The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-09
INFIELD WORKING FINE

Preparedness is not only the byword of
 every patriotic American citizen, but is
 also the watchword of the trapshooting
 champions
 This, however, is only as it should be.
 In very short time the competition in
 the titular tournaments will be under
 with the exception of Kentucky, will
 conduct championship event. Kentucky
 has no state association of gun clubs. Several other states have no state as- sociations, but they are affiliated with
 the associations of other states. For in-
 stance, Wyoming, New Mexico and Col orado conduct joint shoot for the cham
 pionship of all three states; the District of Columbia is merged with Maryland and Nevada works in conjunction with California. When these states are strong enough to support state associations they will go along for themselves. It is the trapshooter who is prepared who is most likely to annex the cham pionship title. The prize offered is worth the trouble of preparation. Besides the usual number of trinkets given the win her Of every state championship tourna- ment is eligible to participate in the American Amateur championship tourna- menr held in connection with the grand American handicap, which this year takes place in St. Louis Mo-, during the third week in August.
 NEWCOMB PRESENT CHAMP The present amateur champion is Charles H. Newcomb of Philadelphia, who qualified by reason of his being the champion of Pennsylvania There will be A. championship tournaments this year, as Rhode Island and Florida have formed state associations during the past few months and will get right in the swim When any shooter can defeat the pick of AS states he can truly be called the amateur champion of America. 1 It is no small honor.
 | Newcomb fell off greatly in the events | that were conducted in the morning, | breaking only 30 per cent of the targets, | but in the amateur championship in the afternoon he broke 99 targets out of 100 | in the bowling wind. He was prepared | in the afternoon. So was A. B. Richard l son, champion of Delaware. Richardson 1 finished second to Newcomb with 9S | broken targets.
 SHOOTERS PREPARE l After Richardson and Newcomb faced l the chilling breezes for a while they
 realized that something had to be done, and they Journeyed to haberdaSher' establishment and ea1h procured full
 set of winter undergarments. These gar
 menus were welcome, even though it was | August. It was this bit of preparedness
 that helped Newoomb win the American ! championship. His body was warm his eye never wavered. nor did his hands | treruble after getting inside of the woolen
 undSrgarmen,s. Few, sowever, knew of this at the time, for Newcomb and Rich- ardson both wore their regular trim
 looking shooting togs. and the general impression was that they could stand
 the cold weather better than the other 1 shooters
 This. however. is an exceptional case. Trapshooters don't have to prepare for such emergencies very often. but they
 do have to prepare to win state titles. | Only seven of the 1914 champions were able to repeat in 1915. which goes to prove that it is survival of the Attest. 1 With the thousands of new additions to the trapshooting ranks yearly. many ex- | pert shooters are coming to the front, and the veterans do not have the easy task in winning that they did in the days of yore
 Four perfect scores have been made in
 the championship events in the two years