The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-10
ONE OF THE RICHEST
SOMETHING ABOUT THE LIMITED
GUN CLUB OF INDIANAPOLIS.
It's Grounds and System Of springing
Traps-A Doctors Prescription for
People OF Too sedentary Habits.

do you know" said DR.. s. H. Moore, to
reporter, that Indianapolis has the richest
gun club in the West? Its membership-less
than one hundreds not so large as some
other clubs might mention. but there are
names on It's roster that represent good
slice OF the city's wealth. Some of the men,
bers are professional men, either lawyers or
doctors, and others are merchants, capital
lists. etc. A few. like General Morris and
Mr.. Claypoo do not attend the tournaments
or practice matches. but they are ardent
sportsmen. and. with money and encourage
ment, assist in keeping alive the interest in
expert shooting. There is nothing demoraliz-
ing in the sport called shooting. OF course
do not defend the wanton slaughter OF ami
| NAL bird life; killing for pure killings
sake is only done by persons with criminal
tendencies. The man who kills game in sea-
son and uses it for food, offends no law,
either moral or statute. The killing of a
| quail with a charge of shot is less cruel than
the killing of bass by any sportsmanlike
means The bird is usually killed instantly.
while the fish, no matter what lure be used,
suffers from minutes to hours. Its torture
begins when the barb sinks into its mouth,
and generally ends only when it gasps out
| it's life at the bottom of the boat or in the
creel: or. perhaps, string may be thrust
| through it's gills and the fish left In the
water until its eyes take on the glaze Of
death. or course there are some merciful
| fishermen who kill their fish when landed.
but even then the fish suffers more than the
bird.
What do think of shooting as recrea-
| ton? That is what I think a gun should
be used for and for no other purpose. A
| good shotgun and the knowledge Of handling
| it well is better tonic for many people
| than any medicine can prescribe. Some
| times when a patient, run down in health by
| too close attention to business or profess
| sional cares, comes to me for advice ! tell
him to get his gun and shells and come with
| me to the club grounds. An hour or two
there usually works wonders. Exercise in
| the open air, the mild excitement caused by
| the test of skill and the change Of scene
| produce an exhilaration more beneficial to
| the man who is suffering from overwork
indoors than any artificial tonic. My obser-
| vations and experience lead me to believe
that the majority of lawyers. physicians and
| other professional men take insufficient out
| door exercise. Too many wait until that
| tired or worn-out feeling, so common, under
/
| while others buoy themselves up with slim
ulants taken immoderately. To all such I
would say: Rest before you are tired out;
eschew patent nostrums; consult your physi-
clan; let liquors alone. unless prescribed;
and if your doctor tells you to use a gun or
| fishing rod do so, even If you have to break
| inanimate targets. on the commons or fish for
| suckers in Fall creek. It's change Of
| scene, fresh air and little harmless excite
| nent that is needed to break the monotony
of your too sedentary habits. I have a
friend. brother physician, whose wife
watches carefully over his health. He has a
large practice and devotes day and night to
! 1t when necessary, oftentimes to the detri-
ment of his health. When his wife notices
his appetite beginning to fall or signs OF
| Ianguor, she notifies me and prescribe. In
his case the prescription usually reads
Shooting trip and it invariably benefits
| him."
Here the Doctor branched off into dis
cusson Of the merits OF ''blue rocks" black
BIRDS" "clay pigeons" and other inanimate
targets that shooters use to test their skill.
Later might be heard the words drivers -
"twsters," ''quarterers," ''straightaways,
etc.. all Greek to the initiated, but perfectly
Ineligible to those who have faced the traps
| In I'VE plrd SnOotnS contest.
The Limited Gun Club, of this city, is
| probably as well known as any club in the
West. 1t has FIVE and half acres of land,
just south Of the State fair grounds. Its
clubhouse is coy and convenient, and a
good view Of the marksmen and traps can
be obtained from it's balcony. Its system of
sprlnging the traps is the best in the coun-
try. The traps are out of sight-that is, be-
| ha Of he orc nd he tar
gets are freed by pressing a button connected
with the electrical apparatus. There are two
sets Of inanimate target traps, ten traps in
all, and one set Of five live bird traps;
and they can be sprung and loaded faster
than any like number Of traps on any shoot
ing grounds In the world. When Rolla
Heikes was here recently be broke 100 tar
gets In four minutes and twenty seconds, bet
ter time than had ever been made before.
In fact, the birds were thrown SO fast that
Rolla was forced to call a halt II he could
have broken all the targets that were shoot
ing through the air, while he was standing
before the traps, the hundred mark would
have been reached in about two minutes
Last year $4,000 blue rock targets were used
at the clubs grounds. at a cost to the shoot
ers of two cents each.
The Limited Gun Club has introduced sew
eral reforms which have been criticised By
other clubs, but have proved to be of great
advantage Ten-gauge guns and black pow
der are barred. 1t does not offer added mon.
ey, as an inducement to secure entries; MOI
does il solicit donations Of cash or merchan
disc from manufacturers or dealers. 1t holds
that the advertising tournaments Of manu-
facturers, with large added money attrac.
tons are demoralizing on the sport of shoot
ing and, Therefore, the club has made crusade
against them. All purses. which are made
up Of the entrance fees, are divided-35, 80
20 and Is per cent. Practice matches are
weekly events at the club grounds and al
least two tournaments. open to all. are helt
each year.
The second semi-annual tournament OF the
club will take place May g. q and g. with
nobody barred, but all experts handicapped
The first trap will be sprung at a. m. eacf
day. One and one-quarter ounces of sho
and smokeless powder is the charge. Or
each day there will be ten events, of ifteer
clay pigeons each, and the entrance fee ha.
been put at - for each event.