Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-16
MEN WHO CAN SHOOT.
The Clay Pigeon Tournament to Be
Given at Ivy City.
THECAPITAL GUN CLUB.
Wing Shots Who Have Won fame-Ar-
rnngements for the Three Days Shooting
Mt the Tournament-A Sketch of an Inter-
esting Organization.


esting Organization.
TTNHE CLAY PIGEON TOURNAMENT TO BE
L given by the Capital City Gun Club at the
Ivy City race track next Tuesday, Wednesday
and Thursday, in which purses aggregating
o.. 900 will be competed for by the local and
visiting sportsmen, promises to be one OF the
mos. interesting events Of its kind that has
ever been held in this part of the country. II
will bring to our city the crack shots from the
various clubs in Maryland, Delaware, Virginia,
PENNSYLVANIA, New York. New Jersey and other
states- Forty thousand Keystone targets have
been delivered on the grounds and every ar
rangement perfected to insure systematic and
perfect management in the details necessary to
accommodate the large number of shooters
Who are expected to participate Entrance to
the grounds and grand stand will be free to the
public and arrangements have been made to
convey passengers from the power house on
the lexington electric road to the grounds by
q line of omnibuses. or parties preferring to go
BY rail can take the $50 train, il. and q. depos,
which will land them on the grounds in time to
witness or participate II the opeisns event at
0 o'cioek.
The PROGRAM.
Following is the program:
First day. May 10, $3.50 guaranteed Event
No. 1, 10 singles, s25 guaranteed: No. 2, Is
singles, $40 guaranteed; No. 8, 20 singles, $50
guaranteed; No T. pair doubles, s25 gu,ran-
teed; No. 5, 20 singles, $50 guaranteed; No. 6,
Is singles, s25 guaranteed; No. Z, 20 sir giles,
$50 guaranteed; No. 8, Is singles. $40 guiran-
tsed; No. 3, 10 singles, SIS guaranteed.
Ali purses each day will be divided into five
moneys-SO per cent, Is per cent, 20 per cent,
Is per cent and 10 per cent
Second day. May 20. 500 guaranteed. Event
No. I, 10 singles. S25 guaranteed: No. 2. 10
singles, s25 guaranteed; No. 8, Is singles, $40
guaranteed; No. 4, 6 pair doubles, S25 guaran-
10 singles, S25 guaranteed; No. z, Is singles,
$40 guaranteed; No. s, 10 singles, $40 guIran-
teed.
Third day, May p, $3.50 guaranteed. EventNo.
], 10 singles, SIS guaranteed, No 2, 10 singles,
S25 guaranteed; No 8, 10 singles, $40 guaran-
teed; No. 4, s pair doubles, SIS guaranteed;
No. 3. Is singles $50 guaranteed; No. 6, 10
singles. SIS guaranteed; No. Z, 10 singles, $40
guaranteed; No. 8, 10 singles, s20 guaranteed.
FROM LIVE PIGEONS To CLAY PIGEONS.
Prior to the invention by Capt. A. H.
Bogardus. the celebrated pigeon shot, of the
glass ball as an artificial target practice at the
trap was confined to the shooting of live
pigeons. but the scarcity and high price of
birds, combined with the humane desire to
provide some artificial substitute which, while
affording good practice and test of skill, would
at the same time eliminate the element of
cruelty attached to lve-bird shooting, stimu-
lated the inventive genius Of spOrtsmen, and
resulted finally in the production of a new
flying target, known the ''Ligowsky clay
pigeon" the invention of Mr.. Ligowsky of
Cincinnati. Ohio, who Tor many years reaped a
golden harvest from the sale of his birds and
traps
The "clay pigeon" is hollow disk nodded
from CLAY and hakpl N a kiln until hard nd
brittle as to be easily shattered by ordinary
bird shot In appearance II very much resem-
bles an inverted saucer, and when thrown from
the trap sails through the air with the speed
and fight of a swift-hying bird. 1t was doubt
less suggested by the well-known fact that a
hollow shell thrown BY the hand with the hol-
low side down will sail in nearly horizontal
flight Tor long distance. The principle in
yolved in this invention has not so far been i'm
proved upon, but many substitutes for the clay
pigeon have appeared upon the market which
have found favor with sportsmen and largely
supplanted the original invention. The more
conspicuous of these are the ''blue rock
''black bird, :" liking bird and standard KEY
stone target, all made from a composition Of
plaster paris and coal tar. which being lighter
and more brittle than clay are more readily
broken by the shot and hence are more desir-
able for the purpose. There are in this
country over 1000 gun clubs with total men,
bership Of over 81, 900 shooters, and il is esti-
mated that more than $4,000, 900 targets are
yearly consumed by this army of saucer
smashers, as they are facetiously termed
while the money invested by them in guns and
shooting outfits probably reaches $4,000 900.
The excellent practice afforded by this kind of
shooting. combined with the recreation and
social features incident thereto, renders
trap shooting, for those fond of outdoor sports.
one Of the most fascinating amusements. and
clubs are rapidly organizing in every part of
the country.
AMERICAN CHAMPIONS ABROAD.
The sport has been so popularized abroad by
the exhibitions of skill given by Capt. Bogar-
dus, DIR. Carver, Capt Brewer, Buffalo Bill and
other experts with the gun during their Euro
pean tours that clubs are being rapidly organ
lied in the principal cities of Europe creating
q large demand for birds and traps, which
have so far only been manufactured in this
country. The most marked result of this inno-
walton In shooting has been the development
in this country Of large number of the most
skilled marksmen to be found in the world
Capt A. II. Bogardus Of Illinois was the first
of our noted shots to cross the ocean and
measure skill with foreign experts and in a
series Of brilliant matches in 1850 he easily de-
feated the most skilled wing shots OF Europe.
winning not only fresh laurels, but many
Thousands Of dollars and valuable trophies
Later DR.. Carver, Capt. Brewer and other of
our crack shots crossed the ocean. and in
matches 1t the Hurlingham Gun Club grounds
London, and az Monaco, the great resort for
Eurooean trap shots, easily vanquished all
competitors.
The introduction Of artificial target shooting
has naturally resulted in the organization into
clubs Of a vast army of sportsmen who are in
constant practice and skilled in the Use Of the
gun In the event Of war these marksmen
would be available as . nucleus for the lorna
tion Of the most formidable corps Of sharp
shooters ever called into action, Q considerable
which should attract the attention Of our gov
eminent and lead to some substantial recogni-
ton OF an element which might readily be
transformed into an auxiliary branch of the
military service
HsTohY or TEE THE CAPITAL CLUE
The Capital City Gun Club WAS organized in
1878, with thirteen charter members. amaioritv
Of whom are still active members. Its member
ship was then limited TO twenty-five, bat the
ineresaing interest IN trap shooting resulting
from the Improvements IN traps and targets
brought IN 90 many a. plleations for member
ship that . more hbcgd. policy was inauyurated
and the club rapidly augmented in numbers
until 10 new has on - rolls seventy membeys
whose social and business standing make its
personnel the equal Of any similar organization
in the United States, as viii be seen By the fol-
lowing hist Of officers and members:
Ofhcers-E L. Mills, president: W. M
ehuster, vice president; J. II. Guliek, secretary.
Jas N. Green, treasurer; +. A. Happier can
tain; +. o. McKnew, fifth member executive
committee