Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-05-15
Twenty Fifth Annual State Event
Being Held Here.
il STARTS WITH FORTY ENTRIES
The Contests for the ottumwa Dia.
mond Badge and the L. c. Smith
Cup Will Be on Thursday, Live Bird
Day-Promnen Shooters.
tFrom Tuesdays Dailv.l

In spite of the fact that rain has|
been either falling or threatening to
fall throughout the, day, the twenty
fifth annual meeting of the Iowa State
Sportsmen's association, which COM
menced in this city today, is progress
sing steadily and forty men We're
shooting in the opening events, with
promise of more entries as the tourna-
ment proceeds. Many shooters of ma
tional and international fame are in
the city for the big event, including
several members of the American team
which administered SO decisive de-
feat to the British shooters in England
last year. Several local shooters are
also participating in the events and
some good scores are being made. The
association invites the public to attend
the tournament which is being held at
Athletic park, on the South Side. No
admission is charged. Today and to-
morrow shooting is all at targets,
while Thursday will be live bird day.
This is the first time in the history
of the association that state shoot
has been held in Ottumwa, although
the local gun club has carried out sew
eral successful tournaments which
have been attended by several of the
men who are participating in the
events of the present tournament.
Ottumwa Diamond Badge.
Ottumwa will be perpetuated in the
history of the state association by rea-
son of the prize the local club has
hung up for the shooters of the world
1t is the Ottumwa Diamond Badge,
and is one of the most beautiful and
most valuable trophies for this class
of sport in the country. The club has
recently had this badge manufactured
at a cost of $3.50, and it is now on ex-
hibition in the show window at the
store of the manufacturers, Scott &
Co. 1t is in the form Of medal of
four parts, and is made of gold. with
a diamond pendant in the middle. Con-
test for this is to be continuous, the
winner each year to hold it until the
tournament of the succeeding year and
to have his entrance fee presented to
him in addition to the pot. This will
be contested for Thursday for the first
time and gold bar will be attached
at the cost of the Ottumwa Gun club
bearing the name of the winner. The
club giving the state shoot each sue
ceeding year will purchase one of
these bars and have inscribed thereon
the name of the winner. Thus the
badge will become valuable not only
as q trophy, but as matter of record,
as the years go on and the number OF
winners grow. Contest for this badge
is open to the world.
L. c. Smith Cup.
Another big feature of the state
shoot now in progress is the contest
for the l.. G. Smith cup, which is shot
for at each annual tournament by a
team of two men representing differ
ent clubs in the state association. 1t
was presented to the association in
1879 and first contested for at Mar.
shalltown. The winners last year al
the shoot at Newton were Gilbert and
Kline of Spirit Lake.
1t is handsome affair, made of sol
i'd silver and is about sixteen inches
tall. 1t has the figure of cog and
shotguns mounted upon it, emblematie
of the sport 1t will be contested fol-
Thursday, May Is, the same day as
the day of the shoot for the Ottumws
diamond badge event. Both are OF
display in Scott & Co.'S window, 22s
LdSt WALL SlIeeI,
At the Grounds.
Athletic park, where the shoot is be
ing held, is an ideal place for such al
event. The good background makes i
possible to see the birds easily as the!
rise from the traps, and the place j:
easily reached by the street car line
Tents have been erected on thu
grounds for the accommodation of thu
shooters and the visitors, and Fred G
Whitney, of Des Moines, expert secre
tary and cashier, is installed in the ~
tie house belonging to the club. Al
though rain has been falling part o
the day, the sportsmen have not BEEF
greatly discounted, as it is 10 grea
) hardship for men who have put Il
much Of their time hunting through