The Savannah morning news., 1903-10-20
NEW RIFLE CLUB
WILL BE FORMED At GUARDS
ARMORY TONIGHT.
MASS MEETING OF RIFLEMEN.
CIRCULAR LETTER SENT OUT BY
MAJOR WILLIAMSON.

Important Questions Will Be De-
cided-Mntter of New Range VIII
Be Taken Up by Executive COM
mittee of Interstate Association
at Meeting Held Just Before Mass
Meeting-GovernOr VIII BE Asked
to Send Member of Georgia Team
to Washington to Select 100 Krags
for Exclusive Use of Team.
meeting in the interest of
rifle shooting will be held at the
Guards armory tonight, in the room
of Company D, to form an associa-
ton of Georgia ri1emen. A circular
letter was issued yesterday by Team
Capt. Maj. w. w. Williamson,
Col. George T. Cam, inspector general
of rife practice, Capt. w. G. Austin,
executive officer of the Interstate Mill
tary Rife Association and Capt. j. c.
Postell. assistant executive officer of
the same association.
The objects of the new association
will be distinct from those of the In
terstate Military Rifle Association.
Abo AhAlNtiOAAso VIII NC hANO6CbAlNi 0AAASt
ent. The interstate association will
continue to manage the interstate
shoots, while the new association of
rifemen will be single to the inter
ests of the Georgia team, which will
represent the state in the National
Trophy match, and other large compe-
titions. Both associations will have
as their principal aims the advance
ment of rifle practice.
Question of New Range.
Prior to the meeting, a meeting of
the Executive Committee of the Inter-
state Military Rife Association will be
held, at which matters of first impor-
lance will be discussed. Two of the
most important matters to be consid-
cred will be the question of securing
another rifle range, or adapting the
present range to the uses of the military
with the krag rifle; and the selection
of representative of the Georgia team
to go to Washington for the purpose of
selecting Krag rifles to be used in
pracucing for, and participation, in
contests in the future.
These questions are both of vital
importance to the rifiemen of Savan-
nah, and the state at large, and the
action of the Executive Committee will
be awaited with interest. The Cover
nor had expressed himself as willing
to afford the Georgia ritlemen every OPP
portunity of improving their team, and
there is little doubt, the officers think,
that he will sanction the plan to send
a man to the national capital to select
the Krags.
One Hundred Team Rifles.
The action of the Executive Com
mittee in taking this step is in line
with the policy which will be pursued
by the new association, the prime pur-
pose of which will be to secure every
facility for the practice and increased
proficiency of the Georgia team. Sa-
vannah is entitled to 100 more Krags
than the adjutant general has yet re-
ceived. 1t is desirable to have 100 spe-
cially selected rifles for use in practice
and competition. The rifles used by
the Georgia team at Sea Girt were
numbered among the 10000, whereas
those of the New York and other teams
(Which received their rifles two years
before the Georgia team We're num-
bered in the $780, 00 clearly indicating
that the rifles of the other teams were
of a later and more improved pattern.
The rifles for Georgia's next year team
will probably be got from the Philadel-
phia arsenal by a specially deputized
representative of the Georgia militia.
The circular letters issued by the
officers yesterday were mailed to the
most prOminnt rif1emen in Savannah.
The preparation of this letter was
announced some time ago in the
Morning News. The plan to form
new association has met the approval
of Savannah riflemen, and the meeting
will he 10 or
other Clubs Will BE Merged.
The old sharpshooters' club, which is
still in existence, will be merged into
the new association. the association
being one around which all of the 9TH
ers will revolve. 1t win be the hub
and center from which all plans look
ing to the interests of rifle practice will
emanate. Shooting has become more
scientific since the days of the old
sharpshooter club, though the province
of that organization was not dissimilar
to the proposed purposes of the new
association. Whereas, in the past the
6oO-yard range was the longest. it has
now become one of the shoSteSt, and is
not used at all in many of the long
range competitions. For this reason
the use of the mind is brought into
play in greater measure than hereto
fore, and shooting has become far
more scientific.
Because they were not provided with
numerous devices used by other marks
men at Sea Girt. the Georgia team
was greatly handicapped in that COM
petition. One of the first articles to
be procured by the new association
will be shooting table, having a COM
plete rest for the elbow and an ad-
Unstable rest for the rifle. Adjusta ble
telescopes, which render the bulls-eye
far more discernible, will also be Sc
cured. These may be fitted to the rifle
in an instant.
Will Test All Rifles.
The rifles, which will probably he
secured from the Philadelphia arsenal
will be thoroughly tested. not only AT
the arsenal, but by the testing APP
paratus which the team will have. In
addition to this test, they will be test
ed in actual practice, several COM
panies having already contributed suf
ficient ammunition for the test. A
telescope for spotting shots will also
be procured, and will doubtless prove
valuable adjunct. All of these mat
ters, and many more. will come un-
der the province of the new associa-
ton, and it is believed that the club
will fill void which has long existed.
All persons, whether members of anv
of the associations or not. are invited
to attend the meeting tonight 1t is
probable that a large representation of
those who, not themselves shots. are