New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-12-21
Interest in Trap Shooting
Grown Nationwide
and Booming.
CLUBS HEREABOUTS
FOREMOST IN SPORT
New York Athletic, Crescent and
Larchmort Traps Crowded
on Match DAYS.

States is developing so fast that there ia
now an average Of one new gun club
month. the total number Of clubs bein2
something over 1000, covering nearly
every state in the Union. As matte,
Of fact the amateurs far outnumber III.
professionals and the sale of shotguns
ammunition and clay pigeons has more
than doubled in the last ten years.
Twenty years ago only a few gun clubs
were in evidence. scattered through half
dozen states, while to-day most OF the
yacht clubs and country clubs have added
trap shooting TO their list OF sports.
There are, within a radius Of 100 miles
o. New York, some fifty gun clubs with
a membership close to one thousand. and
among them some Of the crack shots o,
the United States. Chief among these
organizations is the trap shooting depart
ment Of the New York Athletic Club at
Travers Island. New York Rapid strides
have been made in the sport at this club
n the last five years, until now one may
find facing the traps any Saturday AZ
ternoon a score OF enthusiastic clay
pigeon shots.
One of the best of the Winged Foot
contestants is Ralph l.. SPOTS, the East
ern champion in the amateur ranks He
carried off the championship of the club
in 1912, and he was also the winner OF
the Larchmont, the mterclub. the Uni
versity and the State of Maine champion
ships. When the trap shooting team was
selected last year TO represent the United
az 1T no f,fp ~
holm Ralph l.. SPOTS was one OF the
number, the rest being d. r. McNahon,
G. V. Billings, Jay r. Graham, Frank
Hall, John Henderson and DR.. Z. +.
Gleason.
Daniel +. Mcmahon is also a clever
Nimrod who shoots az the New York
Athletic club traps. He won the club
championship in 1911 and he was third in
the Westy Hogan shoot at Atlantic City,
with a score OF % out OF the possible go
other crack shots Of this club include
r. Lenane, jr., DR.. c. l.. Culver, G. j.
Corbett and b. VI. Higginson.
The largest yacht club near New York
to take up trap shooting was the Larch-
mont. Its traps face Long Island Sound,
anu NFfls MtNhg u4AItA lilb ulItCllOu OF
Ralph L. SPOTS, the chairman OF its
shooting committee, a dozen or moro men
shoot for the prizes offered by the club.
Here again Ralph l. SPOTS has carried
off many prizes. Last season he was
high gun" some eighteen times. His
thirteen-year-old son, Ralph 1. SPOTS,
ir. has developed, under the tutelage OF
l. g,,,., ,.,.,-Irr D
eral times last season he carried of
prizes in contests against men who have
shot for years. and this season he has
beaten his father in some of the matches.
Next in importance is the Crescent Ath-
letic Club, whose twin set OF traps are
located on it's grounds at Bay Ridge.
Many special competitions, such as In
terclub and university matches, have
been shot there, az well as the regular
weekly contests which begin in Novem-
Der and continue until late IN the spring
The prizes given by this club are valuable
and OF great variety.
One OF the Crescent's most consistent
shooters is Clinton r. James, who Is one
Of its governors, as we'll as being chair
man OF the shooting committee. He scored
95 out OF a possible 100 at one OF last
years matches. and he frequently returns
cards showing 30 or better. Ninety-four
was his average in one OF the westches-
ter Country Clubs all-day shoots.
Another clever amateur with the shot
gun is Frank b. Stephenson, who ~ q
member Of the Marine and Field, the
Crescent and other clubs. He has won
the championship OF the Crescent Club
more than one, and three years ago AT the
Eastern handicap tournament at VIII
mington. Del. his run OF lO4 consecu-
tive breaks won him the Dupont medal.
In June. 1912, he tied for tho new York
State championship. scoring 46s out Of thsI
possible 500. He was also the winner. in'
1912. Of the indoor championship at Madi-
son Square Garden, with a score OF 80 n
the possible 100.
James w. Alker is the chairman OF the
shooting department OF the Manhasset
Bay Yacht Club, at Port Washington.
where the members have been shooting
at clay birds for some five years. Hazen
Hoyt, c. W. Berner, C. NJ Gould, Edgar
Sierck and w S. Silkworth are some OF
the Manhasset's good shots. The New
Rochelle Yacht Club while a newcomer
in the trap shooting game, has enrolled
some good shots who take part in the
weekly matches.
The Marine and Field Clubs shooting
department is coming well 10 the front
with a strong team OF expert handlers OF
the shotgun They include Frank B.
Stephenson and T.. II. Lott, while among
the Stock Exchange members who shoot
at the Westchester Country Club there
are such experts az Stuart Scott. George
Adee and DR.. Aver.
At the Queens Gun Club on october Is
Of this year J. +. James. one of the
crack shots OF the Crescent Club. broke
"a out of the possible 100, and shooting
against eighty-three others at Larch-
mont last year he killed" 90 birds out
OF the possible 100. Il. J. McCahill. com
modore of the Horseshoe Harbor Yacht
club. won the scratch shoot at the Wesi'
chester Club on Thanksgiving Day this
year with score OF l6i out OF pos
slble eco
The winner OF the Grand American
handicap for 1913 was NJ. s HOFFMAN
with a score Of % out OF the 100.
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