The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-07-14
THE LAST CARTRIDGES.

messed one many new and striking features.
1t is an occasion Of much importance for
those people, and ranks with them as high as
in America the national game of baseball,
though there is this radical difference be-
tween the two-that in the former the victors
are not crews but individuals. Ii is, there
fore, not so complicated and prone to pro
woke dissension and luminosity as is often the
case with baseball Another important
difference lies in the fact that there are no
salaried professionals, but every man acts
purely as an individual, yet, if he achieves
victory, the credit Of it is also reflected upon
the community or district to which he be-
longs. Great is the pride OF the particular
canton, city or village which counts among
its denizens the schuetzenkoenig Of the year
that is the man who on such target shoot
ing has excelled all his competitors
There is not village of any size that does
not have target shooting club, which often
numbers its members by the hundreds many
of them, old gray haired men, but with eye
undimmed and their love for the sport not
in the least abated. They usually have uni
forms In which green plays an important
part. Their rifles. Of course, vary in style
and quality according to the circumstances
Of the owner, but it frequently happens that
the schuetzenkoenig proves to be the propre-
tor of shabby, old fashioned shooting iron,
! which, however, Ill his steady hands and
| with his eagle eve, has dstanced all the more
stylish ard pretentious looking rifles of his
| fellow contestants.
There are always prizes put up for the sue
cessful shooters These prizes consist some
times of medals, silver cups or similar ar
ticles, but mostly of money, often in very
considerable amounts so that besides the
desire for fame and distinction, the prospect
of a handsome purse of money acts as power
full stimulus on the contestants TO do their
best. When last visited one of the schuetzen-
tests. at which the chief prize was 500 francs
(SlOO), particularly noticed an old man who
had done remarkably we'll III fact 30 well
! that the final contest for the first prize had
narrowed down to three competitors, Of
which he was one Each was to have three
more shots. Carefully and deliberately he
selected three cartridges for his repeating
rifle and then coolly and without the slight
est agitation he fred his three shots in sue
cession. The result was very gratifying, but
he had no mean rivals, and everybody waited
almost with bated breath until the matter
was decided The man that followed him
|
hundred, but miss was as good as a mile
Then came the other His first shot was a
bulls eye That looked bad for the old man,
and turned to look at him, His face
showed no trace Of emotion, he knew there
we're two shots yet to he fired, which
might not turn out as well as tho
first. The report of the second shot rang
out upon the air and another bulls eye was
! Ca ~ a E., l-,,l
| imperturbable as ever. Then the last shot--a
pretty good one, but the three reckoned
together Just amounted to one point less than
the old mans score. The latter was schuet-
zenkoenig for another year, he having held
that dignity, as afterwards learned, for five
consecutive years. You should have heard
the cheering that ensued as the result was
made known to the large assemblage. Every
body crowded around and congratulated
him, for he seemed to be a great favorte.
He took it very quietly and modestly, yet
you could see that he was gratified.
Then ensued a period OF great hilarity.
The large garden restaurants Of the town
were filed to overlooking and the numerous
pretty kellnerinnen waiter girls were kept
more than busy in providing the guests with
wine and beer and other things. IL was not
| long until from every direction you could
hear the sounds of instrumental music or
patriotic songs by improvised choirs. 1t
seemed as though spirit Of merriment had
seized the whole town, which in general
way was also a fact Yet amidst all this
turmoil of merrymaking aregard for de-
cency and the rights of others was every
where observed. 1t showed the people un.
derstood the difficult art Of enjoying them
selves with proper moderation. This wa
my experience at a Swiss schuetzenfest.
JOSEPH SoHM.