» J> >>^^ > > j» ) > >0 3 > > LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. HKI) STATES OF AMERICA. .^ ' >^ > >> > > ^ > >.^> '^ J) »» > > 9 >3 i > J^ -•:> ^ ' y^iX- 3 > 3 1> J& J >J» J^ > >> I]^ > ):^ I^ 3o:> ^ > 3^ 3> ^*?^ .; ■;;> > .» .'V> J> 3> L>J > 3 |> ']> >< '3 1> ^ -3 ► ■> : > ^ ' 3 > 3 ■> >^ ■> > 3 > 3 3 3 > ^ > 3> > j> > z>;> 3> > > > 3 > ^■ J >:> » >3 3 '^m> 3 3 3» ^> 3 3 3 > 33 3 3 3 > 3 3 :> > 33 3 3 3.) > 3>3 3^3) 33 V 3-3) ^ J>.^3> 3 ^3> ^333> 3^>->» J 1 3fe>>"^" 3 4 7 3 ^ > 3 I)3fe = 3> Ji>^ > 3 ,m -> :> -^ 3 > • ^ > i> ^ ?^-3> > 3 ig^ ^•^ 3i^3 .>^ ^■«^3b» 3> 3 -'iL_ H) 3 3'^i» ^ie> 3 3 ^^^ ■^ 3 3 J '^33 J • 3 3 3 :'" "^ 3 > '^ 3 ■ > y ■0 1,, >323te " 33 ' •^■)3ib ">.3 .:>33i> > > 33>1> >> 3>>]» 3 > l3>3 > :>33- .3311 3 3^> ' 3 .> ^ ^3 i>^ : > :> ^ i»>>3 3 3 J?> y^ > 3 .3»^3>^ > 3 >> >^ > 3 •>..3>' :^ ^3> ^ ^ •» :■ 3) >:^ INTERNATIONAL lUFLE TROPHY, For Annual Competition at Long Range by the Riflemen of the World. L03^0-RA.N^aEl 111 hootin % ^ A COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE International Long-Eange Matches. COMPLETE ELCHO SHIELD SCORES. EflilS AIP EiOTMfUIS Qf fEl I. £. 1., lie., lt@. BY THE Rifle Editor of the '' Forest and Stream and Rod and Gun." NEW YORK : THE FOREST AND STREAM PUBLISHING COMPANY. American J^ews Company, Agents. r ? 1877. lOUI M^ i^v-'-^ Entered, according to Act of CongresSj in the year 1877, by The roREST and Stream Publishing Company, in the office of the Librtuian of Congress at "Washington. PREFACE. In the following pages we have aimed merely to tell the story of the several great international long-range matches, which for a half dozen years past have been events of interest to the peoples of two continents. We have striven to report these ** blood- less battles of the butts " as such things should be reported, with the most scrupu- lous exactness proper in matters where the smallest appreciable fraction plays an important part in forming a conclusion or deciding an event ; with greatest possible brevity and simplicity, merits which will commend it alike to the rifleman and the general reader; and, above all, with rigid impartiality, yielding nothing to preference or prejudice, national or personal. Avoiding any attempt at rifle didactics in recognition of the fact that experience and range drill are the best teachers in the fascinating study of target shooting, and being wary as well of falling into the cheap and showy practice of theorizing as to causes of failure or victory, our intent and purpose has been to keep strictly within the narrative form, to lay the facts and surroundings of the matches before the public and allow such as choose to reach the whys and wherefores of the conclusions ac- cording to their several inclinations. As an American, and as an ardent believer in the superiority of our methods and appliances in this branch of manly sport, it has been our pleasure to witness the several confirmations of that opinion in the successive victories of the American marksmen, and although it appears from the records that the Americans won chiefly because they deserved to win, the results of the contests have been to show that there are riflemen all over the world, or among its English-speaking inhabitants, who have attained a wonderful and almost equal skill in long-range rifle shooting. The meetmgs have brought close and gallant struggles ; and, without a suspicion of ill- play, team after team have met in fair, open contest, have suffered the champion's luck, good or bad, and cherish, we hope, only friendly recollections of the memor- able events. On the whole, the victorious riflemen were so nearly beaten as to moderate their rejoicing ; the beaten riflemen were so nearly victorious that there should not be a shade of shame in their disappointment. The chapter on the Elcho Shield records will be found valuable as the record of what is universally recognized as the greatest series of long-range matches. The Rules and Regulations of the National Rifle Association have been inserted at the request of many riflemen over the country as a reliable and convenient code of range procedure. The chapter on long-range shooting is intended more especially for the general reader, who may wish to become in a measure familiar with the manner in which big scores are earned. J. E. W. August, 1877. INTERNATIONAL LONG-RANGE RIFLE SHOOTING. L— IRISH-AMERICAN MATCH: CREEDMOOR, 1874. " Let each man grasp the arm— The matchless weapon that replies to war and war's alarm— And let him use the Eifle as the bow was used of yore, And score the three-feet centres at a thousand feet or more." The opening of International long-range shooting in America, and the opening of modern rifle practice here, were almost simultaneous events. When the letter of Major Leech suggesting the first of the series of Irish- American marches was penned, not a single shot had yet been fired m a long range-range match on this side the Atlantic. But, with the twinkling of an eye, almost from nowhere, certainly from no gradual growth, American rifle shooting sprang into existence, into full growth and into front place with a single boimd, and to-day America stands in the fore- most place of the rifle shooting nations of the earth. American rifles and Ameri- can riflemen have beaten the selected champions of Europe. The keen eyed Scots have found to their astonishment that American pluck and shrewdness was more than a match for their own careful drill and preparation. The Irish champions agam and again drew up their gallant little squad for vigorous assault upon the American strong- hold, but failing to catch the secret of the American successes, they have been forced on three occasions to take a second place. From the ends of the earth experts with the small-bore were called to take part in the contests which American riflemen have thrown open to the riflemen of the world, but Australia, as well as Canada, have found the Yankee lads too much for them. But our aim is to give in as concise a form as practicable the story of the several great matches which have been fought here and abroad between representative national teams, and the starting point in such a narrative must logically be the open letter of Major Arthur Bleonerhassett Leech. This letter appeared in the issue of the New York Herald for November 22, 1873, reading as follows : CHALLENGE to the Riflemen of America from the Rifle- men of Ireland, Represented by Members of the Irish Rifle Association. IMr. A. Blennerhassett Leech, founder in 1867 of the Irish Eifle Association, will select from its members a team which he will match against an equal number of the representative American rifle shots, to shoot in the United Slates, in the autumn of of 1874, on the following conditions : Taegets, Scoring, Etc. — Same as adopted by the National Rifle Association of Great Britain, at Wimbledon, 1873 (when the Irish eight won the International Match for the Elcho Shield, beating England and Scotland). Ranges.— 800, 900, 1,000 and 1,100 yards. RiFLE=». — Any, not exceeding ten pounds weight, but without telescope sights or hair triggers. Position. — Any, but no artificial rest permitted cither for the rifle or person of the ahooter. The American Team to be composed exclusively of riflemen born in the United States, and to shoot with rifles of American manufacture. The Irish Team will shoot with rifles by Rigby, of Dublio. As this challenge is given to decide title to the rifle championship of the world, Mr. Leech will require a sufficient stake to be put down, uf^t for the sake of a trifling pecuniary gain, but as a guarantee that the Irish Team will meet the representative shots of America. Mr. Leech desires to draw the attention of the American people to the fact that the laws of Great Britain forbid the formation in Ireland of rifle corps similar to those which exist in great numbers in England and Scotland, and that any skill acquired by Irishmen in rifle shooting is the result of individual exertion under difficulties arising from discouraging legislation. Autiiur B. Leeoh. Dublin, Oct., 31, 1873. The Irish Team-men at that time had just won for themselves the title of the champions of Great Britain in the successful issue of the Elcho Shield match at Wimbledon, near London, in the July preceding, in that match fighting against s«^lected '* eights" of the best long range shooters of Scotland and Eng- land. Irish riflemen had been successful by a very creditable score in distancing their compeiitors. Looking about for other worlds to conquer, the Irish riflemen pitched upon America, and the challenge appeared. It came from what was, by record, the strongest to what was de facto the then weakest shooting nation in the world. On this side the water what little had been done at long range served more to show how lamentably deficient we were. Creedmoor was the only long- range shooting park in the country, and here up to the receipt of the letter but two matches at ranges of 800 yards and over had been fought. The first of these was the ''Sharpshooters' Championship Match," fought during the fall meeting, seven shots each, at 800 and 1,000 yards. The winning sicores stood, out of a possible 56, old sqiare target : Namb. J. Adam A. J. Roux R. Ornand H. Fulton L L. Hepbu'D. 8t/0 l.OJO yd's. y'ds. Total 25 23 48 21 20 41 26 13 39 22 15 3T 22 12 34 Name. Lieut. Campbell. G. W Yale J. R. Hawley,.... W. Carmichael... 800 1,000 y'ds. y'ds. 23 11 51 7 15 13 20 8 Total 34 31 28 28 Of tnis list Adam, Omand and Campbell were Canadians, familiar with the use of the match rifle, Hepburn and Yale were professional gunmakers, Roux and Car- michael belonged to the Twenty-second Regiment, whose members had been in the habit of mid-range target-shooting as a regimental sport, while Fulton and Hawley as ex-officers from the war of the rebellion were not unfamiliar with the handhng of firearms, and yet this was the best exhibit it was possible to make. On November 15, 1873, the first match for the Remington Diamond Badge was fought, and again the incapacity of the American shots was shown, for out of a possible 82 the follow- ing scores were recorded, a Canadian again at the head, seven shots per distance : Namb. 5 y'ds. 800 y'ds. 1,000 y'ds. Total Name. 510 y'ds. 17 24 24 15 24 800 y'ds. 1,000 y'ds. Total R. Omaud 23 23 22 22 21 25 23 20 21 23 22 1!) 16 14 10 70 (-5 5S 57 64 H. A. Gildersleeve.. G. W. Yale 27 19 2 6 12 2 11 16 46 J S Conlin. 43 J. P. M. Richards L Bdcker L. C. Bruce A. V. Caulield, Jr.. . . H. Fulton 37 36 S. I Ke logg, Jr.. . 36 The above is a full and unreserved exhibit of the finest long-range skill the country possessed at the time the Irish challenge was thrown down. Already a club had been formed styled the "Amateur Rifle Club." The majority of the members of the club, then numbering 63, had never fired a shot at long-range. All were then using the common sporting rifle, with the usual hunting sights ; the pistol stocks, wind gauges, Vernier sights, hardened and improved conical bullets, and heavy charges, now in general use for long-range work, being then unknown in this c mntry except by report. In accepting the challenge, the club members were fully conscious of their own weakness, and sought to act not for themselves, but solely as the representatives of the riflemen of America, to whom the challenge was addressed, their utmost hope "being that they would be able out of their number to develop two or three suflaciently skillful to constitute a part of the team, it being expected that the remainder would be composed of riflemen from other sections of the country, and not connected with the club Correspondence during the winter brought about a distinct understanding between Major Leech and the Amateur Rifle Club, and the following was issued broadcast over the country : The Amateur Rifle Club, New York, March 11, 1874. To the Rifiemen of America : A challenge having been extended to you by the Irish. Eight (who won the Elcho Shield at Wimbledon in 1873), the Amateur Rifle Club of this city have accepted it upon your behalf : The programme submitted by the Irish team has been agreed upon as follows : Programme of the International Rifle Match between the riflemen of the United States of Ameiica and the riflemen of Ireland, represented by a team to be chosen from ihe members of the Irish Rifle Association, to take place at Creed- moor, Long Island, not sooner than the I5th of September or later than the 15th of October, 1874, on the following terms, viz. : Team — Each team to consist of not more than eight or less than six men, at the option of the Irish, whose decision vrill be announced on their arrival at New York. The American team' to be composed exclusively of riflemen born in the United States. The Irish team to consist of men qualified to shoot in the Irish eight at Wimbledon. Rifles — Any, not exceeding ten pounds weight ; minimum pull of trigger three poimds. The Americans to shoot with rifles of boTia fide American manufacture. The Irish to shoot with rifles manufactured by Messrs. John Rigby & Co., of Dublin. Sights, Ammunition, Takgets and Marking — To be according to printed regula- tions in force at WimbL-don, 1873. [These were simllarto those of the National Rifle Association of America.] Ranges -Eio;ht hundred yards, nine hundred yards, and one thousand yards. Number of Shots — Fifteen at each range by each competitor. Previous Practice — The Irish team to be allowed the use of the range for practice for at least two d^ys before the match. Position — Any ; no artificial rest to be used either for the rifle or person of the shooter. Mr. Leech, on the part of the Irish Team, guarantees to deposit, on his arrival at New York, with the National Rifle Association of America, the sum of one hundred pounds sterling, a like sum to be deposited by the Ameiicaa team, and this sum of £200 to be handed over to the captain for division among the members of the winning team. Targ. ts, range, and all accessori' s for carrying out the match to devolve on the Americans. The Americans to cho jse a referee to act for their team. Mr. Leech will act in the cap:4city of referee tor the Irish team, and the two referees shall mutually select an umpire, to whom, in case of difference of opinion, they shall re- fer, and whose decision shall be final. The terms of the match to bs signed by Geo. W. Wingate, on behalf of the Ama- teur Rifle Club, and by Arthur Blennerhasset Leech on behalf of the Irish Team. Duplicnte copies of this programme to be exchanged, and all necessary arrange- ments to be completed on or before the 1st day of June, 1874. Should either team fail to make an appearance on the day and hour agreed upon for the match, the team then pres';nt may claim the championship and stakes. In taking this step the Amateur Rifle Club do not claim that they include among their members the best riflemen of America, but only assume to act as your representatives for the purpose of placing the matter in such a shape as to permit all, who prove themselves competent, to compete, irrespective of their residence or membership. Ttie targets and scoring used in the match will be in accordance with the rules of the National Rifle Association, viz. : Targets, six feet high by twelve wide," having a black bull's-eye three feet square, smTounded by the centre, six feet square, 6 the rest of the target constituting the outer ; bull's-eyes counting four points, centres three, outers two. Any sights allowed but telescopic, mRgoifying, and such as con- ceal the target so as to prevent the danger signal from being seen. Any ammunition may be used. Any position will be allowed which can be taken on level ground without artificial rests. The other particulars sufficiently appear in the progiamme. It is requested that all native-born Americans who are interested in rifle shoot- ing, and who desire to form part of the team which is to represent America in this match, will at once commence practicing for the purpose, and will, on or before the first day of July next, forward to the subscriber a score of fifteen consecutive shots made at each distance named in the programme. At some time during July or August, to be hereafter designated, one or more matches will be held at Creedmoor to shoot for places in the team. Notice of these will be sent to all forwarding these returns, as well as to the regular members of the club, and all, whether memberi? or not, will be allowed to compete at them upon equal terms. From the competitors making the best scores upon these occasions, the Executive Committee will select a certain number who will shoot against each other until the best shots are definitely ascertained ; and these, and these only, will be allowed to shoot in the team. The Amateur Club will provide the markers and pay all the expenses of these matches. The matter is one that appeals so strongly to your pride, not only as riflemen but as Americans, that it is to be hoped that the best shots in the country will come forward in this match. The gentlemen who have sent the challenge are very skillful riflemen (their average score in the match for the Elcho Shield being 149.37 points out of a possible 180. or 3.32 a shot), but there are many in America fully as expert, and if they can be induced to engage in the undertaking the result cannot be doubtful. By order of the Executive Committee. FRED P. FAIRBANKS, Secretary Amateur Rifle Cluh. But up to July 1st not a smgle filled up form was returned. It was not surely for want of the necessary publicity, for not only did the leading dailies of New York, but the press throughout the country and the weekly sporting press did all in their power to spread the invitation; but as a matter of fact the conditions of the match were new, and the arms specified were not in the hands of rifle shooters. Dur- ing the winter and early spring the Remington and Sharps gun works, in recognition of the fact that American rifles as well as American riflemen were to be tried in the coming contest, had each produced long-range rifles fulfilling the conditions, and possessing all the attachments and improvements required to insure accuracy at the longest ranges. The possession of these weapons by members of the Amateur Club really left them on an equality with the coming experts so far as shooting appliances were concerned. But the bulk of shooting among the riflemen of the country was either with sporting weapons at low-ranges, or for target shooting with heavy hair- trigger rifles. The result consequently was, that when the time came for the com- petitions at which the team was to be selected not a single competitor outside ot those regularly belonging to the club presented himself in response to the circular, and it became evident that the Amateur Rifle Club must rely upon its own members to -present America in this match. Accordingly the club issued the following cir- cular : Notice is hereby given that six competitions will be held at Creedmoor, on the fol- lowing days, viz : July 15, 18, 22, 29, and August 1 and 5, at 11 o'clock a. m., for the purpose of selecting a team to practice for the Irish- American contest, which competitions will be held under the following conditions: Open to all natives of the Unfted States. Rifle — Any of American manufacture, and within the rules of the club. Position — Any without artificial rest. DisTAiNOBa— 800, 900 and 1,000 yards. Rounds— Fifteen at 800 and 900, twenty at 1.000 yards. No sighting shots. The twelve making the highest aggregate scores in any four of the six competitions to be selected to form the team and reserve. Three markers will be provided, two days in each week, for the exclusive use of those selected as above, and each man will also be furnished with loO rounds of ammunition per week. Further arrangements are also being made to facilitate their practice, and render it as little expensive as possible. For this reason all persons entering these competitions will be required to pledge themselves that should they be successful competitors they will practice as far as possible in such places and at such times as may be directed by the Executive Committee, and do all in their power to qualify for the match. The members of the Club are earnestly requested to co-operate with the committee in their endeavors to produce a team worthy of representing America in September next. Our opponents, already tried and experienced marksmen, are receiving in numerous ways the support and encouragement of their countrymen, and it will be absolutely necessary for the A. R. C. to make a vigorous effort to create a similar interest in the forthcoming contest among pur own countrymen, if we would meet them f n anything like even terms. It will devolve upon the club to provide means for the training of the team, the carrying on of the match, and the proper reception of our guests, and to this end it is desirable that each individual member should exert himself in any way in which he can make his influence available, and particularly in the matter of raising funds. The day named for the contest is Saturday, September 26, 1874. By order of the Executive Committee, FRED P. FAIRBANKS, Secretary. The series of test matches thus outlined were somewhat interrupted by boisterous weather, but with a supplementary day's shooting the team and reserves were finally chosen and practiced with most commendable zeal and energy up to the day of the match. What the American riflemen were then able to do, and what a vast deal of ground they had yet to pull over before they could hope to cope successfully with the Irish ( xperts may be judged from the following exhibit of scores made, reckoning 15 shots at each of the distances 800, 900 and 1,000 yards, making a possible total per man of 180 points : Name. July 15 July 18 July 22 Aug. 5 Aug. 13 Aug. 26 Aug. 29 Sept 2 Sept 3 Sept 9 Sept 12 Sept 22 Sept 24 Henry Fulton * 129 142 132 143 127 120 126 129 133 138 130 113 118 128 125 140 123 136 112 130 113 117 127 115 107 114 97 116 121 143 119 136 124 114 116 114 104 119 129 133 147 112 138 128 127 123 128 133 137 119 135 121 133 114 141 131 135 149 131 127 107 112 131 149 144 1*36 139 146 145 IvO 121 139 154 119 150 150 148 146 135 125 136 149 135 137 142 139 137 142 133 140 141 127 105 109 130 119 143 152 143 153 1*2*0 136 142 147 115 120 145 143 159 142 156 152 153 142 125 125 126 168 G. W. Yalet 150 JohnBoaine ♦ H. A. Gildersleeve t L. L. Hepburn * 158 154 156 T. S. Dakin t 158 J. T. B. Collins t E. H. Sanf ord t 156 144 L M. Ballardt F. S. Gardnert J, S. Conlint A.V. Canfleld, Jr.* A. Anderson t 126 • Remington Creedmoor rifle, t Sharps Creedmoor rifle. It will be noted what a marked improvement took place in the scores of the first six men after they had been finally determined upon as the team ; and in the scores of Sept. 22 and 24, each of these gentleman surpassed anything that he had formerly done ; but on the whole, the scores, while fair for beginners at the difficult art of long-range firing, were but questionable guarantees for success against the visiting team. On the 16th of Sept. the Irish rifle party arrived per steamship Scotia, and were received at the wharf by a committee of the Amateur Rifle Club, and by them escorted to rooms at the Windsor Hotel. Accompanying the actual shooters came the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Viscount Masserene and Ferrard, Alderman Manning of Dublin, and a number of ladies. Major Leech and his men were very hopeful of success, and expressed the wish that *' a good rattling breeze" might form one of the accompaniments of the match. On the 18th the team and friends went to Garden City, taking a flying glimpse of the range from the cars. On the 19th the Irish shooters tried their hands with American breech-loaders in the Remington Diamond Badge match. So confident did Major Leech and his associates feel of success, that they took but one regular practice upon the range before the final 8 match ; this was on the 24th. Already it had been determined to put but six men in the field, and a comparison of the scores on that day showed a result surprising all round. The American score surpassed that of the Irish by 12 points. At once the spirits of the home team rose inproportion as those of the Irish shots were depressed. The scores on this noteworthy rehearsal stood : AMF.RICAN TEAM. 800 5d8. 900 yds. 1,000 yds. Total IRISH TEAM. 800 yds. 900 yns. 1,000 yds. 47 4-} 52 49 49 4S 291 Total. Falton 57 54 66 55 53 5^ 32T 55 50 54 47 55 62 313 5b 64 48 64 48 50 168 158 158 156 156 154 950 Wilson 54 57 54 55 57 51 328 57 65 51 53 51 5i 319 158 BoiJme Hamilt )D 158 157 Dakin vVaiker Collins JotlUSOD 157 Hepburn Rigbi- 157 Gildersleeve viiiuer 161 Total Total 810 938 With this showing the match day arrived. It was an unfortunate one for the foreign team men. They went to the range handicapped by the weather ; the heat in the shade ran up to mid-summer figures, and out upon the parched, bare sod of the shooting ground it was simply torture for the Irishmen to work and toil in the hot work of rifle practice. No refreshing breeze swept across the range, but the hot sun pouring down upon the open space, and the slight exhalation far down near the targets told the practiced eye that the mirage would be likely to bother the riflemen a good deal. The targets had been arranged in groups of two ; 19 and 20 for one squad, and 16 and 17 for a second squad, No. 18 target being removed. This afforded an easy distinction in the popular eye between the Irish and American targets. Major Leech winning the choice took group 16 and 17, the wisdom of his selection being manifest at 1,000 yards, where the shade of the old cherry tree over his position was very refreshing to his men. The assignment of markers, spotters and scorers for each party to each target was then made. One man each was named by Major Leech and Colonel Wingate, the American Team Captain, to go to the butts and sit at each target and carefully see that the marker performed his whole duty faithfully. Others were put at the firing point with good glasses to see the spot struck by each bullet upon the target, and see that it was marked as hit, while others again acted as scorers, duplicate tickets being made out, and compared at the close. These admirable precautions prevented any- thing like a doubt of accuracy or fair dealing in all parts of the competition. Ooce or twice the men in the butts came out to examine a target more minutely, but the shots were in all cases correctly signalled, and there was no grumbling. Just before the firing began. Major Leech, who is an exceedingly dignified gentle- man, desired to present Colonel Wingate, Captain of the American Team, with a badge, the counterpart of which he himself wore as Captain of the Irish Team. A circle of men was soon formed, and Mr. Leech began the presentai ion speech, ex- plaming the nature of the badge and the pleasure it gave him in presontiru^ it. He was about to conclude, and said, "Here it is, sir," putting his hand into his pocket. But he ascertained that the badge was not in that pocket. The honeyed words flowed from his mouth thick and fast as he rummaged pocket after pocket for the trinket, when all at once its whereabouts occurred to him, he exclaimed, " Oh, be Dad, it's in Johnson's box !" The speech was finished amid roars of laughter, but the presentation was postponed. Consideiable delay occurred in beginning the firing, both teams being apparently desirous to wait for the other to open fire. Every one busied himself cleaning or discharging his rifle, so as not to have too much the air of waiting f(ir the other. At this time the large crowd of people gathered on the grounds had swelled to at least 8,000. They now gathered closely around the semi-ciicular rope which had been placed as a barrier to preserve the firing parties from interruption. As 9 the preparations to begin proceeded, the boisterous conversation gradually ceased, and the immense assemblage waited with bated breath for the shot which should an- nounce that the match was entered upon. Impatient of waiting for the Americans, the Irish, with characteristic pluck, began the contest. The distribution of the marksmen was as follows: — Captain Walker, J. Rigby and J. B. Hamilton occupied 16 ; J. Wilson, J. K. Milner and E, Johnson, 17 ; H. Fulton, J. Bodine and L. L. Hepburn, 19 ; Colonel Gildersleeve, G. W. Yale and T. S Dakin, 20. Captain Walker was the first to send a bullet whizzing up the range. Where it went is a mystery to this day. Certainly it never struck the target aimed at. No disk responded to the murmur of satisfaction that ran toward the Ameri- can targets when this first Irish shot went for a blank ; and when, a moment later, Major Hamilton, of the Irish squad, put in a bull's-eye, the answering cheer from the Irish sympathizers came back. The cheering was promptly checked at the request of Major Leech, the crowds, after a time, restraining their natural inclination to shout their exultation as their favorite made a successful hit. The effort was great, but the people were admirably behaved from first to last, and the officers on the range were not once called .to active service in regulating any boisterous or riot- ous demonstration. Watching a target is at best but poor sport to an outsider or non-rifleman, but the honor at stake, and the pride of nationality kept up the atten- tion unflagging to the end. The shooting went steadily on, without a break or flaw. A machine- like precision governed the raising and lowering of the marking disks, and without a hint of dissatisfaction the 800 yards range closed, and the footings-up showed 336 for the Americans and 317 for the Irish. Lunch was then the order of the hour for aU, victors and vanquished alike, the crowd at large pouring away to the booths and refreshment stands, while the shooters, the ladies of the Irish and American parties, and prominent citizens assembled in a large marquee tent, where a fine collation had been provided. This was earnestly discussed, and too liberally, we fear, by one or more of the marksmen, and at its close a surprise was awaiting both teams in a courteous act of generosity by Major Leech, who, rising, said that he had resolved to afford himself the opportunity of discharging a little duty. When the Irish Team came to this country they naturally expected that they would be re- ceived with courtesy and kind attention, but he would say that if they had had the one-twentieth part of the hospitality extended to them, it would have been far in excess of what they had anticipated. On behalf of the Irish Riflemen he would say that they were deeply sensible and greatly impressed with the kindness and consid- eration shown their happy visit to America. (Applause.) The result of the match — while both sides were, of course, anxious to win — he held to be of complete insig- nificance, as weighed with the circumstances of their visit in making acquaintances and meeting their countrymen on this side of the Atlantic. (Applause.) He would like, under the circumstances, to leave his friends in America a little souvenir of the visit of the Irish Team, to be shot for on any terms that might be deemed advisable. (Here Major Leech uncovered a beautiful silver pitcher, exqui- sitely worked, and surmounted by a little silver tower, representative of the famous old towers of Ireland. The gift, which is in hammered silver, was covered on the sides with varied clusters of roses and shamrocks in bas-relief, and resting upon an ebony stand, it rose some eighteen inches. The cost of the trophy was over 100 guinr^as.) He went on to say that it was m tde of Irish silver, and worked in Ireland. It was as Irish as the rifles they shot with, and as the hearts that beat in the bosoms of the marksmen. It was, indeed, racy of the soil. He begged the Amateur Rifle Club would take it, with his good will, and he would take the liberty of reading the inscription : " Presented for competition to the Riflemen of America by Arthur Blen- nerhassett Leech, Captain of the International Team of Riflemen, on the occasion of their visit to New York, 1874" (Cheers.) The face on it remained for themselves to fill up, and he would only hope that the best man would win it.