The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-03-11
Promote RifIe Practice.

| | all over the country on account of its
 record during the Civil War, is enthu- l siastic on the subject of Rifle Practice. | He is anxious to have the men of the | 2nd regiment learn how to shoot the | rifle they are carrying. To promote and arouse a spirit of rivalry among | the men, he has had made a handsome and costly loving cup, which has been | formally delivered to Col c. R. Bricken | of the End regiment, and is now on | exhibition in the show window of | Weiss & Son.
 | The cup is eighteen inches high, is I made of silver. goldlined, with ebony base, and contains this inscription: Presented by Capt W. F, Weiss, Co. D. Ed Inf, A N. G.. | To ......, for Highest Score at Target Practice"
 In presenting the cup. Captain Weiss l wrote the following letter:
 Headquarters Montgomery True Blues, (Organized 1S36), Go. .D,' End Inf.,, A. N. G., Montgomery Ala, Feb. 23, 1907.
 Col c. R. Bricken, Commanding End l Inf, A. N. G., Montgomery, Ala: 'Sir-It affords me pleasure to pre- | sent this trophy to the End regiment ITO be shot for annually by sixteen | men from each company in the regi- ment. The shoot, if possible, to take  | rules and regulations laid down in the | firing regulations for small arms. "The company making the highest | total score to keep the trophy until the next shoot. And the first company to | win same three times, to be awarded | the trophy permanently. Very respectfully, w. F. Weiss, Capt Co D., "2nd Inf, A. N. G." | Colonel BriclSen is delighted with the I spirit that prompted Captain Weiss to | do this most generous act and he ac- cepted it with expression of the hope | that it might revive interest in target
 practice and arouse every man to the importance of learning to shoot his | rife. He wrote Captain Weiss the fol- | lowing letter;
 | Montgomery, Ala, Feb. 24, 1907. | Capt. w. F. Weiss, Montgomery, Ala: ''Sir--I have the honor to acknowl- l edge the receipt of your letter of the 1 23rd inst, informing me of the most | generous and commendable act on your l part in the accompanying magnificent | and costly trophy, a loving cup to be I shot for by the different companies | of the regiment and to be presented to l the command winning it upon merit. | T take occasion to express my high | appreciation of the spirit which actu- | ates you in your endeavor to promote | and arouse interest in target practice l in our regiment and assure you of my
 most hearty approval of same. I will 1 use every effort at my command to
 promote efficiency and accuracy in | shooting the rifle and shall take steps | at once to open to every man iHi the
 command the opportunity to be in po-
 sition to compete for the beautiful cup, | and trust each company commander | will take up the matter and have pre- | liminary practice so as to enable their l men to make good scores in camp.
 "I desire to thank you for your en- | thusiasm and most commendable gen.
 erosity and join hands with you in
 your effort to arouse enthusiasm and | interest in target practice, efficiency
 In which I regard as most essential to
 "very respectfully,
 "C. R. Bricken, Colonel Commanding 2nd Regiment, Go and take a look at the cup and
 resolve to win it for your company. Modern Arms.
 One only need know the history of this country, and understand what
 military efficiency means to reailze
 how Tremendously important it is that | our citizens should be more or less 1 familiar with modern arms. Skill with
 weapons spells strength in war. IL IS
 said that a large percentage or the 1 volunteers in the late war had never l fired a military rifle before entering the service. It is this class of young l men the National Rifle Association IS 1 desirous of instructing in rifle shoot ing, organizing them into rltle clups' | Experience so far gained in the rlIle club movement has shown that these 1 clubs are a help to National Guard ! enlistments, members, In many cases' ioining the guard for the practice III 1 shooting they thus secure. The great 1 advantage of the rifle club Is that 1t | offers an open door to the man whose
 pressure of civilian vacations makes IL | impossible for him to attend drills ana
 camps of instruction.
 The United States has torty-seven
 organized clubs with a membership Of
 about 5000, (not counting the German l American clubs.) The little republic
 of Switzerland, with its three and one
 half millions of population, has S'ob0
 clubs, with a membership of lSS.4S6.
 England has 670 clubs with 9 member
 ship of 43,225. Data concerning the
 number of clubs in France, ltaly'
 SpaIn. Denmark, Australia, Canada
 Brazil and the Argentine Republic
 countries where great interest is taken
 in this matter, are not aVallaole'
 Switzerland gives its rifle clubs a
 money appropriation Of apout $SoV'uVV
 annually. With this expenditure, l4Z'- 704 finished marksmen were turned out in 1905.
 The English government gives It's
 National Rifle Association free ammu- milton and much indirect assistance
 in renting target facilities, and detail
 ing regular army officers and men to
 assist in running the annual matches
 at Bisley.
 From the king, the Prince of Wales and prominent citizens generally, coun-
 ty and colonial subscriptions, banks
 business houses. etc., are received do- nations for the support of the National Rifle Association of Great Britain tc
 the extent of from $15,000 to SEQ '0OC annually. The Association has surplus of $1S9, 900 to its credit. The Dominion
 of Canada gives a grant of Sl5,0oO an nuallv to it's National Rifle Associa- : ten; Italy appropriates $12o,OoO to hel
 Rifle Association annually. and France gives even more than this to her Ted
 eration of rifle clubs
 The United States appropriates fol 5 the National Rifle Association oi America nothing. To the National .