Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-03-28
The WAC TOURNAMENT.
SPLENDID DAY OF FIELD SPORT AT
FOLSOM.
Success of the Country clubs-Excellent
scores-Good craftsmanship
The Prize-winners.


day. The Folsom Sportsman's Club had
made every preparation for the affair, and
had given such attention to every detail that
it seemed impossible for there to be any fail
ure regarding it, and this proved proper
conjecture, for a more successful and thor
oughly enjoyable gathering of sportsmen has
not been held on the Pacific coast to engage
in team-shooting. The hundreds of people
present yesterday, and many of them from
distant parts of the State, carried away with
them deep sense of the gentlemanly con-
duct, the disciplinary regulation, the superior
management, and the open-handed and big
hearted hospitality of the officers and mem
beTs Of the Folsom Club. There was nothing
left undore that could be done by them to
add to the pleasure of the entertainment, the
comfort Of the guests or to
SUCCESSFUL SHOOTING
By participants in the contest The club
may, to be brief, take the credit of having
exhibited the highest skill in the management
Of pigeon shoots" and in having thus sue
ceeded by careful attention to details IN adj
vance, wise foresight, and a modest retlrecy
and uBofficiou5 bearing on the grounds. The
night before the tournament it rained hard,
and for time it appeared that the elements
had combined to compel postponement OF
the matches. Yesterday morning the sky
was overcast, rain threatened again, and hun
dreds who had intended TO go to the tourna-
ment gave up the idea. Six car loads of peo-
pie, however. took passage at the depot in
this city at a. N. Had it not been for the
forbidding character Of the weather three
times that number, in all probability, would
have gone up TO the grounds. The train ran
up in an hour, and just as the depot at Fol
som was reached the sun came out in all it's
glory, the murky clouds were driven back,
the sky soon cleared, and there succeeded
one of these clear, baImy. inspiring spring
DAYS, which act ike a sJimulant to the frame
and makes even the most despondento OF Great
ures rejoice. 4 better day, indeed, could
not have been for the tournament. had
the able managers of the Folsom Club had
carte blanche for ordering day just suited
to the occasion. The shooting began almost
Immediately upon the arrival of the train,
on the grounds of the club, half mile distant
from the town-grounds admirably well
adapted TO the purpose. A good many OF the
excursionists, while the preliminaries were
being arranged, seized the opportunity TO
visit the Branch State Prison, where they
were shown every courtesy by the officers in
charge and had their curiosity with re-
cara TO bldI lHsblbut1Ou SEdbAucus 10 OluctE
z. f. Dolan, Captain of the Night Watch,
who was known to the Sacramento visitors,
people from this city were especially indebted
for the attention he gave them-they feeling
privileged to seek his Offices as guide. 1t did
not take long to organize on the shooting
grounds. Entries had been made by nine
teams, and forfeit put up. The Chico team,
however, sent word that by reason of sick
ness its ranks had been broken, and it could
not therefore appear. The other teams, the
matter being submitted to them by the Fol-
som Club, unanimously voted to excuse the
Chico shooters, and return them the $50 for
felt put up.
THE FINAL PREPARATIONS
For the shooting were then made. J. ID.
Young of Sacramento and George w. TerIill
of San Francisco were elected judges s. A.
Tucker of New Haven, Conn, was chosen
referee; J. NJ. Hotz of Sa ;ramento and G.
E. Mack of Florin were appointed scorers,
A. Flohr Of Sacramento loading judge, and
l.. c. Moore of Folsom pu!ler. Tbs shooting
was by teams of five men, to each man 10
birds at q yards rise, from three traps of the
old style. The entry was 500 per team.
with birds at 81 per dozen. The prizes were:
First, 80 per cent. of $500, with 500 added
by the Folsom Club second, % per cent of
$500; third, 20 per cent; fourth, 10 per
cent; fifth. 10 per cent.
The shooting is considered to have been, if
not the best team shooting ever had on the
coast, at least of the best, and il is unques-
toned that it was the most extensive tourna-
ment between teams ever held on the coast.
The Individual shooting of the good shots was
especially coed, but the team scores must be
ranked as among those of the best order
when the whole are considered together. For
the Place1ville Club it should be said that it
is new, has had little practice at the trap;
that its members are more familiar with the
rife, and that it entered more in friendly and
neighborly than in competitive spirit, The
birds were furnished in plenty, and most of
them were good flyers. A few that were
transported from SO distant point as
Salt Lake City, Utah, were slow and
to the Folsom Club. as, after being sprung,
they refused to fly, but managed, neverthe-
less, to escape.
The manner in which the judges, Messrs
Young and Terrill, presided and ruled was
dignifed and impartial, and gave entire salts
faction. Mr.. Tucker, the referee, was voted
by everyone the most accomplished officer
who has ever filed that difficult position in
this county, and it is probable no more thor
oughly qualified referee has acted in the
State. The club was fortunate in securing
this stranger from the East for the place, be-
cause of his long experience in wing shoot
ing, as it is said of him that few other men
in the land have seen more of it than he.
The pleasure of the contests was largely due
to his care, urbanity and promptness,
and it is not fulsome praise to
thus acknowledge it. The general
arrangements Of the tournament were under
the immediate direction of DIR. Durant
President H L. Wallace, Secretary Ed.
Christy. Treasurer. Comuittee of Arrange
ments, DR.. Durant, j. II. Burnham and G.
L. Ecklon; Committee on Transportation,
A j. Bell and Ed Christy. During the en-
tire day perfect order was preserved on the
grounds So far as the shooting by individuals
was concerned, it was not marked by any
specially noteworthy incidents. Henry Ger
Der seemed to have most of the quick flyers
and hard birds; Hamilton was i'll; Robinson
made rather startling but successful shot
over the heads Of the spectators in the re
served seats; Alaskey proved to be
the best retriever; Auls had an excit-
ing chase after a hit bird Schnabel
and Maskey made the only clean scores !;
Knaur, heretofore known as q fine rife shot,
won much praise by his sudden development
as very flee wing shooter. Rich made the
lowest individual score. The O'Neil Club
team and the Foresters No. were handi-
in poor light, as evening had nearly set in.
Spencer was the liveliest better on the ground,
and took and gave the heaviest odds on indi-
vidual shots Pools were sold, and the highest
were with Sacramento as the fayorite, with
Folsom second choice. The non-success of
the San Francisco club teams was the oeca-
sion for the country boys" to poke much
fun at them. The later shooters were all
somewhat embarrassed by the excitement
and chatter and rattle of the betters, conse-
quent upon the wind up of the matches. In
this latter respect alone should the manage
ment be criticised, and it is admitted that it
would have been better to have had the pool
selling at more remote point, The names
of the club teams, the names OF the members
of the teams, and the score of each, appear
below, and form concise history of the con-
test.
THE SCORES MADE.
The shooting was conducted by slterna-
ton between teams, the members being
called alternately and shooting off five shots
each thus the score of each shooter was
made in three divisions. and number one
having shot, was not called again to the score
until nine others had shot, and then ten hav-
ing shot five times each, had rest until six
other teams had shot in like manner.
The signifies that the bird died out OF