Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-08-27

| Owing to the fact that members are
away on their vacations. rifle clubs
j., in the city, with a few exceptions, are
| doing but little organized shooting at
present. The summer per.oi has III
the clubs in the government depart
ments especially hard.
Club members remaining in the city
are shooting individually and perfect
Ing themselves for the team matches
that will come in the fall. That these
| matches, when they come off, Will be
closely contested may be judged from
ranges That so per cent of those
| shooting on these ranges each week
qualify is the usual average.
| The calling out of the National Guard
all over the country. and particularly
in Washington, has been another factor
in the slowing up of organized con-
tests by teams. Hardly club in this
city is without man now In military
service. and many have large per
| centages of their members either in
termed" across the river or down on
the border. All of these men, too, are
crack shots
Plans for the fall matches to be held
here have not yet been completed, &C
cording to National Rifle Association
officials. but they are beginning to get
under way.
Electric target carriers being tried
out on the Poll Theater range are
proving a success. Instead of being
| compelled to pull in the targets by
turning a crank, labor is saved the
men on the firing line by having them
simply pull a wire in order to establish
an electric connection, after which a
small motor does the work of bringing
the target up to the line or sending
it to the butts. Four of these carriers
are in operation on the theater range
and more are contemplated.
W. O. Robertson. president of the
Bureau of Soils Rife Club of the De-
Dartment of Agriculture. Is with Troop
A, National Guard of the District of
Columbia, according to A. G. Rice sec
rotary of the club.
Members of the Capital Yacht Club
Rifle Club are practicing for the COM
ing team matches. A number of good
scores have been run up. according to
Eugene F. Hartley. secretary of the
club, and many who have qualified in
the various courses are requalifying.
Seventeen more civilian rife clubs
from all over the country and possess
sions became affiliated with the Ma
tional Rifle Association last week.
Among them Is the Isthmian Rifle Club
Of Cristobal. c. r.. and the Barcelona
fSiue Slup OL fOTtO hlCO f0un6yl-
vania led the states in the number of
new clubs. registering three. Califor-
mia and Maryland each sent in two
new clubs.
Instead of the familiar blue clay
target, the woman members Of the
Akron, Ohio Gun Club have taken to
shooting at steel passenger pigeons.
The birds are carried upon steel ca
bles, which are invisible to the shooter
and for this reason the spot where the
bird will flush" cannot readily be de-
termined before its actual appearance.
The steel targets are so arranged that
three birds make their appearance in
rapid succession. The Akron women
are manifesting an unusual amount of
enthusiasm In learning to use firearms.
Fifty per cent of the members Of tho
Bureau of Plant Industry rife team of
the Agricultural Department, has quail
flied in at least one course. according
to r. c. Traver. president of the club.
The club has a membership of fifty
three.
Fifty members of the Army and
Navy Union Rifle Club went to Win