- (Applause.) 10 Colonel Wingate returned thanks for the beautiful souvenir which had just been tendered. When the match was first arranged the American Team had never calcu- lated on anything more than a creditable display on tlieir own part, and such as would encourage future contests; but they were determined, even if they did not succeed, that Americans would not be surpassed in courtesy, hospitality and kind- ness. With reciprocal cheers for gu( sts and hosts the riflemen returned to their match work, and both parties set to work in dead earnest. The Americans were encour- aged by their former lead, and the Irishmen shot under the spur of impending defeat. Neither squad did so well as at the 800 j^ards range, but of the two the Irish Team shot best, making a total of 312 against an American aggregate of 310. This gave a gain of two points, and left the Americans with but seven points lead. As the open- ing shot of the Irish team at 800 yards had been a miss, so, again, at 900 yards, J. K. Milner opened his score with a bull's-eye shot on one of the American targets, a piece of carelessness which, as the grand total shows, cost the Irish Team the match. The 1,000 yards range yet remained, and upon this homestretch the men brought all their skill and science to bear. But the dinner, or the excitement, or the fatigue was telling on the men. Walker, on one side, and Hepburn and Dakin, on the other, opened their longest range record with ** goose-eggs," the last named through a defective bullet. The crowd of- Irish Americans behind the firing point had their spirits raised by the slight gain showed by their champions. The Irish riflemen themselves, however, did not seem so sanguine. From the very start, or at least as soon as it was known that they were some points behind, they seemed to shoot with a sullen display of grit. They consulted one with another in whispers, and went to and from the firing-rug without a glance or outward notice of the immense throng present. Large beads of perspiration stood out upon their foreheads, and at every instant's grace from loading or firing they dodged under the umbrellas with which they were provided. With the prospect of a stern chase, and to them an uncom- fortably hot day, they were under a load which their superior science and long expe- rience could not remove. The fight, however, was a desperate one. Slowly they stretched themselves along the ground, steadily they took aim; care and deliberation marked every step, and that they were doing their very best is evidenced in the tact that by their own admissions they had never surpassed their record in this match. At one point of the match the bright hue of the American sky gave way to the cold, gray light, resembling that with which the Irish riflemen were familiar. Taking ad- vantage of this, the Irish fired rapidly, and scored a bull's-eye almost every shot. The excellence of one team seemed to inoculate the other with the fever of luck and skill, and while the Americans forged ahead until, at one period in the match, they were fourteen points ahead, the Irishmen closed the gap, and at their finish, which occurred several shots before their rivals, it was actually found that they were ahead. Then came the critical moment of the whole day's sport. The Irishmen had done their work — had placed themselves upon the record beyond possibility of change, and the Americans had yet several shots to make. Lieutenant Fulton insisted on knowing the opposite score before firing his last shot, and as a consequence of his anxiety and worry, made a center, leaving the Irishmen one point ahead. Only the few scorers and counters were aware of this. In the rapidity of the closing shots the crowd hnd lost track of the course of things, and it was not generally known that the AmiT- icans were behind. Had it been so, it is not unlikely that the excitement would have run so high as to destroy the steadiness of the one American upon whom the national chances now depended. Colonel Bodine had yot one shot to go. If he missed this, his last effort, the Americans would lose the victory by one point. If he made a " bull's-eye," four would be added to their aggregate, and their opponents would be left three points in the rear. Knowing this, and with the blood running across his 11 hand from a wound received from a broken ginger-ale bottle a few moments before, Colonel Bcdine stretched himself carefully out, grasped his famiUar weapon with a firm band, and taking a long, steady aim, fired. The crowd stood— not one moved ; several thousand pairs of eyes fixed upon one little point, a half-mile off, looking tor the metal disk -vrhich indicates the opening of the trap for the marking of a shot. "There it is!" cried a dozen, and in a second more the white bull's-eye disc came slowly up, as if from a weary marker's hand, and rested plainly before the bull's-eye, covering its blackface from the gladdened eyes of at least half the crowd. No sooner had the mere edge of the disk appeared than such a shout went up as notified all those on the range that the match was over. No need of asking who had won — the sweeping American hurrah told it at once. Had it not been for the almost marvelously perfect score of the leading American shot the Americans must have been beaten ; not badly, but as well and completely as they were now the vanquishers. To Major Fulton, with his superb score of 171 in the possible 180, never equaled in his history of the old target, the honors of this first American victory properly belongs. While his associates shot well, bad he shot no better they would together have been a beaten team. The excellence of the shooting may be judged from the following fac-similies of the targets, showing the exact location of each shot : § fa o 00 JO I CO '^ ^ H '^ W CO O <1 o o 05 • warn e ■::::' Jim • When the cheering had partially ceased it took Major Leech but a few moments to compare totals and convince himself beyond a doubt that he was, indeed, van- quished, but he was ready with a merry, blithesome speech, and with the two teams forming the central figures of a great throng, each member of the American Team was decorated by a special badge at the hands of Lady Masserene. Then, with cheers for the Irish and cheers for the home team, with an extra round for General Shaler, -who had filled the honorary office of umpire during the day, the story of the first really International rifle match passed into history. It now only remains to give the formal figures of the match, and to look at the personnel of the teams. On the Irish side, John Eigby is a prominent member. He is close on six feet in height, and strongly built, with a keen gray eye. He is a member of that famous firm of Irish gunmakers, whose saw-handled pistols were in pretty frequent requisition in the good old "pistols and coffee" time, and who are ■ now making shot-guns and long-range lifles famous the world over. He shoots lying face downward. Dr. Hamilton, a staff surgeon in the British Army, looked upon as the most relia- ble shot of the team, certainly justified the hopes of his friends. He is a handsome 13 man, stan Uog six feet in his stockings, and soldier-like in carriage, about thirty six years old. Dr. Himilton shoots in the regular mi itary position. Captain Walker is another tall mm, rather hcavilf built. He holds a commission in the British Army, and is a jovial fellow when not u ider shooting regime. Joshua K. Milner, "plucky Milaer," as he las sin^e been properly named, is a slightly built man. Ha lies oa his back, slightly turaed to one side, the butt of the rifle resting in the arm-pit, while the extremity of the barrel rests on his toe. To bring the rear sight near the eye, it is placed upon the stock, near the heel plate. Mr. Milner is engaged in the W03l business, as is also Mr. James Wilson, of Bel- fist, a dirk haired young man of m3dium build, one of the best rifle shots in the North of Ireland. He uses the ordinary proae position, and throughout his forty- five shots did not get out of the centre square. Mr. E Itnund Johnson is a Du')lia jeweler, slightly built, with light eyes and fair hair. He has done, at times, most extraordinary work, but on the 26th inst. was in rather poor health. The team, as a whole and individually, was a typhical Irish one, representing the culture and standing of the best Irish society. Over coufi ience had been their weak- ness, showing itself in an independent style of shooting, and while every man had, no doubt, exerted himself personally in the match to the utmost, by lack of system he failed to get that more serviceable reliance which comes in knowing that all are pulKng together, and brings about that " shooting in a bunch," which is an unfailing characteristic of a strong, well-handled team. In the selection of the men from among the members of the Irish Rifle Associa- tion, Major Leech had used care and discrimination. They were good men, every one, and handling, as they did, the same make of rifle throughout, there was no rea- son why victory should not have inclined toward them, and the Americans felt highly the honor which had fallen to them in defeating su"! i a team. For any team to have beaten such a picked half-dozen of marksmen as M ijor Leech took over to the United State would, under any circumstances, 1 ave be3n no slight achievement, but for a squad of men, who may be called mere recruits with the long-range rifle, to have beaten them, and above all, to have beaten them when their shooting was more wonderful than any team-shotting that has ever been seen before, is nothing less than astounding. Certainly nothing of the kind was anticipated. The New York military and spirting journals took from the outset the most modest view of their countrymen's prospects in the match, and, vhile urging them to persevere in steady practice, pointed out, reasonably enough, *hat they could hardly expect, after a few months' practice, to hold their own against the famous Irish small bore shots. For the winners there was nothing but congratulations, and the losers certainl}'' had noth- ing to be a shamed of. No doubt both sides put forth all their strength, and shot ex- ceptionally Well under the stimulus of patriotism, but the clear atmosphere of Amer- ica is paticularly favorable to good scores at long ranges, and with the handicapping of system and firing position enjoyed by the American shots, the result in their favor is not so surprising, after all; but, under the circumstances, it reflects great credit upon the gentlemen who got the match up. The Nation, speaking of one phase of the match, says : * 'One of the most pleasing things about this match, when we consider that it was international, was that it did not break up in confusion and loud accusations of fraud on both sides and threats of violenc ) from the spectators, followed for the succeeding week by letters to the newspapers proving that the targets used by the two sides were not the same size ; that the ground was not measured fairly ; that the score was not correctly kept ; and that the sights of the rifles had l)een tampered with. On the contrary, the greatest good feeling seems to have prevailed, and the match terminated with a festive pro- cession to the Windsor House, from the balcony of which the Lord Mayor had the pleasure of addrcFsing an enthusiastic v>ublic, a large portion of which was quite as Irish as himself. The visit of the Lord Mayor and his party has been from the first an immense success. " 13 Of the American group, Henry Fulton is a surveyor by profession, born in New York State. He is twenty-eight years old, is of medium height, weighs about 145 pounds. His record proves him to be the best shot in the world. He served during the late war as Lieutenant in the Twenty-first New York Cavalry, and since then has held various posts in the militia service. He shoots lying on his back, the rifle between his crossed legs, his left arm behind his neck, holding the butt of the gun in his left hand, the elbow of the right arm resting on the ground, known here as the " Fulton " posi- tion. In one of his engagements during the war he was wounded and cap- tured and enjoyed (?) a four months' captivity in Libby Prison, when he was exchanged and served to the end of the war. He then took to the HENRY FULTON, plains which he crossed five times on horseback and in the stage coach, he has lived East. Since 1870 General Thomas Spencer Dakin is Major-General of the Second Divi- sion, National Guard S. N. Y. ; is forty-three years old, weighs 230 pounds. He has seen service in the war ; shoots in the face-downward position. He is a New Yorker, hav- ing been born in Orange County in 1831. In person he is a tall, strong* deep-chested man. At the age of seventeen he entered upon a mercan- tile career in the city of N. Y., went under in the panic of 1857, but came up again like a genuine American, and in 1870 withdrew from business. He had enjoyed no experience in rifle shooting prior to the establishment of Creedmoor range, since which he has fired in all sorts of matches and with ^ all sorts of rifles. In long-range no rifleman has taken greater care in all the details of practice, and his records give the most exact data on all his range work. THOMAS S. DAKIN. 14 JOHN BODINE. of value to manufacturers. He has fairly among this first generation of modern American rifle shooters. Colonel John Bodine is forty-eight years old. He lives in Highland, Ulster County, K Y., where he was born. He is about six feet high, well proportioned, and straight as an In- dian. He shoots in the face-down- ward position, taking deliberate aim, and tallcs but little. He has the finest collection of firearms, perhaps, of any gentleman in the State, and when Creedmoor opened was prob- ably the best posted man in America on matters of target practice, his ex- perience running back over a period of thirty years. His business in early life as a bank teller at Newburgh, on the Hudson, gave him opportunity to indulge in his love for bull's eye hit- ting at the time when Leavy rifles with fine hair sights and set triggers were all the fashion, and his care- fully trained judgment make his suggestions touching improvements in the making and loadinz of rifles earned the title of "OldKcliabh" Mr. L. L. Hepburn is forty-two years old, born in the "North Woods," New York State ; stands five feet nine inches high, weighs about 1Q% pounds, and has sandy hair and whiskers. He is a practical gun- maker, employed in the works of Messrs. E. Remington & Sons, II- ion, N. Y. The guns both he and Lieutenant Fulton used were made with his own hands. When shoot- ing he lies leaning on tlie right side, resting tlie gun over tlie left leg, with the stock resting under tlie arm-pit. He has had a very varied experience, his duties to the Remington Works requiring frequent trips to out-of- town ranges and sliooting grounds in various parts of the country. L. L. HEPBURN. 15 Mr. George Wboster Yale is fortj-- eight years old, short and thick-set. He shoots in a somewhat similar po- sition to that of Mr. Hepburn, and, like that gentleman, is a gunmaker, being Superintendent of the Sharps Eifle Company. The rifles used by General Dakin and Colonel Gilder- sleeve, as well as his own, were made by him, or under his supervision. He is the only thoroughbred "Yan- kee " on the team, and half a dozen of his drawling nasal utterances will convince any listener of his springing point. Taking his first lessons in manual at blacksmithing in 1845 at the old Eli Whitney Gun Works, New Haven, from that time he has been identified with the gun interest in this country as maker, tester and m- venter, and is as familiar with the old muzzle-loader as the modern breech-loader. During the war he made frequent exhibitions of the Gr. W. YALE, shooting qualities of the Sharps Military Rifle before examining and military boards. Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Alger Gildersleeve is a lawyer. He is thirty- three years old, is of medium height, heavily built, and, although a young rifleman, is a first-class one, cool and steady. He enlisted, dur- ing the late war, in the One Hun- dred and Fiftieth New York Regi- ment, was at Gettysburg, became Provost Marshal of the Twentieth Army Corps, and subsequently marched with Sherman to the sea. He has held various positions of honor in the National Guard of New York State, and as a member of regi- mental teams, and in general mili- tary shooting, has been very success- ful in taking prizes at Creedmoor. To merely recite the list of prizes taken by him would require more space than can be spared. He is the son of a farmer, and has a farmer- like directness in his manner, hitting Straight to the point at issue every H. A. GILDERSLEEVE. time. His legal studies have but added perspicuity to what was already a clear Ibrain and vigorous mind. He acted as one of the incorporators of the Creedmoor range, and has received most of his shooting experience on that ground. B^ 1 1 1 ■i^M^ ^^^^^H HH mm ^^^^# 9 1 w ^^S^^^^^HHI ^^^1 m ^^^^ ^^^^^^H H|^^l Si ^^^^w ^^^^^^^^J j^l P ^^^ ^^^^^5 ^^^ ^^ k ^fc ^^^^^^^ fT ■i^ m ^^^ ^W ^ ^m H^^P ■^^1 / ^ J 1 ^' 16, THE SCORES. iRisn-AMEBioA-N Matoh — Ceeedmooe, Septembee 26, 1874. AMERICAN TEA.M.— COLONEL Q. W. WiNGATB, Captain. Lieutenant H. Fulton— Remington Rifle. Tarda. Score. Totals. 800 4 4444443444444 3... 58 900 S 4443344444444 4.. ..57 1000 4 344*444444433 3.... 56— 171 G. W. Yale— Sharps Rifle. 800 3 3334434444444 4. ...55 900 4 3444434434434 4. ...56 lOoO 4 3343444140334 4. ...51— 162 Colonel John Bodine— Remington Rifle. 800 3 3 3 44344444433 4... 54 900 3 3434443444332 3. ...51 1000 4 3344433344244 4....53— 15S Colonel H. A. Gildersleeve— Sharps Rifle. Yards. IS^ore. Total*. SOO 3 4442443444334 3. ...53 900 4 4844434333404 4. ...51 1000 8 34 2 3443343434 4. ...51— 155 L. L. Hepburn— Remington Rifle. ..334442444 8 3444 3....5a ...3 4 ;< 42433344344 2. ...50 ...0 4343 3 333348443... .46-149 General T. S. Dakin— Sharps Rifle. ...4 4433333434434 4.. ..53 ...3 2403433443233 4. ...45 ...0 4434430342334 0.... 41— 139 800. 9 0. 1000. 800. 900. 1000. Team aggregate 934 IRISH TEA.M.— Major A. Blennerhasset Leech, Captain. Yards. 8U0... 9 0... 1000... 800. 900. 1000. 800. 901). 1000 John RigbT— Rigby Rifle. Score. Totals. ..3 3343433433444 4... 52 ..3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 3 4 4.... 56 .33444344444343 4.... 55— 163 James Wilson— Rigby Rifle. ..4 343 8 343444344 4. ...54 ..3 3 4333344433434. ..51 .44444443344334 3. ...55— 160 Dr. J. B. Hamilton— Rigby Rifle. ..4 44448444444434 58 ..4 33 3 4444444304 4. ...52 .3 4333343344334 3. ...50— 160 Yards. 8o0.... 900.... lOUO.... Joshua Milner— Rigby Rifle. Score. .3 4334444444444 4. .0 4344443342443 3. .3 343434303 3 344 4. Totals. . 57 ..49 ..48-154 FOO 900 1000 Edmund Johnson— Rigby Rifle. ....4 3423344433334 3. ...60 2 3232444343344 4. ...49 ....4 34434443343323 .. 51-150 Captain Philip Walker— Rigby Rifle. 800 3434034343444 3.. ..46 900 4 34434444434343. ..55 1000 343440433 3 334 2. ...43-144 Team aggregate 931 Summary , 800 yards. 900 yards. 1,000 yards. Total. /AMERICAN TEAM 326 310 29S 931 llRISH TEAM 317 312 302 934 It will be noted in the above that, in the number of misses recorded for the two teams, there was an equality. Seven on either side were made, a) d of these five were in opening shots, showing that the marksmen had erred in their judgment. Some of the other misses are not so easily explained, coming, as they did, plump be- tween good shots, and in General Dakin's thousand-yards score closing ap after a good bull's-eye with a final lope. While three of the visiting team went through their forty-five shots without a miss, but two of the American Team were able to do the same. Tlie several rifles showed themselves to be capable of the finest work, fully able to plant forty-five consecutive shots into the three-feet bull's-eye, provid- ing the rifleman was so exceptionally gifted, physically and mentally, as to make no error, either in holding or in judging. It is due to the Irishmen to state that the scores made by them in this match excelled any of their efforts for the Elcho Shield at the Wimbledon range, and were the best scores ever made by them in a public match, and the result seemed fully to justify the words of General Sbaler's report to the As^ociation at its next annual meeting, as follows : " We have established for the National Rifle Association a record so brilliant that the name of Creedmoor has become the synonym the world over — wherever the en- thusiasm for rifle practice extends— for the highest skill in marksmanship yet at- tained. We have borne high aloft the traditional banner of American championship, and reawakened everywhere on this side of the Atlantic a lively interest in perpetu- ating the record of our history as riflemen." 17 To show the progress of the battle, the ■ ' nip and tuck " of the contest, as seen by those who kept close tally of the progress of the event, the following record is pre- pared. It gives the standing of the teams at the close of each round, and for com- parisoQ, the highest possible total after each round, is ad led. It will be noted that it was a stern chase throughout for the Irish champions, and not until the thirty eighth round did they draw up abreast of their antagonists. At one time the home team were sixteen points ahead of their antagonists, while at the seventh shot preceding the finish the totals were equal. Had the Irish known this fact, how it would have refreshed their weariness, and given them new courage to do their very utmost and strain every nerve. They might have retrieved their fortunes had they known that the match was really lost and won on the last seven shots per man, but a fatal neglect to have somebody keep them posted, compelled them to keep shooting on blindly, only knowing in a general way that they were be- hind, while the Americans were shcoting on intelligently and with confidence. We consider the running record given in this way as far preferable to a mass of target diagrams, as giving the most vivid exhibit of the vicissitudes and fluctuatioas of the match. It shows just when and where the several teams either spurt or col- lapse ; where the smiles of victory begin to come over their prospects, and where the shadow of defeat overtakes them. THE RUNNING RECOKD. Distance. 800 yards. 90O yards. . ICOO yards. Rourid. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8- 9. 10. 11. 1'2 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. IS. 19 20. 21. 22 23. ■^5. 26. •27. 28. 20. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 3i. 36. 37. 38. 39 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 146. Highest Irish to- American Irish American po8r-it»ie. tal. 18 total. lead. lea.i. 24 20 2 48 38 41 — 3 72 60 6i — 3 96 79 85 — 6 120 100 106 6 144 117 126 __ 9 168 139 148 — 9 192 161 169 8 216 184 193 9 y40 206 215 9 264 227 238 11 288 249 261 -_ 12 312 272 282 10 336 295 305 — . 10 360 317 326 — 9 384 333 346 _ 1-3 403 352 366 14 432 372 388 — ^6 456 393 407 14 480 413 427 — 14 504 436 4£0 — 14 528 459 470 — 11 552 482 491 9 516 504 513 9 600 527 535 8 624 546 557 — 11 643 567 577 — 10 672 585 594 — 9 696 607 615 — 8 720 629 636 — T 744 646 651 5 768 666 671 — 5 792 689 692 — 3 816 710 713 3 840 732 733 — 1 864 753 756 — 3 8«8 773 777 — 4 912 794 794 — — 936 810 814 — 4 960 831 8a7 — 6 984 853 854 — 1 1,008 871 873 — 2 1,0.32 891 893 — 2 1,056 912 916 — 4 1,080 931 934 — 3 18 THE BENNETT CUP. As a very agreeable after-act to the great team fight, the Bennett Cup Match fought • on the 3d of October, gave the riflemen, as individuals, opportunity to shovp- their skill, and to John Rigby fell the honors of first place, with a total of 159 in the possible 180, though he was closely pressed by Fulton, with 158, and J. J. Mason, of the Canadian delegation, with 157. In this match Colonel John Bodine, who had earned by his brilliant finish in the recent match the soubriquet of ' ' Old Beliable," succeeded in verging to the very edge of perfection at 800 yards, getticg a total of fourteen bulls and one center. Milner, of the Irish party, succeeded in do- ing fully as well, but none struck the much striven-f or fifteen consecutive bull's-eyes. An exact fac-simile of the target of Colonel Bodine is given below : — Did our space, or the scheme of this publication permit, an interesting story might be told of the trip to and fi-o over the country by the members of the Irish Team. To the magnificent hunting grounds of the far West, and from Omaha to Quebec, and as far South as New Orleans, the members of the team party scattered them- selves, to find everywhere a most hospitable welcome. It was not until the 18th of November that the faces of the visitors were turned homeward, and a fine day gave opportunity for an excellent departing round of courtesy. 