New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-07-30
ENGLAND.
THE WIMBLEDON RIFLE MEETING.


be y oTeat success Magnificent weather. plenty OF
nrizos and plenty of riflcmen to shoot Tor them'
combined with the admirable arrangements OF the
Nahonal Rifle Association, 10y which body the meet
;nois oreauized seem to guarantee that the meeting
ill eclinse its predecessors and that If success he
won II will have been we'll earned. 1t is yet too
carly TO write of the results Of the meeting. when
will last until the 9th, but the camp
A. i'm such good working order that nOtCe OF
II and of the arrangements generally may pc Oh
interest to Your readers Rifle shooting Is oL nl'cI
est to America, and we English volunteers haNe 10
thank America for the latest peilccIloh III INC
VeanOn the Snider rife. Wimbledon Common, on
which the meeting is held, Is about sever Illes rom
London, easily accessible 10y Ia!Ma2, "G 20 az.
on tahle-aud commanding extensive views VI Iiio
beautiful Surrey scenery. The portion OF the Com,
mon incoscd for the camp comprises piece OF land
about two miles square; WITHIN TINS lhcIoSuTe are
the va,ous tents for officers of the National Rifle As
sociation the Associated Camp, the reglmental camps
camps for soldiers and police, and the rifle ranges
THE National Rife Association was founded IN 1860
TO give peTmanence to volunteer corps and TO en-
courage rife shooting throughout the Queen
dominions" The Prince of Wales is the Patron, nd
tle Duke of Cambridge the President of the Assocla-
ton. Among the council are Lords Ducie, Spencer
Elcho, GrOsvenoT, Bury and Duilerin. The AsSocla-
ton Is supported 10y the annual subscription OF one
guinea from its members, and this annual meeting at
Wimbledon is the great card of the Association for
the encouragement OF rifle shooting. The value or
prizes offered for competition amounts TO nearly
910OO0 great deal of this is presented by various
individuals, notably $3.50 presented by the Queen,
which forms the blue ribbon oil the meeting. tOf
this prize each volunteer corps in the kingdom
selects the number of its representatives TO compete
according To the amount subscribed TO the AssOcla-
ton by tho corps. Thus the best rifle shots IN the
kingdom are brought together and the winner of the
prize is regarded as the champion shot OF the year
This year there are about LOO entries. The compe-
ttiOn is divided into two stages the first consisting
of five shots at each range of 200 800 ana 6OO yards
The 80 men who head the scores are entitled, accord
ing to order of merit to f1Ot5 ana various teoaiS
and badges given bV the Association. IhlS stage is
Shot with the Government Enfield rifle. Inc hIst %
winners then compete with Nhitworth smali pore
rifles at 500 900 and 1000 yards seven shoS ~ eaSl
range for the Queens f250 and the gold medal OF the
Association. Beside the Queens giI. there are 1lOV
presented by the Prince OF Wales To-, 3y the Glls-
fish volunteers in China. el0O by the Belgian yolun-
teers who visited Wimbledon last year, 80 gulneas
by The Daily Telegraph newspaper and many others
81 600 presented by Lord ElchO for competition be-
tween representatives of England, Scotland, ana
Ireland eight men on each side, with any Tlhe, ana
another Ct 600 for similar competition, ~ men ON
each side with Enfield rifles. The large sum offered
by the Association is made up out Of It's funds and
from the entrance fees 19r some Oh tne piles nIf
the value of the prize There are seven distances AT
winch the prizes are competed tor-l5O @O, 5OO 900,
500 900 and 900 yards The targets at the first two
ranges are six feet high, four feet wide. with a
bulbs eye eight inches square; at 800 and GOO yards
they are six feet square, with bulls eye Oh TWO leet
square, at the the three longer ranges SIX 1eet hlgh
hy 10 feet wide, with bulls eye three feet square
The targets are of Ton painted white the bulls eyes
black. About intermediate between the edge OF the
PAINTED the space inclosed by it being called the
tcenteT1 A Shot hitting the bulls eye counts four
marks the center three, and the outer two marks
man who can hit bulls eye two feet square at
over quarter of a mile distance, Tor hVe con-
secutive Shots must be good marksman, ana
this IS by no means an unusual occurrence
ct Wimbledon. The impetus given to Tlte-ShO0tlng
