Year: 1874




The Season or Target Excursions.
We have 1t from wise man of the East,
king, philosopher, preacher and poet, that
'sto everything there is season and time
to every purpose under the heavens, +" and that
''the thing that hath been it is that which
shall be- and that which is done is that which
shall be done" and that even the wind, which
'whirleth about continually, returneth again
according to his circuits. In short, there is
a season for everything, and everything comes
round again in its season. So with October
returns the target company. with its target
excursions and its reign Of terror in the
suburbs.


With the return Of the season of target ex-
cursions to the unfortunate yeomanry whose
apple orchards come within short range Of q
target company, it may be truly said that


The melancholy days are come


The saddest OF the year.


The sufferings of the farmer and the horti-
culturist, however, from these ruthless inva-
sions are trifes compared with the forced con-
tributons to the target company from its i'm
mediate guild and its Assembly, Senatorial or
Congressional district The target company
is legacy which we inherit from the good
old times of the volunteer foot fire depart
ment. In those halcyon days the fire company,
''Big Six" for example, was not "the thing
without its warlike attachment Of target
company, and the target excursion to the
'.Big Six" was the day for which all other
days were made.


With the abolition of the old fighting
volunteer fire department it was hoped by
many victim of these target excursions that
they too would be gathered to their fathers
But, founded upon the rock of patri otism,
they still survive and flourish, their only
change being a change of base. The great
newspaper Offices, factories, foundries and
other establishments employing large num-
bers OF able-bodied men are now the places
from which our target companies are chiefly
drawn. And their supplies? Of course the
supplies are the main question, and demon
strative patriotism is at all times q costly
luxury How and where these supplies for the
well known to the contributors as is the
approach Of our annual State election to the
clerks in the Custom House. We will sup
pose, for illustration, that we have HERALD
target company. For its proper equipment
Ia hundred men) large contributions are
necessary. Prizes of silver-plated cake bas-
kets, pitchers, cofee-pots, gold or silver
watches and jewelry, are cash articles. The
assessor takes the work in hand. He calls
upon the HERALD paper merchants and type
founders and ink suppliers, and so on through
the whole list Of our business connections,
and for the honor of the establishment they
all feel bound to come down handsomely
The company is happy in its presents of
splendid prizes and refreshments and those
greenbacks defined by Senator Schurz as
'frredeemable paper money" That they are
SO when loaned in these cases we are inclined
to believe. The company, we will suppose,
returned from its festival last night, and with
the absentees from the press room and from
the forlorn visages of the hands present we
infer that the boys have had good time with
the border ruffians Of Jersey.


With all the host OF candidates now in the
field for the suffrages of the people our tar
get companies and target excursions are reap
ing rich harvest; and the butcher, the baker
and corner grocery will bear us out in this idea
The evil "has increased, is increasing and
ought to be diminished" Creedmoor points
out the way of relief from the present target
excursion. Can we not have the advantages of
Creedmoor, under some general regulations
and self-sustaining system, extended to all
our young men ambitious of the distinction of
sharpshooters2 They may thus be made
useful for war, without being in their target
excursions an unwelcome tax upon their
neighbors and Goths and vandals to the sur
rounding country in times of peace.