Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-24
TRIGGER %TOURNAMENTOPENS
UnfavorsbleW Weather Mars Sport at Gun
Club Grounds.
GOOD WORK DESPITE WIND AND DUST
Many Crack shots OF the COuntry Toe
Timber and shoot Through Ten
Target Events of the
First Day.

with a high wind hurting binding sheets
Of sand from the Missouri river fats in
their faces. three score sportsmen from all
portions OF the United states toed the tim
Der at the Omaha-Dupont club grounds yee-
terday afternoon and shot through ten tar
get events in the face Of the worst exhibi-
ton Of weather with which Omaha has ever
confronted a shooting tournament.
The occasion was the twenty-sixth annual
tournament OF the Nebraska State Sports
mems association and so notable a crowd oil
trigger artists never before assembled for a
Nebraska event. The entry list was also
the largest that has been known at the
state shoot in years, and everything save
the weather seemed bent on furthering the
successful conduct of an affair that had
such suspicious getaway chances.
The man Of all the shooters who least
minded the choking swirls Of sand and dust,
the bitter cold blasts Of wind and the blind
ing storms OF intermittent gusts OF rain
was the one least prepared for II. This was
Captain A. ". Money OF New York City, the
famous old trap shot who has followed the
game in all parts of the world for decades
back. Cap was there with his green Cog
giles and was in a suit OF light f~annels,
with low patent leather shoes and no un-
de%rclothes. But he was the most philo-
sophical Of all. Said he:
Omaha always treats me this way. This
day is Just a duplicate OF the one the
weather man served out the last time !
came to Omaha to shoot. That was nVa
years ago, when Elliott and Parmelee met
the last time. l don't mind this, however,
And the way the captain shot into several
Of the monies seemed to bear out his words.
william Crosby First.
Shooting was continued persistently all
day long, and when the last man had re-
ceived his full share Of the deposit OF dirt
from the murky atmosphere It was found
that William Crosby Of O'Fallon. ILL.,. wa,
fret and that Fred Gilbert of Spirit Lake,
Ia, was second for the days total. The
former broke 1874 Of 40 targets thrown, and
the latter made 1853 kills. Burnside and
White tied for third with 149.
These scores are not good for top ones
but they are great considering the terrible
state Of the weather. The wind was really
appalling, blowing close 70 forty miles an
hour without a recess anywhere. Steady
old cracks like Billy" Townsend walked
to the traps and missed four and maybe
more targets in a row. Just because their
eyes were blinded the minute they dared
open them to have a look at the clay.
Everyone was hopeful last night for some
thing better today, when ten more target
events occur. ]. A. r. Elliott is here ready
for his match with Crosby on Friday after
noon for the iron medal. other famous ones
are Charlie Budd of Des Moines, B. F. Gun
bingham Of st. Joseph, ]. NJ. Hughes of Pal
myra, Wis, J. S. Tanning of New Yorh
City, J. w. Garrett and w. W. ShamwelI OF
Colorado Springs, Chris Gottlieb OF Kansas
City, Tramp Irwin Of st. Louis, Guy Burn
side of Knoxville. ILL.,, and T. G. Riell Of
Alton, Ill.
The visitors are mostly travelling in a
body, as they are just finishing up a western
circuit preparatory to returning east. I,
commented with the Grand American handi.
cap and ran through the Kansas state shoot
and the Missouri state shoot to the Ne
braska affair. This explains omaha's luck
In getting SO many of the big guns.
Firat navsa aoor.