The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-09-25
TAKE KEEN INTEREST
IN RIFLE PRACTICE
Members of Minnesota Nation
al Guard Have Developed
Some Excellent Shots.

dler is TO DE a bic to ShOOt and nit the
object of his aim. Up to 1900 this part
of the soldiers education had been sad
ly neglected in Minnesota during the
ten years preceding, and credit for
revival of interest is largely due to the
efforts on the part of Maj. George q.
Lambert during his administration as
adjutant general.
Up to 1891 the Minnesota rife team
did not have it's equal in the North
west. When Gen. Lambert took charge
of the duties of adjutant general many
of the most reliable shots had left the
guard, and the Minnesota rife team
was thing of the past. Target prac-
tice was only INDUCED in as part of
the camp routine, and no team matches
or prize contests had been provided as
an incentive to good craftsmanship.
The act of w. d. Washburn, of Min
neapolis, in 1887, when he presented a
beautiful trophy as a prize for inter
state competition, greatly stimulated
the interest. This beautiful work of
art, which was won by the Illinois
team yesterday in the competition at
Lake City, is in antique silver repre-
| senting The Buffalo Hunt" and is
valued at $500. It's history is an inter-
esting one to marksmen, as it was won
in the first three competitions by Min
nesota.
Gen. Lambert, in his report for 1900,
called attention to the fact that Illinois
had held this trophy unchallenged since
1891, and recommended that an appro-
priation be made for rifle practice and
that Minnesota try to regain the
trophy. 1t was generally conceded that
Illinois had won by foul means in 1891,
which resulted in break up of the in
terstate association.
the result of n66finp held In
| Chicago last summer, at which the
states of Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and
Wisconsin were represented, the old
association was reorganiZed and rules
| governing future contests were adopted.
1t was decided to hold the first of the
| new series at Camp Lakeview. Michi-
gan, which had been member of the
old association, did not send repre-
sentatives to this meeting, but by letter
| stated that owing to the inferior con-
| dition of the arms used in that state
| it would not enter this year. Wisconsin
! accepted all the conditions, but at a
| late day withdrew from the contest,
| after the annual state rifle camp held
| at Camp Douglas had developed some
very poor scores and proved that its
team would be weak. 1t assigned, how
ever, as its reason that the rules were
| too antiquated to- allow the modern
| Wisconsin marksman to enter the COM
petition. This left only Minnesota,
Iowa and Illinois to compete and the
contest held at Lake City this week
has been a great success go
I.soss os,5 First Won by Minnesota. 40 -
The Washburn trophy was first COM
peted for in 1887 on the range at Fort
Smelling, by teams of twelve. men each
from Minnesota and Wisconsin. 1t
was won by Minnesota with a score of
$50 to c915 for wv isconsin. The Mime
sofa team members for that year were
as follows: Capt. Chauncey M. Skin
ner, brigade inspector of small arms
practice; Lieut. C. S. Williams, First
regiment; Lieut.. E. w, Bird,ssecond in
fantry; Lieut. T. c.. Clark, assistant
surgeon First regiment; Lieut.. James
|. F. Cowle, Company F, First infantry;
Lieut. "A. E. Chantler, Company c,
First infantry; Lieut.. /. q. Chase, Com
pany H, Second infantry; Sergeant G.
w. Carpenter, Company I, Second in
fantry; Sergeant Il. B. Shanks, Com
pany D, Second infantry; Sergeant j.
H. Bacon, Company H, First infantry;
Private N. C. Martin, Company H,
First infantry: Private William e..
Cook, Company K, First infantry. Not
one of the members is in the guard
today, but Capt. E. G. Falk, who was
an alternate on this team, is member
Of the present team.
The second competition took place
on the same range, commencing Sept.
%, 1888, Iowa entering upon invitation.
Minnesota again won, the following
score resulting: Minnesota, 984; Wis
consin, 964; Iowa, 846.
Following were members of the Min
nesota team for that year with Capt.
John L. Amory as team captain: Prl-
Yates James H.iBacon, Caleb Maudlin
and Nathan C. Martin, Sergeant Wal
ter j. Balm, Lieut. I. G. Clark, Lieut..
w. E. Cooke, Lieut. Fremont A. Tarr,
Corporal E G. Falk, Capt. Alfred E.
Chantler, Lieut.. e. w. Bird, Capt. C. M.
Skinner and Lieut.. James F. CoWle
Wisconsin challenged the eligibility
of one of the members of the Mime
sofa team, and declined to participate
further in the competitions. Conse-
uuently no interstate competition was
held in 1889. Adjt. Gen. John H. Null
len, of Minnesota attended the Wiscon-
sin National Guard meeting in 1890,
and attempted to clear up the tangle.
He promised to wipe out the old score
entirely and begin anew, which offer
was accepted by Wisconsin and later
! ratified by the Minnesota National
Guard.
Military Rifle Association Organized.
Ou jail. Ii, 1oSU,a the raOJuldIlI gen
erals of Illinois. Iowa, Minnesota, Wis
consin and Michigan assembled in Chi
cago, and organized the Military Rife
Association of the National Guard of
the Northwest, Gen. Vance, of Illinois
was elected president; Gen. Burchard,
of Wisconsin, vice president, and Col.
Nolden, of Wisconsin, secretary. The
association decided to have an annual
| interstate competition among teams
of ten men each, all to be bona fide
members of the national guard.
The first competition of the new
series was held at Camp Douglas, Wis,
| Sept. 9-12, 1890, teams from Iowa, I'LL
| ncis, Minnesota Wisconsin and Mich
| igan participating. Col. Philip Reade,
| u. S. A, then captain, had charge.
! Minnesota again won with score of
| 1884; wisconsin, 2,278; Iowa, 1886;
Illinois, 1856, and Michigan, 2,225. The
kindliest feeling prevailed.
Following were the members of the
| Minnesota team: Capt. William c.
Morgan, Lieut.. Caleb Maudlin, Lieut.. E.
| w. Bird, Lieut. T. c.. Clark, Sergeant
E. G. Falk, Private David S. Wade,
Private Francis! J. Britton, Col. A. e.
| Chantler, Lieut.. w. j. Davenport, Ser
geant Charles W. Carpenter. Private
Britton is a member of the present
team.
The next meeting was held at Spring
field, H., Sept. 7-12, 1891, Michigan
dropping out The result was as fol-
lows: Illinois, 2,677; Wisconsin, 1869;
| Minnesota, 1852, and Iowa, 1883, CIV
| ing the trophy to Illinois, by the small
margin of 8 points over Wisconsin.