The copper era and Morenci leader., 1915-10-22
SOLDIERS ID MEET
National Shooting Tournament at Jacksonville Arouses Uuprece- dented Interest Among Marks
 men Throuuhout U S.
men Throughout U. S.


 Washington, Sept. 20.-The Nation al Shooting Tournament which will begin on the Jacksonville, Florida, state rifle range October 2, and last for three weeks, is assuming an inter- national aspect. It is expected that delegations of riflemen will attend the tournament from Cuba and Canada. These visitohs will be unattached and will enter only the individual matches, unless special international team matches are arranged for them.
 Interest is constantly increasing throughout the country in regard to which had announced their intention to the war derartment of not attend ling have. changed their minds They are Pennsylvania and Maryland. It seems that Pennsylvania guardsmen did so well in their state shoot at Mt. Gretna that the adjutant general of the state was persuaded to organize a team for the national matches. In the final count, only six states will be absent from the tournament. They are Virginia, California, Washington, South Dakota. Texas and Idaho. The three far western states based their decision to not send teams to the lack of funds available for the purpose.
 State authorities almost without ex- ception are arranging to send their teams to Florida far enough in ad- vance of the matches to enable the team to get its fourteen days of pre- liminary practice authorized by the war department on the Florida range and thus accustom them to the eccen- tricities of wind currents and other tricks of weather conditions which are found to apply to every rifle range.
 Practically a new feature in the 1915 matches will be the number of civilian shooters that wiz be repre- Isented. In past years civilians have been more or less like lost sheep at these big military tournaments, but since the government has taken up the organization of civilian rifle clubs through the National Rifle Associa- tion Of America, the number of civili- an experts that are developing throughout the country are counted by the thousands and many of these men will attend their first national shoot In future national competl- tions, the civilian will have to be reckoned with. Owing to the lack of Federal aid very few colleges and schools where military training is carried on will send teams to the 1915 matches. It is hoped that in subse- quent years some way will be found to assist the college teams as well as state teams.
 There will be a few innovations for the first time in Florida, one of which is what has been designated the Key System" of squadding. This will ac- cmplish absolute impartiality in the marking of shots After the markers are SSul lHIO IHe Dit, IIlo hGy uuIIU0T will be placed upon the black board behind the firing line just before the match begins This number added to the number of the target on the con- petitor's squadding ticket will show him the number of the target at which he is to shoo: and in this man. ner, it will be impossible for the markers in the pit to know who is shooting on the target.
 Another innovation will be giving each competitor a target to himself. In past years, two competitors have shot at one target This change the marksman squarely on his resources, relieves him from delays, which dilatory shooting partner might cause, and it also prevents coaching between competitors.
 For a while it looked as though the trouble on the border might prevent the war department from sending a regiment of troops from here to Flo ida to manage the range during the but the settling down of conditions in Texas assures the pres snce of the United States troops.