The morning times., 1896-09-22

Indian warrior stood upon TIE slOping
l hill thatis now overstadow ed by the might y
dome of the National Capitol, there was
| no need for gun clubs. Deer brOwsed
through the long,. tree arched corridors
OF this undulating valley. The luxuriant
/ swamp that stretched across the ground
4 where now is implanted the firm founda-
tiOn of tue Washington Monument, was
fairly irnpregnated with water fowl
But mass OF population and keenness Of
competition have made necessary all kinds
OF societies, from alliances OF empires to
clubs Of ball players, and tue greater the
| civilization the greater will be the number
i OF organizations ..i,s.Is..s,- sia
A long time ago, III this natural trend OF
affairs, ii DecaIne necessary for sportsrnen
tn band together for the protection of game,
| and certainly spOrtsmeu's societies, gun
nIng Clubs and game protectorates have
| proved blessing, not only TO mankind
in general, but especially TO the naturalist,
the epicure, and my lady who wears fur
| wraps and u birds wing on her lliat.
| But, although the original Objecl has been
| attained, and now in nearly every State
| there are exact and more or less efficient
laws for The protect on of game, Still there
for the zest of the sport seems to increase
in proportion to the number OF sport smen.
| DECADENCE TN THE DISTRICT.
In the District Of Columbia the number
| Of cunning clubs seems to have materially
| decreased. although otherwise cunning in
| the National Capital is in the very front
rank. Such clubs as the Rod and Gun Club,
| the Chevy Chase Gun Club, the TakDma Gun
Club that used to sport at Takona Park
and the Washington City Gun Club, all have
| either scattered, merged with clubs of other
functions, or temporarily sunk into Oh
security Again, 1t may be but an Illus
tratioa OF the ''survival of the fittest,"
for there is one club that still retains its
usual health and vigor, namely the Capital
City Gun Club. ...
1t is one OF the oldest and most we'll
known cunning clubs in the United States.
1t has a record OF twenty four years or sue
cesses and achievements At present Capt
u. [" West Is its president and MIR. b. s.
Osborn its vice president, while Mr.. A. s.
Mattingiy, as secretary, looks ont for all the
clerical work, and AIR. j. NJ. Green, by
virtue of being treasurer, takes care Of
all the cash.
The membership . numbered at seventy,
and all are more OF less handy before the
traps, but 1t is generally conceded that
the best marksmen in the club are Mr.. Will
liam Wagner, the captain Of the gun team;
Mr.. Hunter, Mr.. Mattingly, and Mr.. Nc
Keldan of the Treasury Depa rtnient II
IS probable that any one of these gentle
men can smash more pottery in the shape
of clay pigeons with a shotgun than did
the proyerbial bull in the china shop.
The Capital City Gun Club, although in
existence for sofuc time before was incor-
porated under the laws OF the District
in 1880. 1t then had its range at the
foot OF Twenty-second street. and on its
right band side was a nearby neighbor, in
the shape or the Washington City Gun
Club. 1t was not long before the latter
club wished to sell out and they found
ready purchaser in the Capital City Club,
which bought up their equipment, and
moved over TO the large clubhouse, and
better range, at the foot OF Twenty-first
street. The Capital City Ciub is now
using its old shanty for storeroom.
ON THE RANGE.
In going down To the rar,,e. after the
streets of cl0sn asphalt are left. it seems
ike descending from CIVILIZATION The
roadway becomes dirt. somewhat patched
out with ashes. Large dumping-grounds
are seen. and larger areas OF dirt banks.
The shauties. If it were not for their aiI-
cient dirt stains would do credit to a West
ern "mushroom town" The government
flats. with their acres of jungle, carry out
well the idea of a wilderness.
But il such is imagined on looking around
Tho horizon 10 ttufanaixox1 fpr
across the jungle is venerable Arlington.
aud there across the dumps is the MA
jes,ic Monument with Just to the left that
aggressive postofficc tower Altogether.
it is not bad place to erect shooting
ground. A little further on is the old
canal. shallow. muddy, and grown up with
rushes. most unlikely looking place for
fish, but nevertheless colored IN an
showed Times reporter three large carp
he had just pulled out. A great many
of this breed Of fish got in the canal
from the government fish ponds. il is
stated. by the great overflow at the time
of the Johnstown flood. Right over the
water is a board footwalk to the Capital
City club house. s-r-e Ist
There is nothing fancy about the club
lodge, but everything is strong and cen
venient. In, the-interior there are lockers
and pictures about the wall, a gunrack.
barrel of clay pigeons, lot Of shells and
a. score of. bla ckboards. The. most inter
estiDg things in the equipment are five or
six traps and galvanic battery When
in use the battery is connected with the
traps and keyboard. AS fast as boy
puts clay pigeon in place. the button is
pressed and the pigeon shoots down the
range with a velocity and a compound
curve that Mercer would give worlds to
be able to put over the plate
The range is in 9, clearing, and is about
a hundred yards long. having two sets OF
stands, from which birds can be shot
either coming or going. In short, 1t is an
admirable place to o1shoot with safety to
non n-participants, for with the exception
of an occasional tramp the flats are SO
lonely that the Corbett- Sharkey fight
might be pulled eff therein and the good
people of Washington never know it,
Some exciting matches have been held
on this range. some indeed SO intense that
the very minds of the spectators seemed
to direct the charge after IL had left the
gun-ba.rel. In July last one of the
matches was held On this range during the
League shoot between the gun clubs, Mary
laud Assoeiition, ureen spring Valley,
Maryland Standard. baltimore Shooting
Association. and the Cali,ai City Club,
which was eventually won by the Paltf,
more Shooting Association, but by only
one bird. These made" lands. used to be
good shooting grounds, but the hunters
who in the past were wont to shoot with
big Dutch biunderbuss, fired from block,
killed almost a boatload Of birds at q time..