Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-03

CAMP WERTS, SEA GRIT, NJ,
September ., 1894.
At o'clock tomorrow morning the fourth
annual meeting of the New Jersey State
Rifle Association will commence. 1t will
probably be the most interesting series of
competitions that has been known on any
American rifle range during the past ten
years Teams from New Jersey Maine,
Georgia. New York. Pennsylvania, Con-
necticut and the District Of Columbia will
be on the grounds throughout the week,
and there will, in addition to the men,
bers of those teams. be a great congrega-
ton of "individual shots from all parts
Of the country. How large the attendance
will be cannot now be reasonably guessed
at but 1t Is certain that the well-defined
promises made by responsible persons indi-
cate the coming of such a crowd as the
promoters of the first New Jersey meeting
never even hoped to see here There was
a time when Creedmoor was the Mecca of
American rif1emen. but that day has gone.
and now the magic name is Sea Girt. In
1881 the only non-Jersey teams at Sea Girt
were from the District of Columbia-the
brigade team and the teams of the first and
second regiments and the engineer corps.
In 1892 the same teams. with one from the
sixth battalion. were here again to meet
Jersey. New York and Pennsylvania Last
year the District had it's five teams as
from this most hospitable Of states on
whose territory so many marksmen are
now camped. waiting for Trumpeter Sergt.
Milburn to blow Commence firing out of
the mechanism of his battered but cherish
ed instrument. Since the close Of the 1873
meeting many strong inducements have
been set forth to tempt the rife sharps, and
that many have been tempted Is evidenced
by the city OF tents erected since yesterday
afternoon.
owe Much to the District.
we owe much of our success to the
District of Columbia National Guard" said
Gen. Bird W. Spencer. when conversing as
to the expansion OF Sea Girt. When we
had but few friends in the old rifie-shoot-
ing states the boys from Washington stood
by us most persistenty and afectionateIy.
They have come here year after year, and
by the encouragement their presence gave
us and the good things they said Of US
they did more than We can ever thank
them for"
That, of course. is Gen. Spencer's way of
putting it--and the statements are not
after all. exaggerations-but his modesty
makes him unjust to himself and to those
who have been associated with him in
managing the affairs of the New Jersey
State Rine Association. necessarily and
faithfully active, Gen. Spencer is Justly en-
titled to great credit for his work in con-
nection with the organization that has
practically succeeded the old National Rifle
Association: without his vigorous support
the structure would probably have collapsed
long ago. but now II is strong enough to
stand for almost any, length OF time, pro-
vided 1t receives a reasonable amount of
attention. Arrangements are now being
made to acquire tracts of land adjacent to
the range. and these strips will before the
Eext m Aeting have targets at their shore
ends; the capacity of the range Is to be
nearly. II not quite doubled. The extern
sion could BE- used this year, for Ii is now
sure that there will be but one target for
ma int SsofA IVA
OTHER team matches. This means that the
matches will take up Just about twice as
much time as they have in the past. Here
tofore there has been a long rest in the
middle of the day. but on Tuesday the
shooting will need to be almost continuous.
A Great Contest Assured.
Anything like comparison as to the mer-
Its Of the respective teams that will COM
pete for the Hilton and interstate trophies
is not possible at this time, but a great
contest is assured. Maine has in camp
fifteen solid men. who appear to be ca
pable Of big scores. and who have In the
preliminary practice which was had dur
Ing the past day or two given their sup
porters reason for more than a little of hope.
They come from the clean cities of the
pine tree state and from the evergreen
woods-where the air Is laden with health
and filled with sweet SAVIOR. Physically fine
and mentally as bright as the proverbial
dollar, they are fit representatives Of New
England These representatives are Brig.
Gen. w. s. Choate inspector general Col.
T. Stiles of Norway: Lieut.. George A. An
thoine Biddeford Lieut.. W. A. Paul. Lew
iston; Lieut.. A. A Chapman. Augusta;
Lieut.. E. A. Robertson, Hampden; Sergt.
w. w. Cookson, Portland; Sergt d. w.
Lovajoy,. Augusta: Corporal w. F. Cum
mings. Biddeford; Privates E. A. Guptil,
Cherryfeld; E. J. Cram. Biddeford; ]. A.
Fairbanks Augusta; j. c. McMurray Lew
L II iStn
Probably the best known of these among
rif1emen is Judge E. ]. Cram, who has laid
aside his profession Of justice dispensing
to look for as many times as may be nee
essary through the sights Of a Springfield
blunderbuss al the bulIs-eyes. with which
the judges bullets are on terms of init
macy. A strong friend to the District
boys when they were almost friendless at
Creedmoor, he is now an object upon whom
great deal Of real affection would be
poured out If affection would help his
shooting or in any other way do him good.
Georgia Is well represented. Only twelve
men are here and they have not had what
may fairly be termed team practice" be-
cause they are as yet new to such shooting
as VIII be done here this week. But they
have among them several very strong shots
and may yet puzzle one or two or all of
their rivals. They suffer from the great
disadvantages of lacking the support of their
STATE government, but they are calling I'D
the white disks with clever regularity
They are really good fellows-gentiemen in
al that the word implieS-and are popular
throughout the camp.
New Jerseys Team.
New Jerseys team promises to be several
points better this year than ever before: it
mas on 1t some new material of the best
quality. and in its practice developed
strength that will make the calculators
guess until the heavy matches are all over.
All the District men are especially hopeful
that Jersey-bg- hearted, open handed Jer-
sey-will win something, or, at least make
a good showing. Jersey deserves to possess
the earth and the fullness thereof.
Pennsylvania has a strong team; fully as
strong as any the keystone state has ever
nad' and keen for the struggle now on.
The Pennsylvanians are fresh from their
state competitions at Mt. Gretna and are
in perfect condition. They are regarded as
being the most dangerous combination on
the ground. except the District team which,
holding the championship of the United
states Ito say nothing OF the Hilton inter
national shield. is looked upon as being top
of the heap. Where IL will be on Tuesday
night is a great mystery
New York's tea I'm is an unknown quantity
is composed, 1t Is said, of nine members
OF the seventh and three members Of the
twenty -third-but under the captaincy of
Col. Haywood c. Brouh 1who was the emf
nently successful captain of the twenty
thirds famous team 1t is likely to do very
creditable work
What will come from Connecticut no one