Evening journal., 1918-04-01
WILMINGTON WINS SHOOTING CLASSIC
AND TIES UP LEAGUE CONTEST

OF the Philadelphia lrapsnoollng
League be- defeating West Chester on
saturday. iS2 10 $50. This victory
placed both teams on an even plane
In the light for the Philadelphia Trap
shooting League championship. and
special match viii be held 90 settle the
title.
In no other league shoot that has
ever been staged IN the East has there
~ Ner been so much from the spectacular
point OF view and such keen battling.
With nearly 200 shooters out an on
edge for the event. the affair took on
an the appearances Of a Grand Ameri-
ran. 10 required a score OF AZ or bet
tor 10 qualify for the West Chester
squad. while the Wilmington gunncrs
turned In eight scores Of is and COM
pIeted their team with a pair OF az
cards
TWO years ago a Camden team made
score Of better than $50 In a league
shoot against Meadow Springs, but that
is believed 20 have been the best prev
ious record, and Saturdays perform
snce OF two teams averaging 96 per
cent viii probably stand for q con-
siderable lapse OF time. unless these
two again run Wild In their shoot-on
for the title.
Prior 10 Saturdays AFFAIR the West
Chester gunners led the league. shoot
Ing on their home grounds The odds
appeared I'm their favor. but the Della
ware devotecs NJ the blue rock game
brought forth a squad Of nearly 100
members. while West Chester could
produce only 81 marksmen. A gallery of
several hundred fans was on hand and
the event took on the atmosphere or a
country affair. The Wilmington team
had a large delegation Of rooters to
back their efforts. while a transient
crowd drftod back and forth between
the grounds and West Chester.
The AFFAIR started at noon and was
finally called Of shortly before
O'Clock. when 30 was seen that none Of
the remaining entrants could hope TO
qualify for The teams and when II be-
came so dark that they could not see
70 finish
An hour after tho first event started
50 became evident that a lot or the en-
tries would Doe disappointed Included
in the lists were shooters from i've ar
ferent states who had returned TO aid
their clubs in this big flnal event West
Chester shooting 60 clinch the cham
pionship already in her grasp, and VIII
nington lighting a last straw battle 10
,yln and lic matters up so thcy would
have another crack at the title.
Trap Cracks nder Strain.
The Wuminklon entrants made
game effort and 80 was rewarded IN a
highly appropriate manner from their
Viewpoint DO soon became evident
that the averages for Che team would
he unsually hirh. IS one iS after an
other was turned in by both sides the
contest bccauo highly spectacular
Th0n one Of Sine traps gave way unaei
the unusual strain and entries who iei
down ON their first block were rultl
out i'm order 90 hasten matters. II
finally reached such a stage that onls
those who had broke % or better were
allowed to So 90 the traps for theli
second slring 3nd later Wilmington
ruled out AN who had cards or lesi
than "a in their opening block.
Roth lcams were Niinn tWo pulnt'
of 41.h other throughout the eniE,
Afternoon and the traps were frightened
lp 90 nui stne extra iife In the bird'
"a they were eurlcd out. This failed
io hold down scores. hcwever. bcsplb
The great Workmanship exhibited D,
both squads not q single sirai2nt care
~ 10 breaks was turned in. Tho bes
That any OF the entrants could prodne'
,,as 40. ~wayne and Cochran, o.
West Chester, and Terrin and Minnick
nr Wilmington. were the cracks Wn'
foisled this number Of smashes.
Toward the latter part OF the even
Tho West obstetrics became desperate
in their efforts to overcome the twc
roint lead held by their spunky rivals
bnf one after another of their eii6ihlei
fou down in the gradually increasin.
d,rkness and turned In counts OF 81
cbrisiman was the last Of the IVES
chester homes. He had smashed
straight on his first time TO me IRON
and they held strong hopes lnat
,vould repeat. as another p would nav
lied up the shoot. All the ieminln
entrants withdrew al this stage u
order to give the ellgibles every posi-
blo chance 10 get in their work belor
n became TOO late Christman failed U
measure up 10 expectations, ana VIII
hie failure. dense gloom settled oye
iho camp of the Quaker team 10
Chrisiman brought down only Il or hi
a further evidence Of the class o
shooting that was shown Is furnlshe
Inv the fact that nearly two ooze
scores Of i6 and a large number or =
and az counts had 10 be relegated I
The discard in favor of the entrants Wh
could produce better counts.
Those who brought down AZ OF IN
Faucers for the victors were Tomllr
Calvin. simon. McHugh, Marshall, Maj
Vln. Morgan and 2. E. dupont, while "a
West Chester. Baldwin, Conner Arche
Wallace. r. B. Smith and Brennema
each broke as. The two scores OF a
made by W. Minker and Alexande
were the ones which cost West Che'
Ger the race.
The shoot-off for the champlonshi
will probably be held at the ground
az either the p. r. r. or the Lansdal
clubs, at a date 20 be decided later.
had been intended, IN case or Wilmins
ion tleing matters up by winning,
shoot 70 off right on the grounds So
urday, but this was impossible becau'
OF the size Of tho event and the lengt
Of time required TO finish It. As II VIZ
II was only by luck that Saturdays a
fair was brought TO a close before darl
ness fell
Wilmington.
Terrill .,,. s,.ss..-- p p