Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-10-21
THE TOXOPHILITES.
Folks Who Draw tine Long Bow-GrowinR
Interest i'm Archery a Health-giving
Pastime-The Organization of the Potomac
CluS-The Cost of an Outfit and the Way TO
shoot.

Archery. which has been a popular pastine In
England from the beginning of the present CEN
fury, had little footing in this country until
some half dozen years ago. when Mr. Maurice
Thompson. OF Indiana. an ex-confederate off,
Ger, published series of articles in 'Scribner's
Monthly" setting forth the attractions of bow
shooting. Thompson and his brother spent
Their holidays for season or two in Florida, and
olscarding the noisy shotgun for the silent bow
succeeded In baggng quite collection OF birds,
beasts and fishes as the result of their proves.
ThompsOns breezy and gracefully written arti-
Giles inspired quite an enthusiasm for bow sn00t-
Ing, and archery clubs spFang up all over the
Country. There was an immediate demand for
"bOw-arrrow-s sticks" Almost every carpsn-
tiers or c0opers shop turned out its quota of
archery implements. Most people had seen
strolling bands of Indians at the side-shOw of
some circus shoot pennies from split stick
with bow and arrow. Trying the same feat
and not meeting with much success. the new
fedged archers generally consigned their home
made implements TO the kitchen fire. voted ar
cherry ''bOy-play," and forgot ali about it.
THE ARCHERY FEVER IN WASHINGTON.
In Washington Col. John I. Pickett formerly
of Breckenridge's staff, q. s. }. was among the
first to get the archery fever and believing there
was something more than boy-play in a sport
which has among its devOteeS some of the most
cultured ladies' and gentlemen of Europe. Col.
Pickett opened correspondence with Thompson,
and ultimately with Muir. champion of Scotland;
with Highfeld. the celebrated bOw-naker, of
London. and other famous toxophlitPs He
soon learned that coOpershOp implements were
about as suitable for fine shooting as base-balIS
would be for use on billiard table, and he eX-
pended several hundred dollars in importing
fine bows, arrows. and other implements of an
archer. as well as in collecting cu-iOs and max
Ing experiments. Armed with one of Muirs
yew-tree bows and a CULVER of arrows. and ac-
cOmpanied by his son Jack" and sometimes
BY one or two schO0boys, Col Pickett made
almost daily tramps across the fields and wood
lands of the District aud adjoining counties,
and. his eye sharpened by habit to see the trace,
discovered numberless relics of an older race of
archers who once inhabited the Valley OF the
Potomac. During the summer OF 1878. Col.
Pickett made a collection of over 2 U00 stone
arTOw-headS of Indian manufacture, besides
numerous stone hatchets, knives. bits OF broken
pottery, &c. which he found in the fields within
. radius of a half-dozen miles of the Capitol.
Analostan island. the banks of the Eastern
branch, and the valley of Rock creek are verl-
table mines of such relics In 1879 Col Pickett
was stricken with paralysis. depriving him of
the use of his right hand. that his bow shoot
inv DAYS were over. but he could still walk
though with some difficulty. he encoura red his
son and his juvenile companions to continue
their archery practice, and regular range
was fitted up on AnalOstan Island. where half a
dozen boys, known as The Archers of Analos-
tan" met for occasional target practice Col
ceeded in interesting some members of the ex-
amnny corps of the Patent Office in archery
and two or three of the gentlemen there add
vised by the Colonel, provided themselves with
modern implements. and set out to find whether
there any real merit in the sport Mean
time Mr.. Andrew johnson. of the Treasury de-
partnIent. acting on the inspirat on of the
Thompson articles was drawing the long bow
occasionally on his own hook. little club of
4rchers also sprung up at Mount Pleasant.
--.-t THE POTOMAC ARCHERS.
In the spring of 1881 the scattering arclers of
Che District somehow managed to- come together
at the residence of Capt. Bartlett in East WASH
ingtOn and formed a club known as the Potomac
Archers. Col. Pickett being made president.
Three prize meetings were held i'm 1881. and
although the prizes were usually only bow. a
Set OF arrows or some small article of jpwelry
usually not exceeding 50 in value. consider
able sport had. aud the club closed the
season with over twenty members The sea-
son of 1892. which closes this month. has
been particularly successful one for the Po-
tOmac Archers. The club now numbers about
forty, not quite half being ladies. junior club
of young lady archers has been formed in one of
the fiourishng prh ate schools in the west end,
and two or three embryo associations exist in
different parts OF the city. The sandy Surfing
club. which has been in existence four or five
years has been put to its mettle and in the
club contests has been compelled to ut least to
divide the hOnOrs. At the prize meet of October
7th. more than fifty archers contested. Prizes
amounting to about $50 in value were dis
trlbuted among the winners. and warm feeling
OF friendship was cemented among the lal rs
and gentlemen archers of Washington. Bati-
more and Sandy Spring.
ARCHERY AS AN EXERCISE.
As health-giving exercise. archery is une-
Qualed The pulling of a forty pound bow is
equivalent to the putting up of two forty pound
Ndumb-belis, with the difference that the bow
pulling brings the muscles Of the chest more di-
rectiy into play. The round. which gem
orally constitutes an after-dinner match consists
OF ninety arrows shot i'm series of three arrows
at distances OF 90. so and 40 yards Tie arrows
are StlOt into q target. the archer walks across
and pulls them. and then shoots them hack at a
target near his first position. If he misses no
arrows he thus walks about mile while shoot
Ing his round Should an arrow pass the
target he has so much more walh.8 to get it
This jut!iciOus blending Of chest arm and leg
exercise is not only benefic al. but the position
Of shooting is most graceful and the watching
OF the beautiful curve made by the arrow i'll it's
flight il exceedingly fascinating \ perfect
archer must not only possess the keennrss of
vision and accuracy of aim of the irlnan but
Re must combine Herewith del c:ls.v III hand
Ing Of his bow and bowstring not unlike the
touch Of the billiard player. and add thereto
considerable amount of well-trained muscular
power
THE COST OF AN OUTFIT.
NE lOiOHltc arfllffS nave not generally gone
Into tie very fancy fxings" of archery al
though number of the yew-trre bows used
in the club east 80 each and upward. \ very
fair outfit for an archer can be had for -i0 or
$l5 and a beginner can learn to do toIerable
shooting with bow and half dozen arrows,
which should not cost more than IS or e6. The
finest club arrows cost 81 EACH and a. the En-
pert archer will not consent to use such an
arrow after SO much as a feather is rurnpled and
a. bows, especially high priced bows .o;u break
the archer who expects to shine by his outfit
must pay for it; but as before stated O fa ry
good outfit Is not expensive Lade usually
shoot bow 81 feet long, which pulls from "a
to y pounds and use arrows 25 inches in length
Gentlemen pull q six foot bow Of 40 to AZ
pounds. with a IS inch arrow. The beginner in
archery viii do well to take the advice of an ex-
perieneed archer in getting his outfit lest by
tettinc bow uBsuitcd TO his strength he make
failure OF his first attempt
HOW TO SHOOT.
The arrow Is not held on the bows :rin, with
she Thumb and finger. many suppose. and as
Children are wont TO practice with toy archery
implements. The most powerful man would be
unable To draw a heavy bow in that WAY TIN.
xrrow fits upon the bow string SO tlshtly as to
stay in position. The string is then held by three