The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-08-26
CRACK SHOOTERS FOR SEAGIRf
PROBABLE MAKEUP OF THE BRO
SIX RIFLE TEAMS.

New York Loses Many Men OF winning
Caifbre. but VIII be strongly Repre-
sented-SWecping Changes IN Other
Teams Infantry Tries New Scheme.
The makeup Of the Big Six Of the rife
teams representing the services and the
militia is now practically decided With but q
week remaining for the forty-three teams
from every section Of the country to face
the targets In the National match at, Sea
Grit, N. j.; on September 4. While the
shooting order Of the teams does not have
to be submitted until September 0, the
necessity Of perfecting team work has forced
the various team captains to definitely
select their twelve or fifteen best shots.
The choice made for the New York infantry
and cavalry teams has already been an
nounced, but form ~auctuates In rifle shoot
ing as we'll as In other fields OF sport and
a~lternates may be substituted before Sep
TENDER 4 for any Of the twelve men who
led in the competitions held for those teams.
Hardly O team in the whole list OF forty odd
has not been narrowed down to the fifteen
men who comprise the twelve principals
and three alternates.
A resume Of the six teams that won places
last year at Sea Grit will show some sweep
ing changes this year. as by the rules OF
the match each Of the six prize winners Ia
Obliged to eliminate four men, the ban
falling upon the four men who have oom-
peted in the greatest number OF national
matches. ~
New York, with her proud record OF hav-
ing won the national match from it's incep-
ton, is by far the heaviest loser. Ohio, the
dark horse team Of 1905, leading In the slow
fire ranges and finishing in third place,
suffers but little. OF the other four prize
winners the Losses strike an average tina
equalises their present situation. Teams
that barely missed being placed last year
will profit by the Losses OF the winners and
1T is more than probable that there will be
some surprising shakeups in the compo-
sition Of the Big Six Of 1905.
The New York team will be individually
weaker this year than since the first national
match held at Sea Girt in zoos. The loss Of
several shots Of a national reputation has
to a great measure, however, been counter
balanced by the energy Of Col. N. B.. Thurs
ton, who has for three consecutive years
led his team to victory, and the competition
for the 1909 team was the liveliest ever held
on the Creedmoor range. The scores
made by the twelve principals and their
~alternates in the competition were nothing
short OF brilliant, and a higher average
was made than by last years cracks. While
none Of the teams In the 1904 and 1905
matches has yet skirmished in the '7Os, the
New York men averaged 81 and the general
average through the course Of rapid. slow
and skirmish fire was ten above centres.
OF last years team Leushner Of the Seven
ty-fourth, Lent Of the Forty-seventh,
Bryant of the Twenty-third and Taylor,
O'Connor and McAlpin are in the 1905
shooting order. Ranney and Sheppard Of
the Seventy-first were unable, by reason OF
business affairs, to compete, while Darding-
killer Of the Twenty-second, Wells, Corwin
and Doyle of the Seventy-flrst and Short
OF the Seventh we're dropped bytCol. Thurs
ton under the original eligibility rules.
The recent decision anent the 1908 contest
may result in two OF the five donning their
old shooting clothes and working on the
firing line to keep the trophy In New York.
Doyle and Wells, at all events, will act as
coach and spotter II they do not fire. OF
the new men now on the team list Kemp Of
the Seventy-fourth was first substitute last
year. Dan Meyer Of the Seventh was on the
Seventies English team last year, and is a
seasoned shot. Smith and Ioughlin Of the
Twelfth are old State team men and Byars,
Thompson and McManus are on the
Seventy first regimental team. Milleman
of the Seventh and Tooker Of the Tenth
have been coming fast this year.
h.. The army infantry team, winnero OF second
place last year, has made a wide departure
from its past system. Formerly the men
winning places in the various division
competitions were ordered to the army
competition, and the twelve men who we're
to shoot for the national trophy were the
twelve high men in the army competition.
While this method insured twelve excep-
ti,nally strong shots, they were not individ-
tally superior TO the New York twelve.
Un the o Their hand the infantry team
Or )ved inferior each year in team work,
team until a week or two prior to the big
match. The cut throat feeling of constant
composition and lack OF time prevented
smooth team work. Both the navy and
marines had followed New York's method
OF assembling a certain number OF men
early in the season and at the end turning
out a team that worked together well enough
to give the army cracks a hearty fight.
This year t~hirty-siX az the best shots In
the army were assembled In June at Fort
Niagara and by composition the fifteen
shooting men were chosen. In Inc com
petition a number of last years men failed
TO hold their places. Two members Of
former teams won out and their presence
on the infantry team augurs well for a team
system that will hold it's own. Capt. Frank
' Graham OF the Porto Rican forces, a former
District OF Columbia crack, was on the 1904
team. Lieut.. Townsend Whelen, Thirtieth
Regiment, winner of the army gold medal In
1905 and coach Of the l905 team, is the second
old timer to regain his place on the firing
line. Graham and Wholen are experienced
shots, the best coaches in the army and
have made a thorough study OF the fine
points OF the game. The 1905 men on the
team are Agostini, the Porto Rioan sergeant,
who led the doughboys in the match last
wear; Ordnance Sergeant Puckett, his shoot