19 Major Leech, Captain of the Irish Rifle Team, with other members of the Irish party, were escorted down the Bay by the National Rifle Association and the Ama- teur Rifle Club. The steamer N. K. Hopkins had been placed at the disposal of the riflepjen by the Quarantine Commissioners, and, with a good sized party of gentle- men and ladies on board, the home party and guests were conveyed down the river to the Cunard dock. On this passage the farewell speeches were made and the fare- well bumpers drank. Colonel Church, the President of the N. R. Association, opened the speech-making by referring to the cordial relations which had sprung up between the two rifle asso- ciations by this visit from the Irish soil of some of Ireland's best sons, and in con- clusion proposed the health of the Irish riflemen, and called upon Major Leech, as a representative man, to respond. Major Leech, after the glasses had been emptied, spoke of his American reception as one far beyond his highest hopes. He and his comrades had been treated and feasted like kings. Visiting princes could not have been better cared for. He wished for another and another of the bloodless battles such as it had been their pleasure to participate in at Creedmoor. Mr. W.Waterhouse responded for the ladies of the Irish party, of whom there were several present. He said he would act the part of a friend, and not take the Ameri- cans unaware, by warning them that the Irish Team intended to win back the International Trophy. Several of the American riflemen thanked him for his re- gard, and in return gave him full notice that they too had formed the design of re. taining the honors of victory as long as possible. Other speeches by the many gentlemen present from the various professional and social circles of the metropolis called out pungent, witty responses from the depart ing friends, making the occasion one to be long remembered, but not readily chronicled. During the flow of talk the steamboat had reached the Cunard dock, and the Irish p irty, escorted by the American riflemen and others, passed on to the Russia, which was to convey them across the ocean. Here the final hand shaking was done, and at last the word was passed for all those hot contemplating a European trip to step ashore, and while the embarking Irish party stationed themselves on the quarter-deck of the Russia, their American friends crowded the Hopkins. Cheers and responsive cheers passed back and forth, and as the great ocean steamer backed from her dock, the cannon, which had been stationed on the steamboat's deck, thundered out a noisy fare- well. Down the Bay as far as Fort Lafayette, the dipping of flags, the racket of cannon, the cheers and the shaking of handkerchiefs was kept up, until the Russia, tputting on full speed, started on her long voyage in earnest, leaving the little tender o raturn to the city, both parties exhausting themselves in one graad parting shout. "Old Ireland" sent over her best and strongest men for a brotherly contest in athletic sport, in which the keen eye, steady nerve, and thorough honest capacity were to be the only qualifications. Nought in envy — all in honor. To be beaten in such a match was scarcely less noble thun to succeed. One must win, and the merest chance ; a flaw of wind or a ray of sunshine might give victory to either side. There were a force of circumstances against the visitors, nor were our American champions without difficulties to contend with. Rifle practice is not attended with the same exhiliarating change which contributes so large a share of enjoyment to ordinary field sports. It is mere hard work, grit, calculation, and determination to succeed To do well in such a trial of skill argues the possession of no common qualities ; to be greatly and phenomenally successful almost lifts a competitor to the heroic standard. A great wit once said " the next best thing to winning is losing," and the matchless courtesy with which the Irishmen accepted the position almost makes us envy them the opportunity of so splendid a retreat from such a W3ll fought field. "Whon America loses may Ireland win," was the honest expression of many a friend as the men of the Shamrock land sailed off. THE ELCHO SHIELD. ai THE ELCHO SHIELD COMPETITIONS. Two years after that memorable 2d of July, 1860, when Her Majesty drew the silken cord which, discharging a carefully aimed Whitworth rifle at 400 yards, brought up the bulls-eye flag on a most excellent carton hit, (the original slab resting with the flaring mark of the bullet still upon it is among the archives of the association), in July, 1862, the first team match for the Elcho Shield was fought. It was in that year that the team idea was most extensively put in practice, and but few changes have been made up to the present day. Among the well known Wimbledon matcl" '^. the University or Chancellor's Challenge Plate, the Ashburton Shield for public school lads, and the Lords' and Commons' match are fixtures dating back to 1862. Lord Elcho, who had been one of the earl est friends of the rifle movement, and who remains to-day one of its most ardent supporters, had been an incorporator of the National Rifle Association, had expressed his desire to present a trophy, but leaving the particulars and terms open, merely wishing it m some way to incite a series of international matches between England and Scotland. Lord Bury, on the part of England, and Capt. Horatio Boss, representing Scotland, met and ar- ranged the particulars, which have been most scrupulously maintained to this day, excepting that the giving of individual badges to the winning team at first contem- plated, has been given up. It is noteworthy that both Lord Bury and Captain Ross battled for their respective countries in the first of the Elcho Shield series. In the exhibition tent in that year, the drawing of the shield was on view, but Messrs. Watts and Cayley, the artists, calculated that two years would be required for its completion at the hands of the artizans. The work is in repousse iron, and from tip to tip stands six feet in height. The shield is divided hexagonally in the upper portion with royal armorial bearings at each side, and the crown in the compartment at its summit — Britannia occupying the chief — from which is suspended a medallion portrait of Her Majesty, the Queen of Eng- land. A border of thistles and roses bind the lower portion, while ball flowers point the several intersections of the interior division lines. In the lower section of the sinister side Queen Elizabeth viewing her troops at Tilbury is represented, and as an equally interesting subject Queen Victoria firing the first shot at Wimbledon upon the occa- sion of opening the volunteer competition. Again at the dexter side of the com- petition is a distant view of the battle of Bannockbum, fought in 1314, balanced on the sinister side by a representation of that of Flodden Field, in 1513, while at the foot an English and Scotch volunteer are shaking hands. The whole, while thoroughly artistic, has a value entirely measured by the labor and design, and not by the intrinsic value of the material of which it is composed, standing among the heaps of great, gaudy cups and brilliant pieces of plate. The list which we publish below of the scores made from year to year by the several individual contestants will show how closely the battle has waged at times, and how again one or another of the teams have suffered a general rout. There has been, nevertheless, a general improvement in men and arms, and of course in scores. The science of long-range shooting is gradually being worked out, while the ril!e makers stand ready to put into concrete form the suggestions and hints of the shoot- ing men. We have noted particularly the name of the. rifle used by each individual and here an interesting study may be made of the rise of the arms which now rank as the best in the world. From the opening of the matches to the year 1873 inclusive, tde competitions were shot on the old Wimbledon taiget with the 3-foot square bull's-eye, counting 4, the 6-foot square centre, comiting 3, and the remainder of the 6xl2-f cot target, counting 2. It was this target which was employed in the first two of the series of American- Irish matches at Creedmoor in 1874 and at Dollymount in 1875. Comparing the scores made on the old target it will be seen that not only were liigher aggregates made, but at the several ranges totals were shown in the Creedmoor, Dollymount matches which leave the Elcho shield shooting far in the rear. 18GS. ENGLISH TEA.M. 800 yds. 900 jaa. 1000 yds. T'l. MajorHalforda 46 37 38 121 CaptanHiat n &.... 45 36 38 119 EarlDuciea 44 39 35 118 Private Beasley a... 42 42 33 117 M. Smith b 41 39 31 111 Sergeant Kowe a... 39 37 34 110 I-ord Bury a 39 36 14 99 Ensign Halliday 6.. 37 22 26 95 Totals 343 298 249 890 SCOTCH TEAM. 800 yds. 900 yds. 1000 yds. T'l. Hor.Rossft 52 41 20 113 Private Muir b 36 35 33 104 MajorMoird 46 37 20 103 Lieut. E. Ross 6 .... 42 25 80 97 Lieut. Anderson c... 37 34 20 96 Lieut. Peterkin b... 35 30 23 88 Masterof Lovat 6... 32 41 13 86 Corporal Ferguson 6 10 21 6 37 Totals 295 264 165 724 1863. ENGLISH TEAM. 800 yds. 900 yds. 1000 yds. T'l. Captain Hea ton a. . . 54 56 40 15') M. Smith o 49 55 41 145 Lieut.-Col. Halforda 49 52 43 144 Lord Bury a 51 50 36 137 Lieut. Hawker a... 48 47 37 132 Private Ashtona 47 50 30 127 EarlDuciea 51 39 35 125 Captain Rowland a. 37 45 40 122 Totals 681 394 302 1032 SCOTCH TEAM. 800 yds. 900 yds. 1000 yds. T'L Capt. Hor. Ross a. . . 55 hi 41 147 Capt. Rosa (Camb.)a 52 53 28 133 Her. Ross a 50 50 32 132 N. Ferguson a 52 43 32 127 Priv. Farquharson a 47 47 28 122 Lieutenant Ross a.. 45 43 28 116 Master of Lovat a.. 46 37 83 116 Lord Elcho a 42 33 26 106 Totals 3S9 862 248 999 1864. Her. Fossa ^2 Private Wiikens a... 48 Capt. Ko-iH (Camb.)a 44 Lieut. Peterkln a,. . . 45 Karl A^>ert-^ 00 CO ■* ■* CO » o« 8 cvsoer IS ? •IS 1 « : I's* : :a . . o :o3.2 G 0) 'IS 1% 0. r- X5 CO 1^ r. 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IRISH TEAM. 800 Tds. 900 vds. 1,000 yds. J. K. Milner d...'68 71 63 Lieut. Fenton d.70 66 65 L. F. Banks d.. .70 64 66 Major Young e.. 68 65 66 J. Rigbyd 72 63 63 W. Rigbvd 68 64 61 E.Johnson d 62 67 59 H. Dyas d 65 57 65 Grand total... 5 43 517 T'l 202 201 200 199 198 193 188 187 E^GLISH TEAM. 800 vd«. 900 yds. Lt.-Col. Fenton e .69 61 SirH. Halford e..69 f4 Lieut. Toller e ...69 61 A. P. Hunupbry e.66 63 Lt.-Cl.Waironde.66 58 J. Pigott e 65 62 Maj T Scrivenc..58 .'ss M. Smith e .51 56 478 1,000 vds. 69 63 63 63 62 50 52 51 T'l. 199 196 193 192 186 177 163 153 508 1,668 Gr^nd total. SCOTCH TE.\M. 900 yds. 60 63 ...513 800 yds. Sergt. McTsaac / 71 Lieut. Mitchell & 64 Sergr. Fers^uson d 67 69 M. Boyd /. 63 60 Edward Rosa e 68 63 R. Luke/. 64 52 Lieut. John t VI b 64 57 Capt. Thorburne 69 66 Grand total 530 470 1,000 yds. 65 57 58 56 58 58 53 34 439 473 1,464 Total. 196 184 184 179 179 174 174 169 1,439 With the match of 1814 the new circular bull's-eye targets were first used in the Elcho Shield matches. In this target the exterior size of slab remained as before, 6x12 feet, but the bull's-eye was made 3 feet in diameter, counting 5 ; the centre was another circle, 54 inches in diameter, scoring 4 ; the inner was 6x6 feet square, counting 3, and the outer as before. This target is now the standard for long range the world over. It was used in the Irish-American match of 1876, in the first of the series for the Centennial trophy, and will be used in the match of 1877, between Great Britain and America. It makes the range highest possibles in 15 shots 75, and the total 225 for the three matches, in place of 180, as by the old target. The merits of the new target are, that it gives opportunity for a finer discrimina- tion between marksmen, and tends accordingly to the prevention of long lists of tie scores; besides, it is more just to have circular than square sub-divisions, otherwise a corner shot ranking equal in recorded merit with a more central hit gives an undue advantage to a scattering marksman. The cbange was most carefully considered by the C'ouncil of the National Rifle Association of Great Britain before it was ordered, and from the general satisfaction the target, as at present sub-divided, gives to long- range liflemen the world over, it is not likely that any further alteration will soon be ordered. In many of the crack matches the outers might safely be dispensed with, since they are but rarely visited by the bullets of team men, the main danger being a skip over or a slip under the target through an error of elevation. Comparing the figures of the past few years of the Elcho Shield shooting with what has been shown in matches at Creedmoor and other American ranges, the showing of high figures will be very heavily on the side of the Americans. To reach 200 points out of the 225 was an exceptional performance to the men shooting across the Wimble- don Glen, while scores among the two hundred and teens have been shown on almost every long range ground in the United States. Without a record or precedent, or anything traditional to hold them back, the American shooters have had only per- fection before them, and have measured their doings by that standard alone. THE AMERICAN CUP. Presented to the Piflemen of Ireland by the American Team of 187B. 29 II.— THE IRISH-AMERICAN M ATCH — DOLLYMOUNT^ 187S. "Ye strivo in friendship ; if you win, you'll meet No heartier cheering than from those you beat. And if your brothers win, you wont despair? You still have left a younger brother's share. Ireland m either case is doubly blest- She wins the most in losing to her guest."* To tell the story of the part taken by the American Team in the Irish- American Match of 1875 is to recite a ''traveler's tale." It was believed by many that the match of 1874 had favored the Americans in a great measure, because it was fought on their own range, under conditions of weather, light, atmosphere, etc., with which they were familiar, and it was thought that the question of superiority could not be properly determined until the American riflemen had mjt the Irish champions on their own ground. It was this feeling, along with the conviction which the worthy Major has always made a cardinal feature of his rifle faith, that an Irish rifleman is as good a shot as any other, and a little better, too, which led him at once, upon the conclusion of the match, to issue the following letter : — To the Editors of tJie Herald : — It was to the New York Herald that I addressed my letter in the month of Octo- ber, 1873, when 1 had the pleasure of proposing an International Rifle Match be- twe n America and Ireland, and at a time when the Irish were champions of Great Britain. The match which ended yesterday could have just been reversed by one point if one of my friends could have received the advantage of scoring four for a bull's-eye on the wrong target, which by the rules of the match was scored a miss. In addressing you now, I ask you to be so good as to permit me to say through your widely circulated journal, not alone on my own behalf, but on behalf of the members of the team and the gentlemen who came along with me as my assistants and men in waiting, and our lady friends who accompanied us to America, our thanks for the lavish kindness and hospitality which have been extended to us since our arrival in New York. My duty toward our party, and the careful attention to the health of the team , have obliged us to be more observers of than participators in the festivities arranged for our gratification ; but we are deeply sensible of and greatly impressed by the cordiality and friendship exhibited. We came out here to shoot this match, and none other, with the Americans. We desired to pay the entire compliment to this nation, where so many of our country- men have found a home, nor are we unmindful that when distress and famine visited our beloved country, America was prominent with its relief. General Shaler was named by Colonel Win^ate as final umpire, to decide any dif- ference of opinion between him and me ; but it did not surprise me to find that the worthy General's oflSee was a sinecure. All the arrangements were of the most per- fect and satisfactory character, and the American Team won with the most brilliant score ever recorded in an international match. I cannot conclude this letter without noticing the orderly conduct of the multitude of people present at Creedmoor— a multitude composed in great part of our own countrymen— and when I tell you it was simply at the request of my friend. Colonel Wingate, and myself, that all demonstraf ion during the match on the part< f the visit- ceased, you will agree with me, I trust, that the spectators proved themselves supporters of law and order and lovers of fair play. The final cheer given to the victors proved how we all admired the pluck and staying power of both teams. To the American press I tender my thanks for the scrupulous accuracy of its re- ports of our proceedings, and for its leniency to myself. Finally, I have once more, on the part of the Irish Riflemen, to throw down the From address to American Team, Gaiety Theater, Dublin, June 18, 1875, 30 gauntlet to one more peaceful battle with the American Riflemen on the same terms upon which the match was shot at Creedmoor, the return match to be shot in DubUn in the month of June, 1875, the team to consist of not more than eight nor less than six men, at tlie option of the Americans. I have the honor to remain, sir, your faithful and obliged, ARTHUR B. LEECH, Captain Irish International Rifle Team. Windsor Hotel, New York, Sept. 27, 1874. THE TEAM CAPTAINS— MAJOR LEECH AND COLONEL WINGATE. Everybody looked for an immediate response to this direct challenge, and it v^as not for several days that the President of the Amateur Rifle Club sent the following acceptance : No. 194 Broadway, New York,) October 2, 1874. i Major A. BtENERnASSET Leech : My Dear Sir— I have much pleasure in informing you that the necessary arrange- ments (which alone have caused the apparent delay) having been completed, i am 31 directed by the Amateur Rifle Club, on behalf of themselves and the riflemen of America, so far as they are authorized to speak for the latter, to accept your chal- lenge to shoot a rifle match in Dublin, during the summer of 1875, the date to be agreed upon on or before May 1, 1875, upon the same conditions as the recent match. I feel confident that this match will be marked by the same fairness and friendly feeling that have characterized our late contest, and will initiate a system of inter- national rifle competition which will do much to unite the two countries and to de- velop the manly sport of rifle shooting. In conclusion, I can only hope that if you should win the match, that our team will endeavor to bear their defeat with the same magnanimous spirit that has been displayed by yourself and your friends. Very truly yours, GEO. W. WINGATE, President Amateur Rifle Club. All was now talk and preparation for the trip. The Amsricans felt encouraged by their success at Creedmoor, but so narrowly had it been won, and from such a small circle of marksmen was the selection for 1875 possible, that the Amateur Club felt that they had assumed a big task, and in laying their plans for the campaign of 1875, the Executive Committee of the Club proposed that the management of the match should be in the hands of a joint committee chosen from the Club and from the Na- tional Rifle Association. This was agreed to by the latter body, and on the Isc of February the following address was issued : New Yoek, February 1, 1875. To the Public: In November, 1873, the "IdshTeam," whose success in winning the celebrated Elcho Shield at Wimbledon had constituted them the champions of Great Britain, published a challenge to American riflemen to shoot a match with American rifles against their celebrated Rigby's, at 800, 900 and 1,000 yards. Although the extreme distances, and the rules as to weapons and position were new to American marks- men, the Amateur Rifle Club, of this city, boldly accepted the challenge. Not only were they almost wholly inexperienced, but no rifles were then made in America which could compete, under the terms of the match, with those used by the Irish Tt-am. During the brief period, however, which elapsed before the match, our man- ufacturers succeeded in providing them with the necessary weapons, and they had acquired such skill in their use that when the contes' took place at Creedmoor on September 26, 1874, the team selected from their number as the representatives of America were victorious by a score previously unparalleled. On the announcement of the result, another challenge was published on behalf of the Irish riflemen, to shoot a return match in Dublin next June. The expenses of the previous match, which were heavy, had been borne almost entirely by the members of the Amateur Rifle Club, who were comparatively few in number, and they naturally hesitated before as- suming the responsibility of undertaking to send a team of riflemen across the Atlan- tic. Relying, however, upon the representations of the press and their friends that the honor of the country required that the challenge should not be rejected, and that they could unhesitatingly depend upon the public for the "sinews of war " required to enable the representatives of America to make a proper appearance abroad, the Club accepted the proffered challenge, not on their own behalf, but as the represent- atives of American riflemen. The time having now come when the assistance thus promised is needed, the Committee having the matter in charge, representing not only the Amateur Rifle Club, but the National Rifle Association, desire to call the attention of the public to the matter. The expenses of the preliminary practice by the team, in the matches in whicn they shall be selected (in whicii matches marks- men from all sections of the country are expected to compete), and their outfit, pas- sage, and expenses while in Europe, have all to be provided for, as they cannot be expected to be met by the contestants. The amount required is estimated at not less than $6,000, and unless this amount is insured it will be impossible for the match to proceed. With that amount the affair may be a success which will redound cred- itably to the reputation of the country. The Committee, trusting that the matter will be looked upon by all as a national affair, which must not be allowed to fail, would respectfully request that all who may feel inclined to aid in the project will for^vard their subscriptions to General M. T. McMahon, No. 99 Nassau street, New York, (Treasurer of the Joint Committee of the National Rifle Association and the '■( 33 Amateur Rifle Club having tbe matter in charge), by whom the receipt will be duly acknowledged aad reported to the Club. Very respectfully yours, JOHN B. WOODWARl), GEORGE W. WINGATE, DAVID W. JUDD, HENRiT A. GILDERSLEEVE, JAMES GORDON BENNETT, HENRY FULTON, MARTIN T. McMAHON, A. ALVOMD. E. L. MOLINEUX. L. C. BRUCE, ALEXANDER SHALER, J. T. B. COLLINS, Com, Nat. Rifle Association. ^- P- FAIRBANKS, G. S. SCHERMERHORN. Jr., Ex. Com. of Am. RifieClub. Popular feeling was aroused, and the subscriptions came in to a sufficient amount to fully meet the expenses of the team of ten men which it was determined to send out as the representatives of American shouting skill, Mr. A. T. Stewart giving the sum of $1,000. The selection of the team was a difficult and delicate task, and after much talk the Committee determined upon the following : Offices of the National Rifle Association and Amatetib Rifle Ot.itb, No. 93 Nassau Stkeet, New Yoek, April 14, 1875. To tJie Biflemen of America : A challenge having been extended to you by Major Leech, on behalf of the rifle- men of Ireland, to shoot a return match in Dublin, on June 29, 1875, the Amateur Eifle Ciub of this city have accepted it on your behalf. The following programme has been agreed upon, as being substantially that of the last International match : PEOGEAMME. Programme of the International Rifle Match between the riflemen of the United States and the riflemen of Ireland, represented by a team to be cho T'l Henry Fulton 159 163 171 158 656 | T. S. Uakin 142 158 139 14T 586 Juhn Bodine 156 158 158 152 624 I G.W.Yale. 142 150 162 127 581 H. A. Gildereleeve 163 154 155 143 605 | L.L.Hepburn 133 156 149 142 530 3. All other competitors shall be required to shoot in four competitions, to be held at Creedmoor, on April 24 and 28, and May 1 and 5 at 11 a. m. each day. The nine competitors, including the members of the team of 1874, standing upon their scores, who show the highest aggregate in their four scores thus made, or upon which they stood as above provided, shall constitute the team for 1875, and be given their rank thereon respectively according to their scores; subject, however, to the following provision : That such members of the team of 1874 as do not receive a place upon the team ol L875, under the foregoing rules, shall be allowed to challenge an equal num- ber of the said team of nine as above SL^ected, commencing with the ninth man, to two competitions, to take place under the direction of this committee. May 8 and 10, and the victors in those two competitions shall be members of the team. 4. Should any vaciacy or vacancies occur in the team, as thus selected, before the day of sailing, it or they shall be filled by placing therein the competitor or competi- tors whose score or scores are next in order of merit, as shown at the end of the four competitions above provided. 5. The Captain shall be chosen by a majority vote of the nine men constituting the team, as soon as practicable after their selection, in accordance with the condi- tions herein provided. The team of 1875 shall be required to engage in such practice on the range as this committee may direct. The Amateur Rifle Club will pay all the expense of the team to Europe, and also the expenses of these competitions. The team will sail about June 5, 1875. The matter is one that appeals so strongly to your pride, not only as riflemen, but as Americans, that it is to be hoped that the best shots in the country will come for- ward in this match. The gentlemen who have sent the challenge are very skillful riflemen ; but there are many in America fully as expert, and if they can be induced to engage in the undertaking, it is hoped that the result will be as gratifying as that of the former International match. By order of the Joint Committee of Amateur Rifle Club and the National Rifle Association. LESLIE C. BRUCE, Secretary. Col. G. W. WINGATE, Chairman. Gen. JOHN B. WOODWARD, Caft. henry FULTON, Hon. DAVID W. JUGG, Mr. a. ALFORD, Gen. MARTIN T. MacMAHON, Col. JOHN BODINE. Gen. ALEXANDER SHALER, Sergt. W. B. COUGHTRY: Gen. KILBURN KNOX, Mr. GEORGE CROUCH, Col. H A. GIDERSLEEVE, Mr. ROBERT JOHNSTON, Capt. W. C. CA.«EY, MAJoii G. W. YALE, Capt. L. C. BRUCE, Secretary. Col. E. H. SANFORD, Com. of Nat, Rifle Aisociation. Ex. Com. of Am. Rifle Club. The interest in rifle shooting had been spreading, clubs were being organized here, there and everywhere over the country. In military shooting the National Guards- men of the several States were posting themselves. The National Rifle Association 34 had striven, with success, to popularize rifle practice, and impress upon the public the importance of giving more attention to the matter. The want of a reserve fund of riflemen from which to draw was a serious obstacle to the committee in their work of selection. They felt that Creedmoor should be, as they hoped to make it, the Wimbledon of America, with scores of minor local ranges to do the work of training riflemen to give to Creedmoor its national character. The gunmakers had not spent the winter idly, but with tireless endeavor were turning out long-range breech-loaders, on which the workmanship for accuracy and uniformity would equal the finest watch work. The opening of the matches for the selection of the team of 1875 witnessed the gathering of almost the same company on wbom the burden of the previous match had fallen. Capt. Roswell C. Coleman, from Goshen, Orange Co., N. Y., was a new-comer. He had become imbued with the rifle enthusiasm in reading the ac- counts of the former international match, and determined to try his hand at the new sport, and accordingly bought a rifle. On coming to Creedmoor he had not yet shot at ranges over 900 yds., and his success in winning a place is therefore the more re- markable. Judging from the positions taken in shooting, there must have been con- siderable home study on this point during the winter to determine how far and how the rifleman's body can be made to give the greatest possible steadiness to the rifle. Fulton's success in 1874 has made his position popular, and of the number who shot fully four-fifths shot in some position other than the regular old- fashioned prone one. There were many other points noticeable to one accus- tomed to the work at Creedmoor, indicating that the leading riflemen who attend there were reducing their sport very nearly to a science, and were omitting no precau- tion which would assist them toward a perfect score. Of the original team-men, Hepburn declined going into the match for another year, and the competitions for selection and the practice of the team during the month preceding their departure were as follows : Apr. 24 Apr. 30 Names. 1 5 8 10 12 15 17 19 22 24 26 Fulton Gildersleeve Dak in ir5 130 146 120 123 120 121 122 117 153 145 146 139 128 131 116 115 94 155 152 143 148 139 116 128 125 149 146 138 144 1*32 132 142 118 110 151 149 157 143 139 143 156 145 156 135 143 143 i4'"> 123 137 134 130 141 137 158 135 151 146 157 132 146 li2 116 155 129 141 144 128 152 142 149 148 141 154 136 128 153 149 123 151 154 132 125 iifi 117 160 146 159 156 iis 158 140 146 Yale 128 Bodine Coleman 135 Canfleld 139 Jewell Bruce 139 Ballard None of the old members, it will be noted, stood upon their record of the previous year, excepting Bodine, who was prevented from attending. ]\[ajor H. S. Jewell found it impossible to go with the team, and resigned, giving Ballard a place on the traveling group. On May 7, Col. H. A. Gildersleeve was chosen captain, and he, before the sailing on June 5, selected Col. C. B. Mitchell, of the 1st Div. Staff N. G. S. N. Y., as the referee with the team. Mr. John H. Bird, who had been etflcient in the matter of fitting out the team, was also invited to accompany the ptu"ty, which, besides the actual shooters, included a number of ladies and gentlemen and a few press representatives. Alderman Cole, of the City of New York, went in an official capacity as the delegate from the metropolis. The "send-off" of the team was done up in genuine American style, with banners and bustle, cannon and champagne, hurrahing and steam whistles, making the lower bay ring with the sounds of noisy God-speeds. A delightful passage over, and the team are seized in the embrace of Irish hospitality, the first face noted as the good ship City of Chester sailed into the harbor of Queenstown being that of Major Leech 35 waving welcomes from the deck of the Government tender, and with many a "wel- come home " to these his old friends, he and his fellow receptionists began that series of special fetes and entertainments which well nigh drowned the visitors in an excess of kindness The entry into Dublin on the evening of the 15th of June was like the march of a successful conqueror home from battle. A triumphal entry it indeed was, and as the carriages were blocked upon the streets by the thousands who filled the thoroughfares, the ringing shouts of the populace, the profusion of bunting displayed from the buildings and the waving of handkerchiefs by the fair portion of the Dub- lia citizens, all made the Americans feel that they had indeed fallen among friends. It rained, of course, and pretty much all the outgoings of the visitors during the stay abroad was a series of dodging between the showers, but they were Irish showers, hardly worth raising an umbrella against, since the bright sunlight, sure to succeed in a few moments, would dry everything up delightfully. Thursday, June 17th, the Americans made their first visit to the range, which is situated on the North Bull, a long, low sand-bank in Dublin Bay, opposite Dolly mount on the main shore, from which it is separated by a creek or inlet varying in depth and width ac- cording to the state of the tide ; crossing a long narrow foot bridge the loose, drifty sea sand was reached. Compared with Creedmoor the range is bleak and uninviting. In the rear of the targets in place of the green sodded bank of the American range there is opea space here, and the sea diminished by perspective to a thin gray streak, beyond which appear houses, of course out of range. On a fine day the view visi- ble from the range is strikingl}'- attractive. Bounded to the north by the distant dusky outlines of Lambay and Ireland's Eye, and by the broad slopes of the Hill of Howth, which, in clear weather appear checkered with varying tints of green and purple, from amid which peer masses of blue gray and brown rock. To the left are richly wooded uplands stretching inward from the coast, with intervals of un- dulating meadows, contrasting prettily with the sombre greenery of the foliage above them. Turning to the right the spectator obtains a splendid view of the bay and its southern boundary. Westward from Killiney his eye follows the dim outline of the Dublin and Wicklow mountains with clusters of charming residences in the middle distance, embossomed in a wide band of rich verdure. Right in the rear lies the dusk}'- city, bristling with sharp spires and tall factory chimneys, overhung by a murky canopy of smoke. The accommodations on the range are a few low heaps of sandy sod for use as firina: points, a small house about the size of an ordinary horse car, and somewhat respmbling it, and a new semicircular fence, put up in anticipation of the match. There are no stools, as at Creedmoor, for riflemen and spectators, no flags for getting the wind, nothing but the distance and the targets, and these latter are set directly on the gr.'und with no parapet below. The marker is in a mantlet by the side of the target, and marks very slowly, and owing to the difficulty in determining the exact location and value of a shot is often compelled to stop the firing, hoist the danger fl>ig and come out to examine the target face more minutely. There are f(»ur targe's, and one marker coming out necessitates a stoppage all along the line. The ma^ch was set down for Tuesday, the 29th, and it was not till Friday, the 25th, that the team really did take a serious practice, and found that the Dollymount ranire was not by any means so difficult a range as it had been reputed. It was not a difficult nor yet a very easy day for shooting, but the Americans managed to roll up a score of 950 points, beating their famous winning record at Creedmoor. The scores stood : 800 Fulton m Dakin 56 GUd-rsleeve 56 Coleman 57 The Americans had played or seemed to be playing the same game which had 900 lO'iO Total 800 9(10 1000 •Total 59 55 170 Bodine ... 