Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-05-27
KLEIN's REPLY.
HE IGNORES HALL,S CHALLENGE
FOR A SHOOT.
And Names New Conditions-Com.
pany G's Challenge Based on the
Fairest Conditions for All.

between Captain Hall of Company of the
First Artillery Regiment and Captain Klein
of Company G, First Infantry, relative to g
rifle shooting match between the respective
companies. The Sacramento company
was the original challenger many months
ago and its offer has not been accepted
But the San Francisco company, through
its Captain, lately came forward and offered
to shoot, but on new conditions. Captain
Hall then renewed his former challenge
directly to Captain Klein, who yesterday
replied as follows:
ARMoRY COMPANY C, FIRST INFANTRY REGr-,
MENT, SECOND BRIGADE, n. G. c.
San FRANCISCO, May =, 1889
Captain Tlios 3. Hal, Commanding Conpang G.
First artillery Regiment, N. G.. c., Sacramento Gal
SIR: l have the honor to acknowledge receipt
of yours of the Dist inst, in reply to my chal-
lenge of the 18th inst.
You state therein that you issued the first
challenge and for that reason you decline to ac-
cept my challenge. You are mistaken in point
OF fact. The first challenge was issued by me
directly to your company in the fall of 1887
shortly after the remarkable record was made
by your company in the State shoot of 1887, and
1t seems to me that II you had actually desired
to have contest you should have accepted that
challenge.
merits as sharpshooters of our respective COM
panies my challenge of May 18th will enable
you to DO so-the companies shooting as they
stand to-day and not as they existed in 1855. If
your position is well taken might with equal
merit insist that you should accept my chal-
lenge of the year 1887.
Your company now claims to be the cham
pion shooting company of the State. and we de-
sire to meet you and test the question whether
you are such in fact: it is but lodging the issue
to reply that you will shoot with us not for the
&c ha oh ,,par,
but only to determine which company might
have been the best in 1887 or 1885. Further
more, the company that is always asserting its
supremacy should be ready at all times 10 ac-
cept challenges from inferior shooting com
panles and prove by the scores made that their
claim is well founded
Your old challenge referred to- was not ad
dressed to me, nor to any particular company
while on the contrary my former challenge was
addressed and sent directly to you, and you de-
clined to accept it, and now our present chal-
lenge is again addressed to you, but, as before
instead of accepting it. you appear to be swift to
lind excuses tor declining.
Your present excuse, as / understand it,
amounts to this, that you are not prepared to
meet my company as 1t stands now, because it
may be better shooting company than il was
year ago, and although you do not expressly
so state, surmise from newspaper articles pub
Hshed in Sacramento, that you also think that
may have enlisted shooters for this particular
match, and for shooting purposes only and
therefore desire TO say that there is no truth in
any such statements. Every member of my
command is an active member and is obliged 10
perform the duties of a National Guardsman,
and l have no. enlisted any men for shooting
purposes only, nor for this match.
might further answer that your action in
insisting upon shooting, as the companies stood
in 1888, is open to like criticism. Might it not
be said that your company was placed in con-
dition to shoot in December. 1888, and that you
now refuse to shoot because you fear defeat
with your present company.
Let us not endeavor to settle which is the best
Shooting company by mere talk but let us meet
at the butts and determine that question by a
comparison of scores
In conclusion, desire to state that do not
issue general challenge addressed to no one
In particular and then when met with direct
challenge refuse 10 accept on the ground that
had issued such general challenge, but / have
was declined. The other still remains open for
you to accept or decline, and if not accepted
my company Will declare itself the champion
shooting company Of the State. because the
former champions have twice refused to accept
4, a challenge from me. Very respectfully,
JOHN E. KLEIN.
Captain commanding Company c. First Infantry
Regiment, n. G. c.
The situation seems to be about this:
Captain Hall first issued q challenge last
year to match his company against any
other in the National Guard, and no notice
was taken of it for months, until Captain
Klein, having added several expert shots
to his team, offered to accept. Captain
Hall then renewed his challenge direct to
Captain Klein's company, STIMULATING that
all members participating must be men
who belonged to the companies on the LIST
day of January, 1889. This challenge Cap
tain Klein virtually ignored. and himself
becomes the challenger, naming new con.
ditions-or, rather, studiously avoiding
those named by Captain Hail. There was
nothing new or novel in the latter's stipu-
lation. 1t is customary for companies or
shooting clubs 10 draw the line as to the
length of time in which the shooting
teams had been members of their company
or club. The object of such stipulation is
obvious-merely TO prevent the recruiting
of experts for a special purpose. Captain
Halls challenge is eminently fair. and il
Captain Klein's company, as it stood at the
time the challenge was first issued, does not
feel that it mas the ability to cope with its
challengers, the Captain should admit the
fact. Captain Hall probably would not
claim that company could not be recruited
that would be able to defeat Company G,
but he is willing to put up money for test
with any company in the National Guard
as it stood on the first of the year as re-
CARDS membership.