a string OF 22k inches in 20 shots
at 200 yards.
Same year, Mr.. H. W. Smith, of Boston,
Mass, in a contest at Bellows Falls, VT, made
a string of 165 inches in ten shots at 220 yards,
beating nineteen good shots.
1857, Abner Hovens, of South birmingham,
Mass, at the second annual meeting Of the
National Rifle Club held at Waltham, Mass,
won the first prize, making a string Of l5
inches in ten shots, at distance of go yards;
w. B. Harrington made the next best string,
15s, and w. W. Wetmore next, 1871.
1858, H. w. Smith, at the third annual meet
ing of the above named association, held at
Watham, in ten shots at 220 Yards, measured
15a inches, being the best string made for nine
prizes. The club medal was awarded to S.
Spencer, he having made the best shots, which
measured 54s inches.
Thus it will he seen that, taking the record
for our guide, Mr.. H. Berdan, OF Michigan,
must be pronounced the champion shot,
having made the best ten shots and the best
thirty shot Before, closing, however, we
must give subjoined from the California
American, promising that the match came off
in 1856, and that we do not place much reli-
ance upon the statement:
A trial of skill between two crack shots of
San Francisco came off lately at the ranch of
T. Q. Selby, Esq, below the r. street levee.
The shooting was between DR.. Downes and
T. o. Selby, with the DIR. NELSON'S rifle
distance two hundred yards, at a target of two
and half inches in diameter. They fired ten
shots each. Five of Selby's were centre shots
and could be covered with dime the other
five ranged from a half to three-quarters of an
inch from the centre. Nine of Dr. Downes'
were centre shots, all broken in together, and
could be covered with half dollar the whole
ten shots could be covered with a dollar.