56 53 47 156 52 63 161 Yale ... 53 51 42 146 56 47 159 54 47 15S Grand Total... . ..950 36 served them so well in the former match, of running up a big score just before the match and thereby striking despair into the heart of their advtrsaries. The effect of this fine exhibition of shODting was most dispiriting on their antagonists, while the popular opinion, especially of the lower classes, already very strongly in favor of an American victory, gave vent on the return of the team in the evening in long con- tinued cheering before the hotel. The local Irish papers read the home team a severe lecture next morning, and berated the captain soundly for liis want of diligence in not keeping his men to work, the Freeman's Journal saying : "We trust that the Irish will make some effort to pull themselves together, and even at the eleventh hour do some work, if not, inglorious disaster will await them, and while no one will grudire the Americans their laurels if they win them, it will be a great pity if the Irish do not, at the very least, make a good fight for it.'' Major Leech was compelled to publish a letter with the object of allaying the fears of the friends of the Irish team. The morning of the match day had come and all were up promptly. The memorable day had come, to see which this band of Ameri- can citizens had crossed 3,000 miles of water, taken many weeks of time to try what is intrinsically of small importance — the relative competency of American and Irish marksmen. The dawn came out with the promise of a dull day. At the 8 o'clock breakfast at the hotel the riflemen, each dressed in the snug-fitting blue flannel uni- form of the Amateur Rifle Club of New York, looked anxiously out at the heavens. At that hour a dull, leaden sky, withoufa rif t of sunshine, and a gentle breeze scarcely moving the foliage in St. Stephen's Green before the door, gave promise of a most favorable day for their chosen sport. Wishes were expressed that the day might remain thus, that something noteworthy might be put upon record. All the men were in prime condition, excepting General Dakin, whose arm had been somew^hat bruised by excessive and constrained practice the previous day. At 9:30 o'clock the carriages were at the door to convey the team and associates to the range. The rifles, carefully handled, the cartriflge cases, the telescopes and waterproof and the great load of baggage incident to a day on the range were heaped in, and a few moments later the start was made for the Dollymount range. Along the route the interest of the people in the match and the visitors was seen in the legends and banners stretched across the road. At one point a band of green leaves made a very pretty archway, and "Welcome to the Emerald Isle," "Welcome to Clontarf Plains," and similar expressions were common. At 10:25 the carriages drew up on the range after a rattling ride along the sea-wall road and across the low water ford directly to the firing point. The range had been considerably altered in preparation for this event. Stout wooden fences had been erected, while within this a wooden paling divided off a reserved space, in which the ladies and specially in- vited guests were seated. Tents had been erected here and there, and provisions in plenty had been provided for, spacious marquees for shade and rest being disposed at various points within the inclosure. A good force of police, a little more showy and even more inefl5ri( nt than their New York counterparts, lounged lazily over the grounds. The Irish riflemen were about, and at 11:25 the apportionment of the men to the several targets for markers, spotters, scorers, etc., had been made, ^lajor Arthur, Major Holland, Mr. William B. Coughtry and Mr. H. B. Kerr, of the American party, took the duty of going down in the butts to supervise the markers. Captain Bruce and A. V. Canfield, Jr., kept an accurate watch on the American tar- gets, recording each shot on miniature targets ; while L. M. Ballard and J. E. Whit- ley, of the American party, kept the check scores on the Irish targets. Mr. J. FI. Bird and Captain Bogardus acted as patrols in the rear to keep back the crowd and look out for the interests of the men ; while Colonel Mitchell was looking sliarply about, seeing that everything was set to rights. The referee on the Irish side was Major Leech, while Captain II. Haldane, 93d Highlanders, Deputy Adjutant General for muskfe'try, held the post of umpire. 87 The crowd rapidly increased in numbers, many ladies coming down to watch the champions at work. The facilities for conveying the news of the match during its progress to the crowds in attendance was very good. Immense blackboards were mounted on gigantic easels lifted above the heads of the throng, and on these the figures were given in detail, while on a large target the exact positions of the shots were spotted out. As each man fired his record was transferred to these large diagrams, and all who wished took note. In the toss for choice of targets the home team won, and chose the up-hill targets toward the right of the range. Six targets were m position, the four inside ones being in use — 2 and 3 for the American team and 4 and 5 for their Irish friends. To target 2 the assignments were Gildersleeve, Bodine and Fulton; on target 3, Yale, Dakin and Coleman : target 4, Wilson, McKenna and Johnson, and on the extreme right Dr. Hamilton, Milnerand Pollock shot on target 5. At 11:35, when the bugle sounded the signal for the opening, there were but few on the ground. The sky still held its dull leaden covering, though the wind had freshened up to a good lively breeze and was blowing steadily up the range — what would be styled in marksmen's parlance a 12 o'clock wind. After a deal of fusilading and banging away with blank cartridges into the ground, a habit much indulged in by the Irish riflemen to fit the weapon for immediate loading, the match was opened by Dr. Hamilton, who led off on target 5, and gained a centre. Colonel Gildersleeve followed with another centre ; Yaie on his target getting an outer, while Wilson began the campaign on target 4 with another centre. This was not very auspicious in any direction, but it was an import- ant point gained to have the first rifleman find the target, that the conditions of wind and elevation used by him could be communicated to his fellows to guide them in the arrangement of their rifle fixtures. The 800-yard range progressed along with care and caution on either side. The shooting was fine all along the lines of either party, though for some unaccountable reason Bodine planted a ' 'duck's egg'' plump in the middle of his score at this range. The wind held very steadily from the 12, though occasionally showing a disposition to twirl about at 1 o'clock. The sky, too, toward the close of the practice at this range began to break up, and a day of sun- shine and bright skies was promised. This did not exactly suit the marksmen, who had been hoping for a run of several hours of overcast sky and steady wind. The promise of sunshine brought out the citizens in force, and by the conclusion of the 800-yard stage the grounds were -well thronged. The conclusion of this range shoot- ing was eargerly watched, and when at the finish it was announced that the Irish team was one point ahead, the cheering was hearty. Among the riflemen themselves the effect of this announcement was peculiar. The Irish looked upon it as the beginning of a victory. The lower ranges they considered the most familiar to the American shooters, and this vantage, taken thus early in the struggle, the Dublin men hoped to keep and increase to the end of the match. The Americans took the return with all stolidity. Not one gave any indication of weakness or despondency. Such a small difference they considered did not throw them into the predicament of a stern chase and a long one. One point is easily lost or won, and forewarned was forearmed, they considered. Each man went back determined to win, so far as he individually was concerned, and afford every advantage to his fellows. The manner of working adopted by the two teams was characteristic and may serve to explain why the battle took the turn it did. It is fair to assume that both squads of men were in prime condition ; there was no complaint of illness heard, and no accident happened to mar the progress of the contest. . But in the American wing all was order and system. The sequence of firing and the movements of the men during action had been arranged before the day's work opened. Gildersleeve was to open on his target, and give the wind and elevation and such experience as the opening shot might afford. As each man rose from the firing-point he stepped up to a convenient easel and jotted down the wind and rear sight measurements N 88 u-ed by him, while the spotter inverted a broad-headed tack in a small target in plain sight, on the spot corresponding with that hit by the ball. For the first man firing a red tack was put in, for the second a white tack, and for the third a blue- headed tack. Each man in firing, after the first round, was able by a glance at this diagram to see how the shots were drifting and allow accordingly. There was no hurry, no running about after "points" or hints, but the whole team pulled to- gether in a hearty and helpful manner. On the Irish side the men wandered about, bantering with friends and acquaintances, running for points on wind and elevation to one another, and especially to Mr. John Rigby, who was not shooting, but acted as a sort of general father over all, trying to give advice to a half-dozen questioners at one and the same time. There was no system. In place of putting out the less reliable men as pioneer shots at each range, their best men, Hamilton and Wilson, led off, taking the first shots all along the score. The only reason suggested for the defeat of the Irish team is their want of unity and the lack of that discipline and mutual assistance so essential in the accomplishment of any undertaking in which the bad effort of one may spoil the good endeavors of another. At 800 yards all these points of difference were not so conspicuous. Plenty of time was taken, and with the whole afternoon before them the men were leisurely in their movements. All the men found assistance in the favorable light and steady wind, and the totals of 337 and 338 in the possible 360, against the totals of 317 and 326 made in the previous September match, show not only increased skill, but bear testimony to the more favorable conditions. There was no intermission beyond that spent in moving back the trappings and other paraphernalia of the firing-points from the 800 to the 900-yards stage, and the second part of the contest was entered upon. Then came in the fine discipline of the American riflemen. For the first few shots the conditions of atmosphere, light and wind remained pretty much the same. The sky was brightening, however, and by the time the eighth shot had been reached a clear, bright sun was shining ; the wind was blowing uneasily from the point of 4 and 5 cJ' clock, and required much and c&reful watching. With the check system adopted by the one squad this was easily done, but with the other confusion soon became the order of the hour, and of the ninety shots fired at 900 yards the Americans show but two misses, made by Cole, man as opening shots, and but two outers. On the Irish scores are three outers and seven misses, Milner "going to pieces" in most bewildering fashion. Mr. Rigby coached Milner during his embarrassment most persistently, but all to no purpose. In vain he emptied his gun into the ground, and loaded with all the care possible, setting his sights with the utmost accuracy. No encouraging thud indicated the striking of the iron target's face by his bullets. He struggled on, changing this way and that, under the advice of a half dozen counsellors, but his luck had gone. He had lost confidence in his gun, in himself, in his method or something, and with his confidence his ability to execute had gone. Along toward the middle of this stage the tide of luck seemed setting in most strongly toward the American side. Milner and McKenna each had a miss. Pollock followed with an outer, Johnson dropped from a bull's-eye into a couple of centres, and Wilson was not holding his own over well. On the American side Colonel Bodine was redeeming his ill-fortune at 800 yards in a score of 59 in a possible 60. Fulton was doing almost as well, and even Coleman, after a pair of duck's eggs at opening, ran up 48 at this range. At 2:35 the match was two-thirds completed, and a recess was taken for lunch. The oflScial record soon disclosed the unpalatable truth that the stranger team had completely turned the tables on the home men, and in plnce of the latter being one ahead they were thirty-four in the rear. This was a magnificent piece of work to be accomplished in a single stage of the match, and a most stupendous obstacle for the Irish riflemen to pull over on the remaining range. By this time there were fully ten or twelve thousand people on the ground, a rep- 39 resentative Irish crowd — merry beggars and bumptious Aldermen in ulter confusion. The lunch tents were soon filled, and a most wholesale consumption of bever,!,ii,es of all kinds ensued. The promise of the morning and the experience of days and weeks past had been vain, and all were warmly clad against storms, but the high temperature had caused the perspiration to flow, the thirst to increase most suddenly. The invited guests, with the two rifle teams, proceeded to the private marquee ot the association and the Reception Committee, where a choice collation had been spread. All were exhausted and hungry, and ate with avidity, the American shooters replying between bites to the compliments poured upon them from all sides. The Irishmen acknowledged defeat in their looks and action, but hoped at their favorite range — the 1,000 yards — to at least reduce the American lead to more of an equality. But they ate and drank with good cheer, and covered their chagrin at their approaching second defeat under the most pleasant exterior. The opening of the 1,000-yards range firing was something of a toil. The people had increased immensely in numbers, and crushed forward against the riflemen at work, impeding their motions ; and in the absence of any effective barriers it was impossible to do anything really serviceable toward keeping them back. The horse- shoe shape, with the actors and the rifles in the inner curve, was drawn out until the sides became about parallel, leaving but a narrow lane along which the bullets trav- eled, some of the peering heads came very near the line of fire, and on one or two occasions the riflemen on the extreme right Irish targets were compelled to suspend firing until some particularly obtrusive head was drawn out of range. The noise, too, became greater, and each good shot was hailed with cries of "Bravo!" and cheers. A band which had been on the grounds during the day persisted in playing, to the discomfiture of the shooters, until ordered to stop. The wind had died down again, blowing lazily from the first and third quarters, swinging round again to the twelfth quarter before the close of the match, and the sky, too, had again clouded up, assuming the dull, gray aspect, and as the last few shots were fired the general look of the conditions was very similar to that existant at the opening of the match, except in the moderated wind. The day had been a test one. The wind had traveled fully half round the dial, and the light had changed from a dull gray to a bright sunlight and back again since the start in the forenoon. It was not a particularly difficult day to manage, especially when six or more experts sat in consultation upon it, as did the American shooters ; but still it required care and watching at every moment. For the general pubhc it was voted a capital day, since it was the first really fine Jtme day which had been enjoyed since the advent of the American band in Ireland, and all were glad to avail themselves of it to see the great event of the time hereabouts, and the Rifle Association reaped a most generous harvest of shillings at the admission gate. The 1,COO yard range trial was soon over. The men, especially on the Irish side, firing rapidly. On the American section Fulton went to pieces badly, getting two misses, and ending up with one, a piece of carelessness quite "unprofessional. General Dakin, who had been shooting up toward head man, also managed to get a miss at this score. With the exception of these three misses and six outers, some of which are due to the crowding in of the people, the team did very well. On the Irish side Hamilton and Pollock had a miss each, and Milner added three more to his champion list of the day's duck eggs. On a show of totals at this range alone, the Americans were again the victors, scoring five points more than their antagonists, which, added to their previous balance of thirty-four, gave thirty-nine as the majority of the Americans, the totals being for Americans 968, and for Irish 929 in a possible 1,080. The Americans surpassed their hitherto unsurpassable score of the Creedmoor shoot, while the Irishmen had fallen behind at 900 and 1,000 yards. The match was a full, square and complete defeat of the Irish team. There was at no time any real call on the umpire or referees for a c ec ^ion. At times the markers in the mantlets dis- 40 cussed very long over shots on line or edge, but beyond these interruptions, some twelve or fifteen in number, all went off smoothly. It was a great victory for the breech-loaders over the muzzle-loaders. Again tliey showed the world that they are equally efficient for the longest ranges and the finest work as are any of the most carefully built muzzle-loaders. Fulton made of his breech-loader a semi-muzzle- loadiug gun by the practice of charging his weapon by the muzzle, but otherwise the pieces were properly handled and did their work in a normal manner. The retm-n to the hotel at the conclusion of the match, Avhich ended within a few moments of 6 o'clock, was a sight rarely witnessed. Major Leech made a few remarks to the crowd — very few remarks — informing them of the defeat of their team, and proposing three cheers for the victors, which were given rather backwardly, although the Irish Team were persistent in expressing their happiness and entire acquiescence in the issue of the match. Colonel Gildersleeve responded, thanking the mob for the order (?) they had maintained. The band of the Fiftieth Regiment played '' Hail Columbia," and then came the voyage home. Five minutes after the the last shot was fired by Bodine — a "bull's-eye" — swelling the American majority to thirty-nine, the whole of the vast expanse behind the inclosure was covered with straggling lines of people making rapidly for the long, narrow bridge which joins the mainland. Pass- age across this was slow work, owing to the masses wedged within the stout wooden paling on each side, and many who did not fancy a long delay used the boats which some speculative mariners, taking advantage of the rising tide, offered for a consideration as a means of transit from the sandy bull to the opposite shore of DoUymount. Half a dozen jaunting cars, with " six up" — men and women — ventured to cross the water- way, and the hesitancy of the drivers to go on when the sea reached almost to the horses' girths provoked the mirth and ridicule of the onlookers ; but a bold dash, made at the cost of a heavy splashing, ]}rougbt the voyagers safely to land while the merrymakers were doomed to a long and toilsome journey. The American Team traveled homewards, some in an open carriage, others on cars immediately following, and at various points the victorious riflemen were warmly greeted. At Drogheda railway terminus, at the base of Nelson's Monument, consider- able crowds collected to get a glimpse of the American Team and applaud them, and this they did right heartily as the strangers, with their rifles, leather-cased and buckled, held in hand, were conveyed rapidly on their way to the Shelbourne Hotel, the headquarters of the American Team. A grand state banquet at the Mansion House, given by the Lord Mayor of Dublin to the several visiting Lord Mayors and the teams, filled up the night, and a more thoroughly self-satisfied and more fatigued company never lay down to rest than the American Team in the "wee sma' hours" of the following morning. The scores made in this second Irish- American match are shown in the following score : AMERICAN TEAM. Gen, Thomas 3. Dakin, Rem. Creefl. Pno.... 443444444 3 44444. ...53 900.... 4434334444443 3 4 55 1,000..., 3 4444443344034 4..., 52— 165 Col. Henry A. Gildersleeve, Sharps Creed. S00....3 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 4 3 4 3 4 4.. 56 90'!.... 4 4444443344434 3. .,,56 1.000.... 24443334433444 3., ,52— 164 Col John Bodine, Rem. Creed. 800. ...4 4344404244344 4. ...52 9)0 444444444 3 44444 59 l,0i0....4 4434343442233 4.. .51—162 POO, 9 0. 1,000. SOO. 900. 1,000. 800. 900, 1,000, Maj, Senry Palton, Rem. Creed. .3444444443 44 44 4....5S 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 3..,. .•57 44 2U4344344 0,,.,46 W. Yale, Sharps Creed. 4 3 444444444 4. 3 34344344 4. 3 4 4 3 3 3 2 4 4 3. Coleman, R'^m. Croed. 4444444 3 43... S*? 4 4 *2 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 48 443443 2 44 4.,,.6'2— 168 ,4 4 4 ..3 3 4 Geo. ,.244 ... 2 3 ..4 3 Capt, ,.4 3 . . , ...3 3 4 3 3 4 4 4 R C. 3 4 4 3 3 4 3 4 3 -161 .57 .53 .51—160 Team Aggregate OG.^ 41 IRISH TEAM. Jas. Wilson, Rigby. 800.... 4 444 3 344444444 4. 90U.... 33424433343334 4. 1,00 J..., 4 44344444444323. Edmund Johnson , Righy. 3 3 444444444444 4. 3 4444444433433 3. 34334443333343 3. Dr. J. B. nami'.ton, Rigby. 800.... 34444444344334 4. 900.... 3 33434 3 44444434, 1,000.... 3344444343 3 440 4. 800. 900. 1,000, .53 .60 .55—163 .58 .54 .50—162 .56 .54 .51— ICl 800 . 900.. 1,000. 800.. 900., 1,000.. 800.. 900.. l.OJO.. J. G. Pollock, Rigby. 44444443444444 4., ..59 .4 34443442433443.. ..53 .4 3434433334403 4.... 49— 161 John McKcnua, Rigby. .0 3 44 3 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 3 4 4.... 52 .2 033443403443 3 4. ...44 44433443334334 4. ...53— 149 J. K. Milner. Rigby. .0444434444444 4 4., ..55 3 3 4 4 4 4. ...37 4 3 3 3... 41—133 ,0 04440300 .3 404433403 Team Aggregate 929 Summary 5 AMERICAN TEAM, summary ^ irish TEAM 800 vards. 337 ....33S 900 yards. 327 392 1,000 yards. 304 299 Totiil. 968 929 The running record of the match is shown in the following table. Compared with the similar record of the first match on page 17, it will be seen that immediately at the opening of the 900 yards range the American took up the lead and held it to the end, widening it until at one round 43 points marked the difference between the two teams. THE RUNNING RECORD— 1875. Distance. Rounds. Possible. Irish score. American score. IriPh lead. American lead. 800 yards. 1 24 48 72 96 120 144 168 192 216 240 264 288, 312 3.S6 360 3S4 408 432 456 480 504 528 552 576 600 624 648 672 696 720 744 768 792 816 840 864 888 912 936 960 984 1008 1032 105S 10«0 U 36 60 84 106 128 152 175 198 221 245 268 290. 314 338 353 366 388 409 432 451 471 490 5u3 524 544 666 587 608 630 651 673 692 712 735 768 780 800 817 836 SH 876 893 908 929 20 43 64 88 111 134 154 178 200 222 245 268 290 314 337 355 374 396 419 440 462 485 508 528 551 575 598 619 642 604 683 704 127 749 771 790 809 830 851 873 892 905 927 950 96S 1 i 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1^ 1 1 1 M 1 1 1 1 I 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 M 1 I 1 1 1 6 >( 2 7 <( 3 4 (( 4 4 (< 5 5 (( 6 6 <( 7... 2 i 8 3 ■». 9 2 ( 10 1 <( 11 t< 12 (< IB ~* v't 14 900 vards. 15 16 2 17 8 It 18 8 (( 19. 10 (( 20 8 1 » 21 11 n 22 14 t( 23 18 13 34 t< 42 if 4^ 39 The return match was almost a repetition of the contest of 1874, as far as the men engaged were concerned. On the Irish squad the new men were John McKenna and 43 J. G. Pollock, replacing Capt. Walker and John Rigby. The new-comers were younger men, fair shots— as the records of the Irish Rifle Association show. McKenna was a Belfast man and was engaged in shop-keeping there, while Pollock was a business man of Dublin. Of the Americans the new-comer, replacing L. L. Plepburn, was Ros well Carpenter Coleman, of Goshen, Orange Co., N.'Y. State. He was born in that town in Decem- ber, 1840 ; but, while yet a young- ster, went to reside in the metropolis, where he lived till 1860, when, hav. ing determined upon the law as a profession, he returned to Goshen for study, and upon the completion of bis course settled there. He was a lover of athletic sports, and with a good constitution and lithe, active body was able to take a successful part in field games, and as a " base- ballist" he was a success. During the excitement of the 1874 rifle match he and several other young gentlemen of Goshen organized the Leather Stocking Rifle Club, and at 200 yards shooting they enjoyed sport during the winter. In January, 1875, Mr. Coleman, on a visit to New York, purchased a Remington long-range rifle and 150 cartridges, and measuring a distance nearly 800 yards across the meadows, and twisting himself up, Mr. Coleman, before the other club men, led off and came very near being him- self twisted up by the unlooked-for recoil. When the week for the first contest for team places at Creedmoor arrived, Mr. Coleman had the greater portion of his cart- ridges yet unburnt. But, under excuse of urgent business, he slipped away from home and arrived at Creedmoor the day previous to the first test day in time to fire a few shots at 800 and 900 yards, and with this amount of preparation he rushed in for glory and a place among the immortals. At 800 and 900 yards, by taking extra cai e, he did passably, and he was piled with congratulations by the *' old uns.'' He said nothing but ate his lunch, thinking of the grand collapse which was to come at 1,000 yards. He fired and missed, fired again and, going up, struck into a centre, and with six misses and never a bull's-eye, he managed to get twenty-five in a possible sixty points at 1,000 j-ards. He was consolingly told that he needed practice, and went home to receive a little paternal advice from Mr. Coleman, Sr., who saw in the new- fangled sport of rolling on the ground and shooting at a mark only a waste of time and money. But the young man worked on, and won for himself a eood name and place. In appearance, Mr. Coleman is of fine build, a blende of the most ultra type, sandy hair and a Scotch appearance. He is an agreeable companion and has done but little field shooting , but, as an angler, is an enthusiastic lover of sport. The match at Dollymount was not the only work oh the range which the Ameri- can marksmen enjoyed during their stay abroad. In the regular meeting of the Irish Rifle Association on the same ranges during the next few days, the Americans took an active part. Captain Coleman carrying off the great silver cup of the Illustrated Sporting and Dramitlc Neics, valued at 100 guineas. The conditions were three shots per man at 500 yards. Gildcrsleeve and Coleman tied on three bull's-eyos each. In shooting off each scored another bull's eye. On the second deciding shot Gilder- ROSWELL COLEMAN. 43 sleeve, who was using a Kigby rifle as a novelty, scored a centre, while Coleman fol- lowed in another bull and took the great cup. The exploits of the team in Ireland would not be fully told without the story of the Clandeboye wind up in the Xonn of Ireland, whither the team had gone to enjoy the hospitahty of the Belfast riflemen and people. The reception in this Irish Athens was, if anything, even more vigor- ously enthusiastic than the first entry into Dublin, and on the 7th of July all were off to Clandeboye, the seat of the Earl of Dufferin, a site much favored by the Xorth of Ireland riflemen. The firing points lie at the base of the terrace before the man- sion, and it vrr.s resolved to shoot five scoring shots at 1.000 yards, and twenty-four contestants took part ; but the contest soon narro ;ved itself down to a rifle duel be- tween Gildersleeve, the American team captain, and J. S. Lee, one of the hardest workers and mo.