El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-10-18
TON MARSHALL
brands them the most cogenial COM
panions 70 be found on earth.
breaking Into the Sport.


breaking Into the Sport
How did you break into the shoot
/ Ing gamer" is a question frequently
I asked me. Drift back with me TO
I time when was living in keiths-
burg. Ill. q beautiful little city 10
Gated on the banks Of the Mississippi
river. The noble red man yet padded
his canoe upon the Father OF Waters
migrating like the birds impelled by
I the seasons En- route the Indians
{ would give exhibitions OF their Skin
with the bow and arrow, shooting
Z small coin from split sticks AT night
/ with a weird light rejecting upon
3 them, spectators would be resale9
with the snake. sun, green corn and
other dances. 1t was the bow and
arrow exhibitions by the Indians that
/ aroused in me the desire TO shoot
. NY first attempt was with the weapon
Z OF the redskins. This taught me 70
shoot with both eyes open, as 90 a4l
Z trap experts like HeiSes, Crosby and
Gilbert The next step was single
barrel muzzie loader. which was only
gun in name. yet with careful and
continuous crawling occasionally
I landed a duck
on my 18th birthday anniversary
my parents presented me with q Joe
Manron, double barrel muzzle loader
hammer gun The ramrOQ had screw
on the end. The locks had ducks en-
graved on the sides, This placed me
on the pinnacle with the other boys
It then became necessary for me 70
win the friendship OF an older per-
son who could and would teach me
the fundamental principles OF wing
shooting. Louey Charbonnaux was
the man. I made no mistake IN my
choice. Louey was a typical French
voyageur, spoke broken English was
we'll educated, honest congeniaL re-
sourceful and faithful. grew to
love him. Louey discovered in me
"a be in later years confided) latent
shooting ability, which he deter
mined to develop. His first lesson
was accuracy, care and safety. Take
no chances" was his motto and slo-
gan Afield. the stars we're his signal
lamps. the touch OF a tree gave him
direction, the darkest night was an
open book TO him. Louey was my
ideal, he taught me 10 shoot. hunt
and fish. Explained the secrets Of
the forest and introduced me TO Dame
Nature. He was the moving spirit
that put me In the shooting world
Ny First Victory.
Ny first special trap success was
the winning Of the Mercer county,
Ill. championship IN 1876. I sim have
that trophy and prize it highly
have never won a cup since thar
looked rs large 10 me. although the
height was only about four Inches,
After that date I was in many tour
naments. shooting tame and wild
pigeons. glass balls Ligowski clay
pigeons. Peoria blackbirds. etc In
1881, as member Of the northern
team I toured the south, visiting the
[ principal cities, and returned unde-
/ feated- =. S Rice, Of Chicago. In
1887 organized a team o. Il western
/ shooters and entered them in the
grand American handicap (the pre-
/ uier shooting event OF the world,
which was held in New York 40
western man had ever won this an
nual contest On his team were DIT.
/ Carver, Grimm. Williamson, Dunnells
I Merrill, Powers, Norhiss Bingham,
Budd, Gilbert, Stannard and myself
lit required three days 10 finish the
shoot From start 20 finish the west
ern contingent were in evidence At
the conclusion had won the premier
event and was the only contestant TO
turn in a perfect score. The follow
Ing year (18s8) the event was cap
I tured BY Ed Fulford, OF New
/ York, won the honors for the east
E s. Rice in 1893 organized sec
ond party with SIS shooters in line TO
] again attempt the capture Of the
1 grand American Championship.
Winning the Championship.
was also a member OF this party.
This was another three day affair
with 262 contestants facing the traps.
Eight men tied for first place. Of
which I was one. The tie was shot
I off on a miss and out race. The
/ honors again feu to my share on the
33rd bird. 7 had captured the pre-
mier trapshooting event OF the world
I for the second time. No other shooter
has ever duplicated this performance.
! In 1901, the all American team were
sent abroad by the American people
TO compete IN the international shoots.
It was my honor to be elected cap
tain OF the team We met all Corners
and returned 70 America with an IN
interrupted SUGGESTIONS OF victories
OF this trip I viii write more later.
Since ny return with the all Amer
lean team I have been and am at
present writing, actively engaged in
the trapshOoting game. attend ali
OF the interstate and many Of the
state tournaments. and am personally
acquainted with the major portion Of
the trapshooters, who have been con-
nected with this sport for any length
Of time, many OF them 7 have not
met in recent years I now desire
to extend the glad hand OF good fell
lowship through the columns Of The
Herald TO all OF ny old and prospec-
tive friends.