The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-22
SHOOTERS IN TOWN
The Day Before the Opening Devoted
to Friendly Contests.
MANY VISITORS ARE HERE
With Perfect Weather for Starter.
the Outlook Is Pleasant. and
Good scores and interesting
Events Are Promised

Missoula, May 21.-All talk of base
ball and of horses has been forced into
the background for the time and the
shooters are having an inning In all
of the places where wheelmen do most
frequent there is not any of the wonted
discussion of scorching and of famous
long rides. Clay pigeons and shotguns
have the call and they are talked of
until all of the winged creatures of the
valley have taken to the hills except
the unfortunate pigeons that are
penned up for the contest at the gun
clubs range i'm South Missoula and
these are so scared that they will die
of fright before the event comes off
unless the artists start to shoot and
stop talking. All of the celebrated
shooting contests have been shot over
for the past "a hours and the scores
have all been improved, upon as 1t has
been shown that IF that ninth bird
had not been a wicked one the score
would have been clean one" II was
that ninth bird that did all of the BUSH
ness and there will be no such bird in
any contest here again.
Every train since Tuesday night has
had on board some of the crack shots
of the state and last night there were
enough of them to make the horsemen
keep still. That takes a good many
but the shooters are as good at talking
as the horsemen and they were present
in greater numbers, so tlat the horses
will be laid up for a heat or two. OF
course the shooters will not last long,
as they spend some time in shooting
When they get interested i'm the actual
practice at the range, the horses will
be brought out again and then the
drivers will take their turn again. But
they have been a lonesome lot for a
couple of days and they have sadly
missed the evening racing that they do
when the horses are bedded down and
the stables are quiet.
But the shooters llave shot some
thing beside their mouths for the time
that they have been i'm the city and to-
day the range of the gun club has been
like a battlefield as far as the noise
has been concerned. There have been
some of the cranks out there all day
and they have been getting in their
ticks on some stiff practice. IL they
do not do we'll In the tournament It will
not be for lack of conditioning. All of
the best of the local shots have been
out to-day for the entertainments of the
guests who are early on the ground
and they have furnished-some of them
excellent amusement as to quality. 1t
would have been better IL there had
been more OF IL but there are three
days ahead and the visitors will have
all that they want.
Early in the morning the tourna-
ment events will begin. There are now
enough men In the city with shotguns
20 insure a big attendance at the range
for the next three days and not all are
here yet. There will be no rest for the
local managers OF the tourney for the
coming two days and Sunday will be
worse than any Of the days for them.
Then they will have all that they can
do. There will be live bird events to
look after and there be twice as many
demands on their time and attention
as there ever has been. They are oil
ready for the fray, however and they
have things in such shape that the Wis
itors will have the best time that they
ever had at a state tournament. All
OF the conditions at the range are as
nearly perfect as they can be and the
grounds are more convenient than they
ever were before. The boys have done
some good work on the place that win
be appreciated by all who see it. one
who has not visited the range recently
Will not recognize the place, so much
has II been improved. The refreshment
room Will be an innovation that will
be appreciated by all who spend much
time at the place. as II will fill long
felt want as well as the craving or
thirsty threats and empty stomachs
The ground has been leveled and
smoothed until there is no fault TO be
found with IL. The traps are i'm good
shape and there will be reserve sup
ply In case that any of the present ones
give out. IL is estimated that there
will be at least % competitors Cor the
honors of the tournament and IN the
lot will be some OF the best shots that
there are in the western country. This
means that the tournament will be an
interesting one and there are no safe
bets as to the outcome OF the trophy
events. The rivalry will be the closest
this year that IL has ever been.
The day has been as nearly perfect
as any that was ever seen and the
shooters have made the most of IT.
There were about 30 at the range all
day and there has been a constant sue
cession of sweepstakes events The
shooting has been excellent and some
of the shooters have made a better
showing than ever before. The Mis-
soula boys have held up their end in
good shape, and the scores are all cred
liable. The traps and all of the ar
rangements in the grounds are salts
factory and there were but few delays
all day. Nearly all Of the visitors have
taken part and IL has been as good a
day as II IL had been a part of the tour
nament.
The following is a sample score:
Sweepstakes. 10 birds, known traps.
unknown angles, Rose system-Rogers
Is; J. Neu, Is; Conley, IA; Hallihan, Il:
Evans Il; Cave. IA: Fisk. 10: Ware, 10:
MCGOWAN. 10: Hymer. 13; Clark, 10:
Menard. u; Constadine. -; T. Evans,
-; Sisson. -: Hellis. IL: w. Neu, IL;
Williams. IL; Heard. IL; Graham 10:
Brayton, 10; Searles. 10: Van Wyck. s:
Kenneth. 6. In the doubles J. Neu Of |
Philipsburg. made a clean score
on the train this evening there was /
a large delegation. All Of the Anacon- /
da and Butte crowds and some others |
came in and there is a fine days shoot
promised for tomorrow. The shooting .
will begin at S O'Clock The programme I
will be as follows:
No. Ten single blue rocks. known /
angles.
No. Fifteen single blue rocks, un-
known angles.
No. 3-Fifteen single blue rocks. un-