-t keenly expert men of the Ulster Association, each having nineteen points in the possible twenty. It had been agreed to shoot off ties with three shots per man, and now these t w^o gentlemen set themselves to win the forty guinea Belfast cup. The crowd, which numbered several thousand, it could plainly be seen were anxious for a home victory, yet entered keenly into the excitement of the moment. Gildersleeve was the first to fire, and got a high centre. Lee followed in a bull, but in the next round these shots were reversed and the men stood equal. Again the pair fired, and a pair of bull's-eyes left them still equal A dozen glasses were fixed upon the distant target, and the crowd of spectators drew in so close as almost to form a ring about the shooting couple. It was a test of men and a test of rifles. A full- grown sample of American manhood on the one side, with an American breech- loader, v.as pitted against this keen-eyed, brawny Scotsman, with his fine Eigby rifle. The men were cool and collected, and stood the rounds of cheers which fol- lowed each shot with remarkable steadiness.' The first three shots having decided nothing, a second trial trio was decided upon, Gildersleeve again leading off. On the first round each, made a bull's-eye. and were right royally cheered. On the second round this was repeated. On the third round Gildersleeve fixed his sight and wind giuge with the greatest care. Aiming long and carefully the bullet was sent off. "It's on," was the cry of aU the spotters , but, whether a bull or a centre, was in doubt. The butt men came out, too, scrutinizing it well, and hurried back while the crowd stood gaping and breathless. It was a repetition of Bodine's famous last shot at Creedmoor in 1874, and, as then, the wiiite disk came, and a long chser rolled down the range, over the intervening lake to the targets. But Lee had yet to fire, and the cro-«rd cut short their noisy enthusiasm as he lay down to aim. A bull's-eye alone could save him, and then only to a tie. He had calculated correctly, but the strain had been too great and he wavered. His leaden messenger took a wry path, and none knew it quicker than he, as on rising he extended the hand of congratulation to Colonel Gildersleeve, who a moment later was the centre of a cheering mob. The full scores of this most interesting contest stood . Match. Col. Gildersleeve (Sharps Creed. Rifle) 4 4 4 4 3—19 Jas. S.Lee (.Rigby Kifle) 4 4 4 3 4—19 Clandeboye range had indeed passed through an episode to be talked of in after years by the coming riflemen. Bidding adieu to their hosts of the day, the team were soon on the road for a drive into town. The day had been warm, and the roads were dusty, and in their long wagonettes, amid a grave and miscellaneous escort of jauntinL-^irs, private carriages, donkey-carts and vehicles of strange and indescrib- able "get-up," the team bowled into Belfast, and the shooting of the American team, individuaUy and collectively on Irish soil, was brought to a brilliant close. Ending up with a beautiful *' buU's-eye," the work of the team from first to last was all that the most enthusiastic friend of victory could wish. They had won all they had programmed to do , had given the shooting men of Ireland something to study and ponder over, while to the common people the visit of the Americans had afforded an excuse for a vast discharge and manifestation of love for America and her institu- IstTie. MTie. Total. 3 4 4—11 4 4 4—12 42 4 3 4—11 4 4 2—10 40 44 tions. For rifle shooting, nine out of ten in the shouting multitude cared next to nothing, but for America they were willing to shout welcomes to the last. To them it was a veritable land of promise, and the sight of a band of real Americans upon their own soil, gave them precisely the opportunity they coveted to testify their regard for the land of the West. A run through Scotland and the team reached London and Wimbledon, where after vain attempts had been made to secure for them an opportunity of shooting beside the national teams in the Elcho Shield match, a special cup was provided and shot for by the Americans alone, 30 shots at 1,000 yards, Fulton winning on a score of 133 points. This cup, which is a great silver tankard, 160 ounces in weight, is now shot for annually at the Creedmoor fall meetings under the same conditions as the "Wimbledon Cup." A little pleasure trip to Paris and the return voyage came, as prosper- ous a one as that out, and then came a season of hip, hip hurrahs and rejoicing at home, with the team men as the central figures in the cheering and feasting, while to the breast of each member of that winning team of 1875 the badge provided by the Kational Rifle As- sociation for the victorious squad was attached as shown here, while as a memento cf the visit the Ameri- cans left to their riflemen friends of the Emerald Isle the great ster- AMERICAN TiiiAiiI jiaDGiii— jlo7o. ling silver trophy, shown on page 28. This work of art was made by Tiffany & Co. , of Kew York, and is valued at $1,000, weighing about 120 ounces, and standing, with- out the ebony base, twenty-five and a half inches high. 45 THE CANADIAN-AMERICAN MATCH — CREED- MOOR, 1875. " For vainly shall perceptive rules impart A perfect knowledge of this manly art ; Practice alone can certain skill produce, And theory, confirmed by constant use." That there should be a liberal and gentlemanly rivalry between Canada and Creed- moor was to be looked for, both as a national and personal emulation, and when the Americans took the prize in the second Irish contest, they did so with the implied duty of meeting all comers who should dare to reach out the hand toward their crown. The Canadian riflemen have, with justice, always plumed themselves on their great strength with their favorite weapon. The Canada rifle corp were the natural outcome of the Wimbledon enthusiasm in the Mother Country, and the Canadian Volunteers, of themselves a powerful body, with excellent chances for perfecting themselves in individual marksmanship, were re-enforced by the officers and privates of the regiments stationed in the Province, who, for professional uses, were bound to make rifle shooting a specialty. Add to the Canadian sportsmen and Militia the number of old military men wlio have settled in Canada, and it is not to be wondered at that the Provinces could make a fine display of marksmanship, and turn out a goodly number of accomplished riflemen. Bat- of the match the scores were poor. But the wind ! It was a dreadful wind. It cannot be said to have been more than brisk, and yet it was of the most capricious character. It was what is termed a fish-tail wind. Icthyological readers know the peculiar flare of a fish's caudal appendage, and how it streams out. Now the wind would blow from the back to the targets — right along the range, while the streamer on both sides of the grounds would point inwards, that is, in rifle lingo, it blew IV., VIII., and V, all at the same time. It is said in philology that he who acquires, of the commonly used languages, Russian, can manage all other living tongues; so he who is "canny " of the Creedmoor zephyrs, has at his finger ends any other tantalizing breezes on ranges. And so it proved. There is undoubtedly some slight element of luck attending Creedmoor, and the elements have been propitious. In the International match at Creedmoor in 1874, the hot sun melted down the gallant Irishmen ; now the fickle wind blew the Canadian bullets off their track. The Americans were at home with the wind, the Canadians were at sea. The Canadians had not been uninterested spectators of the feats which their neigh- bors over the borders in the American States were doing with the rifle. For years the Canadians had supported ranges, taken an active part in target practice both at home and through picked teams sent to Wimbledon and other mother country ranges, and with a proud reputation for skill at the target, were anxious to share in the glory of the international contest, and, accordingly, upon its selection, sent a challenge direct to the Americafa rifle team of 1875. The team, considering that they had been selected for the specific purpose of meeting the Irish experts, did not feel at liberty to meet the Dominion men, but intimated in the reply that a challenge to the Ama- teur Eifle Club of New York, as the then leading any-rifle organization in the United States, would bring out a team of Americans sufficiently representative to give the contest a national significance, and at the same time remarking that the Amateur 46 Club team would very likely include several members of the transatlantic team. This led to the following letter, which was acted upon at a meeting of the Executive Committee Amateur Rifle Club, April 16, 1875: Hamilton, April 6. Col. George W. Wingate, President Amateur Rifle Club, of New York : Dear Sir— At a meeting of the Victoria Rifle Club of this city, held this evening, a correspondence between Captain Mason and yourself \('a8 read respecting a pro- posed match between the Ontario Any-Rifle Association and the Riflemen of the United States. The negotiations for this match having apparently fallen through, I was authorized to propose to you a friendly contest between our respective clubs on the foflowing conditions : CoMPETiTOEs — Eight members of each club on each side. Targets, Scoring, Etc. — As at Wimbledon in 1873. Ranges — Eight hundred, nine hundred and one thousand yards, fifteen shots at each range. Rifles — Any not exceeding ten pounds weight, but without telescopic or magnify- ing sights; minimum pull of trigger, three pounds. Position — Any, not involving artificial rest. Place — Creedmoor. Time — The Saturday immediately preceding the annual match of the National Rifle Association. I may add that the Victoria Rifle Club is now in the twelfth year of its existence ; that it has a record of which any club may well feel proud, and that it occupies prob- ably as leading a position amongst the rifle clubs of Canada as we believe the Ama- teur Club of New York does amongst those of the United States. C. K. Murray, President Victoria Rifle Club. On motion of Mr. E. H. Sanford their offer for friendly contest was accepted, with the alteration in the conditions that the new Wimbledon target be used. The Canadians wished a trial before the departure for England, but it was finally concluded to defer the match until near about the annual prize meeting. Nothing more was thought about it until the return of the victors from Dollymount and Wimbledon, when a few competitions were ordered for places on the new team. During the absence of the champions abroad the "boys," as those left behind were termed by the chosen representatives, improved their time in practice, and prospered so well, showing such fine scores, that it was thought best to make up the team and meet the Canadians entirely from these youngsters, to give them encouragement and show that American riflemen included a few other individuals than the team who had already served so well for two years. The team-men, busily engaged in private matters after their summer from abroad, were unwilling to spare more time for practice and preparation to meet the Canadi ms. This apparent neglect was in nowise due to any under-appreciation of the ability of the Canadian riflemen. The match was finally fixed for September 25th, and the Canadian riflemen came down ready prepared to carry off the honors. Old Creedmoor men complained that the officers of the club had taken too much risk in putting any but their best men for- ward to meet the Ontario men, while the "Kanucks" were chuckling over what they felt was to be an easy victory. Indeed, so confident did they feel of winning that they complained of ill-treatment in the fact that they were not pitted ag linst the genuine American team, the men who had won the battles of Dollj'uiount and Creedmoor They wished men worthy of their skill, and felt aggrieved at hnving the junior team men selected as their antagonists. They nrngnanimou-ly coosented to go on with the match rather than back down after so long a journey, and the match opened. The toss for taigets gave the Americans the extreme riijht couple, wliile the Canadians occupied the two to the inside of the range. Ea h team was divided into two 8(iuads. Messrs. Farwell, Cantield, Hepburn and G«'iger formed one of the American groups, and Messrs. Bruce Ilyde, J.-well and Coiilin the other. The C'anadifin squads were Messrs. D. Mitchell, IScharz, Wm. ]\Iitcliell and Disher on one target, and Messrs. Murray, Murison, Mason and Adam on the other. A large 47 company had gone down to watch the proceedings, forming a solid line of spectators without the ropes. The day was in every way an enjoyable one ; but to the rifle- men it gave promise of requiring their best skill to make even a presentable score. In the Canadians especially this feeling was observable, and they consulted for some time before firing, even after all the preliminaries of placing men in the butts and at the firing point had been duly attended to. The wind which played so pileasantly around the lookers-on came from the left rear, or, m riflemen's parlance, was a five o'clock wind, and seemed to be a novelty to the Canadian shots. Some of them took one view of it and some another, and some anxious turning back and forth of the wind gauges took place before a shot was fired. To the Americaa boys, however, the wind was one under which they had been trained, possessing no special diflSculty, but requiring all watchfulness and care in keeping track of the changeful moods into which it lapsed, first on one side of the rear point and then on the other. The breeze kept shifting, blowing bullets which were sent as bull's-eyes into right and left cen- tres most provokingly. The American team were under strict discipline. General Dakin watched carefully every move, keeping the run of the whole shooting, coun- selling a bit here, insisting on some move in another direction, and thus in a measure carrying out the same tactics of mutual help and aggregate effort which had been so happy in its results at DoUymount. At each /American firing point the miniature tar- get and record blanks were mounted and kept with watchful eyes, and good glasses spotted each shot even before the marker had signaled it. The Canadians shot in the style common to Scotch, English and Irish eights at "Wimbledon. Each man conducting himself with an air of British independence not at all conducive to a grand total display. At the conclusion of the very first round the Americans were six points ahead ; four of the home team began their work with bull's-eyes, while but one visitor brought up the white disk, and Mr. Mason, the steady man of the Canadians, missed the target entirely. The next round brought the Americans ten ahead, the following two rounds putting them twelve and thirteen points to the lead, a drop to eight and then to two points followed, when the Cana- dians stepped modestly ahead with three points, increasing it at the eighth round to ten points, the highest lead they had during the whole match. On the ninth round the teams were equal ; at the next the Canadians again made a bid for the mastery by two points. It was their last chance, for at the next round the Americans went ahead, keeping more or less of a head to the very end. When the 800 yards range was concluded, their advantage was three points ; not enough to create any great exultation, but sufficient to reassure the despondent friends of the American shooters, enough to show the Canadian gentlemen that they had met a team very nearly their equals. Mr. John Klein, the caterer of the range, had a dinner worthy of the occa- sion, and friend and foe, guest and host, spent a pleasant hour in talking over the prospects, congratulating each other on what they had done and were to do, mean- while uniting in a common attack on the eatables and drinkables. The wind held steady in its unsteadiness, and was as " fish-taily " after as before dinner. The Americans watched it as one would keSp an eye on the tricks and dodges of an old antagonist, while the Canadians studied it as a new feature in their rifle shooting experience. They did remarkably well, considering it was their first lesson in vear quartering winds, but the Americans did better, and from a lead of three points at the opening of the 900 yards range, closed with a lead of no less than thirty-one points. At the first round they jumped ahead to eight lead, and at the twenty-first round were eighteen points ahead of their opponents, and from that round the match was virtually over. It was then a stern chase and a long one, for the "Kanucks" never afterward were able to reduce their defeat below the teens. Neither side was clear of blunders, the error of firing on the wrong target being com- mitted from either wing of the field. The Americans fired in supine posture, every one of them using some position other than the standard prone pasture. The Cana- 48 dians all employed the res:nlation attitude of face down, holding their rifles to the shoulder without any support of leg or knee to the barrel. The 1,000 yards range — which was entered upon at once at. the finish of the 900 yards— firing did not materially change the relative standing of the two teams. The Canadians at one time were thirty-eight points behind, while at the finish they had reduced the lead of the Americans to twenty-five points. The shooting was fairly good on both sides, but while the Canadians made but 131 bull's-eyes in the 360 shots fired, the Americans scored 156 The list of misses was nine for the visitors to the home team's seventeen. The Canadian average per man was 173, while the victors averaged 176. The record of the men at the several distances stood as follows : AMERICAN TEAM. Yards. 800.. 900.. 1,000.. A 800. 900. 1,000. 800.. 900.. 1,000.. 800.. 900.. 1,000 . W. B. Farwell— Ttemington Rifle. Scores. Totals. ..5 55552544555455 ....69 ..523544434455 3 5 5. ...61 ..4 54454543453355 ....63—193 . V. Canfleld, Jr.— Remington Rifle. ,..5 35545553445405. ...62 ..5 35535455445555.. 68 ,..3 3523355354245 5....57— 18T L. L. Hepburn— Remington Rifle. ...3 5344 5 555245055. ...60 ,..4 04455555545443 ....62 ...4 54545553555052 ....62—184 L. C. Bruce— Sharps Rifle. .6 54430445445552. ..5542534534545 ..3 553355534435 .59 63 .61—183 P. Hyde— Remington Rifle. Yards. Scores. Totals. 8<0... .254555535345545. ...65 9'i0....0 3454545434455 .O....H0 1,000 3 04563243445555 ...56-181 H. S. Jewell— Sharps Rifle. 800.... 4 554 5 424 5 554254. ...63 900..,. 5 5500335855423 3.. ..51 1,000.... 4 34545554355455 . 66—180 J. S. Conlin— Sharps Rifle. 800.... 3 554324r3335533... 51 900.... 5 3 5 50433353354 4. ...5'. 1,000. ...4 3554043533404 5. ...52— 158 L. Geiger— Remington Rifle. 800.... 5 550032055344 3 2. ...46 900... 322424524033454. ...47 1,000... 25053454425530 3....5'— U8 Team aggregrate 1,4^9 CANADIAN TEAM. Yards. 800.. 900.. 1 000... 800... 900... 1,000... 800... 900... 1,000... 800... 900... 1,000.., George Murison— Metford Rifle. Scores. Totals. ..4 5553455354555 4. ...67 ..5 4542255333545 3. ...58 ..4 5535524452555 5.... 64— 189 J. J. Mason— Metford Rifle. .0 5544455553544 5. ...63 .5 3 3 32555345234 4. ...55 .4 55455553343254... .62—181 D. Mitchell— Metford Rifle. .5 3235553240553 3. ...53 .2 54444555354555 ....65 .4 40355555055553... .59—177 Wm. Mitchell— Metford Rifle. .5 4445253434443 4. ...53 .5 52454443523533 ....57 .3 455444532 2 435 4....57- -172 F. Schwarz— Metford Rifle. Yards. Scores. Totals. 800. ...3 45354533455342.. ..58 900. ...4 444500 3 3453553. ....'>2 1,000. ...4 50 5 54553355245.. . .60— 170 C. R. Murray— Metford Rifle. 300. 34534544254355 4. ...60 91)0.... 3 44503254324 3 54. ..51 1,000.... 3 335353 3 353554 4.... 57— 168 Geo. Disher— Metford Rifle. 800... .2 53445543444435. ...59 90;)....2 23330444445525. ...50 1,000.. ..4 3453 3 434235555 ....68—167 James Adam— Rigby Rifle. 800. ...4 454433 5 3 50234 5. ...54 900. ...4 2332325543552 2, ...50 1,000. ...5 35444344244334... 56—160 Team aggregate 1,384 800 yards. 900 yards. l,00n yards. Total. /AMERICAN TEAM 475 4r,9 467 1,409 \CANADIAN TEA.M 472 439 473 1,381 Summary , 49 RU"LES of the National Rifle Association, Governing the Practice of Members and Military Squads upon the Range at Creedmoor, 1877. I. — The Range will be open daily, Sundays excepted, to members of the Associa tion only (who must exhibit their badges on entering, and wear them when practic ing), except that upon Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays it may be used by members of the National Guard tc/idn. in uniform {i. e., jacket, pantaloons and cap). There wiU be no tiring on the Range betore 6 a. m. (unless by permission of Superintend- ent, and on previous notice to him), or after 7 p. m. MARKERS. n. — No persons will be allowed to act as markers, except those employed by the Superintendent. III. — jMarkers may be engaged for stipulated hours and days, at the office of the Association, 23 Park Row, not less than twenty-lour hours, nor more than a week in advaace, or at the Superintendent's office, on the Range, on or previous to the day of practice, by paying the cbarge therefor at the rate of fifty cents per hour, or $2.50 a day. Members neglecting to engage markers until visiting the Range must take the risk of the Superintendent's being able to supply them. The price for the mark- er and ior ammunition and rifles (if required,) must be paid for on making the ap- plicaticn. Rifles will be furnished at twenty-five cents per day, or any part thereof, and ammunition at the usual retail price. rV.— Markers for organizations of the National Guard ordered to Creedmoor for practice, not to exceed twenty in number, win be provided without charge to such roganizations. V. — It will be remembered that notice to secure a marker is only designed to en able the Superintendent to procure additional men if required. It does not give those engaging sucJi marker ang exclusive right to a target if other members cannot be accom- modated without using it. yi. — Where the number of targets is limited, the Superintendent will be authorized to assign new comers to a target in use upon their paying, on joining the sq^uad, their pro rata share for the markers to those who have originally been assigned to it. VII. — Markers will receive orders and instructions from no one but the Superin- tendent of the range. Members of the Association are forbidden to communicate with a marker, except by the established signals, or through the Superintendent. YIII. — No person, except a marker, will be allowed in the butts during the firing without authority from the Superintendent, nor wiU any person be allowed to walk upon the parapet or the embankment. TARGETS. IX. — Application for targets will be made upon the range by filling up the pre- scribed blank. The Superintendent shall make such assignments of the targets as in his judgment shall best accommodate the greatest number of members. He will not assign new-comers to targets already engaged without the consent of the first comers, unless compelled to do so by want of target accommodation or markers. X. — When each member of a squad has fired not to exceed ten shots, if there are other members of the squad waiting, the former must give place to the latter, so as to afford all an equal chance to shoot. XL — First class targets are those used at 700, 800, 900 and 1,000 yards; second- class are those used at 400, 500 and 600 yards ; and the third class are those used at 100, 200 and 300 yards. XII.— In all cases an interval of at least seven targets will be left between the fir- ing points, where the firing is at different classes, and of three targets when at differ- 50 ent distances in the same class. Members practicing at the same time as the troops must shoot upon the same line with them, unless an interval of seven targets can be left between them. XIII. — The Superintendent is authorized to allow an additional number of targets to be used at any class and correspondingly reduce those used at the other classes, when necessary to accommodate the members or to permit a match to take place, lie is aUo authorized to suspend practice at any time when the markers' services are necessary to change the targets, or otherwise prepare the range for the next day. HOURS OF PRACTICE. Xiy. — On Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays the range will be used by the National Guard for class firing. Twenty targets, or as many within that number as may be required, will be used by the troops. The rest will be at the service of the members of the Association. When the Range is not used by the troops on these days, the target will be used as at other times. XV. — If there be no application to practice at a particular distance at the hour designated therefor, the Superintendent is authorized to permit practice at any other prescribed distance until such application be made. XVI. — The Running Deer may be used at all times. Price for markers, seventy- five cents an hour. XVII. — The rules in regard to the hours of practice will be suspended during any regular or special match of the Association, or of any aMiating association or club (having permission to use the range for such a purpose), so far as not to interfere with the progress of the match. Notice of all such matches will be posted on the bulletin-board at least a week in advance. DUTIES OF SUPERINTENDENT. XVIII. — The Superintendent will on the morning of each day post upon the bulle- tin-board the programme of that day and of the day following. XIX. — The Superintendent will have general supervision of the firing, and be re- sponsible for its being managed with order and safety. In case of any violation of the Associatfon's rules, or any conduct tending to injure the property of the Associa- tion, cause any accident, or create any disturbance, he will at once require the offender to desist from firing, and if necessary to quit the range, and will report in writing all such offenders to the Range Committee. XX — No hair-triggers will be allowed on the Range. No member shall cap a muzzle-loader or load a breech-loader, except at the firing point, and when about to fire. If the danger signal is shown the breech block must be opened. XXI. — No fees or compensation will be paid to any marker or other employee of this Association. XXII. — In case implements, property, or tools belonging to the range are lost, destroyed, or damaged by a member or a military organization, or by any of the em- ployees of the range, the value thereof will be charged to such em plo^'ee, member, or organization, and reported in writing at once by the Superintendent to the Range Committee; and in case the same is not repaid on demmd, such nie;nber, or in cas ; of a militajy organization, the members thereof will be excluded from the privileges of the Range. XX 1 11. — The national standard will be displayed from the main flag-staff from sunrise until sunset on all the national and State holidays, and days of matches. Also, when the. Range is in nse by organizations of the National Guard, and wliea visited by high civic or military officials. The red flag will be displayed fr.)m the flag-staff at Superintendent's office at all hours of praciice and during matches, and only at such times. The Embankment streamers will be displayed during all matches and all hours of practice. XXIV. — The attention of those using the Range is called to the following pro- visions of Chapter G99, Laws 1872: "For the purpose of preserving the properij- of the State and of the National Rifle Association upon such Range, and of preventing accidents, the persons employed thereon by said Rifle Association are hereby vesU'd witli the powers of constables when in the performance of their duties, and wearing such badge of ofiice as shaU be prescribed by such Association', and all persons tres- passing upon such Range, or injuring any of the targets or other property situate thereon, or wilfully violating uny of tlie regulations established to secure safety thereon, shall be deemed guilty of a disdemeanor." 51 REGULATIONS for the Government of Competitions Upon th.e Range at Creednnoor, L, I. I.-M ANAGEMENT. 1. The annual meetings for competitions will be condncted by an Executive Offi- cer, wearing a tri-colored badge, aided by a Statistical Officer, wearing a blue badge, and assistants, wearing red badges. All other association competitions will be con- ducted by an Officer or Director of the Association, or other competent person, designated by the Senior Officer or Director present on the range at the hour of shooting, unless previously designated. In the absence of Officers and Directors, the Assistant Secretary or Superintendent of Range shall act as, or designate an Ex- ecutive Officer. 2. The Executive Officer shall have control of the range for the conduct of matches. 3. These regulations, and such directions as the Executive Officer may give, must be rigidly complied with by competitors and all other persons upon the range grounds. *■' 4. During the progress of a match, no one, except the officers and employees of the Association, tho competitors and the scorekeepers, will be permitted within the ropes without special permission of the Executive Oiacer. 5. The squads of competitors will be stationed not less than four yards in the rear of the firing points, where each competitor must remain until called by the scorekeeper to take his position at the firing point, and until he has completed his score. The scorekeepers will be seated close to and in the rear of the firing point stakes. 6. Scorekeepers shall, as each shot is signalled, call in a Ljud voice the name of the competitor and the value of the shot, and at the conclusion of the score of each com etitor announce in like manner his name and total score. Competitors must pay attention to fJie scores as announced and recorded so that any error may be promptly investigated. 7. All competitors will be allowed to examine the records of the scorekeepers during the progress of any match. 