The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-08-06
MILITARY MEN
WELL PLEASED
RIFLE TEAM FROM GEORGIA.
SAVANNAH WILL HAVE OPPORTUN-
ITY TO PRESENT CLAIMS.

No Expectation of Winning Prizes
Owing to Restrictions and to
Abandonment of Local Rife
RanSe-Savannah VIII Furnis Ia
Large Part of Team, Which VIII
Probably Consist of Fifteen Men.
Selection of Men Will Not BE TAX
en- Up BY Col. Cam Until Next
Week.
Local military men were highly
pleased by the announcement in yes
terday's Morning News to the effect
that an appropriation sufficient to de-
fray the expenses of a team from this
state to the national rifle matches at
Fort Riley for the week beginning
Aug. % is available.
Those interested in the matter had
almost given up hope, and the efforts
of Capt. ". G. Austin in securing the
are appreciated.
All told, it is probable that about
fifteen men will go from Georgia.. Sa-
vannah sending nearly half of the
team. The remainder will be from At
lanta and Macon.
Selection of Men.
The selection of the men who go
will be in the hands of Col. G. T. Cam,
inspector of rifle practice.
In speaking of the matter yesterday,
Col. Cam said that nothing will be
done until the return of Capt. Austin,
or until he has received some formal
and detailed statement of the plans
of Gov. Terrell. 1t is expected that
Capt. Austin will return early next
week.
Owing to the restriction that all who
go must have had rs per cent. active
military duty within the year pre-
ceding the meet, some of the best
shots in the city will be excluded from
participating.
While only a short time intervenes
before the date on which it is ex-
pected that the men will start, this
will not be a disadvantage, as there
would be no rifle practice anyhow here.
The men will depend on the use of the
grounds of the national meet for a
few days practice before the contests
begin.
1t is with no intention of success
fully contesting for any of the prizes
offered that the Georgia team will en-
ter the contest, but rather for the pur-
pose of keeping in touch with the i'm
provementS in this branch of the serv-
ice and to make the acquaintance of
the national leaders in the movement.
For Rifle Range Here.
Another thing which makes the trip
of more value than anything else will
be the opportunity presented to call
attention to the need of a rifle range
at Savannah, where rife shots from all
over the South could come for prac-
tice. Savannah is easily the foremost
military city in the South. both gem
orally and for rifle practice in partic-
ular, and it is hoped that the atten-
tion of the proper officials can be call
ed to this fact. Seed thus sown, it is
hoped will bear fruit.
When the contest was first projected
by the government it was believed that
perhaps forty teams would take part,
and targets were arranged for that
number. From present indications the
number of teams will be considerably
below that figure. There will be only
two Southern states represented, Geor-
gia and Florida.
Last year the contests were held at
Seagirt, N. j., but for the purpose of
securing a better attendance from the
West, the choice fell this year on Fort
Riley.
Had the projected range been built
here, q strong effort would have been
made to secure the meet next year for
Savannah. If a range is built here, it
is hoped to get the meet at some fu-
ture date.