Goldsboro semi-weekly argus., 1909-08-11
MILITARY MARKSMEN
National Rifle Tourney Open
Today on Famous
Range.
WIN Be Followed by the Seventh An
mual National Matches, August
20 to 26, inclusive-Marks-
men of Prominence.


men of Prominence.
Camp Perry, Port Clinton, O., Aug
ust 9-The greatest national rifle
tournament in the history OF the
country, embracing a series of sepa-
rate contests for practically all class
es of sharpshooters opened this morn
ing on the famous range facing the
battle ground where Commodore Per-
ry shot up the British in 1912, and
for. nearly one month thousands OF
rife experts, in teams or individually,
will compete in a bloodless battle
for supremacy. Several thousand OF
the contestants in the various events
have already arrived here and are
comfortably encamped in the tents
provided by the state Of Ohio.
The tournament which opened this
morning and which will include sixty
matches, is the first annual tourna-
ment of the newly organized depart
ment of the Lakes Rife Association
including Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana,
illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin, and
of the Ohio State Rifle Association
Five of the events are matches open
sonfy to members of the Ohio National
eGuard The other events of the de-
,partment of the Lakes Rifle Associa
,tion are open to members of the as
.sociation as we'll as to members of
.the Ohio National Guard. The match
ees of the Ohio State Rifle Association
sare open to all corners. They will
number %. During these contests
more than 1900 rifilemen, all crack
shots, will be on the firing line.
These events will be followed by
the seventh annual national matches,
August 20 to 26, inclusive, under the
direction of the National Board for
the Promotion of Rife Practice. the
team match for the national trophy
authorized by Congress and heavy
cash prizes and the national indivfd-
ual and national pistol matches. The
tournament will conclude with the
twenty-seventh annual shoot of the
National Rifle Association, in which
nearly every marksman of promi-
nence in the country will participate.
This years tournament is arousing
At, usual attention because of the new
classification of the teams contesting
=7,n 4fst national match-the division
:. of 4s3.s contestants into three classes.
A. b, and c., whereby weaker state
: teams. which have heretofore had no
show of winning any prize, now are
encouraged by the chance OF landing
something Instead of the six best
teams getting all the prizes, under
the new arrangement the first fifteen
teams in the 1908 match-Class A.
will compete for the national trophy
:and four prizes amounting to $l,59o
tthe second f1fteen-Class B-for TIE
$4,000 Hilton trophy and $1,O25 in four
prizes; and the remainder of the HELD
Glass C-will have chance at the
Bronze Soldier of Marathon and four
prizes aggregating $845. Thus
twelve, instead of six, teams will this
wear get prizes and the cash prizes
amount to a total of 1920 instead OF
1915.
The national match fight this year
will be a double-line conflict between
the regulars and the national guards
meR and between the East and the
West The regulars have bagged the
national trophy three years in sue
eessfon-the infantry in 1906 and 1908
and the navy in 1907-following New
Works triple victory in 1903. 1904 and
1905, with Massachusetts third in 1906
and second in 1907, and Ohio third in
1906 and 1907 Last year the four
service teams-the infantry, navy
cavalry and marine corps, respective
1y, grabbed the first four prizes. This
state of affairs led, year ago, to q
pretty general demand on the part OF
the state teams for change OF clas-
sification that would put the regulars
into class by themselves. But that
revolution was not effected and the
regulars and the guardsmen made
the most careful preparations for this
years great contest.
The rivalry between the East and
the West at the annual tourna nameni
is of great significance. The New
England and the Middle Atlantic
SndTpSnOOL0ES AOOA She14 ~
their laurels or lose them. The long
range shots from the plains ant
mountains of the West have distinctl,
arrived" ard will undoubtedly, give
a good account of themselves. TIL.
Western sharpshooters have made
great gains during the past few years
and the West now occupies five places
zfr1.I nd
Western marksmen will make de
termined effort this year to increas
their gain.
Secretary of War Dickinson /