Arizona republican., 1908-07-08

 RIFLE SHOOTING
A lamentable Lack of College Interest in This Branch of Sport.

| disappointing. Only four institutions
 were represented, Harvard University,
 Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
 University of Pennsylvania and George Washington University. A team had entered from Yale but did not appear. | The question naturally arises, why is 1t that so little interest IS taken among the colleges in this branch of sport. and 1t does not take long to dis cover the main trouble. It is a lack of facilities for practice. The students of Yale must depend upon the courtesy of the national guard authorities of New Haven for the opportunity to practice on the national guard range. As this range has been fully occupied l by the national guardsmen for some time past the Yale team was unable to secure preliminary practice to war rant their entrance in the competition. The marksmen of Columbia college, which won the inter- collegiate indoor lcompetition last winter, have no place for practice since the Creedmore range was closed. Consequently they were also out of the game this year. Cor nell Is in the same position since the tissue to their cadet battalion of the new army rifle. The use of this arm has been prohibited on their old range as being unsafe owing to the increased velocity. Princeton had a good rifle club and was the winner of the inter collegiate trophy in 1905. its first year in the competitions. They were then using the national guard range at Princeton. This privilege was later ixnrfth "a ha ha ha Princeton rifle club went to pieces and thus ended rifle shooting in "Old Mas sau."
 Another handicap to the colleges and universities in excellence in markham ship is the difficulty in procuring arms and ammunition, which cannot be is sued to them under the law. It is therefore necessary for the students to purchase their own arms and ammuni- tion, which makes rifle shooting to them an expensive luxury.
 It is doubtful whether the rifle teams from Harvard university, the Univer- sity of Pennsylvania and George Wash ington University would have partici- pated in the tournament had it not been for the fact that a majority of their members were also members of the national guard and received their arms and their practice through this membership.
 The Wakefield match was won by the George Washington university team with a score of 725. Five points better than fours The day of the match was bright and sunny with the temperature rather high. although this was tempered by fitful gusts of wind across the range from the left. This made holding very difficult, especially at 200 yards. The winning team shot with the Krag rifle, and the Universi- ty of Pennsylvania team, which was second with a score of 6S7, shot with the new Springfield rifle. Harvard using the Krag, came out third with a score of 6S7. The team from Massa- chusetts Institute of Technology, which finished last, was unfortunate in hay ing lost two of their best marksmen. who had departed for their homes They wer also handicapped in having the model Krag with the 1901 flat sight. They used Frankford reloaded ammunition, issued to them by the government
 This match between the college was inaugurated in 1905 by the National Rifle Association of America. which offered a handsome trophy to be com peted for annually The contest was held that year at Sea Grit, and won by the Princeton team. In 1906 the trophy was captured by the George Washington university team. There was no contest for the trophy in 1907.
 Several of the universities in the west have within the last year organ ized rifle clubs and affiliated with the National Rifle Association, so that it is probable that by another year new clubs will compete in the inter-colle- giate match which may result in the trophy going to the west, for the first time since it was established.
 With the national matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, but one month and half distant, military marksmen through out the country are daily practicing on the ranges in competition for places on the teams which are entitled to par ticipate in this great military tourna- ment If reports received here can be taken as a criterion, the scores this
  vious matches. From almost every range the news comes that great num- bers have qualified as marksmen and that the scores are almost perfect. One of the most remarkable scores is that of Capt Stewart A. Wise, ordnance officer of the sixth regiment, Massa- chusetts national guard, who made seventy consecutive bullseyes at the Bay State range. At 600 yards he scored fifty-one bullseyes. and ten at 1000 yards and nine at 800 yards. all in succession. His tenth shot at this last range struck on the ground in front of the target and the miss was laid at the door of "poor ammunition.
 Much enthusiasm over rifle practice is being evidenced in the state of Pennsylvania, the national guard thorities ther placing this feature above all other work. Many of the company captains have offered tropics and cash prizes for excellence in rifle practice this season, with a view of stimulating and keeping up the inter- est.
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