The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-08-31
DENVER RIFLE CLUB.
Text of Communication to the Loca
SharpshOOters.
Handicap Proposition Does Not Meet
With Favor Here-Prospect for
Match Not Encouraging.

AS announced in this paper some
weeks ago, efforts have been in progress
to bring off match between the First
Company of Sharpshooters of Hawaii
and the Denver (Colo) Rifle Club. The
following letter, received per Monowai
explains the situation as seen by the
D. r. c., and the outlook for a match
at present is not encouraging, as the
Sharpshooters have not yet a 5O0-yard
range.
Captain Dodge expresses himself as
favorable to match later, when 500
yard range can be obtained.
| AS to the handicap proposition, it
does not meet with favor. Lieutenant
Wall expressed what is believed to be
the sense of the Company when he said:
1--WE would rather get beaten in an
even match than win one under handi-
cap conditions"
| Following is the letter from Mr..
Lower on behalf of the D. r. c.:
DENVER, Colo, Aug. IL, 1896.
William H. Bell, Honolulu, H. l.:
Dear Sir-Yours of July 18th, and
also Captain Dodge's letter, received.
have been waiting the return of Presi-
dent Dean from a fishing trip before
answering. Upon his return | placed
the proposition before him and the Club
! Directors. The letters and conditions
were carefully read, with the result that
| it will be utterly impossible for us to
shoot a military match with military
rifles. This you must have been aware
| e ~, nil Of hot
in the city are the .45 and .50-calibre
tSpringfieIds used by the National Guard
and in such condition as to render them
useless for target competition. We all
| have regulation match rifles, and could
not alter them. Under the circum-
stances, if the conditions proposed by
/ Captain Dodge cannot be altered, we
can't pull the shoot off, much as l
should like to see it take place.
| am authorized to make you the fol-
lowing proposition, which | think is a
fair one, viz: A ten-man team shoot,
distance 200 yards, off-hand, ten shots
each to the score; and ten shots each
at 500 yards; position, any within the
rules. eve would prefer the two ranges
on account of the added interest in the
shoot) Shooting to be done on Blunt's
regulation targets at both ranges; or
|
have the privilege of using Creedmoor
| targets. This gives your team an adj
: vantage. We to use our match rifles,
and the Honolulu team any military
rife within the rules; and we will give
them a handicap of Is points at the
! 2O0-yard range and Is points at the 500
ward range, making a total handicap OF
80 points on the combined ranges. Con-
sidering the coarse count OF the Blunt
target, this is all that we can give, as
: on any of these targets the advantage
is with the military rife, for 4-shot
nipping the bull would count no more
than one that would split the Bring
and be nearly a foot farther away from
the bull Many of our team on the 300
r ward range will have TO use their small
bore rifles, and this is an inducemen1
to include that range in the contest, as
any military rifle is better on that range
: than a 80 or .3S-calibre shooting iron
80 to 40 grains of powder.
! Mr.. F. H. Boardman, the gentleman
, whom Captain Dodge appointed to rep
resent the Honolulu team, called to SCI
me. and [ explained the situation tt
t him. He hopes we will be able to adjus
/. all satisfactorily, and will represen
your team with pleasure. He will lool
out for your interests and attend to for
warding targets, ETC., if we can get to
gether on the lines herein suggested.
: Please let this letter answer Captain
Dodges also. Show it to him and TT.
and have him accept and set the date
as it is the best we can do. Tell tn
= Captain that he is making match witt
r gentlemen all of whom have beeI
O l"licked'' individually many times in tar
get shooting, and if his team downs u
it will not be our first eXperience-no
will it probably be our last.
: With best regards from all the boys
= and waiting your early reply, | am
yours truly, JOS. n. LOWER,
For the Denver Rife Club.