The morning call., 1895-02-24
GENTLEMEN TRAP-SHOOTERS
The COUNTRY CLUB SPORTSMEN
OPEN A SEASONS GRASSING
OF PIGEONS.
WHY FRED WEBSTER AND GEORGE
CROKER FELL OFF IN
THEIR SHOOTING.

The Country Club opened its season s
igeon-shooting yesterday at the Oakland
trotting park. The attendance was not
large owing TO the fact that number of
the members left on the afternoons train
for the clubs headquarters at Point Reyes,
where they will take advantage of the last
Sunday of the open season for quail-shoot.
ing.
Among the most prominent of sports
men who stood before the traps was the
ex-president of the club, t. R. Webster,
who as a pigeOn-shooter ranks close to
Fred Hoey, the American who has made
some good races for prizes at the Monte
Carlo tournament. 1t is said that Mr..
Webster looks when at the trap like Mr.
Hoey, and that when feeling like shoot
ing he can easily pulveriZe his clever oppo-
nents. AT yesterdays shooting Mr.. Web
ster was a little careless at times, and as a
consequence three birds escaped the leaden
pellets and found their doom on the out
side OF the big fence, where a regiment of
small boys with cheap guns awaited the
arrival of the feathered refugees.
MIR. Webster will be heard from later in
the season In a most favorable light; he
may possibly have been little rusty yes
terday, as rumor says he was among the
number who enjoyed pleasant outing on
Friday at the clubs headquarters near
OIema.
George H. Croker was disappointed by
the score he made. Mr.. Crocker figures on
the logbooks OF the club as being one of
the most successful quail shots, therefore
II Is not at all surprising that he should
have felt aggrieved Yesterday at having
missed five birds out of the twelve shot at
Austin Tubbs could not give any plausible
reason Tor Mr.. CrOcker's poor score other
har hot la h.sl
the great kennel authority of the coast, H .
I. Payne, and that Payne might possibly
have talked him blind on the subject
Edward Donahue and Il. H. Sprague
distinguished themselves by making clean
scores, Notwithstanding the fact that some
OF the birds which were sprung to them
were difficult to grass within the lines
1t was whispered about that the winners
had been quietly practicing for this event
Tor some time In anticipation of a close race
with the champion snlpe-shooter of the
club, Sir William Kittle. The latter gem
tleman evidently surmised at an early
hour what was in store for him, and, to
avoid any possible chance of defeat, quietly
stole away to Point Reyes, from which
place he is expected to return this evening
with nice bag of snipe and quail.
Considering that yesterday was the open
ing OF the trap season the shooting was
first class.
1rapper Rlce introduced his new re-
trlever-a black pointer of unknown pedi-
gree-that made remarkably good service
in retrieving dead and wounded birds.
The CANNES only bad point was made on
the traps, which he viewed with suspicion
at first. Toward the end of the shoot he
caused no end of annoyance to the trapper
by running deliberately up to the traps,
pulling the strings with his teeth and
thereby liberating the Imprisoned birds.
The great kennel authority suggested as a
remedy for bad field work that the dog re-
ceive fifty lashes each time he attempted
string pulling in the future.
The result of the shoot is as follows: