The sun., 1892-05-22
TAKE KINDLY TO THE TRAPS.
A SrOxT 1Ui1 rs GROWING POPULAR
NTH SH0TG UN EIPERTa


clay Tsrsst Pvsstics Bseo.ise - Fash.
io~,sis as Rave Rird shoStinE-The Fa.
vsrtts MIpssies and Traps Now n Use
Now the Ev~ats Are Contested.
sport which Is rapidly coming to tho from,
a. one of the great national pastimcs is trap.
shooting. Whore. but few years ago there
was oalya comparatively small number OF per.
soas interested In the use Of q shotgun. there
arc now thousands Of shooters all ovcr the
country. New clubs are constantly beina
formed. and their membership steadily in.
crease.. II is ono OF the most healthfulsports
and gives its devotces plenty Of OPEN air exer.
else without harmful overexsrtion.
Twenty years ago. when Rame was more
plentiful. little was done in trapshooting. and
fhcn it was mostly at live birds. At that time
vast numbers Of wild pigeons had their roosts
in Pennsylvania. New York. and other States.
These were caught In nets for use in tho traps.
Is they became scarce and the sport grew in
popularity was necessary to invent substl.
cute. omsthing inanlmate. to initiate as close
u as possible tho flight OF bird. The first
invontion was the "0yro." q tin contrivance
with projecting arms, on which the wind
should strike. giving It q gyrating motion.
This met with little favor. Thon came glass
balls Of which there werc several varieties.
Some Of them were packed with feathers.
which filled the air when the ball was broken.
But glass ball shooting soon grew too easy
They were too readily broken. Being heavy
the wind had littlo or no action on them: they
were always thrown In one direction and at
the sarne elevation. 30 breaking them grow
nonotouous and wns no test Of skill.
About ten years ago the present style OF
target. though in much moro crude form. was
Ssysed. This was tho old Ligowsky Clay
SaFd ss L nRa1 hs fny
came into use the process OF Manufacture was
about flye cents. Asn method Of introducing
he sno oos T snd b. b
the country giving eshibition matches; For
cost and also With hu'ti's ths iset That they sSey
ssrsse i5 tsSss5S !SlSa
Yas moulded in somewhat. similar shape us the
Gshman they Adopted the name Of blue @ rock
Tor their target. Tho first year Of the, blue
the tSay small but
sS the year .bsS bsS as sss Of this roes
Another company engaged IN the mannfac-
ture OF Targets is the Peoria BlacEbird Com
q P ,boass % 9 It Mhey
'es 8etP?s pallet
4PSst 5 Fs5.; Ths stsa sss
se,H started Ss, e lat i
q Sssn @
are largely used. All these targets are Of
similar saucer shape.
,nS %Sas them TSo MTn have been
ssIy for m,ssilss 81 that shape. a The afHs rst
though i threw those birds very We'll. The
differs in, many respects from the early ones.
One Of the best and most universally used
principally OF east iron. with a base e about about
on which ans fsts arm b. tive
means Of a movable bolt to the circular head nd
q the upright post OF trap. which rests in y
and t turned ns ss essy thus aowns vim a hs
TARGET to be thrown At any angle or elevation:
1nena ss f4 afm nn. % cass ns ssfSSS So eal spps a
q iI,j jThlsh TIC asnss Of the taTset rests:
and rubber button on the end OF the arm.
The sudden stoprage OF the swinging arm
easer Whem Il sas Htss the
rtSht. left. or strniEhtnway. and ut any eleva-
Ton. according Us the trap has been set.
dity yards. though tho distance may be In
creased BY tightening the tension Of the
length. and has pressure Of $50 pounds.
9; 9; rope attsehed to the arM and carried back
the use Of eiectrey bye BY meaas 81 device
known as the North electric pull Tho trigger
bo passee down nAG thrSugh the top
resting op ore end Of tho releasing lever. The
other end OF the lever passes Just under the
[hs battery. Tie electric pull eG Is copnecsod.
means 'sHs sorm xrss Just to Sehnyd hany Ifs so
Electric button is touched. the tor of side lever
tom lever ana causing the holt with the spring
i ,H It,, t. drop down. pulling the trigger
pg arm which throws the target into the air.
riir action is instantaneous. and necessitates |
pHsh Ss less labor on The mart Of the puIIer than
Formerly but u single trap was used. one |
er lis sS shaoters rme mutipsd tSis
hrown during day. I'll. target manufac-
lhooters. so one Of them devised what Is
Known as the Keystone rapid firing system.
Y pneI KS PROVISIONS nVo traps are generally
lsed. though = larger number may be and |
y ,ltrn M are used. With five traps si{ men step
! the traps. while tho sixth stands bshIHd
'hooter at number one, calls pull. His trap
e sprung. and before the echo OF his shot has
He'd away, number two calls pull" and so on
Town the line. Number one man steps along
n number two trap. while number six takes
pls psncs ana hres as soon as number I've fn-
shss Thus they rotate down the line until
sas9 e ~ has shot at tho total number oi targets
q :o' tbs same 9i9ha hsanslGs No, trap thr9xs
md No. 5 TO tho Lett UnGor this systsm
4 surpr,singly large number o! targets can BE-
thrown IN very IL" minutes, as the airing is
through another takeG It's place. until All con.
testants have shot. ia an ali day Tournament.
sho MsFe mem she octxGy tntry St arc large and
have have ;, been thrown. This works to tfH tns
powder manufacturers, and satistiaa tnhn III
6shooters. keeping them fully occn,iar
bweApstal;e events ara shot in which nn"k
contestant puts in n certain amount Of monsu
MD shoots at stipulated numkor Of taryntuy ,ynHy
The managers then deduct from tn. nus ~
cost OF tnrgets. varying from two To- throo hrno
'SSnts :Snt each. and tho balance is divided into