Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-08-20
The PRESIDENT
A CRACK SHOT
Defeats Boer Officer With a
Revolver at Fifty Yards.
FIVE BULLETS IN THE SAME HOLE
COmmnndant snyman Says He Does
Not Believe There Is u Man In All
Africa That Chn Shoot With the
CHIEF Executivc-Wtth Rifles, Too,
Visiting DOer Was Beaten.

Africa That Cnn Shoot With the
CHIEF Executivc-With Rifles. Too
Visiting Doer Was Beaten.
President Roosevelt has beaten the
Dutch. That is to say, he defeated il
| EO1r officer at target practice the other
morning, making Il remarkable record
with 80 callbre revolver at fifty
yards. says a dispatch from Oyster
Eay, y. y, to the New York Herald.
He drove five bullets, one after the
other, through the hole made by the
first, in the center of the bullseye.
| No such shooting has ever been done
before around Oyster Bay, and Com
mandant W. ID. Snyman. an officer on
General De Vets staff, declares he
never saw such skill in South Africa.
The match was between the president,
his son Archie. Commandment Snyman,
Joubert, son OF former secretary of
state Of the Orange Free State. and
Mr.. CHAMBER President Roosevelt re-
Gently received new revolver as a
gift from a friend in Germany and
said he would like to w it.
COmmandant Snyman, who is cele-
brated all through South Africa as Il
crack shot. proposed Il match. The
president was quite ready. So a new
target with three inch black bulls
eye was produced and set up in Il
field back of the presidents house.
Fifty yards were measured off, and
the president took the first shot. The
bullet struck the bullseye almost ex-
actly in the center
Bully shot"' shouted Commandment
Snyman. but an accident. do be-
lieve," he added iestingly to the presi-
dent
Let me see If l can't give you an
other accident nearly as good" said
the president raising the pistol. Crack
it went again, and when Commandment
Snyman and the others saw that the
second bullet had penetrated the hole
made by the first one their faces be-
came very stern. The president smiled.
Bully good gum he exclaimed and
took aim for the third shot That. too,
followed the other two shots SO accu-
rately that only the one hole, tritle
enlarged and ragged, yet appeared in
the bullseye The men standing about
him We're surprised. but the president
continued to talk about what Il bully
good gum it was and fired twice more
All five shots struck so nearly in the
II &. Il 81, !,
one bullet. a large and jagged one
had penetrated the bullseye. When
the last of the five shots had been fired,
the president handed the pistol to Com
mandant Snyman and said:
Nov, Snyman, you try it. There's
good string for you, but Boer ought
to beat it."
Hesitatingly the commandant took
the pistol and, stretching himself on
the grass, blazed away. He missed
the bullseye by about half an inch.
"I'll make it the second time" he
missed the bullseye.
"That's enough" he said, getting up
and handing the pistol back to the
president Il can shoot on the veldt,
Mr.. President, as well as any man in
South Africa, but don't believe there's
a man In all Africa can shoot with
you"
ITS Beers luck, the same old fate
Of defeat over again." said Mr.. Reitz,
putting his hand on Snyman's Shout
der The president smiled and, taking
the commandant by the hand, shook 1t
heartily and said:
"Well, commandant, you've been
beaten by Dutchman, and that isn't
so bad"
All laughed at the presidents ready
joke.
This ended the pistol shooting. and
then it was suggested that they have
match with rifles. Archie ran to the
house for his fathers krag- Jorgenscn.
and 100 yards We're paced Oft from the
target. With the rife the president
was given the first shot and made a
bullseye. Then Commandment Snyman
fired and made the first ring outside
the bullSeye. The second shot the pres
lutlll llluuS Il ScCOlltl DlillSpNc Dul llOl
so good Il shot as the first one Ten
shots by each were fired with the rifle,
and out of the ten the president made
seven bullseyes. None of the other
contestants made bullseye with
either pistol or rife. Commandant
Snyman's score was next to the presi-
dents, but still far behind it.
Commandant Snyman has been a
warm personal friend of President
Roosevelt since he came to the United
States more than year ago. The
commanddnt is now practically an
exile from South Africa. He was for
merly a member of congress in the
Orange Free State and wealthy
farmer.
When the South African war broke
out. he raised regiment Of Beers and
on account Of his daring and success
full exploits was soon given an impor-
tant place ON De Vets staff. He
played a conspicuous and telling part
in all the battles during the early part
of the Boer war and finally became 80