The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-06-17
KirnbIe Rated
A|I-TinneAce
OF. Sport

followers with some OF, their
strongest debates. The Pacific
Coast, the Southwest, the South,
the Midwest, and the East argue
stubbornly each fall that football
is best in their particular sections.
There are debates on where the
best fighters come from, and which
section produces the greatest mum.
Der Of baseball stars.
And the same kinds Of sectional
arguments are part Of the discus
sion whenever followers of the
"claybusting" sport, otherwise
trapshooting, get togeter.
The truth is that supremacy in
any sport, as far as sections are
concerned, comes in cycles. Prob
ably the Midwest holds the edge,
however, when 1t comes to pro-
dueing clay-target experts over q
long period.
Far back in the '80's, Fred Kim.
BILE. now living in Los Angeles, in
his ninetieth year and still par
ticipating in an occasional shoot,
was known as the greatest wing
shot Of his time. He is also consid-
cred an all.time trapshooting
great. Kimble, although he calls
California home now, became ia
nous when he was q young man
in Peoria, Ill.
Boasts StalWarts
Since Kimble'S peak, the Mid
west has boosted such stalwarts
as Fred Gilbert, the wizard Of
Spirit Lake, Iowa; the invincible
Bill Crosby Of O'Fallon, H., and
the famous Mark Arie of Cham
paign, Ill. Today. Joe Heistand,
Hillsboro, Ohio farmer, is con-
Sidered by some experts the great.
est clay-target shot who ever
lived; and ranking Just below him
in general performance. is Hale
Jones Of Wood River, H., who won
high-average trapshooting honors
for the nation in 1885.
The East isn't far behind. In
the old days, it was Charles New
comb Of Philadelphia who topped
the lot. Then came the late
Frank Wright Of Buffalo, N. Y,
winner of eight championships in
the Empire State. Currently,
Steve CrotherS Of Philadelphia
and Walter Beaver Of Berwyn. Pa,
rate near the top. They call
CrotherS the greatest marksman
Of all times when it comes to toe
ing the mark at the 16-yard line.
Won Six Times
Crothers has won the Pennsyl-
vania State title six times in the
last seven years, hitting 1894 clay
birds out of Q possible 1900 for an
average of 1880 in competitive
firing. No gunner comes close to
equalling this achievement.
Walter Beaver closely follows
Crothers In spectacular victories.
He won the Grand American
Handicap several years ago, back
on the 25-yard line with 90 out Of
100, first and only time a winner
has stood back that far. He also
has won the National clay target
crown at 16 yards at the Grand
American.
The South's ace shot is r. K.
Lee, Of Birminghm, winner of six
State titles in Alabama. Paul
Earle has won the South Carolina
title eight times and the Southern
championship on several other &C.
casions, and is always q serious
contender in the Grand American
each August at Vandalia Field.
Earle won his first State title in
1919, and turned in his eighth in
1896 to prove he isn't slipping.
"Dead.Eye"
Out in the great Northwest, the
prize shot is Frank Troeh, Port
land, Ore. "dead-eye," who has
averaged 81 per cent on his reg
istered targets over a period Of IS
years. Frank has won nine State
titles in his last 10 tries in Oregon.
In all, he has won II State cham
pionshipS-a record that is likely
to stand for all time.
In California, the top man is
A. J. Stauber, Los Angeles; three
times winner of national high
average honors, twice with a rec
ord for the year Of over SO per
cent Of all registered targets. He
has six California State crowns
to his credit.
And for top honors in trap
shooting, the Southwest presents
e. F. woodward, multi-millionaire
oil man and owner Of the Valdina
racing stable. Native Of Houston,
Texas, woodward holds six Lone
Star State championships - two
with perfect scores Of 100 straight.
And in 1881, he recorded an aver
age of 1850 for his registered tar
gets to establish an all-time rec
ASA