8. All protests and objections must be made to the Executive Officer in charge of the match, or in his absence to one of his assistants. In ease a competitor is dissatis- fied with the decision of the latter, he may appeal to the Executive Officer. 9. Any competitor feeling himself aggrieved by the ruling of an Executive Offi- cer, may make to the Secretary a statement of his grievance in -writing, giving the names of two or more witnesses in the case, which shall be handed at once to the Executive Committee for its consideration. The decision of the Executive Commit- tee shall be final, subject, however, to the discretion of said Committee, or any two members of it, to refer the matter to the Board of Directors for its decision. 10. The Statistical Officer shall have charge of all statistics connected with the Spring and Fall meetings. II.— RIFLES. The rifles allowed to be used in the competitions are — 1st. Military rifles ; 2d. Any rifle; and must comply with the following conditions, viz.: 1. MiLiTABT RrpLES, Weight (without bayonet) not to exceed 9 lbs. 4 oz. Stock, sufficiently strong for military purposes, and such as to admit the use of a sling ; pull of trigger, six pounds. Sights to be of bona fide military pattern, to Reat- tached to the barrel, and to be without any movable adjustment other than a hniied flap and sliding bar, to be moved by hand only. In military team matches (unless otherwise specified), competitors must use the rifle with which the organization to which ihey belong is armed, at public expense. Filing or altering the sights of such rifles, or of the rifles used by the National Guard, or regular forces (except as au- thoiized by the military authorities thereof), or using them in any other way than as originally intended, is prohibited, except that the sliding-bar of the rear sight may be inverted, and Hues drawn to mark the centre. Sights may be blackened, but not whitened or colored. Any pad or shoe for the heel of the butt is disallowea. 2. AxY Rifle, maximum weight ten pounds, minimum pull of trigger three pounds, sights of any description, except telescope, magnifying and such front aper- ture sights as solid discs or bushes pierced in tlie centre, which cover the target so as to conceal the danger signal when displayed. No stirrup constructed of metal or other substance, connected to the rifle by straps of any kind, for the piup )se of tak- ing up or lessening the recoil of the rifle, will be allowed in any of the matches of this Association. 3. Competitors shall submit their rifles and ammunition for inspection whenever required. 4. No hair triggers will be allowed. 5. No fixed artificial rests will be allowed. 6. In all competitions confined to the use of breech-loaders, the gun shall be load- ed at the breech with fixed ammunition. III.— A M MUNITION. 1. For the competitions restricted to the National Guard S. N. Y., atnmunition will be furnished by the State, and issued to competitors on the ground. 2. In all other competitions, unless otherwise specified, any ammunition may be used, and must be provided by the competitors, IV.— T A R G E T S . The targets are divided into three classes, and shall be of the following sizes : 1. sume any position in the use of military rifles at distances above 400 yards, the same as is allowed for any rijles. 6. Sighting shots may be fired in any position, without artificial rests. 7. In all cases the gun shall be held clear of the ground. XL— TIES. I. — Ties shall be decided as follows : A. — In Individual Shooting. — 1. "When the firing takes place at more than ot?? distance by the score made at the longest distance ; and if still a tie, and there be three distances in the competion, by the score at the second distance. 2. By the fewest misses. 3. By the fewest outers. 4. By the fewest inners. 5. If still a tie, by inverse order of shots, counting singly from the last to the first. 6. By firing single shots at the longest range. B.— In Team Shooting. — 1. By the aggregate scores made at the longest dis- tance. 2. By the fewest misses. 3. By the fewest outers. 4. By the fewest inners. 5. By the competitor on each side who has made the highest score firing five rounds at the longest distance. II. — The names of competitors who have to shoot off ties will be posted on the bulletin-board as soon after each match as practicable. III. — When the ties are shot off one sighting shot shall be allowed without charge. IV. — Competitors not present at the firing points at the hour named for shooting off ties lose tiicir right to shoot. V. — Tf, having forfeited their right to compete, they shall still be within the number of prize winners, they shall take any prize that may be allotted to them by the Executive Committee. 55 XIL— PRIZES. 1. Prize winners will, upon application to the Statistical Officer on the range, re- ceive certificates, which must bo given up on receiving the prizes. 2. Prizes will be delivered on the range at the close of the meeting, under the direction of the Executive Officer. 3. The principal prizes at the annual Fall meeting will be formally presented to the winners of the State Arsenal, Seventh avenue, corner of Fhirty-fif th street. New York, on the Saturday following the last day of such meeting, at 8 p. m., unless otherwise announced. Winners who will be unable to attend are requested to give notice at the Headquarter Office upon the Range. 4. All prizes not claimed within one month after the match at which they have been won shall be forfeited to the Association. XIIL— PENALTIES. Competitors must make themselves acquainted with the regulations, as the plea of ignorance of them will not be entertained. 1. Any competitor who fires in a name other than his own, or fires twice for the same prize, shall be disqualified from ever again competing at the prize meetings of the Association, or for any prize offered tu the National Guard elsewhere. 2. Should a competitor lose his register ticket, omit to take it to the firing point, fail to attend at the prescribed hour, or give a wrong ticket, and so by his own neg- lect miss the opportunity given to him of competing for the prize for which his ticket was issued, his claim in regard to such competition shall be cancelled. 3. Any competitor who shall be detected in an evasion of the constitution pre- scribed for the conduct of any match, or shall offer money or a bribe of any kind to an employee, shall be disqualified from further competition during that meeting, and forfeit his entrance fees ; or if he be guilty of any conduct considered by the Ex- ecutive Committee as "discreditable," he shall be disqualified from ever again com- peting at the N. R. A. prize meetings, and shall forfeit all prizes won by him at the current meeting. 4. Any member of a squad or firing party who shall fire a shot from any other firing point after the hour prescribed for his squad to fire, and before he has com- pleted his score (except in pm'suance of orders), shall be disqualified in that com- petition. 5. Any competitor discharging his rifle accidentally, either by his own want of care, or by reason of any defect in the rifle, will be liable to disqualification. 6. Any competitor refusing to obey any instructions of the Executive Officer or his assistants, or violating any of these regulations, or being guiliy of unruly or dis- orderly conduct, or being intoxicated, will be immediately ruled out of all further competition, and forfeit his entrance fees. 7. Any person, whether a competitor or not, interfering with any of the firing squads, or annoying them in any way, will be at once expelled from the ground. 8. Any competitor firing when the danger flag or trap disc is shown at the target or firing point, or knowingly discharging his rifle, except at a target to which he has been assigned, or into the ground, and as may be directed by any officer, shall be debarred from all further competitions during the meeting, and shall forfeit his entrance fees. This shall not apply to a competitor accidently firing at the wrong target when no danger disc is up. 9. Any person firing on a wrong target will be fined $1, or, if he be shooting in a match, will be debarred from further competition therein, or both, in the discretion of the Executive Officer. 10. Any person discharging a rifle or snapping a cap within the enclosure, except in accordance with the regulations for shooting, may, at the discretion of the Ex- ecutive Officer, be required to leave the ground, and be debarred from further com- petition. 11. Any competitor or other person found with a loaded rifle, except at the firing points and when about to shoot, may be debarred from further competition during that meeting. 12. Any competitor in National Guard matches, using any other ammunition than that issued to him on the ground, or in any way tampering with that so issued, shall be disqualified for all f utm*e matches. 66 AFFILIATION. All rifle associations or clubs practicing in accordance with the rules of the National Rifle Association, by annually paying to its Treasurer the sum of twenty- five ($25) dollars, and forwarding to it a copy of their By Laws, the names and ad- dresses of their ofiicers, and the number of their members, certified as correct by their Secretary, shall thereupon become entitled to the following privileges (which shall also be enjoyed by those military organizations joining at half rates.) I. — To annually nominate ten of their members, who shall be entitled to all the privileges of annual members of the National Rifle Association during the spring and fall matches, and for one week prior to each thereof. In the case of associations or clubs located outside the cities of New York and Brooklyn, the privileges of the ten so selected shall continue for the year. II. — To have the names and addresses of their officers, and the scores made dur- ing the year in their two principal association, club, company, or troop matches, to be certified as correct by their Secretary, printed in each annual report of the National Rifle Association, and to receive twenty-five copies of such report, to be forwarded to their Secretary without charge. III. — To send a delegate (or in cases of associations or clubs having a membership of over fifty a delegate for every fifty members in good standing upon their roll) to confer with the Directors of the National Rifle Association, at a Convention to be held in the City of New York each year, diu-ing or as near the fall meeting as pos- sible, in regard to the rules and fall programme of the latter, and the general in- terests of rifle practice in America. IV. — To receive in each year the Bronze Medal of the National Rifle Association, to be competed for by their members, as may be prescribed by their officers. THE CENTENNIAL TROPHY. 07 THE CENTENNIAL RIFLE MATCH, CREEDMOOR, 1876. We reacti the hand Of loving welcome, while we test Your skill, and willing rivals stand ; No nobler rivals we desire Than children sprang from Celt or Saxon sire. It had been much talked of during the progress of the Irish-American contests of 1874 and 1875 that the Centennial year of American Independence be signalized by the riflemen of this country in the issuance of a broad challenge to the riflemen of the worid, and the institution of a series of periodical matches in which American riflemen should measure their ability with the picked teams of other countries. The National Kifle Association took the matter up and provided by subscription a great trophy, which should serve as the emblem of victory to the winners and the badge of championship to such as were able to hold the object. The work was undertaken in conjunction with the work of the U. S. Centennial Commission, whose intention it was to make a Rifle Tournament one of the features of the Exhibition. Time was taken by tlie forelock, and on Nov. 9, 1875, CoL Gildersleeve oflered the following resolutions, which were adopted : Resolved, 1. That in furtherance of the steps already taken for a Grand Interna- tional Competition on the occasion of the Centennial Anniversary of American Inde- penuence, and for a prooer observance of such Anniversary on the part of this As- sociation, a st-ries of Rifle Matches be inaugurated to take place during the Summer or Autumn of 1876, and a general invitation be and hereby is extended to riflemen of all Countries to participate. 2. That the Executive Committee be requested to confer with the Centennial Commission, and ascertain to what extent said Commission will co-operate in carry- ing out such a programme as this Association may adopt for the occasion referred to. 3. That the Executive Committee be requested to prepare and submit to this Board, at as early a day as practicable, a suitable programme for said International and other matches, with an estimate of the amount of money necessary, in their judgment, for the proper execution of such programme. 4. That the Executive Committee be empowered to determine and agree with the Centennial Commission as to the place at which the Grand International Competi- tion shdl come off, and to arrange all the necessary details. 5. That tile President and Secretary be authorized and requested to notify, in the name of this Association, Riflemen of England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Germany, Austria, the Oominion of Canada, the South American States, and all other coun- tries having rifle associations or clubs, of the opportunity presented to them to par- ticipate in the competition.^ instituted. 6. That a cordial invitation be and hereby is extended to all affiliating associa- tions and clubs to co-operate with this Association in carrying out the programme to be adopted. A circular letter was prepared and sent out to every foreign rifle association known to the American shooters, requesting that the respective countries be represented in the matches contemplated in honor of the Centennial Anniversary of American In- dependence. These matches to constitute one of the features of the Centennial Exhibition, and to be conducted under the auspices of the Centennial Commission. The principal match to be for the "Championship of the World," open to teams of eight" from each country, distances 800, 900 and 1,000 yards, Creedmoor rules. Prize— a Trophy presented by tae citizens of the United States, with other matches for shorter distances, and for military and other arms, and signifying the intention 68 of the National Kifle Association to make the American Kifle Tournament of 1876 one of great interest to all who participate. It was hoped to have the matches fought near Philadelphia, the seat of the Exhi- bition, but no better range than that at Creedmoor existing, it was resolved to fight the match there. The Amateur Club was invited as the leading small-bore rifle club' of the country to participate through a committee in the management of the match. Considerable correspondence arose touching the claim made by the National Rfle Association of Great Britain, that an Imperial or British team should be sent in lieu and to the exclusion of separate teams from Scotland, Ireland and England, and the rules were so far modified by the donors of the trophy as to permit the attendance and competition of such mixed or British team either in addition to or in place of the separate national teams, the result of the communications and counter-communica- tions being that England decliued any participation at that time, while Scotland and Ireland sent teams, as did also Canada and Australia, to take part in the Centennial matches. Meanwhile the joint committee on the matter issued the following pro- gramme for the selection of the team : New Yoek, March 6, 1876. To the Gitize7is of the United States : The following are the conditions prescribed for the selection of the American Rifle Team to represent the United States in tbe great International Long Range Match for the Championship of the World, to take place at Creedmoor, L. i., Sept. 14 and 15, 1876, under the aaspices of the Centennial Commission : Eight men, who shall constitute the team, and four others, who fjhall be known as reserves, shall be selected for their merits a3 determined by three competitions at Creedmoor in the manner following : Competition I. — Open to all native-born citizens of the United States ; to take place May 3i and June 1, 1876; fifty shots each day by each competitor — fifteen at 800 yards, fifteen at 900 yards, and twenty at 1,000 yards. Competition II. — Open to the sixteen men making the highest aggregate scores in Couipetitiim I. ; to be shot June 6 and 7, 1876, same number of shois and same dis- tances as in Competition I. ; the twelve men making the highest aggregate scores in this competition and in Competition I., to be the twelve men wha shall constitute the team and reserve. Competition III. — Open only to the team and reserves ; to take place June 13 and 14, 1876 ; same number of shots and same conditions as in Competition I. ; the ag- gregate scores in this competition and Competition II. shall determine the order of merit of these twelve competitors ; the competitor having the highest aggregate score taking first place on the team, and so on, according to their respective aggre- gate scores; the first eight to constitute the team, the balance the reserves : rifles, sights, targets, marking, scoring, and position to be according to the printed regu- lations of the National Kifle Association of America. Weapons, any rifles, within said regulations. No sighting shots in any of the foregoing competitions, and no practice by competitors on the days of said com- petitions. If a competitor who has entered for the foregoing competitions shall, for any reasons satisfactory to the committee charged with tiie conduct of said compe- titions, be unable to finish his score or compete on any day above named, then said committee shall, in their discretion, fix another day or days for such competitor to finish his score, or shoot such part of the competitions as he may have missed. The said committee shall have the power to say when, if at all, a competition or any part there )f shall be postponed on account of stormy weather, and name the day or days when the same shall be resumed or completed. As soon as practicable after the completion of Competition II. the team and reserve shall, by a majority vote of the twelve, elect a captain, not of their number. The captain when elected shall have the management of the team, and prescribe the rules for its government and practice. Each person entering for Competition I. shall subscribe to the following: I desire to comp te for a place in tlie American Fti'fle Team to represent the United States lu tlie International Long Kange Kille Match for tiie (Jhanipionsiiip of tlie World, anil iarcby agree to contorm to the conditions proscribed for the selection of said team. If I am a sncce-ssful com- petitor I agree to periorm sucii practice and to submit to such diseipliae and govermneut as the captam of said team shall direct. — : Entries may be made at any time up to 10 o'clock a. m. of May 31, 1876. Per- sons desiring to enter arc requested to inform the Secretary of the Joint Committee, 59 by letter, at as early a day as possible. All countries having rifle clubs or rifle associations have been invited to send one team each to compete in this match. Many countries have already signified their intention to be represent. We believe that the people of our whole country entertain the earnest hope that in this great match the American riflemen will fully sustain the high reputation for skill in marks- manship which their countrymen have earned in many noted and well-contested matches. It is very desirable that there should be a large number of entries for the foregoing competitions. The conditions have been made with a view to accommo- date, as much as possible, those living far away from Creedmoor Range. It is con- fidently hoped that distance will not deter any man from joining the ranks of the competitors and striving for a place on the Centennial American team. By order of the Committee, MARTIN T. McMAHON, President. Joseph Holland, Secretary. Thirty-nine entries appeared the first day, and the competition ran close and keen. The result of the first competition made it manifest that some changes in the original conditions would be necessary, and before the commencement of the second compe- tition it had been decided to admit twentj^-four instead of sixteen to it, and at a sub- sequent meeting of tlie Joint Committee the following resolution was adopted, viz : "Resolved, That in pursuance of the almost unanimously expressed desire of the sixteen successful competitors, the terms for Competition III. be modified so that the twelve highest aggregate scores of said competitors and Competition II. shall only determine the twelve who shall constitute the team and reserve ; the particular eight who are to be the team, and the four for reserve, to be hereafter determined at such time and in such manner as the action of a majority of the twelve selected as above and the captain they elect shall decide upon." Permission was also given to choose the captain either from within or without the team, as suited the shooters. The twelve, as selected by these competitions, were : Messrs. F. Hyde, Thomas S. Dakin, W. B. Farwell, G. W. Yale, L. Weber, A. Anderson, C. E. Overbaugh, L. C. Bruce, Henry Fulton, J. A. Shaffer, H. S. Jewell, and N. Washburn. Subsequently, in view of excellent practice by those gentlemen, it was resolved to admit Messrs. R. Rathbone, I. L. Allen and C. E. Blydenburgh, Jr., to places on the reserve ; and finally, after no small amount of delay. Major Fulton was chosen as cap- tain and Messrs. Dakin, Farwell, Weber, Fulton, Rathbone, Allen, Bruce and Yale were chosen as the team. But, at their practice on September 9th, the scores were not at all satisfactory, and with the intention of strengthening the team, Messrs. Bruce and Yale resigned in favor of Gildersleeve and Bodine, old and tried team men, but who were at that time somewhat out of form. But in the practice preceding the great match, shooting side by side with the other team, the Americans had never yet been able to show first place, and it was felt on all sides that the team was badly managed and did not have that strength which the Association could furnish ; hence the substitution of the two new men. The Americans had not shown their usual style of making a rattling big score just before the match, but, instead, the team were restless, and did not seem to be as compact a body as would have been desirable. Of the foreign rifle teams the first to arrive was the New South Wales contingent of the Australian Team, who came ma San Francisco, arrived Friday, August 11th. The party consisted of Captain, J. McGarvie Smith, Lieutenant J. H. Maddocks, Mr. J. S. Lynch, Mr. J. J. Slade and S2rgeant-Major D. Gee. The Victorian contingent of the Australian Team, who came via England, arrived on Wednesday, August 23d, their party consisting of Major J. T. Sleep, Captain A. M. Greenfield, Captain H. J. King, Captain B. J. Wardill, Lieutenant T. T. Draper and Captain A. Blannin, Honorable Secretary Victorian Rifle Association. On Tuesday, August 29th, the Scotch Team and party arrived. Their names were Lieutenant-Colonel J. H. A. Macdonald, Captain of Team, and Messrs. M. Boyd, W. 60 Clark, D. Fraser, R. Luke, Dr. J. Mitchell, R. McVittie, A. Menzies, P. Rae, W. Thorbiirn, Thomas Whitelaw, William Paton, C. Ingram, rifle maker ; J. Hodgert and K. Renton, Secretary Scottish Rifle Club. The next to arrive was the Irish party, on Sunday, September 3d, consisting of Major Arthur B. Leech, Captain of Team ; Mr. and Mrs. Greenhill, Mr. and Mrs. Thynne, Mr. and Mrs. Goff, Lieutenant and Mrs. A. Ward, Messrs. William Riyby, E. Johnson, J. K. Milner, W. R. Joynt, H. Dyas, J. G. Pollock and Lieutenant George Fenton. The last of the foreign teams to arrive were the Canadians, Major J. E. O'Rielly, Captain of Team, Captain J. J. Mason, A. Bell, George Murison, Captain J. Adam, Major J. M. Gibson, George Disher, William Cruit, Major W. H Cotton and 3Ir. Wm. M. Cooper, Vice-President Any-Rifle Association of Toronto, who arrived early on the morniog of Friday, September 8th. All of the foreign teams except the Irish (who went into quarters at Garden City, Long Island, immediately upon their arrival) selected headquarters in New York City, and all spent as much time in practice at Creedmoor as was possible. A programme of reception and entertainment had been prepared which kept the visitors pretty busy in visits and excursions here and there about the city. Yet abundant time was given for practice on the range, and none of the visiting riflemen could properly complain of any shortness of allowance in that direction. The people at large took the greatest interest in the doings, and everywhere an eifort was made to make their visit an enjoyable one. The papers were full in their reports of the movements of the team men, and it is no doubt largely due to the efforts of the press that the change in the personnel of the American Team was made, turning probable defeat into magnificent victory. It was an enforced compliment to the foreign rifle- men, as their fine shooting exhibits alone compelled the substitution. FIRST DAY. The first day of the great double-day match came on bright and clear. The men started in earnest all along the line, and, under the pressure of competition, mag- nificent scores were rolled up. The neighborhood of Creedmoor seemed to have taken on a holiday trim, and reminded a visitor of some great State Fair, with out- side booths and temporary structures of all sorts and styles lining the road along either side to the centre of all the confusion and excitement — the long-range firing points. Within the grounds the crowd, which at its highest reached some 8,000, were scattered over the ninety acres of lawn. Every nook and corner had its group of visitors bent on seeing all there was to be seen .of the range. Down to the short- range targets, over to the running deer, along the line of regimental tents, into the headquarters and administration tents, everywhere and indiscriminately, the curious throng poked its investigating nose. The only portion of the great, flat meadow untenanted by strolling spectators was the track along which the whizzing bul- lets sped on their way from rifle to target, and a dozen or more police found ample work in warning the reckless or careless from tramping over even this reserved space. At the 800-yard firing points, stretching along a line of between three huud!ed and four hundred feet, were all the paraphernalia pertaining to the conduct of a rifle match. Camp-stools in abundance, tripods holding on their pegs miniature targets, telescopes, to the number ot a hundred or more, firmly set here and there along the line, ready with keen eyes behind them to give sight of the destination of each and every missile sent on its peaceful errand to the iron slab a half mile or more away. There were rude, temporary tables or stands, upon which the marksmen might lay out their cartridge boxes, wads, bullets, caps, cleaning rags, etc., while about the edges of the table notches were cut in which to safely lean the rifle. At each of the t^mall stakes denoting the firing point of either of the several tai-gets, a lai-ge open sided 61 shade had been provided. These shades were nothing more or less than canvas spreads about twelve feet square, upheld at either corner by a pole some seven feet long, while cords attached to tent pegs made all secure and stable. Beneath these most excellent devices the marksmen found a comparatively cool retreat from the fiot glare of the sun in the middle of the day. About twenty feet back of these tent- flies a rope stretched along prevented the crowding up of the invited guests, while yet another rope at a further distance prevented the unduly familiar approach of the general crowd. Five poles held aloft, in full view of the majority of the visitors, large sheets, upon which were entered the names and full scores of the various teams. The work of bulletining the scores was attended to by a score of young mi- litia men. An early meeting of the team captains had been held to arrange the few prelim- inaries of the coatest. Colonel Mac Donald, of the Scotch,team ; Major Leech, of the Irish; Major Fulton, of the Americans ; Major O'Reilly, of the Canadian, and Au- gustus Morris, of the Australians, attended. General Shaler and Colonel Mitchell were chosen referees, and they in turn fixed upon General Joseph R. Hawley as the umpire, to whose final decision all matters were to be left in case of any dispute. Another duty of the captains was to draw for targets. There were on the range in working trim eleven long-range targets. These were distinguished one from another by great letters above them, the letters being formed by placing fence-rails or plank painted white upon the sloping bank above and behind the target. Off to the ex- treme left was target H. unoccupied ; then in order targets K. , W. , A. , X. , I. , II. , III., IV., v., VI. — in all ten targets set apart for the contestants. These were drawn for in couples by the captains, the disposition being as follows : K. & W. A. & X. I. & II. III. & IV, V. & VI. Americans. Canadians. Irisii. Australians. Scotch. The marksmen on the flank-targets are apt to be bothered by the pressing in of the spectators, and the targets V. and VI. have always been looked upon by old Creedmoor hands as the most desirable, since on them the danger of shooting on the wrong target is very much lessened, it being comparatively easy to fix upon the last target, and fire at it in sighting. Along to the left, where the Americans were squad- ed, the raising of the firing points within the last ,few weeks, had left a dry dead sod, not as pleasant as the grass bottom of the other points. By 9.30 o'clock the marksmen began to appear on the ground. As they crossed the ferry and railroaded down many an anxious glance was cast up along the sky, whose dull, leaden look gave promise of a quiet, hot day when the