Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1877-10-04
Communication.
Our New York Letter.


English Guns--Tbe Single Cham
4 RiOnship. saG0is tn
To the Editor Of tile Observer:
New YORK, Sept. 81, 1877.
The sound of firing in the
great rifle match had hardly
died away, when my last letter
was mailed, so that / had no
opportunity to speak of the en-
1thusiasm which ran like Wild
fire through the city when the
result was announced, and it
became known that, for the
fourth time, America led the
world in an international match.
The President of the United
States could not have been more
of lion for the time being,
than were Bruce and Blyden-
burgh, and the meeting at the
IHippodrome on Tuesday even
ing, when the various prizes
were presented, amounted TO a
perfect ovation. The immense
building was packed, and such
cheers as only an excited multi
tude can give, electrified the
neighborhood for two hours.
The foreigners, too, came in for
their full share OF attention.
On Sir Henry Halford's appear
Iance the very roof shook with
the applause, and cheer after
cheer was given for the Captain
of the British team. Sir Henry
addressed the multitude, pay
ing the tribute of a warm-heart-
ed Briton to his opponents in
the late match, and to the A
merican people in general. In
conclusion, he said that s'the
only drawback under which we
labor is that we so back to our
country defeated men. From
here the teams adjourned to
Delmonico's, where they were
the guests Of the National Rifle
Association at an elegant BAN
quet.
So brilliant victory not only
over formidable adversaries who
strained every nerve to wipe out
the memory of last years de-
feat, but over all previous rec
ords, has naturally excited in
quiry into its causes, as we'll as
admiration for itself. With re-
gard to these causes, it is GER
tain that the Americans did not
beat OH account of any one adj
vantage. They were on their
own shooting grounds for one
thirg, although the. victory of
the Americans in England three
years ago would seem to prove
that that item need not be ta-
ken largely into account. More
was the superiority |
Of the harmony, the discipline,
and the method of the home
team. Then again "nothing |
succeeds like success" and this
fact, too, may have had some
thing 10 do with the unparalleled
| ,679 of the second day. But
more than from any Of these
causes, or than from all of them
combined, our rifiemen worsted
their trained competitors on ac-
count of the vast superiority
of their guns. The American
orecch-loalers have proved
themselves on this occasion, as
on many others, ahead of all
previous achieyemnts in gun
in accuracy at long
'ange.
This never-to-be-lorgotten
contest has proved the Sharps
improved long range rifle to be
he most perfect arm the world
ever saw, and has made it ac-
1nowledged the standard. Bruce,
he hero of the American team,
yho,' on the last day, made the
lnheard-of record, 219 out of a
possible 225, used this wonder
'nl gun, and, at the conclusion
If the match, made the emphat-
C remark "That Sharps rife
made my record: | only hap
oened to be behind it." Lieut..
the accomplished mil
tary and rifle editor of the
Tribune, said to friend Of mine
lfter fridays work, that there
could be no question but that
he improved Sharps is the COM
ng gun. But more convinc-
ng than that testimony is the
action Of the British marks
of whom have
the Sharps for their own
'uture use. Among this seven
5 VIM. Rigby, of VIM. & John
Rigby, Dublin, now and for
many years the most cele-
yrated rifle makers Of Great