The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-02-09
Pigeon Match at AyOndale.

PIge0n Match at AyOndale:
On the second Of this month, there was a
pigeon match at Avondale, on the Licking
county reservoir, between G. II. Hope Of
Somerset, and George W. Ingraham of
Newark, conditions Of the match, 80 birds
each, 2l yards rise, one ounce Of shot by
Ueight.
The same parties had, a month previous
ly, shot match at the K. X. crossing of the
National Road, resulting in victory for
Hope by one bird-he billing 81 and In
graham 20, out Of %. The closeness of this
match doubtless led 20 the second trial of
skill between the parties, each feeling ",ne
conscious pride Of a;t."
Each man was on the ground early
Hope going up the night before, and Ingra-
ham coming down on the morning train.
The Somerset boys turned out in larger
force than the Newarkers. The morning
was wet and dismal; the fog hung, like =
threatening cloud, on the face of the res
srvoir, and all signs for disagreeable day
were manifested.
IL was plainly to be seen, early in the
morning, that the Newarkers had not
great amount of confidence in the ability
Of their champion to win the match. They
we're not exactly "cot rite of heart" but
they were, undeniably, "broken in spirit"
During the day two Intellectual attempts
were made to postpone the match, offering,
finally, to come to Somerset and shoot in
the Fair grounds. About 10 o'clock it be-
came lighter and soon ceased raining; at II
there was match between Hand and Work
on one side, and Yost and Gutelius on the
other-Hand and Work winning the match:
at the conclusion of which the hungry crowd
repaired to the "Avondale" house and par
took Of repast of SUM- fish" and creamless
coffee, at the modest price of fifty cents
each.
The match Of the day was set for one
o'clock, at which time it began to rain and
grow dark. lngraham said he could not,
or would not, shoot in the rain; Hope said
he came to shoot, rain or shine, and that
Mr.. lngraham must shoot, or consider him
self beaten, which brought the gentleman
to his senses, and oil parties repaired to the
field.
On examining and weighing the loads,
Hopes was found to be an exact ounce
weighed on pair Of jewellers balances
and Ingraham's was a reyy strong ounce; so
strong, in fact, that it would require most
exemplary Christian to give such weight
TO his customers.
After some alteration. in which Ingra-
ham claimed that his loads were all right,
and that the balances were not standard,
Hope agreed to shoot, giving his opponent
the advantage Of more than an ounce of
shot. When the shooting began, few
minutes past one, the rain had ceased, and
the weather remained favorable the balance
OF the day. Ingraham shot first, killing
his first bird easily; Hope followed and
likewise scored one. Ingraham missed his
second, while Hope killed his first three
and missed his fourth.
AT the end Of the first ten, Hope was one
shead; at the end of twenty, Hope was three
ahead on the score; at the end of twenty
hve, the score was not changed-Hope still
keeping his three. Ingraham, after shoot
ing his twenty eighth bird, gave up the
match-he having missed eleven ont of
twenty eight, while Hope missed six out
Of twenty-seven. Ingraham missed five
out Of his last six. Hope, after missing
his tenth, killed nine straight; while Ingra-
hams highest straight was five. During
the match Ingraham was twice challenged
fos having the butt OF his gun above the
elbow, but the referee decided that he had
not. Ingraham, ON his part, challenged a
bird shot eight feet, at least in the air fol
not being on the wing; and also challenged
one because the retriever went around it
instead Of directly TO it, but was not allow.
ed his point by the referee. Both challeng
es were foolish, the last being Inconsistent
his own retriever having gone around al
his birds.
Ingraham shoots an English gun, man
ufactured by w. & C. Scott & Sons, Bir
mingham, England; choke bore, 10 gauge
weight about 10 lbs.
Hope shoots an American gun, made by
Parker Bros., Meridian, Conn, open bore
~ gauge, weight not quite lbs.
During the shooting, a gen tleman, whose
name we did not learn, remarked to a friend
at his side, as he heard the discharge OF
Hopes gun, "I'll bet that's Parker gun. ,
At the end Of the match he came up and
asked to examine it, eDquiring at the same
time II il was Parker? being answered
In the affirmative, he said to his compan.
ion, ~ told you so; ca stand behind the
score at q pigeon match, and tell, when ]
see bird fall, If it was Parker gun tha,
caused it; il is the best gun in the ,Corldi"
There is a marked difference in the ap
pearance Of the two men. Hope is slightly
built, not over five feet, eight or nine inch.