The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-01-15
THE SHOOTING MATCH.
AS II Is Found In Many Parts of the
South.

| The shooting match is not purely
modern institution by any manner of
means. There have been shooting
matches ever since the invention of
missile weapons. There is that popu-
lar hero Tell, who We are told did
wonders with crossbow and an apple
that would have made Natty Bumppo
green with envy.
Scott tells pretty good story of a
shooting match in his Ivanhoe, in
which one Locksley, who afterwards
proves to be none other than that
sturdy freebooter, Robin Hood, not
only notches the arrow Of old Hubert ;
who is continually protesting that a
man can but do this best, and boasting
Of the good long bow that his grand
sire drew at Hastings ; but splits a
willow wand that the sturdy Hubert
declines to risk a shot at. 1t is of
interest to note in passing, that with
the generosity Of a true forester, he
gave the horn full Of silver pieces to
the defeated Hubert, a fact from
which some may argue that he was at
heart a gold bug, with lordly con-
tempt for the white metal. But since
there was no free silver movement in
those days, and the willy John was
willing and anxious to take the silver
or gold either of any unfortunate Jew
or Gentle who fell in his way, the
suspicion has no weight whatever and
must be dismissed with the contempt
that is due it. Robin Hood had no
gold reserve to ride across his coun-
terpane on nightmare and no silver
mining constituency in Nevada to
champion. He was simple forester,
with the instincts Of true sportsman,
and a worthy example to the stout
long bowmen who broke the power Of
| the French chivalry at Agincourt and
Crecy and Poictiers for the honor of
St. George and Mary England.
The Scots established and patroniz-
ed the "Popinjay' at which he who
brought down the stuffed parrot won
the title of Captain of the Popinjay."
Scott gives us a graphic account of
one of these in his "Old. Mortality,
where under the eyes of the fair Edith
and the stately lady Of Tillytudlem,
young Milnwood brings down the tar
get from horseback at full speed, to
the disgust of the aristocratic and
loyalty inclined faction of the specta-
tors, and the no slight satisfaction of
the dissatisfied Presbyterians, who
overcame their contempt for the friv-
olity of the sports enough to rejoice
in the success of the son of their
steady old colonel.
But it is when transplanted to the
free soil of America that we find the
shooting match pure and simple, de-
veloped to perfection. With $27
beeves instead of horns full Of silver
coins for prizes, and the old squirrel
rifle, instead Of the long bow. the
| American shooting match fourished
as it never had hourished in the old
world. Cooper's leather stocking
heroes were all worthy champions at
shooting matches, as We have no doubt
was also Davy Crocket, for whom the
coon came down the tree, and Daniel
Boone, who settled in Kentucky
But these sturdy backwoodsmen
never attended such a shooting match
as that which has become popular in
certain sections of the South during
| the last quarter of century.
And since this shooting match is a
new departure, it may be as we'll to
give the genesis of it, with history
Of it's development.
There lived somewhere in the Pied
mont section, now nearly quarter of
a century ago, thrifty farmer, who
had for wife the most prudent and
discreet of women-as the Arabian
chronicles would say. This wonder
full woman delighted above all things,
in the most beautiful flock of bronze
turkeys in the country; and bestowed
upon them so much of her attention
that at certain seasons of the year the
midday meal was neglected. Her hus-
band, being a forbearing man, said
nothing-made no complaint-submit-
ted quietly to her ration of cold ham
bone and stale bread. But at length
he began to find that the turkeys were
becoming burden. His dropping
shoulders had burdens enough to carry
already. and he resented this one,
which was added purely for the sake
of the honor and glory of it. For,
though he watched the strutting troop
fatten year after year from the slender
pile of corn in the crib. he was never
permitted, even at Thanksgiving and
Christmas time, to sacrifice one Of
them to the appetite that was strong
within him. 1t wrung his honest
heart to see his pen of Poland Chinas,
the pride and JOY of his life, slaugh-
tered and converted into the hundred
and one things that hogs are converted
into, while these insolvent fowls strut
ted through the seasons with perfect
security, like the sacred birds of para
disc of India.
So thinking of all these things and
chewing the bitter cud of resentment
and discomfort, the farmer had begun
to contemplate moving to Texas to get
rid of the encumbrances, when relief
come from an entirely unexpected
quarter. The Rev. George Washing
ton Billings issued a summons to a
great campmeeting at Big Bethel
Campground ; and the flock Of that
sable exhorter, taking mean advan-
tage of the death of the guard dog who
had been slain as precaution against
certain egg-sucking proclivities, made
two successful raids upon the barn
yard. and journeyed to Big Bethel
with the pick Of the flock, neatly
packed away in hampers: And then
a fox, who likewise had heard of the
Staying of his old enemy, came forth
from the swamp and carried away one
after another the survivors, until
there remained but two an ancient
gobbler and a young hen, to mourn the
| loss of their friends and relations.
Night after night through the long
months of the winter, these two might
have been seen silhoutted against the
leaden sky, as they perched upon the
riders of the lot fence, where the wind