Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-15

Nh ny mNh hhi1 WY
AT a gathering OF the shooters last
Thursday a story was told on Dan Bray
that almost made that old war horse blush
beneath his tan. Said Sandy Mcdonald:
THE best joke we ever got on Bray
was two years ago, when we we're shooting
against Kansas City's team here. Bray
was shooting against J. A. r.. Elliott, the
Kansas City crack. Parmelee. Bray's Ne
braska bitter rival, but his team mate on
this occasion, was shooting against Chris
G%ottlieb. another corking good man from
the southern city. | called Bray out and
asked him to pick 1875 Of the latest pigeons
he could find for Parmelee and Gottlieb.
Dams eyes lighted up. II anyone knew a
hard pigeon In a coop he did. and here
was a scheme to spoil Parmelee's score
and to lower Gottlieb's, too. So Dan came
out TO the coop, where there were about
1000 birds. He spent just an hour going
over them and when he was done he had
the pick OF the lot, sure. There was not a
bird left in the coop that was as good as
any one Of the 125 he had picked. Not
one Of his had a speck Of white in 1t. All
dull blue and little bits Of things no bigger
with their feathers on than a golf ball.
And they all had their crops empty and
we're game and active as only a starved
bird can be. I shuddered when / thought
Of trying to shoot those birds, and Bray
smiled grimly. 1t was certainly a game
to go UP against. Well, to make a long
story short, I took the birds out and in
stead of giving them to Parmelee and
Gottlieb I gave them out for Bray and
Elliott. 1t was a funny sight. When
Dan came to the mark he gave the word and
the trap few open. The little bird went
out and away like a fash of blue lightning,
and Bray stood there holding his gun.
Then he caught onto the game and worked
as he never had before. He knew what
those birds we're like and he caught forty
seven Of the ifty-remarkable work on that
bunch OF pigeons. Let me say also that
he made a worlds record for trapping and
retrieving on that bunch. We trapped
and retrieved 100 birds in Just thirty-one
minutes. There wasn't a mo bird in the
bunch. That record has never been
equalled."
Nebraska's crack shots are rejoiced to
hear that Kansas City's team wants to
try them on again. Chris Gottlieb. one
Of the best men on the Kansas City team,
has. been visiting Frank Parmelee, and he
says that his team is anxious to come up
here and try conclusions once more. Seven
times now have teams from these two cities
met. and the Omahans have won six Of the
geven shoots. All were fifty bird races
but the last two, which were twenty-five
each. The local men have jumped at the
offer Of the Missourians, and the match
will probably come off in March. 1t Is
remarkable how close the total scores
have always been in these races. OF
five races at Kansas City. Omaha has won
- - Na-a- - - A..
once and by eleven once. That is a small
number out Of several hundred birds
trapped.
In these Kansas City-omaha matches
Jim Smead holds the best record individu-
ally. He has participated in FIVE Of tho
races and holds high average, with a per
centage Of .95. Smead is now out Of the
game, but the local sports hope he will
come back to II before long. An interest.
ing feature Of these shoots also has boeI
the rivalry between Frank Parmelee anC
Chris Gottlieb. The first time the OmahI
team went to Kansas City Buffalo Hump
was matched against Gottlieb, and he wen
after the natives scalp from the start, an
got II. The next time the Kansas Cit!
man came here, and Gottiieb repaid tn,
drubbing with interest, taking Parmele,
In tow In good style. And so IL has con
tinued from year to year, always koeI
rivalry. but always good-natured. Thes'
men always shoot each other.
On February 20 the Dlckey Bird Gun clu'
/, will give a shoot at the Omaha Gun clui
grounds across the river. An elaborat
days sport is planned, as there will be liv
; bird and target events in profusion. rhi
, will be one Of the last shoots before tn
? hunters begin to scatter out after waite
: fowl, and a large attendance is expected.
Carl Won Lengerke, for years one Of tn
. crack shotgun artists of the world, ha
been in Omaha during the last week and ha
been over. at the cross-river grounds almos
: every day, startling the natives with BIZ
e experiences at the trigger and traps. Vol
{ Lengerke has twice held the coveted homo
OF being runner-up in the Grand American
S Handicap events, though he has never suc
: eeeded in taking top honors.
t BASKET BALL GETS NEW lIFI
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