Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-05
BEATEN SIX POINTS
District Finished Second for the
Bronze Soldier.
II
1tIt
LED ALL AT FIVE HUNDRED YARDS
But the Teams Work at the
Shorter Distance Was Fatal.
GEORGIA WAS THE VICTOR
STAFF Correspondence of The Evening Star.

STAFF Correspondence of The Evening Star.
SEA GRIT, N. j., September H. 1895.
Strangely enough, there was no evidence
Of marked disappointment on the part of
the District of Columbia ridemen when it
was evident that Georgia had succeeded
in capturing the Soldier of Marathon, now
held by Pennsylvania and won in 1893 by
the District Of Columbia. Between two or
more competing teams there Is naturally
a great deal of rivalry, and sometimes
trifie, or even great deal Of i'll feeling,
but in this instance the Georgians did not
seem to rejoice any more than did the
Washingtonians. Reason for this is to be
found in the fact that last year, when
Georgia first made appearance at Sea
Girt, the Washington team took the
Georgia boys right into their arms and be-
haved with commendable liberality in the
giving away of points as to team shoot
ing.
At that time the visitors from the sunny
south could not put much Of the whole
some advice into practice, for the time
was too short. but that they profted by the
teachings of their District of Columbia god
fathers was largely in evidence today
from one end of the match to the other
The Georgia team work was excellent in
every respect, the methods being precisely
similar to those employed by the repre-
sentatives of the national capital, but
that was not the only strong point in their
slaughter of their adversarieS; the aston
ishing feature was to be found in the fact
that all the so-called weak rif1emen of the
Georgia team shot with phenomenal
strength, while the strong men were just
a trit1e stronger than usual.
Sea Girt's Most Exciting Contests.
AS soon as the work at 200 yards was
completed it seemed to be generally recog-
nized by the onlookers that the fight was
entirely between the Savannah sharp
shooters and their Washington opponents,
and 1t was in rear of the targets occupied
by those two teams that the multitude
gathered to witness what proved to be one
of the most exciting contests ever held at
Sea Girt. A hundred pencils were figuring
ont on as many pieces of paper the scores
of the team members, and everybody, eN-
oept the actual participants in the match.
became more and more excited as the end
drew near.
1t was very much like the fight for the
Hilton at Sea Girt last year between Penn
sylyania and the District. When ten men
their scores, the District of Columbia was
one point ahead, but the fates-if there are
any such things-had decreed that the
Soldier of Marathon must be shipped to
Savannah, for just at that stage OF the
game when it looked as though Washington
might win by three or four points, there
developed one of those unfortunate occur
ences which develop only at crucial mo-
ments in red-hot competitions.
A Defective Cartridge.
The oars used by a beats crew in train
ing for a race rarely suffer fracture dur
ing practice. but it is quite a common oc-
currence for one of them to crack, or rip,
or run down at the heel while the race is
on; 1t was this afternoon that the one
defective cartridge
fifteen thousand of the same kind that
have been fired within the past year or SO
by the District team found its way into
Capt. James NJ Pollard's gun. In response
to the pulling of the trigger and the fall
ing of the hammer came an angry crack"
such as might be expected of a tiny re-
volver, but which was most surprising
when it issued from a full-grown rifle bar
rel Those who heard the sound positively
groaned, and the groan was prolonged
when 1t was seen that the bullet had
struck the ground long way short of the
target and had thrown UP cloud Of sand.
That settled things.
True, Georgia would have won even had
that bullet made a bull's-eye, for Georgia's
majority Is six, while the lls-eye counts
only five but it was as nearly certain as
anything could be that the match was
practically over when that half-speedel
bullet failed to reach the mark at which it
was aimed. There was the slender posi-
tility that one or other. or both of the
two Georgians who still had to shoot might
also score zero on a shot, or might, per-
haps, get out into the three ring or even
beyond. but no one really expected any
thing of that scrt to happen, for neither of
the two rifiemen in question were in the
habit of doing such things. For awhile the
agony was prolonged, but it ended when
the shot was scored that went one beyond
Washington's total and was clnched IT.
redeemably when a good center bull s-eye
was put on top of the small majority, and
then the District of Columbia mob gathered
n n yelled
until everybodys ears were tired.
The Districts Rare Courtesy.
The District team, it was noticed by a
good many of the visitors, was the only
team that did this, although there is great
warmth of friendship on the part of Jersey.
Then Georgia gathered itself in bunch
and cheered the District of Columbia, and
when that had been done most vociferouSly
Georgia once more filled its lungs and dis
turbed the atmosphere with a wild yell of
compliment for New Jersey
A happier lot of rif1emen could hardly be
found than were those Georgians. They
tried very hard to be dignifed, but the
effort failed. Some of them Rugged each
other and danced; one eXultant member of
the team managed to catch a glimpse of
his wife in the crowd in rear of the ropes,
and with energy and momentum sufficient
70 have carried him through the Prince
ton rush line. he reached his partner and
kissed her with SO much enthusiastic af-
lection that the onlookers-not yet tired of
applauding-gave audible evidence of their
sympathy and admiration. Thus en-
couraged, the exhilarated marksman
dashed for another lady. who, of course
was not his wife. but he kissed her just
the same, and that gave the crowd another
chance to applaud. For an hour or more
after the conclusion of the match gray
uniform was sure to be the center of
group of congratulating riflemen, and, as
result, most of the Georgian right hands
are somewhat swollen from warmth of
pressure.
No Reason to Be Ashamed.
But even If Georgia did win-and 1t UNI
doubtedly did-the District of Columbia
has no reason to be ashamed of it's team,
for the team total in the interstate match
was seven points higher than it was last
year; testimony that the ability of the
team is no less than it was twelve months
ago. 1t is easy enough to figure out after
the match is over how the trophy might
have been won, but as matter of fact
,1yV,A IL,