The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-10-24
L Big SHOOTING CONTEST
Leading Marksmen Of the World
Pitted Against Each Other.
Interesting Features OF the Sport
Now in Progress la Baltimore.
States Gathered There to Compete
for the Honors ana the Trophies.

BALTIMORE. Oct. 24.-When it is said
ton grounds yesterday there assembled
the most expert users of the shotgun in
America it means that it was congrega-
ton of the most expert shooters in the
world.
Yesterdays proceedings opened the big
live-bir tourna ment under favorable con-
ditions and the programme is to be fol-
lowed by two days more of marksmens
events. Two sets of FIVE traps each were
used, the scores being about a gunshot
distance from each other.
Though the men shot in squads of six
each and shot first at one and then at an
other set of traps. there was no confu-
sion. Boys, located in pits near the traps.
would receive bell signal and jump out
and put live bird in an empty trap while
the retrieving dogs brought in the dead
pigeons. The birds had to be retrieved
from within a given boundary line or were
else scored as lost Many dropped dead
just beyond the boundary lines.
On one occasion when a dog ran beyond
the boundary after dead bird a bush
whacker ran from the woods and picked
up the bird. The dog saw that he was
robbed and ran to a pile OF dead birds the
bushwhacker had in the woods. picked up
one and ran back to the traps with it.
During the day there was strong
southwest wind, which not only made the
shooting difficult. but it also carried
across the boundaries some birds that
were killed in the air and that would or
aiaarily have fallen safe.
In the surrounding country the woods
were full of bushwhackers, and whenever
a trap shooter missed a bird these shoot
ers had q turn and a times a half dozen
or more would bang away at one bird
There were boys with slings, airguns cat
rifles, men with muskets ard big ducking
guns, heavily charged with black powder,
and when bird took to the woods the
fusillade was fierce and noisy.
Mr.. John Greacen, who owns the prop
crty where the tournament is held Ia Z
had a shooting box built for his wifes use
IN corner near his stables. Seated in
this Mrs, Greasen looks through glass
window, which commands a view of both
sets OF traps, and when a bird escapes
from trap shooter an6 comes her way
she lands him
The shooters clubhouse was a yeritable
arsenal, in which costly ammunition and
| beautiful guns were ranged in abundance.
| The shooters were interested in q gun
| used fer the first time by the veteran E.
| D. Fulford, OF Utica. n \. 1t was q sam
pie CT Yankee ingenuity-Was a double
| barreled hammerless eiectcr gun, with
| but one trigger. BY simply pushing a bolt.
| either the right or left barrel can be fred
| first and by simply pulling the trigger
| twice both barrels are discharged. The
| advantage is not having to slip the
pulling finger from one trigger to anoth-
er.
Loads. loads. loads. Year after year and
place after place when the crack shooters
| meet the question of leads" is one OF
| general discussion, but the question never
| is and possibly never will be one in which
! all will agree.
| The crack marksmen themselves form a
| motley crowd. Those who shot yesterday
were cool fellows Big Col. Thomas Mar
| tin, of Bluffton, S. c.. WAS next in a squad
/ with little Robert A. Weleh, of New York
| Charles Manchester, of Wytheyille, Va.
| shooting as Hayward, and who is just re-
| covering from a serious Illness, was in a
| race with robust ]. J. HaIlowell of Phila-
! 1eIphia. Fred Gilbert, the great shot from
| Spirit Lake Iowa was in with young P
| F. Dupont, of Wilmington, Del Hood
| Waters, Of Baltimore, who has been laid
| up for some months with broken foot
! hobbIed from trap to trap with the aid oi
a cane.
In the three programme events OF the
day there were 80 participants. The events
were: Seven birds, 81 entrance; 10 birds.
SO entrance, and Is birds, SIS. But two
rnen-HalloweL and Gilbert-made clean
scores in all three events. Some did not
shoot through the entire programme. High
! guns divided the money in each event.
Today is being held the most interesting
| contest of the three days tourney. the
| shoot for the Dupont championship tro-
| ply. This event is open to the shooters
of the worId and the winner becomes tbs
! acknowledged handicap live-bird champion
| Of the year.