Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-10-01
LETTER FROM NEW YORK.
Special Correspondence.
NEW YORK. Sept. "a, 1877

NEW IORk, OepU. "a, 1917.
The sound of the firing in the great
rifle match had hardly died away, when
my last letter was mailed, so that 1 had
no opportunity to speak Of the enthusiasm
which ran like wild-fre through the
city when the result was ann ounced,
and it became known that, for the fourth
time, America led the world in an in
transitional match. The President Of
the United States could not have been
more of a lion for the time being, than
were Bruce and Blydenburgh, and the
meeting at the Hippodrome on Tuesday
ever.ng, when the various prizes were
| Presented, amounted to perfect ova-
tioq. The immense building was pack
ed, and such cheers as only an excited
multitude can give, electrified the neigh
borfood for two hours. The foreigners,
too, came in for their full share of at
tenion. On Sir Henry Halford's ap-
peaance the very roof shook with the
applause, and cheer after cheer was
given for the Captain of the British
team. Sir Henry addressed the multi
tude paying the tribute of warm
hearted Briton to his opponents in the
late match, and to the American people
in general. In conclusion, he said that
''the only drawback under which we
labor is that we will go back to our
country defeated men. From here the
teams adjourned to Delmonico's where
they were the guests of the National
Rife Assertion at an elegant banquet.
So brilliant victory only formidable
adversaries who strained every nerve to
wipe out the memory of last years de-
feat but over all previous records, has
naturally excited inquiry into its causes.
as we'll as admiration for itself. With
regard to these causes, it is certain that
the Americans did not beat on account
of any one advantage. They were on
their own shooting ground for one
thing. although the victory of the Am
ericans in England three years ago
would seem to prove that item need not
be taken largely into account. More
important was the superiority of the
harmony, the discipline, and the meth
cd of the home team. Then again
nothing succeeds like success" and
this fact. too. may have had something
to do with the unparalleled 1,679 of the
-oVnu day. But more than from ony
of these causes, or than from all of them
combined. our rifemen worsted their
trained competitors on account of the
vast superiority of their guns. The
American breech-loaders have proved
themselves, on this occasion, as on
many other, ahead of all previous achieve
ments in gun making, in accuracy at
long range.
This never-to-be-forgotten contest has
proved the Sharps improved long range
rife to be the most perfect arm the
world ever saw, and has made it ac-
knowledged the standard. Burce, the
hero of the American team, who, on the
last day, made the uaheard-of record,
2l9 out of a possible 225, used this
wonderful gun, and, at the conclusion
of the match, made the emphatic re-
mark "That Sharps rifle made my rec.
ord only happened to be behind it. >
Lieut.. Rhoades, the accomplished mill
tary and rife editor of the Tribune sale
to friend of mine after Fridays work
that there could be no question but thai
the improved Sharps is the coming gun
But more convincing than that testimony
is the action of the British marksmen-
seven of whom have bought the Sharp
for their own future use. Among thi
seven is VIM. Rigby, of VIM. & Johl
! Rigby, Dublin, now and for many year
the most celebrated rife makers o
' Great Britain. If anything more thai
its record were needed to show the shoot
ing world that they mast use the Sharp
gun hereafter to stand any chance,
!. strikes me this episode furnishes it.
On Tuesday last occurred what wa
!. known as the Esprit of the Times
) match, for prizes aggregating $1,000 il
gold and the championship of the world
q 1t was open to all comers. and in vie1
. Of the large number of high scores mad
the previous week was very excitin
!. contest. There were seventy-nine er
Il tries embracing almost all the best RI
femen in the world. 1t was fully ez
# pected that Bruce, Blydenburg or Selp
= would win the highest honor but th
- fates turned up new man for the $50
prize in the person of Washburn of Cor
a necticut. Blydenburgh came SECOND
10 Selph fifth and Bruce nowhere. Thi
# match practically colses the rife seaso
of 1877, the most exciting one eve
known.
$ The Savings Bank system has recei'
'f ed some more singing blows this weel
ze four or FIVE new failures being chDn
y cled. 1t begins to look as though OF
Sc state superintendent, Ellis, who was r
p Gently removed, was either one of Il
III most rascally, or else most thorough