Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-10-05

There are Kings in the trapshooting
world-men who are shooting experts
under all conditions, climatic or per-
sonal. Contesting through a success
sion of registered tournaments cover
ing months OF time; shooting at thou-
sands OF targets, thrown at different
angles and velocity, over grounds OF
different contour, in job lot or wind
and weather. Men are able to concen-
trate and so direct the muZZle of their
gun, pointing it at flying targets, not
to exceed four inches in diameter, that
there are less than three mistakes in
judgment on every 100 targets shot.
The computation of averages for the
season of 1917 crowned VIM. II. Heer.
of Guthrie, Oklahoma, amateur cham
pion of the United States, breaking
97.41 per cent. on 1850 tarkets. Les
ter German, of Aberdeen, Maryland,
annexed the professional seasons
championship, with an average of
y7.65 per cent. on 6,2S5 targets. The
above marvellous records are a testi-
monial to the skill of the Kings. cou-
pied with perfection in guns and
shells as furnished by American
manufacturers.
William Heer. the present amateur
champion. was formerly profess
State. He spent his boyhood days on
farm about eight miles from, Con-
cordia, Kansas. A vein of coal was
discovered on the home farm and
strenuous and he seldom swung Indian
clubs for necessary exercise. Six foot
two in height, without an ounce of
superfluous flesh, muscles like steel,
always trained to the minute. He
handles a shot gun with the ease a
Chinaman manipulates chop sticks.
OF a quiet, diffident disposition. he
avoids the spotlight of notoriety. His
serious turn Of mind at times ap-
proaches the taeiturn stage. Having
formulated an opinion, he is slow to
change his line of reasoning. At the
score he is immune from grandstand
tactics, never evinces nervousness by
AN outward show, his nerve control is
wonderful when under the whip.
Breaking or missing a target he turns
from the score with the same sphynx-
like expression.
When trapshooting defy was is
sued to the world by the Pacific Coast
contingent, matching Frank Troeh,
of Vancouver. Washington, in an in
dividual race against all comers at
500 single sixteen-yard targets for a
$4,000 purse, Billy Heer was the man
selected to pull that David work
against Goliath. He went forth with
with a pebble, and brought home
the bacon" defeating Troeh by a
score of 473 to 470, the narrow mar
gSp of three targets Heer qualified
ttur championship in 1918. by winning
the Oklahoma state championship. In
the finals held during the Grand
American handicap in Chicago he was
successful over the field. breaking 9S
targets out of a possible 100. He
was tied by IL. S. Tomlin, of New
Jersey. who succumbed to the Prov
ess of Heer in the shoot-off. VIM. H.
Heer is justly crowned the national
amateur champion.
Lester German, of Aberdeen Nd,
landed high in the 1917 seasons aver
ages with 97.64 per cent. He certainly
demonstrated the fact that he pos
sessed all necessary professional
championship qualifications. German
has been identified with the sporting
world for many years. AS the pre-
mier pitcher for the Giants of New
York. with Park Wilson as teammate