The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-05
A REVIVAL OF ARCHERY,
General Renewal of Interest
in the Historical
PaStime.
ToXoPHILIsTs UP IN ARMS.
Very Strong Clubs Organized ir
Oakland, Mill Valley and
Sausalito.

After some years of desuetude the de-
lightful pastime of archery is experiencing
q revival of interest Again the twang of
the bowstring is heard under the green
wood tree and the thud dear to the
archer's heart that follows the piercing of
the target. The most formidable rival that
archery has had as an outdoor sport in
which both sexes could compete on an
equal plane is lawn tennis. Now there is
a waning of interest among the tennis
players, and archery is again coming to the
front.
Mr. Frank c. Ravens has reorganized
the Bow Club, which will begin this month
to practice on his beautiful range, Vernon
Heights, Oakland. Mr. REILLY of the Pa
cific Archery Club has established a range
at Mill Valley, and Dan O'Connell, the
captain of the Merry Foresters, has
selected level hundred yards near Sausa-
Ito, where the foresters may bend their
bow and aim to pierce the gold.
Although archery has lain dormant for
some years, those who drew the string to
the ear in the past carefully put away their
bows in the confident expectancy of its
second coming. Those whose ideas of
elastic stick they used when boys will find
it difficult to understand the perfection of
the implements used o-day. Italian and
Spanish yew make the best self bow, that
is, a bow which is in one piece. No wood
can compare with yew for perfect elasticity
and evenness OF spring. But yew bows are
very costly. A good one IS valued at 500
and extra fine ones sell as high as $3.50
apiece. This sounds alarming, but at the
same time very serviceable and good bows
can be purchased at from S. to $40. Good
arrows are always expensive. The best
London target-match arrows are set down
here at $12 dozen, and when it is consid-
cred that it is within the bounds Of posi-
bility to break half a dozen at one match,
one can understand that archery is not a
cheap pastime.
The ranges shot at in this new revival
will be what is known as the American
round. thirty, fifty and sixty yard.
Veteran archers. when they talk about the
York round, which means sixty, eighty
and hundred yards. shake their heads and
look serious For it is claimed that to the
introduction of these long ranges the de-
cline of archery in California is attributed.
Those who have assisted in its revival,
foremost among whom is Mr.. Ravens,
will have no York round shooting on his
ground.
The literature OF archery is voluminous.
1t admits of even more exaggeration than
angling. The venerable and worthy Sir
Walter Scott in his 'Ivanhoe" has made the
archer Locksley perform feat which is
not short of, but altogether, miraculous.
This marvellous bowman cleaves wand
with his arrow at q distance of 100 yards,
which is about as easy to do as to knock a
chip off the north star.
In this country the Indian is credited
with extraordinary skill with the bow,
whereas IL is a positive, though it may
seem an incredible, fact that the wild man
of the prairie will be easily vanquished by
any holiday archer in good training. tie
does not possess the same tools-hlS bows
have not the same casting power and his
arrows are not as straight or as delicately
feathered as those of the club bowmen.
His hunting with the bow is done at close
range. Mounted on his swift pony he
ranges. or rather used to range, alongside
the buffalo and sends an arrow into him at
not more than ten yards distance. In
warfare their arrows were mostly shot at
random and the question OF marksman-
ship did not arise. The relations between
the coarse and clumsy bow of the Indian
and the springy and exquisite weapon of
the civilized archer is as a thorough bred
dog beside a mongrel The Indian bow is
hard to pull and rough in the release.
The English or American made bow is
quick and smooth and will send an arrow
with greater force than the barbarous
weapon.
One of the greatest advantages that arch
cry possesses as an out-of-door pastime is
that it can be enjoyed by both sexes with
equal chances for superiority. A good
bow-woman who practices sedulously can
score quite as many Colds as her male
opponent. II is not a question of strength,
this perfection in archery, but of skill and
calculation. 1t brings into play the most
important faculties and the exercise of
pulling the bow develops all the muscles in
the body.
The most accurate and best archer on
the Pacific Coast is, Enthusiastically, Frank
C. Ravens of Oakland. His scores at the
York and American rounds stand ahead
of all others. Isaac Allen, formerly of the
Bank of California; Mr.. Darneal, the
shorthand reporter Mr.. REILLY, another
member of the same profession; Frank
Ward, Albert Ravens, John Cadman, Dan
O'Connell, Richard Bush and Mr.. Strick-
land are prominent among the best shots
in California, and are those who are en-
deavoring to restore this beautiful pastime
to its old footing.