The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1919-06-19

Broadway According to details now being ar
ranged by Lieutenant Colonel William c. HarlIee,
U. ). NJ c., who is executive officer of the
matches, rifles will begin to crack in competition
as early as July 1, and the final cease firing"
will not sound much before September l. Dur
ing the first part of this period practice matches
and minor competitions will be scheduled These
will be followed up by a period of instruction
in craftsmanship for the civilian teams who will
participate in the national matches. After the
school of instruction, a series of craftsmanship
competitions which include some of the oldest
and most historic of rifle contests will be held
by the National Rife Association of America
These events will lead up to those American
craftsmanship classics which are called the Ma
tional Matches. The National Matches there
fore, will probably be held toward the middle
end of August
They consist of three competitions. The most
important is the National Team Match. In this
event teams of II shooting members are pitted
against one another Each team. using the
United States military rifle, fires 20 shots rapid
fire at target 200 yards away 20 shots slow fire
at target 600 yards away and 20 shots slow
fire at a target 1000 yards away To the victors
in this competition awarded four trophies
which highly priced among marksmen One
prize to the service teams; second to the Ma
tional Guardsmen; third to the civilian clubs
and fourth schools and colleges.
The first trophy is known the National
trophy. 1t is bronze plaque showing Mars
holding in leash the dogs of war" The sec
ond trophy is known the Hilton trophy 1t is
also bronze basrelief. hung about with "scaIps"
upon which recorded the names of the teams
that have won it since it placed in competi-
ton in 1878. The third is known as the Soldier
of Marathon it is a bronze statuette and is the
oldest of the three.
The second of the National Match competitions
is known as the National Individual Match where
in individuals instead of teams participate fol-
lowing the same course of fire prescribed in the
team competition.
The third competition is known as the Ma
tionaI Pistol Match and the honor of being vic
torious in this event is highly priced among
hand-gun enthusiasts is the victory in the
National Individual Match among rifemen.
Program Is Attractive.
The program Of the National Rifle Association
matches is no less attractive to marksmen.
There is 1.-The Wimbledon" a match shot at tar
gets 600 yards away, the winner of which holds
for one year the Wimbledon cup presented TO
American rifemen by the Princess Louise of Eng
land in 1873 and assumes the title of "1ong
range champion" There is the Leech Cup Match
for the oldest trophy in competition at the pres
ent time-a massive silver tankard. gift to the
n. R. A. in 1874 by the captain of the Irish
rifle team which that year visited this country
to take part in the first international marksman-
shin contest There is the Presidents Match to
the winner of which goes autographed letter
of congratuIatfon from the chief executive and
the title military champion" and there is the
Marine Corps Cup Match open to everybody, the
winning of which is also signal honor. The
trophy in this competition the gift of the
commissioned officers of the marine corps.
Until 1916 there participated in the National
Matches only the army, the navy, the marine
corps and the National Guard That year. now