New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-03
FIELD SPOTS.
THE RIFLE MATCHES ABROAD.

RETURN or PART OF THE AMERICAN TEAM-SohE
ACCOUNT or THE TRIP AND SOME OPINIONS
ABOUT THE MATCH AT WIMBLEDON.
The steamship City of Chester arrived in New
York Yesterday morning at o'clock, with Colonel
John Bodlne Ransom Rathbonc, Colonel II. r.
Clark, and II. Fisher, of the American Rifle Team,
among its passengers. A TRIBUNE reporter saw Mr..
Rathbone at his house in Brooklyn, yesterday after
noon. and asked him about his trip.
"We had pleasant trip back" he said, 4" but we
were DELAYED by q steamer we meet south of Port
land. She had her shaft broken, and was drifting
az the mercy OF tide and waves when we sighted
her. and towed her into port. The trip ont was not
so pleasant. We had rouCher weather and for i've
DAYS did not see hall our fellow passengers. After
we landed at Queenstown we were met
by Sir John Arnott who gave Us n
reception at his house near Cork lie IS SAID to be
the wea,thest man III Ireland. and he certainly
spared nothingm the entertainments provided for
u.s. His house and the spacious grounds surround
ing il were filed with guests, and be fully succeeded
in ms efforts to make our visit pleasant one"
lyon were we'll received in Dublin also
Eyes. At the theatre towhlch we were invited
very large audience was present. and when
the star Spanglcd Banner was Played by
the band the people rose TO their feet
and cheered rs heartily. The Faculty Of Trinity
College also gave a dinner. and the Lord-Lieu-
tenant received us on the evening oi the match"
Were there many spectators at DollymountP
81 cannot say ROW many; bat the number was
estimated at 10000 or over IT was made up
principally of what they cali the gentry over there,
and the military was largely repreS sntcd."
How about the Wimbledon match"
"There were great many workings in that affair
that are not known to the public lir Hyde, who
-,
between the English and Americansas international
opponents He bad perfect right, OF course, to
make ARRANGEMENTS for a trial of skill between any
number OF Americans who might choose
TO enter into snCh contest ana
an equal number of Englslmen. No one
was authorized to make an international contest.
Colonel B0fine argued thar We mad nothing To gnu
by entering into the proposed match. IL we won, IL
would simply he a victory gllucd nv CERTAIN num-
Der of Americans opposed to Engiishn n; u We l0'
it would assume the ASPECT OF an mternatlonai
match and wc had no authority from me NATIONAL
l. hr Association, OF winch Wc Wcrc mcInhc'S, 10
TAX. nj such position. That logic WIS sufficient
to keep me from going into the AFFAIR. but there
were others whom 1t dId no, convince
AGAINST our wish. how ever. the match seemed de
tcrmIned upon making Itself IN Mtrrnatlona one.
Colonel BIiine wrote to the Earl oi Stauhop" cN-
planning the position he took, and from hIm ho r.
celved letter saving thar h" regretted the mistake
thar had ans y. ana that he would take every Stcp
TO put the matter upon proper footing. NHh th9
81, hers who took the same WOW with which
looked upon il, | sli, ed from England on the day
Oh which the match was to take place.
And the scandal At the ranges
You know as much about that as do was
not there but whom heard OF - believed 1t en-
tlrely probable No man can mako such scores as
were reported there with military rifles why,
some Of them made better scores than than the best
match rifles have made"
The gun-case of Colonel Bodne was taken to the
soiznre-roon OF the Custom House, because u was
found on inspection to contain dutlahle aIticlcs'
Among these were two dress patterns OF silk, ten
pairs of kid gloves, five pairs Of hose, number Of
scarfs and other requisites o feminine toilet II
was said in behalf Of Colonel Bodne that The anti
Giles had been placed in the gun-case without his
knowledge by some of his friends, who intended
them as presents fOT his wife.