The Savannah morning news., 1902-04-24
GOT 1T BY PROMISES
MACON UNDERTAKES A BIG JOB TO
GET THE SHOOT.
WILL FIX UP ITS RANGE.
PROMISES TO HAVE 1T IN STATE
OF PERFECTION BY JUNE L.

delegation That Met the Governor,
the AdJutant General and Col.
Cam in Atlanta Told What Inn
prOvements Would BE Made on the
Macon Range-These Embraced
Almost Everything That Goes to
Make Up Perfect Range-COI.
Cam Held Out for Savannah, but
the Governor Decided for Macon.
Col. Cam VIII Conduct the Shoot
to the Best of His Ability, Wher-
ever 1t May be Held.
1t was by glittering promises that
the Macon delegation to Atlanta Sc
cured the state shoot for the Central
City. They promised to have range
thoroughly equipped in every particu-
lar by June 1, and upon these promises,
backed by the consideration that Ma
con is the centrally located large city
of the state, the shoot was secured
Col. George T. Cam, inspector gen.
eral of rifle practice, Georgia State
Troops, told the Macon gentlemen that
he considered that they had bitten
off more than could chew, and that
they would find great difficulty in
chewing the bite" The Governor, how
ever, decided that Macon should have
the shoot, and Col. Cam said yester-
day that since this decision has been
reached by his superior officer, it is his
purpose to do everything in his power
to make the shoot at Macon rebound
to as great advantage as possible to
the teams that may participate.
Col. Cam returned during the morn
ing from Albany, where he went from
Atlanta. He advocated Savannah's
claims, showing that there is a per-
fectly equipped and appointed range
here, and that every facility will be
afforded for the shoot. Macon had but
very few of the advantages he enum-
Grated as Savannah's, but to every ar
gument he offered, the Macon delega-
tion replied that those things in which
the Macon range was lacking would
be furnished by June 1.
For five or six years Col. Cam has
been intent upon this idea of a state
encampment for rifle practice. For
the first time he is about to have a
NCCh CiNdlllpil4Clllg anu uG dOG0 uOl
like to contemplate the possibility of
his cherished scheme being a failure.
He said this at the conference, where
upon the Macon gentlemen told him
that they would be glad to leave it
with him to say on June l whether or
not there was anything lacking that
should prevent the shoot being held
at Macon. This Col. Cam said, was
task he was not seeking and did not
desire, as it was a position of great
delicacy, one that was unfair to him
and to Macon.
Col. Cams long experience with rifle
shooting and with ranges makes him
familiar with the great task that has
been undertaken by Macon in putting
its range in order. There are so many
things to be done in order to equip
the range satisfactorily that an enum-
GRAFTON may be saved by the statement
that almost everything that constitutes
a perfect range is included. More
than the limited time that remains,
even with plenty of money at hand
for the purpose, would be required, Col.
Cam thinks, for the work.
Governor Gambler decided for Macon.
the adjutant general holding with Col.
Cam that Savannah is the proper place
for the shoot. The Governor made his
decision in Macon's favor for the rea-
son that that city is centrally located
and that saving of about 5000, not
$500, Col. Cam said, in transportation
would result from the shoot being held
there. This, Col. Cam said, is provided
that Macon is able to get a one-cent-a-
mile rate, something that Savannah
has already secured. The railroads,
however, might agree to name such a
rate to Macon, because Savannah gives
them the longer haul. In that case the
sole argument used on Macon's behalf
disappears.