The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-06-25
Trap Shooting Likely
to Become a Thing
of the Past.
ATTENDANCE ON THE DECLINE.
There Is Too Much Profess
sionalism, the Gun
ners Say.

!
trap-shooting circles that portends an
Impending eruption. There appears to
be some disease eating at the vitals of
the sport in Worcester, and the symp-
toms of decline and possible decay and
Death are apparent to even the veriest
tyro who has an eye on the traps.
The disease that has taken strong
bold in Worcester appears to be widely
Epidemic. All through the east is ap-
parent a marked decrease in the num-
Der of guns in the shoots of the promi-
pent clubs like the Wellington Natick,
Meriden and a dozen Others and the
Same dWindling attendance has
marked recent shoots of both the local
clubs
Worcester Sportsmen's Club Is one of
the Oldest and most famous gun clubs
3n the country. Twenty years sago it
was looked to as the pioneer in every
Thing that was properly connected with
the sport, and it's methods were extern
Eyely copied by a long train of follow
Frs. The club has turned out many
Shooters of national reputation, among
them the acknowledged champion of
tSthe United States. Not many years
ago it was no uncommon occurrence
When thirty guns were cracking away
at the pigeons, and the shoots of the
club We're invariably social occasions,
when sportsmen got together to talk it
over and tell how this or that happened
or why it didn't.
During the past five years, although
the club has thrown more and more
Targets annually, the attendance at the
Traps has constantly declined with
Startling regularity. This year the
club is conducting shoots along accept
L. I'D Fl,g
fairest manner and the service Is bet
ter than ever before. Yet the attend
ance is small. The shooters are not
turning out.
Worcester Gun Club is in exactly the
Same strait. Secretary Goodeil has ar
ranged the most attractive program in
the history of the club, better prizes
are offered than ever before, but
Where the club had a score of guns eV-
cry time it offered program five years
ago, scarce a half dozen are at the
traps at the weekly shoots this sea-
son. The club is run right has mem
bershfp Large enough for the best SUP
port, but is not throwing targets. NO
club in the east, or in the country, tcr
that matter, offers better equipment,
better management or a more Hperal
policy to encourage trapshooting th'ln
these two Worcester organizations, yet
the sport is tagging Whether or rot
the lack of interest that is too appar-
emit at present is but temporary re-
mains to be seen, but the fact remains
that the traps are under a cloud To-
cally.
The Bay State Gun Club was organ
lied last week, with a membership ron
that includes the names OF many ~
Worcester's finest shots, from Whlch
the best Judges believe five men team
could be mustered that could pest any
Similar team from any club in the east,
Whether this club, run along orlglhal
lines, will prove the panaced lldt 10
needed to adjust all the present llis oI
the sport is just now consplcuouslS ~
der discussion. The plan of Tie cup
hooks right to the old heads and shonId
be a success, but it remains to be seen
whether or not the club can stem me
tide that has recently set in strongly
against the sport. The men VINO Will
support the club number the most en-
thusiastic trapshooters OF WoTcea.eI'
They are the men who break the tttI
gets and are out whenever the traps
are set and if under prevailing condi-
tions trapshooting could ever be re-
vived into the healthy conditions OF
dozen years ago, it would seem nc
The new club is the direction to Iooh
for the resurrection.
In the opinion of many Followers u
The sport. the fact that another cIgo
WAS needed, when Worcester areauy
had two clubs with strong meInoersIllp
rolls, proves that something Is "loH9
and radically wrong. what IS tne ma ~,
ter? Isn't it as much fun 10 sIlool eS
ever it was? Targets are cheapeI' -. ~
clubs are giving better service, pLIz PIE
ARE more valuable and club equipments
are being constantly improved; WheIs
Is the rat in the meal? Wherever anu, anu
Whenever sportsmen get together 'iiese
are the questions that fly
Everybody has his theory. Inc pres
emf high price of ammunition is I'M
mediate!y hit upon as the source OF tI'e
evil. Twenty years ago or even ten
years ago. thirty cartridges Were
enough for a day of sport under Lhe
one-man-up system then in vogue 10
day 5000 or 1000 targets are thrown III
day, and if man is TO be IN tilS
sweeps and get in the game to any eN-
tent under the present squad system OF
Shooting. he needs 200 shells for DAY
tournament he requires a wagon 10
cart his shells to the grounds. or sdiIer
q lame back. and when the day is over
his shoulder is pounded into Jeily ana
he has done the hardest kind Of day
work. This increase in the number OF
Targets thrown and consequent increase
In the number of cartridges used, coup
nd with the 20 per cent increase IN the
cost of ammunition presents ltselI 10
many as the source of the evil that mas
driven many of the old-timers from the
traps.
Students of the question find deeper
foot for the trouble. A prominent trap