sun came out through the cloud-drifts. It was an "American day," all agreed, and the Scotsmen grumbled with more than usual zest at the ill-luck which had robbed them of the blustering day they had prayed for. The faint brush of wind on the river was lost as the train turned inland, and at 9:30, when the Australians, Scots and Ca- nadians came upon the field, there was absolutely not a breath of air stirring. There were flags from end to end of the range of all sorts, sizes and material, but each and every one hung close and dead to its respective pole. By 10:30 the sun had sent out its rays, making the range uncomfortably hot. With the sun came the wind, and the dial-pointer moved lazily over the face, getting round to 11, and waiting in an undecided sort of way for something to give it life and motion. The riflemen were now busy getting out their traps. They began to load, only, however, to blow their charges in the ground. The danger flags before the target faces were drawn in, showing all in readiness down there for the reception of shots ; still the riflemen kept banging away at the sod, playing havoc with the ground-bugs and creeping things of earth, and provoking wonder in the minds of inexperienced look- ers-on as to what all this apparent waste of powder meant. Quarter to eleven came, and the men were still busy warmin;^ up their rifles with pit-shots, seeming by their noise and preparation to summon up the wind, which blew fresher and fresher, but 62 not at any time getting more than a gentle breeze. As the moment for opening came on the preparations were hurried. At each firing point an official scorer was stationed, experienced men who could be relied on, with good glasses, through which they could at once distinguish the colors of the marking discs. In the butts were other trusted experts, whose derision on the matter of line shots could be de- pended on more implicitly than the slouchy and careless markings of the country lads who officiate as disc-handlers. The right of stationing markers and scorers at targets and firing points respectively was extended to the other team captains, the only one accepting the right being Captain MacDonald, of the Scots, who detailed R. Luke to American target W, and Alexander Fyle with Captain Ross to target K., also of the Americans; other trusted " brither Scots" going down into the pits before the American targets. None of the other team captains availed themselves of the precautionary right, nor did Captain MacDonald think it necessary to watch any but his host's targets. There were to be no Yankee tricks without his knowledge. About 10:45 the managing director of the day galloped up and down the line of fire, requesting each squad to open fire directly he should blow a whistle, after the firing of the opening cannon. There was many a glance at the wind, now showing a disposition to waver. The men lay down, got up, punched little depressions in the sod with their heels in which to rest elbows when firing, took imaginary sighting shots with empty barrel and cap, grumbled at the rapidly increasing mirage, and waited the cannon boom. At 10:55 it sounded, and then the whistle piped all down to work, but each squad waited for the other, to watch the first shot and take the cue therefrom. The Scots were nothing if not cautious. Captain MacDonald strid- ing out and looking down the line to see who were to show lead. At last, after three or four minutes had elapsed, a crack from a middle firing point and the spring up of the trap-disk on target X told that one of the Canadians had led oQ, a white disc slipping up telling the tale of Cruit's opening shot. " Bu-u-uU's-eye," mur- mured a thousand lips, as the great concourse caught the signal. Quickly after Cruit's came a bull's-eye for Gee, of the Australians, on target IV. Goff, the first of the Irish squad to fire, scor(^d an inner, Whitelaw, the leading Scotchman, getting a bull's-eye. It was some time before the Americans began their music, acting in a timorous, inexperienced manner, not at all in the style of old riflemen. There seemed to be no end of confab an*d consultation ere Fulton twisted himself up, pulled back the hammer of his lifle, and then everybody applied his eye to a glass and waited, and waited, and waited, until, tired of waiting, they ventured to look around and found Fulton sitting cross-legii;ed like a Turk, apparently looking down the muzzle of his rifle, but really fixing his wind-gauge ; then, when the shot is actually off, it is seen that the'opening shot of the American squad is a centre. Bodme, on the same target, followed with another centre, then Gildersleeve so far forgot him- self as to open with an " inner," Rathbone following suit with another centre. Am- erican stock was falling ; but on the other American target, Dakin, Farwell, Weber and Allen had opened with a bull's-eye apiece. After that the fusillade was general and more or less rapid. By 12 o'clock the fir- ing had reached the tenth shot, the wind having veered about to the ninth quarter, and throughout the range the wind, wMiat there was of it, came from the left-front quarter in rather a fish-taily style. Fulton in his second shot got a miss, a clean jump over the target. He got up without anexpressioa of disappointment, and not a member or the squad expressed surprise, though the news ran like wildfire down the hne, and was commmted on and chatted of by the crowd. The catch was a severe one, but thesu J. King, Rigby Rifle. Score. ..5 4555444 3 555555... ,.4 5454455554445 5... ..5 45554 5 5544 5 45 4..., Sergt. D. Gee, Rigby Rifle. ,.5 5553553444354 5..., ,.45544445555535 5 ..4 3455555355555 4,.., Maj. J. T. Sleep, Rigby Rifle. ..4 3555545555555 3... ..3 4555455534555 4... .6 3355355450554 4..., J. S. Lynch, Rigby Rifle. ,.2 45534554"54545 5..., .5 3554455533455 3.... ,.3 4533545455555 5..., Totals. 69 68 69—206 65 68 68—201 69 69 61—199 65 64 66—195 J, J. Slade, Rigby Rifle. Yards. Score. 800. ...5 4443554445444 4. ...63 900....4 3 4 5 5 3 5 3 5 5 5 5 5 4 5. 66 1.00J.-..4 5445545445543 3....C4- Captain B. J. Wardill, Rigby Rifle. 800. ...4 5554554555545 6. ...71 900 5 5432555 5 5 5055 5. ...64 1,000... 3 2255044553545 4.. .56- Captain J. M'G. Smith, Rigby Rifle. 800 4 554455554 5 5 55 3. ...69 900. ...2 345545545455 5 5. ...66 1,000.... 0323545454554 3.. ..52—187 Lient. T. T. Draper, Rigby Bifle. 800. ...0 5455355334445 5. ...60 900 3 54552322455554. ...59 1,000. ...0 3545354555340 3.. ..54— 173 ratals. -193 -191 Team aggregate 1,545 CANADIAN TEAM. ' Lient. J. Adam, Rigby Rifle. Yards. Score. SOO 2 55555 5 5355455 5.. 90<}...,4 5544455524555 5.. 1,000. ...5 5445553544552 5.. Totals. .69 .67 ,.66—202 A. Bell, Metford Rifle. 800.... 5 4 3 5 900 2 5 2 5 1,000. ...5 5 5 4 Captain J. 800.... 8 4 4 3 900. ...32 5 4 1.000. ...5 5 4 5 4353555544 5. ...65 2 5 554455555 64 5455535545 4.... 71— 200 J. Mason, Metford Rifle. 5 5 2 4 5 5 4 5 5 4 5.... 63 5555544435 5.. ..64 2544550555 5.... 64— 191 Major J. M. Gibson, Metford Rifle. 800. ...3 45354455455 3 5 4 64 900. ...3 3544555534405 4. ...59 1000. ...3 5353235455535 5. ...61— 184 George Dieher, Metford Rifle. Yards. Score. 800 .4 5543555554450 3... 900, .. 55455345533523 0.. 1,00J....0 55545 2 4544545 4... G. Marison, Metford Rifle. 800. ...4 3354355555444 5... 900 3 03434535553545... 1,000.... 4 55445444533540.. William Cmit, Metford Rifle. 800.... 5 5555443554445 4.. 9-0. ...4 50344423554333. 1,000. ...3 5332453555353 5. Totals. .62 57 .61-lSO .64 .57 .59—180 67 .52 .59—178 Maj. W. H. Cotton, Metford Rifle. 800. ...4 3445544555554 5. ...67 900.... 4 24245244435535. ..56 1,000.... 2003554545554 5.... 52— 175 Team aggregate 1,490 800 yds. f SCOTLAND 5:^5 IRELAND 535 Summary..^ AMEHIC\ 5.50 AUSTRALIA 531 LCANADA 521 900 yds. 1,000 yds 528 523 524 523 518 509 524 490 476 493 Total. 1,586 1.5S2 1..577 1.545 1,490 SECOND DAY. The second day of the struggle was set down by the weather clerk as a day of pos- sible cloud and rain, but the fulfilment was quite otherwise. There were clouds flitting across the sky obscuring for a moment tbe face of the sun, but of rain not a drop, and in many respects the two days over which the great match extended were w exact counterparts one of another. The only noticeable difference was in the greater force of wind, when at dusk on Wednesday evening the riflemen, mob, etc., rushed pell-mell from the grounds, the dial pointed a wind from the 5 o'clock quarter, and when about 9 o'clock yesterday morning the riflemen again put in an appearance the dial-pointer still stood at 5, but in place of flags hugging the poles, limp and clouty, every stitch of bunting on the range was flopping its best. The large tents were tugging at their fastenings, bits of paper and other litter of the field were blown about hither and thither. To the general public arranging itself behind* the ropes this breeze was very refreshing, and the idea of standing the day long under a flood of sun-light was shorn of some of its unpleasantness by the cool draughts of air. To the riflemen the wind told quite another tale. While they were nothing loath to be refreshed and enjoy all the benefits of a breezy day on the lawn, the idea of having a wind which might be as steady as a rock, or again might show the greatest unreliabilty and cause no end of vexation and possible defeat, was vexatious in the extreme. Glances at the flags and upon the dials somewhat reassured the marksmen, when the changes in direction were noted as very slight indeed. In this respect the day was unique. For an inland range to show so steady an average of wind was a thing to be noted, but what the wind lacked in variability of direction it made up in changes of force. Blowing from such a slanting direction, the retarding and varying action of the wind required counteraction, not only in the elevations of the rifles, but in the wind gauges as well. It was a practical application of the resolution of forces. What strength the wind had directed down the range required to be met by a lowering in the elevation, the wind doing the work of raising the buUet along to the target. What influence the wind had in causing the projectile to travel to the left required a change of the wind-gauges to throw the muzzle of the rifle to the right. This was the problem of the day to the experts, and the Americans showed themselves the best able to master the diflQculties of the situation, and won the match accordingly. The mirage had disppaeared in great measure, but in its stead came a curious shifting light. Again and again dUring the day the targets might be noticed in shade, while the marksmen lay in the broad sun-light, and then, as the cloud-shade travelled down the range and was succeeded by another, the relative positions of shade and light changed. These changes are noted by the cautious riflemen and allowance made for the disturbing causes. It was a day of which an hundred duplicates might be recalled by an old Creedmoor hand, and to the Scotch riflemen, who had been praying for wind against the dull, sluggish motion of the air on tbe previous day, it seemed a special dispensation in their favor. Yet the American riflemen smiled in a self-satisfied sort of way as they looked at the wind and its direction, and thought of the havoc it would cause among the foreign scores should it take a notion to play the pendulum about the 6 o'clock point and give them a genuine " fish-tailer." But the day was merciful, and a variation of half a point from 5 was rarely seen. The confidence with which the home squad left the field on the evening previous had not left them, and not one of the American sharpshooters allowed himself to be flustered in the least at the prospect of the lead which the Scots held. " I guess we'll win yet" was as far as they ventured to assert, in marked distinction to the boasting of the then leading team, who came up smiling, making no bones of telhng all who cared to ask, that the match was theirs and that they meant to devote their efforts to increasing the gap between themselves and the following teams. The thought of a success resting in other hands and the wreaths of victory restmg on other heads did not seem to enter their minds. Among the other teams the Canadians were rather reserved, satisfied apparently to take whatever Providence might send them. The Australians thought it only fair that the gap between themselves and their leader should be narrowed. Certain of the foreign captains thought it proper to ask on this second day of the 67 match for a new apportionment of targets. The Americans made no objection and agreed to the suggestion of the visitors, that if any dijfference existed in the shooting points that all should have the opportunity of discovering the best. The draw was made, and counting accross the field from left to right the new arrangement stood : Targets. K&W. A&X. I&II. Ill & IV. V&VI. 1st day. Americans. Canadians. Irish. Australians. Scotch. 2cl day. Irish. Australians. Scotch. Canadians. Americans. Ttie new deal oddly enough satisfied the majority of the squads. The Scots had grumbled on the first day that they were compelled to have the smoke from the other points blowing to their flank, and wished that some other team had been al- lowed to enjoy this slight inconvenience. The Irish were glad to get an end on the line. The Americans were glad to get back to the old right line targets, on which the bulk of the long-range practice is carried on, and where the day before the Scotch had shown themselves able to cope successfully with them. This change of targets was the first blunder of Capt. MacDonald. He no doubt thought he was domg a very wise thing, but when the American squad heard that the extreme right targets had fallen to them, they felt like turning double somer- saults of joy, and hope and confidence rose ever so many degree3 in their bosoms. They said nothing, but went quietly over to the firing points, from which, looking down the line of flag staffs, they were able to take in the least variation in the wind, while the other team men, looking at the flags at a wide angle, could not detect these fine fluctuations. It was the over cautious Scotties who insisted on the change of targets, little knowing that at the time they were killing their chances of victory. The marksmen were more prompt than on the first day, the spectators, too, filling up the front line even before a shot had been fired. There was not a tithe of the ground-blowing or gun-warming of the first day ; the men shook down to their work v,rithout any extra ceremony. The first cannon sounded at 10:45, and at 11 o'clock sharp the second sounded a start. At this time all the teams were in position, except- ing the Irish, who were a bit late, but soon caught up with the other team-men. The Canadians, as on the first day, were the first to lead off. Cruit getting in place of his opening centre of the first day an initial inner. On the Scotch target Whitelaw opened the sport, getting a centre. Gee, of the Australians, bringing in the only open- ing bull's-eye. Fulton, the first of the Americans to shoot, got an inner, whereon the group of sympathizers behind the rope uttered a general commiserating " Oh !" The order of shooting in the several squads was the same as on the first day, the same leaders and end men going regularly through the practice. There was the greatest smoothness of action all along the line at the firing points, but at the targets the spotters in the butts seemed over critical, and again and again came out to nar- rowly inspect the target faces. The practice was in cases of this sort, where the men were compelled to come from the shelter of the pits, to stop firing on two targets to either side the target in question, and every little while— altogether too frequently for the convenience and satisfaction of the shooting parties — the figures would emerge from the butts and galher in provoking leisure before one of the targets and proceed to hold a leng hened argument over one or another shot. A hit on the line plump wou'd be scrutinized with the greatest exactitude. In the midst of the 800 yards' firing the meeting was held before target VI., where a high shot by Major Fulton defied all the markers to say whether it was a centre or outer. One of the assistants of the executive officer was sent down on horseback to settle the matter, but after hearing all the arguments he came back undecided. General Hawley mounted and galloped down the lange at full speed to settle the matter at once as umpire < f the match. He decided "centre," but the time spent in examination had been so long that 9, new blowing out of guns was necessary. The Scotch went to work carefully, bating not a whit of care because of the slight lead they were enjoying from the work of the day before, but two misses at this 68 range told of the over care they were taking, and each of these slips were no dcubt "pull offs." Fraser, the "reserve man " of the squad, took the lead now, but the slip to centres, where otherwise bull's-eyes would have been made, told that a high score need not be looked for. Of outers there was but a single instance. On the Irish targets not a miss was recorded, but bull's-eyes were almost as scarce, Rigby putting in his fifteen shots with but six of them bull's-eyes, and Goff throwing a damper over his fellows by firing ten shots ere he found the buirs-:ye. On the opening round six of the eight shots were inners. The Canadians fired in a very promiscuous style, and, though having but one down-right miss, the number of straying shots was very large, Disher getting but two bull's-eyes in his fifteen shots. The Americans made the greatest number of misses of any one team, as many among themselves as all the other teams put together. The shots passed over or fell plainly below the target, the men over-striving or failing to meet the down draft of the 5 o'clock wind. Allen with an outer and two misses got 60 points. His opening miss had no small effect in an underrating by the other teams of the American effort, while at the same time it reminded the Americans themselves that only the closest at- tention to their work would carry them through the day. When Dakin followed with amiss in his third round, this fact became the more apparent. Lynch, of the Aus- tralians, threw away one shot by a slip in holding, Slade and Gee dong the honors of the party in passing the seventy point. In two of the rounds bull's-eyes m every case were the order. The Australians were evidently making a struggle for place in the field, having long despaired of, if they had ever seriously entertained, any notion of carrying off the trophy. The finish of the 800 yards' stage was reached about 12:45 o'clock, and all retired to wonder at the luck which kept the Scotch and American tie at 800 yards, and consequently in the precise relation to each other as on the evening before ; and also to wonder at the ill-luck of the Irish rifle- men throwing them back nearly to the level of the Australians, who, in turn, were encouraged to think that by a little extra effort they might yet get the second place they so much coveted. But while the American shooters and the most experienced of their friends kept up the same placid smile, and bade any anxious questioners be quiet and await the end, none were expecting the sudden revulsion and re-arrange- ment of the team fortunes so soon to come about. The hard work and drudgery of the match had been passed, and now the dramatic effect was about to begin. The transformation scene was at hand, showing a smil- ing Jonathan, a decidedly crumpled and bewildered Sandy, and the ever-jubilant Hibernian. Pending the scene-shifting a very short lunch was taken, and at 1:15 the second cannon called all back to the firing point for the last grand struggle. The wind held its own, still blowing from the fifth quarter, but the sun was shining brighter, no doubt dazzling the Scotch lads greatly with their unprotected Goodwin bar front sights. Their opening was bad — the very poorest on the field —Mitchell getting a miss, and the whole squad but 24 in the possible 40, while the Americans, with 33 points, suddenly found themselves abreast of their most formidable op- ponents. The knowledge of this fact broke the spirit of the Scotch team as suddenly and as certainly as it braced up the Americans to a struggle to hold their ground. Not a single perfect round was shown at this range ; but the Scotchmen from the first found themselves retrograding rapidly to last place. In his third shot Mitchell missed again. The team tried its favorite plan of recuperation by firing s'owly, but it was of no avail ; the tide had set against them, and unable to stem the current, they were borne away from bad to worse. Later on in his score Dr. Mitchell com- mitted the fatal error of shooting on the wrong target, putting in a shot on III., which the Canadians had been ushig, but wliich for ten minutes or more before Imd had no shots thrown upon it. This was the last straw on the camel's back. For a front-lying rifleman, and a Scotch rifieman at that, to shot)t on the wrong target was beyond precedent, and the thought of it took all spirit from the Scotchmen, Captain GO Thorburn so far forgetting himself as to close with a miss. The Canadians had been jogging on in quiet mediocrity, the Scots were going down hill fast, while the Americans, Irish, and Australians were fighting hard for the fore. The announce- ment of the result was generally discredited ; to make a gross majority of fifty-three points in one range was too good or too bad, as viewed from American or Scotch stand-points, to be true. But the figures were correct — from being 9 behind, the Home team were now 44 points ahead. The fc^cotch had lost their team system, and instead of the solid bunch of united strength were now a few separated fagots, while the Americans, v/ho for a day and a third, had fired in a perfunctory sort of way, each man with his own scorer, with a general coach, and providence overlooking their work, were alarmed at the staring prospect of defeat unless they bestirred themselves, and for the first time in the year some approach to the old-time Ameri- can team shooting was seen. The one team had lost the key of success, the other had recovered it. The general public accepted the conclusion at once that the Americans were the victors, but there was a range yet to be fought over, and none know better than old riflemen how easily a roll of misses can reverse a majority. Col. MacDonald spent no more time in little trips striding up and down the line of fire, but clung to his men, and with troubled face did his best to stem the tide of defeat ; but it seemed hopeless to strive against the compact body the American team had suddenly made of itself. Nothing succeeds like success, and nothing collects a lead so well as an excellent start. The Americans showed a clean pair of heels to their guests, whose previous majority had been swept away like thistle-down until at the end of the 1,000-yard range and the match the Yankees led the Scots by full 64 points. The Americans had fully mastered the wind, and though the crowd cheered each shot and each rising white disc the men rolled up the same range total as on the preced- ing daj'-, when all was calm. To the Irish belong the glory of this final range. By a grand concluding spurt they sprang to second place, the brilliant feat being that of Milner. "Unlucky" Milner no longer, but now the "plucky" Milner, the favorite of the crowd, and the envy of his brother riflemen, with a perfect score at 1,000 yards — 15 bulls in fifteen shots. No Irishman or other man could do more. Five hundred and thirty-five as a range total at 1,000 yards was unexceptionable, and to the Irish riflemen must be accorded the honor of the most difficult feat. Two perfect scores had been theirs as individuals, and in their 1,000-yard shooting their average is above all the other teams. The match ended about 6 o'clock, the Scots dragging out their misery to the ut- most ; but fortune had deserted them, and despite Boyd's 71 at the longer range, they had been fairly and finally outshot. A few moments for footing up the result and it was formally announced : America, 3,126; Ireland, 3,104; Scotland, 3,063; Australia, 3,063, and Canada, 2,923. Tlicn broke out the cheers, the multitude crowding up and yelling with a unanimity and vigor calculated to rouse the blood of the most apathetic observer. Hats were waved, cheers were given wildly for everybody and anybody on general principles, and then all set off for the American team tent, a short distance from the gate, where under the Stars and Stripes, waving before the tent door, the American team were shouted for, and finally, mounting a table in full view of the multitude, were shouted at until the speech making began. Major Fulton said on behalf of his fellows thit though the American team had won this match, they had not been permitted to do so without the most strenuous endeavor and by making the best average shooting ever known. Major Leech was up at once, and assured the hearers that it had been the greatest rifle match yet fought, and the only error he could perceive was that the Irish did not occupy first place. He desired to thank all for their courtesy ; the officers and mana- 70 gers for their admirable control ; the police, whose services had been unnecessary, for their good nature — big policemen are always so. [Laughter.] He was reminded to say a few words of Colonel MacDonald and his bravre Scotch laddies, and for him- self and his friend he could say that everythiDg had been satisfactory. Colonel MacDonald, after the cheering had stopped, said: •'! wanted to be first. I wanted tbe Irish to be second. I have only gotten half my wish, and the worst half, too. [Laughter]. I can only say that the exhibition of the scores will justify us in com- ing here, but one of those extraordinary breaks which will occur in rifle shooting have given the final victory to another. I can say that we have put on record the largest score ever made in a single day of forty-five shots per man, and although we are not successful in taking off the trophy and wresting it from our American friends, we can at least cheer them ; and now a hearty " three," and it was given, the herculean Scotch captain waving his bonnet high in air as he led the cheers. Mr. Morris, for the Australians, protested against being considered a foreigner, and expressed his thanks for courtesies shown. Major O'Reilly, for the Canadians, said that as his team had scored the lowest it should say the least, and he sat down with thanks. Major Leech was up with a cry for all Irishmen to join ia three cheers for the Americans. They were given, but the Major wanted full honor and shouted, "Haven't ye met the tiger ; give it !" and a hearty t-i-g-e-r rolled out. Then there were shouts for Milner, and he was hoisted upon the table platform. "I'd like to tell ye," said he, "the way I made that big score;" [Cheers] " but I can't" [laughter], and the tooting of the railroad whistle called all off to a ride to the city, and fifteen or twenty thousand people were bowled into town at all hours of the night as the railroad could accommodate them. Compared with previous competitions of a similar sort, the match lacked not a single item of interest or importance. There was the same glorious days of balmy summer weather as favored the previous matches at Dollymount and Creedmoor, a trifle hot perhaps, but just the sort of a day to draw out a gr^at company of picnic- kers and excursionists. There was no walk-over for any of the team-men, and up to the firing and signaling of the final shot it would have been an open question as to the possible victory of any of the teams. There were plenty present to express their confidence in this or that squad ; but, looked at from a technical point of view and on the record of the teams alone, it would have required a nice discrimination to point the difference between the three leading teams. Really the match was but a pair of practice days before the targets, with perhaps exciting and disturbing causes in the crowds present and the knowledge that the last day's results were final and con- clusive. The pressure was no small thing to be placed upon a marksman, and the strain upon the nerves in fighting throagh a two days' bout was something of which the in- experienced can form but a little idea. Where the variation of a hundredth of an inch measures the difference between victory and defeat it needs nerves of no com- mon tension and training to hold true and unwavering when the shouts of thousands follow each and every shot. Besides being the perfectly tempered machine which every successful rifleman must be, he must be thoroughly posted as well not only on a thousand minor details which any person can master, but must possess in addition an experience which will enable him to read the wind at any moment without break or blunder. All these qualifications did the majority of the experts possess who for two days held the attention of the country, besides calling out a vast amount of in- terest in other lands from which delegations and teams have been sent. Far the third time^ too, when pitted against the picked shots of Great Britain in international contest, the American riflemen have proved their ability to more than cope with their rivals, and the dramatic close of the two-day match at Creedmoor in the presence of a great crowd gave opportunity for another scream to the American bird. Right heartily did the Americans there assembled yell and cheer in enthusi- astic delight at the termination of the battle with the laurels on their side. 71 One must hear thousands of people brim full of enthusiasm cheer with all their might, and one must see them hug one another and throw up their hats before lie can form any conception of the scene which followed the announcement of the vic- tory of the American leam. Lines were broken down, and the people invaded the places that all day had been occupied only by the teams. The victors were cheered again and again, as were also the gentlemen of the other teams. Gen. Woodward, as executive officer, announced to the teams that their presence was requested at the American tent tohear the official announcement of the score ; of course resulting in a jam at the tent. A space about twenty feet square was cleared at the entrance, and in the centre a platform was hastily formed of boards. Here the people ruled absolutely. Their first whim was to have all the members of the American team mount the platfoim, and they clamored until their wish was gratified and they had cheered the victors to their hearts' content. The full scores of the second day of the match stood : AMERICAN TEAM. Ransom Rathbone, Remington Creedmoor Rifle. Tarda. Score. Totals. 