Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-05
CREEDMOOR's DECADENCE
Manifest Unfairness Keeps State Teams and
Individual Marksmen Away.

CREEDMOOR'S DECADENCE
! Manifest Unfairness Keeps State Teams and
Individual Marksmen Away.
SOME INSTANCES OF FAvoRrrrsM TO NEW YORK
MEN-rRIaGER TESTING AND INCOMPETENT
scoRERs-THE COMPOSITION OF THE DISTRICT
TEAM TO DEFEND THE HILTON TROPHY.
STAFF Correspondents Of The Evening Star
CRKEDNooR, L. l., September 4, 1891.
This has been day Of rest Nearly every
member of the brigade team has spent the day
loafing around the hotel. few have gone
down to the range to watch the New York state
matches now in progress. Too much shooting
had worked positive injury and the cessation
seems to be working beneficially. Everybody
Feels better and the sore shoulders are losing
that nervous delicacy which has during the
past two days caused finching and bad shots.
Guessing ct the probable strength Of the en-
pirc state team has been the principal occupa-
ton, but none of the guesses have anything
like solid foundation, because no one really
knows who the individuals are that will do bat
tie With the District of Columbia tomorrow.
The selections are invariably postponed until
the last moment, SO that competing teams may
have no opportunity for comparison until the
struggle is over. So far as Washingtorris con-
cernod twelve determined men will face the
targets in the morning, each individual bent
on doing the best he knows how. Accident
or nervousness may spoil a SCORE or two. but
these things are frequently compensated for by
some other mans phenomenal totals. Taking
the District team a whole it is stronger than
1t was last year, and the men seem to be in bet
ter physical condition than at any previous Pc
riod in their shooting history. but predictions
based on these facts are valueless 30 long as our
opponents strength is hidden. One thing il
certain, however, and that is that New York has
an inestimable advantage in its special guns
and special ammunition. Figure it out asyou
and if they can only shoot as we'll as the Dis
trict men do they are bound to win. Gen. Ord
way and Maj. Pollard are making every ar
rangement to prevent the semblanco of fraud,
and those who do not shoot on the team will be
used at various points where their presence will
be OF service.
THE DISTRICT TEAM
Tho composition of the team is a matter
which has caused Maj. Pollard more than lit
tie thought and anxiety. Every mans scores in
previous practice and matches have been care
fully scrutnized and a record kept. This after
noon a determination was reached and the
twelve selected. Here they are:
Maj: j: NJ. Pollard, Capt. W. L. Cash, Lieut..
Geo. II. Harries, Lieut. J. N. Stewart, Private
Himebaugh and Private Rollins Of the first
regiments Capt. Jas. L. Bell, Commissary Ser
gesnt Laird and Private Walter S. Cash of the
second regiment; Lieut.. F. L. Graham, Sergt.
A. .. Hutterly and Private Dickey Of the engi
neer corps.
NEW MANAGEMENT NEEDED.
If the so-called National Rife Association
over expects to recover the vitality which once
made it a power among the rifemeu OF the
world it will have to place its business affairs
IN the hands Of an entirely new management.
Five years ago state teams were gratifyngly
an1 nd hal
petitors could be numbered by hundreds; to-
day there are but two teams on the grounds,
while the individual marksmen are decidedly
scarce-not more than half the aggregate of
last year. The bottom is certainly dropping
ont of the whole thing. And why? Because
rihemen who have had one experience with
modernized CreedmoOr are not anxious for a
second dose. because the meeting has
IN 1t too much OF New York and too
little OF the national idea and because
induDltable unfalrness goes on almost contin-
uously uuchallenged and unchecked. Now,
don't run away with the notion that any one ac-
cuses the management (Which is conferred in
Gen. Z. +. Robbins) of being dishonest-that
would be going little too far-but the rulings
are at times 30 lax that favored New Workers
may easily creep through while strangers and
antl-Nobbins natives get all the severity the law
calls for. Yesterday about forty men compe ted
Tor the military championship of the United
States. and when the competitors were at the
drove up and at each target threw out Of his
buggy trigger weight. The rules of the asso-
citation as well as the army regulations require all
military rifles shall have minimum trigger pull
of six pounds. few of the competitors, for
their own satisfaction, tested their triggers
and two or three Of the unwilling ones were
practically compelled to do the same thing.
Among these latter was sergeant whose trig-
ger refused to stand more than half the re-
quired weight He tried it again, this time
hold I'm hnr
five degrees. and. of course, the trigger held.
He was asked to hold the barrel in q vertical
position, but would not. Somebody said that
the regulations required him to do so. where
upon he replied: Damn the regulations. this
is Creedmoor" With that sort of spirit abroad
is it any wonder that honest men stay away
from Creedmoor: The sergeant referred to has
put up big scores in two or three of the matches
and he has been enabled to do SO because his
trigger was light. How can any conscientious
man hope to win anything in competition with
such rank dishonesty?
CAUSE OF cREEDMooR's DECApEScE
But to pursue the subject little further and
to locate the cause of Creedmoors decadence.
Surprising that some men would certainly act
crookedly the association framed regulations
and provided for the appointment of officers
whose duty it should be to impartially enforce
the law Is the law enforced? No! The whole
system either was radically wrong from the
beginning or II has become SO through care
lessness selfish local interests. So thor
oughly has this laxity permeated the structure
that an outside competitor must be suspicious
of everybody. Here is little testimony to
prove the case--an incident which shows that
unfairness is not regarded as reprehensible I'M
less the cheat is discovered: member of the
sixty-ninth New York was competing in the
Steward match. where n sitting position is per-
mitted. To insure steadness he sat with his
back against one Of the square and solid posts
on which the scorers fasten their movable desk
tops. The scorer. whose duty in the matter
was perfectly plain, made no objection, and the
competitor had shot one whole score, when
Il range officer strolled along. Did he
order the man away from the artif-
cial support? Not he. He simply remarked,
addressing the competitor by his Christian
name. that it would be better to move away a
few inches ''Some of these fellows (pointing
toward group of Washingtonians) will get on
to you" Even after this the competitor fired
another shot with the assistance OF the oaken
backbone; then seeing that several strangers
were coming up he moved out from the post
about six inches 1t is all right to defraud, pro-
vided you are not foolish enough to get caught
If the range officers and scorers are here for
anything it ought to be in the interest of fair
play; some OF them are perfectly square, but
there is no one here but is convinced that much
monkey business is continuously going on.