by the volunteer movement may be estimated from
the fact that beside the large number OF men VINO
daily come from and return to London, there are IN
camp this year about 900 men. Every part OF En-
gland and Scotland is represented here Ireland,
though possessing Rifle Association hot having been
permitted to raise volunteer corps Every depart
mont is represented on the ground the post office,
the telegraph and all the other products OF ciylza
tiOn. The offices Of the Association are ranged III
square Just in front of the grand entrance. On the
left is large wooden building painted in white and
blue stripes, containing observation-disclosures, dining
rooms and bars. The caterer comes from Manches-
ter, bringing all the necessary APPENDICES to his
place from there All the provisions all the walters
come from Manchester, even the milk is brought
thence twice day. With the volunteers in camp
and the visitors this refTeshment house must have
5000 or 5000 customers every day, Yet the perfect
way in which everything is carried out IS hlghly
cTeditable There an elegantly furnished club room
formed OF a large canvas tent, well supplied win
newspapers and writing material and l9dys club
There is very large circular tent, in which meet,
ings held ii there be any question 70 be dscusseu
OF announcement to be made. There is large tent
used for the exhibition of the various articles OF god
and silver plate, &c. offered Tor prizes: me 3A
brick house on the Common is ,occuple9 ~ Lal i
Snepeer who ia chairman of the association ana
owner of Wimbledon Common and great deal OF
land adjoining. This house stands IN the center Of
executive of the association. From this p0inl
toward the right the lines OF tents
stretch for some distance, some Oh t1ei natI a3
denominations If not appropriate yet perhaps on that
account more amusing. For instance the hneS IN
which the guards, regular soldiers employed 10 marx
ut the butts, are located have such names as Love
Lane etc Regent-st Is a double row of tents htted
ND as shops. and here the volunteer can obtain
everything necessary for camp life, articles OF food
of drink of clothing, OF decoration OF utility, and
uselessness boots photographs, camp furniture, glass
and cTOckeTy, guns, cigars flowers, newspapers and
BARRIERS shop. At the end of this street Is large
windmill which is no longer used for its original
purpose but stands as the famous LANDMARK
OF WmPledon dsnov come of buning gadGs to
the gaety of the scene, flags of all nations
bravo the breeze the Stars and Stripes not being the
least conspicuous. very pretty effect is created IN
some of the regimental camps by the display Of small
pennOns of the eooTs of the corps the top of each
tent-pOle. Beyond the camp on the south SIDE are
the ranges OF which from morning 10 evening there
is an incessant popping. The shooting is watched
with much interest by the visitors, especially the
smsll-bore and bTeechlOadng competitions Ihe
Association has done much to encourage tne manu-
facuTe of breech-OadeTs Offering prizes IOr the pest
rifle, as well as for competition Dy pIeeelIiioauol5
generally. The Snider docs very We'll ana
In practieed hands very quick hIlng rs
rade with it. Prizes are offered Tor the
hest scores in combination with the greatest
number of shots made in two minutes. saw man
who is a crack shot in his own country, make II
centers and two CUTTERS missing the target once tnus
firing off Ia rounds, making 80 marks in two minutes
with the Snider rifle dangerous enemy this, IN
field of battle but do not doubt that his will
DO beaten. 80 lew OF lhe competitions hre cOh-
cluded that cannot yet give You any record OF the
shooting. The aspect OF the whole camp is PIC
turesque in the extreme Surrounded on all sides
Iy green and finely wooded hills, the town Of white
canvas with its occupants in all sorts of uniforms
of all shades Of color, seems to want nothing but
fine weather to make of the meeting as far
as appearance goes. And up TO the present the
weather has beeen glorious tTiie too hot perhaps
but even that inconvenience is abated by the pent-
fu supply Of cool drinks and the neglge costume
of the men who are enjoying the outing.
English rules OF propriety I'D costume usually Tigor-
Gus are here waived altogether 1t is necessary that
cYerY volunteer coming up to the Irlng point should