South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-04-11
TRAP SHOOTING IS
POPULAR SP OR
0evoteeS Increase Year by
Reimbursement Totals
Over $38,000,OOO.
lternational News Service:

International News Service:
NEW YORK. Apr. 11.-Tcapstoct-
ing is another one of those nice
young sports that have come along
during the past few years and wean-
ed away many of the dyed-in-wool
baseball fans.
The popularity Of the target game
has increased by leaps and bounds
during the past few years. There
are at least 500, 900 active trapshoOt-
ers in the country today. men who
indulge in the sport regularly. There
are almost as many more who have
a fondness for busting the clays but
who cannot find enough leisure to
permit them 10 engage in more than
five or six shoots a year.
Statistics recently compiled show
that there are in the United States
at the present time approximately
1900 registered clubs. The total
outlay by these clubs for clubhouses.
grounds, automatic traps and other
devices is far beyond the $4,000, 600
mark.
Investment Totals S3S. 900 900.
The average expenditure for guns.
gun cases, glasses. cleaning rods,
shooting jackets and other trap
clothing is about $50 per man, which
means that the trapshooters Of the
country have laid out approximately
$50, 100000 for their equipment.
This, added TO the 100000 for
clubhouses. etc, shows that s3S,-
600, 900 is invested in the sport
About 6O.O0O.OOO shots were fired
during the 1915 season. Each cost
an average of five cents. That means
that trapshOoters spend $4,000, 600
annually for ammunition. Add TO
this the sums paid out for railroad
fare, bus hire, hotel bills, etc.,-ap-
proximately S12, .0OO-and you
find that the lovers of the clay bust
ing game spend $15,0OO,OO yearly
in following their sport.
There will be 412 shooting tourna-
ments during the season beginning
in April and every community of
any size will stage one or another
Sport Appeals to All.
The beauty of the trap shooting
sport is that il appeals 10 women
as we'll as men. that it is a game
for the very old and very young, as
well as the middleaged. 1t is not ?
game that calls for strenuous eXer-
else; it doesn't tire the muscles. It's
| one that develops the keenness OF
| the eye speeds up the brain and
aids health generally because it
| brings its devOtee out into the open
Probably the oldest trapshoOte1
| in the country is Uncle Joe" Helm
man of Wausau, Wis. He is 81 years
| old-and he never misses a shoot in
| his particular section. Uncle Joe
| bangs the targets with astonishing
| regularity and his hitting average
| is far beyond that Of the bulk of tbs
/ ordinary shooters who are only one
half or one-rhird as old as Uncle
Joe"
There are on the list Of registered
/ trap-shoOters scores Of men around
! the so year mark. Thousands are
| over 60. There are tens Of thou
| sands who are still in their teens
/ One of the real clever shooters is Z
! 12-year-old youth who seems 10 have
/ inherited the skill from his fathel
who always ranked high in the tour
! naments.
Increased Year by Year.
The number OF women who ar,
/ finding great pleasure in the grea'
/ outdoor spor- is increasing steadily
A few years ago there were only Z
! scattering few Today the feminine
shooters total well along into tn
! thousands. Many Of them compet'
with the male persons in the variou
shoots and the averages turned in b.
the fair sex is surprisingly high.
Statistics covering the sport show
| that the number OF enthusiasts IA
| increased every year during the pas
Is years. Never once has it showed
up. There were only q scattered
few tournaments back in 1901 I,
1905. In 1913, however. the shoot
numbered 2s6. in 1914 they jumped
70 314 and last year 333 tourna
ments were staged. The humble
this year is nearly 100 beyond tina
OF 1915.
And the game is just hitting il
stride" the trapshootists say. 'Th
public is just awakening TO tn
pleasure THAI one gets in fOllowin.
the sport. When il fully realizes al
J the ADVANTAGES OF the game thar