800. ...6 4555533555555 0....65 900. ...5 5545 5 4545 5 555 5. ...72 lyO00....3 5445554535445 5.... 66— 203 I ol. H. A. Gilder=>leeve, Sharps Creed. Rifle. Sno ...5 5 5 4 4 4 5 3 4 5 5 5 5 5 4.... 68 900.. ..4 5 424454535445 3. ...61 1,000.... 4 5355555555455 5.... 71— 200 Col. John Bodine, Remington Creedmoor Rifle. 800. ...4 544345545 5 544 4. ...65 900. ...3 5455555455355 5. ...69 1,000. ...2 5535555354505 5.... 62— 196 Lieut.-Col. W. B. Farwell, Remington. 800. ...4 5455335545555 5... 68 9U0....4 4530534455525 5... 59 1,000. ...4 4455554444555 5.. ..68— 195 Lawrence Weber, Remington Creedmoor Rifle. Yards. Score. Totals. 800 ...4 5 2 5 5 3 5 5 5 5 5 5 3 5 5....67 900. ...3 5555454 R4 5535 4. ...61 1,000,... 4 5355535545335 5.... 65— 193 Isaac L. Allen, Remington Creedmoor Rifle. 800. ...0 235 5 555555550 5. ...60 900..., 5 5535544255555 R... 63 1,000 ...535*3555535355 5, ...65— 188 Gen. T. S. Dakin, Remington. 800,... 5 4045553555555 5. ..66 900. ...4 5445555544553 5. ...68 1,000.... 3 3044535555430 5.... 54— 188 Major Henry Fulton, Remington. 800. ,..3 5354554554553 5, ...66 900. ...5 53 2 543 3 545553 5. ...62 1,0U0....5 3505355555435 0... .58— 186 Team aggregate. 1,549 IRISH TEAM. Lieut. George Fenton, Rigby Rifle. Yards. Score. Totals. «00....5 5535555532555 5. ...68 900. ..,3 5545445435552 3. ,.,62 1,000. ...5 3455554554455 5... .69-199 J. K. Milner, Rigby Rifle. 800. ...3 53444535455435, ..,62 900.. .,2 45 5 455 5 545445 2 61 1,000... 55555555555555 5....75- Henry Dyas, Rigby Rifle. 800 .. 3 4 4 5 4 5 5 3 5 4 5 5 2 5 4..., 63 900... 5 5554555 3 55032 5. .,.62 1,000. ..5 5555555435555 4.,.. 71— 196 William Riuby, Rigby Rifle. 800. ...3 3545535444 3 55 4.. ..62 900. ...3 4335 5 3 4545544 5. ,,,62 .3 5554534544555 5..., 67— 191 ■198 1,000. Yard. 8u0.. 900.. 1,000,. 800,, 900.. 1,00 J. 800.. 900.. 1,000., 800.. 900.. 1,000., Edmund Johnson, Rigby Rifle. Score. .3 5554535424443 5... ,5 5554524235544 4... ,5 5444454554545 4.. W. R. Joynt, Rigby Rifle. .3 5535 5 25554555 2... .3 5453543445544 4... .5 4354345553 5 34 4... Lieut. A. Ward, Rigby Rifle, .54435554553555 3... ■332243555444532,,. ,5 3555345345 3 55 5,,, W. G. D, Goff, Rigbv Rifle. .3 32333334455 5 5 5... .3 3344535554543 4.,, .3 5444353444435 4... Totals. .61 .62 ,67—190 ,64v ,62 .62- 66 .54 ,65- ■188 -18J ,56 ,60 .59-175 Team aggregate 1,522 AUSTRALIAN TEAM. J. J. Slade, Rigby Rifle. Yards. Score. Totals. 800. ...3 5555555544545 5, ...70 9I0....5 4443555454554 4. ,..6(5 1,000,... 3 5355555455545 5, ...69— 205 Sergeant D. Gee, Rigby Rifle. 800. ...5 5453555555555 5... 72 900,.., 2 4 2 5 5 5 4 5 4 5 5 5 4 5 2,,.. 62 1,000. ...0 4553535534555 5..., 62— 196 Capt. H. J. King, Rigby Rifle. 800. ...5 4543 5 55545455 4, ..,68 900.. ..4 43354545454 3 4 4.. ..61 1,000. ...4 3545544545355 0... .61— 190 Capt. J. McG. Smith, Rigby Rifle. 800 ...4 5323555555234 3. ...59 900, ...565454555 3 54435. .67 1,000. ...4 5545354434553 4.. ,.63— 189 Team aggregate Yards, 800 . 900.. 1,000.. 800.. 900.. 1,000.. 800.. 9 0.. 1,000., sno.. 9 Id.. 1,000.. Lieut. T. T. Draper, Rigby Rifle Score. ..3 354455454344 3 5... .,5 42534535453435 . .,4 3554454545554 5... J. S. Lynch, Rigby Rifle. ..5 4255355504553 5. ..3 2554555525255 4. ..4 4535 2 454454555 .. Major J. T. Sleep, Rigby Rifle. ..5 2 3 2555455455 5 4... ..0 4445354255555 4... ..2 4543553554355 3... Capt. B. J. Wardill, Rigby Rifle ..3 35455 5 5534555 5... .,350243524544555... ..3 3543345324444 3.. Totals. ..61 ..60 ..67—188 ..61 ..62 ..64—187 64 ,00 ,61—185 .67 .56 . 51—177 1,517 73 SCOTCH TEAJkl. Martin Boyd, Ingram Rifle. Yards. Score. Totals. 800.... 5 4. 3 55443554545 5.. ..66 900.. ..3 3255345454255 4. ...69 1,000.... 5 5545555555345 5.... 71— 196 Wm. Thorburn, Metford Rifle. 800.... 5 5555545555455 5. ...73 900. ...5 4535345523454 0....57 1,000.... 3 5445355543553 5.... 64— 194 Wm. Clark, Henry Kifle. 800. ...4 535555354553 5 5... .67 900. ...3 5443433453555 5.. ..61 1,000 ...3 4434353555563 5. ...62—190 R, MuVittie, Ingram Kifle. 800. ...5 3445545450443 6. ...60 900.... 5 435583.=? 343555 5... 61 1,000. ...3 4434353555553 5....62— 1S3 Yards. 800., 9(0.. 1,000.. 800.. 900.. 1,000.. 800.. 900.. 1,000.. 800.. 900.. 1,000.. D. Fraeer, Henry Rifle. Scores. Totals. ..5 4545665455544 5.. ..70 ..2 5 5 4 4 2 5 3 3 5 2 5 4 5 5.... 59 ..2 3344055324545 5....51— 18o Peter Rae, Ingram Kifle. ..4 5445305544553 5. ...61 ..3 4443555543335 5. ...61 ..3 4535454533353 5.... 60-182 Tliomas Wliitelaw, Ingram Rifle. ..4 4545554462445 5. ...65 ..3 4254544354443 3. ...57 ..4 4534334544453 5.... 60— 182 Dr. J. Mitchell, Metford Rifle. .3 5453354654543 5. ...63 ..0 4034355533045 ,.5 5044555345354 3. ...47 ...57—167 Team aggregate .* 1,477 CANADIAN TEAM. L'eut. J. Adam. Rigby Rifle. Yards. Score. Totals- 800 4 5545654445445 3....6ti 900.. ..3 353 5 4 555242^ 5 4.. ..60 1,000. ...5 5453253454455 5 64—190 Major W. H. Cotton, Metford Rifle. 800 9o0 1,000 .5 4455535355444 5. ...63 43235454345553 5. ...60 .4 5553430435545 5. ...60— 186 A. Bell, Metford Rifle. 800.. ..5 5455534453345 3. ...63 300. ...5 5453042445654 2. ...57 1,000.... 3 46445545545244... 63—183 Major J. M. Gibson, Metford Rifle. 80>....5 453545555 5 355 5. ...69 900.... 4 24B53555325335....54 1,000.. ..2 5 43655425353 4 5....60— 1S3 G. Murison, Metford Rifle. Yards Score. Totals- 600.. ..3 25 5 4225525545 4. ...58 900. ...5 554355355345 5 3. ...65 1,000.... 5 3444543034555 5. ...59— 182 Captain J. J. Mason, Metford Rifle. 800. ...4 4535054456542 5. ...60 900. ...5 5565524 24455 3. ...59 1,000.... 3 5545554435053 5.... 61— 180 William Cruit, Metford Rifle. 800... 33353545255332 4,. 900. ...3 3435335354354 4.. 1,000.,.. 5 5334443302546 4.. George Dislier, Metford Rifle. S00....3 4434453334534 3.. 900,... 2 444n3345235 2 2 5,. 1,000,... 5 5 2 02445444535 3.. .55 .67 .54—166 Team aggregate 1,433 iammary Sec. Day. 800 yds. f AMERICA 525 I IRELAND 502 -^ AU-TRALIA. fS23 SCOTLAND 525 LCAISIADA 492 900 yds. 1,000 yds. Total 815 509 1,519 485 435 1,5^2 494 501 1,517 462 490 1,477 4(55 476 1,433 Showing the result by range aggregates for the two days, it will be noted that at the 1,000 yards firing the Irish stand well above the other teams, while at the other ranges the Americans held a safe lead. The result, looked at in this way, is sug- gestive, and will lead the uninitiated to wonder why, if they can accomplish the pre- sumably more difficult feat of 1,000 yards' shooting, the Irish should not lead as well at 800 and 900 yards. 800 y'ds. American team 1,1T5 Irish ■. l.o:^7 Scotch 1,060 A ustralian 1 ,' 53 CauaUiau 1,013 900 y'ds. 1,000 yds. Total. 1,038 1,01S .%126 1,009 1,058 8,1 4 J90 1,113 8,063 1,018 991 8,06 i 941 969 8,923 In individual totals Milner's is the best in the field — 402 for the two days. Rath- bone made an equal total, but at 1,000 yards the American champion's aggregate was 129 against 146 made by Milner, At 90 ) yards Ratlibone took first place with 188 points, while at 800 yards, leading totals were by Gildersleeve and Farwell, of the Americans ; Thorburn ot the Scots, and Wardill, of the Australians, 138 points each. 73 Four of the eight contestants in the match of 1876 were gentlemen who had not figured as principals in the matches of the two preceding years. First of these new comers stands : Isaac Le Roy Allen is one of the team *' boys," and, with Jewell, manages to make things lively about his tar- get. He is a New Yorker by birth, and is about ' thirty-five years old. He is engaged with his brothers in the rope manufacturing trade in this city, and turns to shooang as a means of passing spare hours, and getting invigorating and pleasant field sport. He is slight of figure, but seemingly tough, always cool, and with a good, keen, blue eye. Since his first appearance on the range he has advanced rapidly to the first place, and his place on the team of 1876 he owes entirely to his good scoring under the excellent coaching of his friend Blydenburgh. He shoots a Remington rifle, and in position lies partly upon his side, the heel pressed into his right arm- ]Dit, and the left hand grasping the barrel ISAAC L. ALLEN. Lawrence "Weber is another of that class who come properly under the head of "gentlemen marksmen," un- connected with the militia or with the gun interest. Mr. Weber, like Messrs. Allen and Rathbone, spends his time on the rifle field merely as a means of physical recuperation and relief from the tedium and strain of sedentary business pursuits in town Capt. Weber is a native of Buffalo, N . Y., and has turned forty years of life. He chose the lake, and sub- sequently the sea, and for a number of years was one of those who "went down in ships." After a very suc- cessful sea-faring fife he established himself in New York as a special agent of the Inland Marine Depart- ment of the ^tna Insurance Com- pany of Hartford, Conn. He has done well on the ranges, uses the back position, and is always counted on for a place in the first half dozen iu any match in which he appears. LAWRENCE WEBER. 74 E. BATHBONE- Ramson Rathbone, the *' ancient'' of the team, born in Salem, New London County, Conn., in 1821, and remained there a farmer lad until his eighteenth year, banging away with shot-gun and rifle at large and small game, and getting the love of powder burning thoroughly into his system. As a tanner and leather merchant lie passed thirty years or more, securing a competency, and rejoicing, like all his countrymen, over the promised success of the team in Ireland, and it is told, and Mr. Rathbone does not deny the story, that at a dinner party one day, Mr. Rathbone, being pres- ent, expressed his opinion that there were thousands of Americans who could, with six months practice, pro- duce equal results as those shown by the chosen team. At this time (July, 1875), Mr. Rathbone bought a Rem- ington rifle, and in the September following not only proved his words but excelled many who were the subject of the dinner enthusiasm. With the weight of fifty-five summers he bears up his height of five feet eleven inches with a good amount of elasticity, his step is rapid and in keeping with his spare and wiry figure. In shooting he uses the Fulton position. Lieut. -Col. Willard B. Farwell is a Massachusetts man, and is forty- four years of age. He was one of the early pioneers to California, after the discovery of gold there, and was largely identified with the early his- tory of San Francisco. He was for many years connected with the daily press of San Francisco. In 1854 he was elected to the California Legis- lature, and in 1855 was the nominee of the Whigs for the State Senate. He was chief editor of the Daily Alta, California, for several years, and was appointed Naval Officer of the port of San Francisco by Mr. Lincoln, and acted for a time as Collector also. He was elected Presi- dent of the Society of California Pio- neers in 18G3. At the expiration of . his term of office in the Customs he was appointed by Secretary of the Treasury INIcCulloch, Resident Agent WILLARD B. FARWELL. of the Treasury Department in 75 Europe, where he remained until 1870, resigning the position in May of that year. Colonel Farwell is now engaged in bringing out a new Mitrailleuse of his own in- vention. Colonel Farwell dui*ing his stay in New York was appointed Division In- spector of Rifle Practice on the staff of General Shaler, N. G. of the State of New York. As a shooter he has shown some verj'' brilliant scores. In October, 1875, he put in twenty consecutive bull's-eyes at 800 yards, and then stopped for lack of time without getting out of the bull's-eye. The target showing is as follows : He shoots in a side-lying position, with rifle heel pushed into the right arm pit, and the barrel lying over the left thigh, the left hand grasping the barrel firmly. The superb trophy offered to the riflemen of the world by the riflemen of America is, as may be seen from the cut facing page 57, perfectly unique in design. The ban. ner is always an emblem of war, while in peace it has a festal and triumphant char- acter, and yet as a trophy it has been seldom used. The peculiarity of this grand emblematic production is not, however, confined to its form, but involves a novel use of the metals of which it is composed. Gold or silver is the usual fabric in which complimentary articles are worked, not only for intrinsic value, but for their ductility in the hands of the artist, and for the richness of the effects, brought out by the colors and contrasts in the treatment of the surfaces. Messrs. Tiffany & Co., whose renowned ateliers have sent out so much of our best work in precious metals, had charge of the Centennial Riflemen's Trophy, and to the inventive taste of their artists this bold and striking design is due. In this case, however, they have seen fit to depart from the accepted usage in employing gold and silver exclusively, and have boldly followed the example of the famous artists in metals of the rennaissance per. iod, imitated satisfactorily by some of our best modern artists, who have worked iron very successfully, and with great delicacy and clearness of idea and outline. The use of all the metais in the one subject is, however, so far as we know^ quite new. ^ The trophy is about seven and a half feet high, and is wrought of iron, inlaid with gold, silver and copper. The idea is: The legionary standard under which the Romans subdued the whole world. Such banners may be seen depicted in the tri- umphant procession of Maximilian, drawn by Albert Durer. The staff is of plain burnished iron, with fillets of polished copper, surmounted by a sculptured copper eagle with raised wings. In the eagle's claws is held the f ulmen, indicative of power, and from thence barbed shafts of lightning are wrought in silvc*. Beneath this, on an oblong plate (in lieu of the S. P. Q. R. upon the Roman banners), is the Latin word"Palma," signifying prominence, valor and victory; over it is a silver laurel wreath. A fasces of copper is attached to the plate by two strong links, and from it hangs the field of the banner, which is enriched with a delicate scroll work of gold inlaid in the iron, and across the surface is the legend : • In the Name of the United States of America to the Riflemen of the Woeld, in silver incrustation. At the bottom of the field is a frieze of inlaid mosiac gold fringe. A chain, fastened at either end of the fasces, falls in a semi circle across the iron field, and attached to it at intervals are nine smnll laurel wreaths of silver, in- closing each a plate of copper in which the dates from 1876 to 1884 are incrusted. The whole trophy stands over eight feet high. '^'C THE IRISH-AMERICAN MATCH— CREEDMOOR— 1876. Industry and time their work have Avrought, And honor crowns the skill that labor taught. When the coming over of the Irish riflemen to participate in the American Centen- nial match was determined upon by the Irish Rifle Association, it was the most natu- ral thing in the world that they should seize the opportunity for another of those bouts with the American riflemen, as represented in the Amateur Rifle Club of New York, which had been as enjoyable and interesting at Creedmoor and Dolloy mount in 1874 and '75. The Irish were very anxious to win in the last contest, in fact they made no scruple of saying that they set more value on a victory here than in the greater Centennial match, and now when they had won second place in the big com- petition, they were more anxious to step to the very front by whipping the victors. The match had been arranged for the acceptance of a challenge sent by Mr. H. H. Foster, Honorable Secretary of the Irish Rifle Association, several months previous to the date of the match. The conditions were precisely as in the previous matches, except that the one of 1876 was to be fought on the new targets, and was to be, as that of 1875, for honor alone, no stakes being required. Major Leech had the choice of the numbers in the team, and chose six, dropping from his Centennial team Messrs. Ward and Goff, while on the American side Gildersleeve and Bodine stepped out. The match was fixed for Sept. 21, 1876, and on that date the Irish riflemen measured strength with their American friends of the range for the fourth time, and for the fourth time found themselves overmatched, outshot and fairly beaten. There was no *• fluke," and the success was entirely a matter of superior skill. The victory was won, too, by a team that did not embrace thevery flower of American small-bore skill, and while not exactly a j unior team, was not such a one as would have taken the field had the grand international trophy been the prize striven for by the six. In the two previous years of this match the beaten team was, in the opinion of all, handled in anything but a skilful manner, but in the present year the care of Major Leech in looking after his men, preventing any undue indulgence in any direction, and keep- ing a sharp eye against any of those thousand and one little things which make the difference twixt bull's-eye or miss, was noted by all. The selection of the. Garden City Hotel as the headquarters for the Irish party, was made entirely with reference to the wants of the team. In place of the slipshod individual styles of carrying on the shooting, the Irish team had a system second in no outward aspect to that which had been so thoroughly and successfully developed in the former American mitches. All this preparation and precaution, while making the Irish team a more united bod} , had also the effect of increasing their self-confidence. That the Irish team was 10 suffer a third defeat was never once suspected by its members or captain. *' Why, we could make a score to-day tin-owing stones at the target," said the Major on the morning of the match. The day was fully as much an Irish as an American day, rather such a one as the Irish ranges would experience than any seen at Creedmoor. It was cold, and ex- cept that the excitement of the conflict made the spectator more or less oblivious of it, a decidedly unpleasant day for a sedentary out-door employment. The wind was gusty, never dying away to a calm, nor, on the other hand, rising to very vigorous blasts, but its direction made careful watching an imperative duty. Throughout the match the pointer on the wind dial on the range pointed to 1 o'clock or there- abouts. Once or twice it veered up to 13 o'clock, and constantly showed a tendency 77 to slip down to S o'clock. The early hours of the match reminded many present of the day a year or more ago on the Dollynount sands. Then, as now, the day opened cold and threatening, with promises of rain, but ere many shots had been fired the sun shone out with vigor and brightness. But the sunlight was not of much moment. For a while, at 900 yards, the temporary awnings under which the riflemen sat in loading and cleaning, were a pleasant addition to the Tange fittings, but during the greater portion of the day they were more ornamental than useful, and at the 1,000 yards range were not even erected. The choice of targets was by lot. It had been intended by the Range Committee to have the firing along the right flank of the range. This did not suit the Irish captain, who was afraid to trust his adversaries on the extreme right pair of targets, on which they had won the international match a few days before. The line of flags down the edge of the range, while readily observed in their every variation by the flank squad, were not so easily noted by the teams occupying targets furcher to the middle of the range. The line of tar- gets was labelled H, K, W, A, X, I, II, III, IV, V, YI, and in place of using III and IV for the one team and X and I for the other, with II vacant, Major Leech pro- posed that K and W, with X and I, should be the targets of the day, with A as the intervening blank. This was at once agreed to, and the right-hand pair, X and I- fell to the American Captain. The ropes were now stretched to keep back the im, patient crowd who were on the groucd by the early trains in good numbers. The police were there also doing good service in preserving an ample open working space at the rear of the firing points, and the pompous policeman was there too who at cV3ry faint manifestation of applause on the part of the spectators, shouted out in stentorian voice and questionable grammar, *' Don't make no expression of feeling ; ye'll disturb the shooters," making, in his own efforts for order, more disorder than the whole crowd. Among the prominent persons on the ground were the majority of the oflicers of the National Rifle Association, many members of out- of town clubs, and representatives of the visiting teams. Colonel MacDonald, the captain of the recently defeated Scotch team, was at the firing point throughout the day, acting as the representative of Major Leech at the American side of the field, and keeping not only a sharp eye through a telescope on the American targets, but taking observa- tions as well on the American system of dSag things. Captain Thorburn, also of the Scotch team, was out, and did duty as referee for the Irish team in the butts, seeing that no inaccurate marking was done. Major Leech and Colonel Mitchell, before the opening of the match, decided upon (jeneral Shaler as referee for the two teams in case of any dispute, but throughout the day there was not a single call for the ex- ercise of his function. The squads were small, but three on a target, and it was not many moments after the warning cannon had boomed before the sharp crack of the rifle and the whiz of the bullet down the range told that the conflict was on. At 10:50 the flrst cannon sounded, and for a few moments those who were to figure as con':e?tants were busily engaged warming up their rifles by firing into the ground, adjusting the sights, con- ferring with other experts (for the day, filling the place of " coaches " on points of wind) and generally getting ready. The Irish riflemen gave themselves plenty of working room, the captain sitting back a few yards among the ladies of the party who came down to see their countrymen and champions labor. The Americans, as on former occasions, had no lack of counsellors. " Old Reliable " was there, and Yale with Blydenburgh and Bruce, of the reserves. At 11 o'clock sharp the second cannon warned the loitering markers from their loafing places on the bank before the targfts down into the butts, the traps were shut and all was ready for the first shot. The distribution on the targets determined the order of shooting. On target K of the Irish, Rigby fired first, followed by Johnson and Joynt. On the adjoining tar get. W, the order was Fenton, Dyas and Milner. The inner American target X had Dakin, Weber and Allen, and for the far-off target, I, the men were Farwell, Rath- 78 bone and Fulton. In this order the men fired, each rising mentioning points of wind and elevation, and, in short, passing on ths experience of his last shot to the next comer. The first shot blazed out from firing-point I, Farwell sending down a bullet into a very good bull's-eye, bringing up the white disc and a slight round of applause. Rathbone followed quickly in another bull's-eye, and by this time the Irish battery- had begun to play, liigby, the first to fire, getting also a bull's-eye. The opening was fine all along the line, Allen, of the Americans, and Joynt, of the Irish- men, a pair of the younger marksmen, being the only men to open with inners. The first round was quickly fired, and more quickly the total was struck by a hundred ready-reckoners, and the result — Irish, 27 ; Americans, 25 — told the beginning of a lead which many hoped would be extended far enough to give the Irish an emphatic victory. As a matter of fact it would not be far wrong to say that a majority of those present were interested in a success for the visitors. There was no lack of in- terested friends watching their every movement, giving a long, jubilant murmur when the bull's-eye of either target K or W was obscured by the marking disc, and ready with a sympathetic O ! when a "duck's-egg" was entered on the bulletins.- The slight lead the Irish had obtained with the first round was swept away with the second, and the lead was with the Americans ; on the third round a tie, and then a few points ahead to cheer the Americans' backers ; then at the sixth round an en- couraging tie, but with the seventh round came the beginning of a lead which, with ups and downs, was carried through the remainder of the day to the American vic- tory at the end. Of the ninety American shots fired at this range sixty were upon the bull's-eyes, twenty-two were " nippers" on the central space, seven inners, not a one on outer, and but one miss. The Irish firing was more scattered, though not off the target. The closing round at the 800 yards' stage was a disastrous one for the Irishmen. An outer and a couple of inners pulled them down until Ji lead of fifteen points was left their opponents. "Wait a bit," said their friends; "they pulled up twenty-two points at a thousand the other day," and the crowd went off to struggle for sandwiches and beer about the eating booths. Promptly by 2 o'clock the marksmen were back to the firing-points ready for the reopn ning of hostilities. The leading off was as before, the Americans in particular getting a good send-off, their lead rising t# eighteen points. But the battle was not yet over, and among the shooting men not a fraction of a chance was overlooked. The hot sun coming out for a time seemed to help the Americans, the mirage at this time of the day being very strong, though the Irishmen, firing from higher parts of ground, suffered least. In the American squad mioses began to appear more frequent- ly, Fulton getting one, in addition to a earless outer. To the general crowd the result was now looked upon as a foregone conclusion, but not so the American riflemen, who knew from old experience the inconvenient knack the Irishmen had of closing up on the 1.000 yards, the " horaestretch " of the race ; accordingly all due care was taken with the opening shots after the 1,000-yards' point had been reached. The Iri^ii were now in good <^rim, with the dull afternoon light in every way familiar lo their eyes, an inducement as much as any riflemen could need to spur them to the best efforts'. But two outers and two misses were not so favorable, these two last omissions were toward the close of the day's work, by Milner and Dyas, complete surprises to both, but no doubt due to want of care in coming down in the elevations as the shades of evening drew on. But on the American targets the 1,000-yard range was a scene of high excitement, not uproarious, but none the less (hep and earnest. The open- ing was tine, and every one was anticipating an easy victory. When Farwell on his second shot got a miss, this was a surprise and made the other team men the more careful that the loss might be retrieved, and with the lead on their side no serious apprehension was felt, but his third shot was likewise a miss. Extra precaution in cleaning and aiming his next round brought up the old famiMar bull's-eye disc ; next came a series of ups and downs— an outer, followed by two 79 misses, this again by two bull's-eyes, and then again by two other misses. Then Weber aided the confusion by kicking up dust with a ricochet-shot. Matters were becoming critical. The other team men fired on with no abatement of their own effort, but the whispered warning and intelligence, "His gun is leading bad," was like the half-uttered information, " We've sprung a leak " between decks on an emi- grant ship . To have a gun leaded meant wild shooting, to fire with such an arm was lottery of the most risky sort, and no matter how skilful the marksman, the use of a leaded gun was little better than no weapon at all. Farwell seemed to strive with his favorite rifle and cleaned it out, rubbing with desperate energy ; but the next shot brought no answermg disc, and when the twelfth round had been fired and the Irish had crept up to within four points of his squad, he was compelled by the advice of his fellow shooters to abandon his piece and accept one of a dozen offered weapons. It did not take long for Mr. C. E. Blydenburgh to fetch out his weapon, an exact duplicate of Colonel Farwell's. The first shot with it was an inner, next a centre and the third a bull's-eye on the wrong target. Nevertheless, Rathbone and Fulton following on with a bull's-eye each, gave the victory to the Americans, and the fight was over. When the two misses on the Irish target came, a good minority of the crowd breathed easier ; and the snatching of victory, when every- thing appeared to be pushed toward the down hill of defeat, had so wrought up the crowd that little spirit was left for cheering. It was Farwell's last team shoot ; his brilliant record had been dimmed, and he left the ranges probably never to take part in another battle as a repre3entative American rifleman. The following is the complete score : AMERICAN SCORE. General T. S. DaTcin— Remington Rifle. Yards. Scores. Totals. 800. ...4 44565555555455 ....71 900. ...5 5554543444545 5. ...67 1,000. ...5 5 5 555355Sr55545.. . .70-208 Ransom Ratlibone— Remington Rifle. 800.... 5 54534555554454. ...68 900.... 4 55554545555534 69 1,000. ...444355354555555.... 67—204 Isaac L. Allen— Remington Rifle. 800. ...3 5554 5 5555 3 5355. ...68 900. ...4 05454334553554 ....59 1,000.. ..5 5454555555545 5. ...72— 199 L. Weber— Remington Rifle. Yards. Scores. Totals 8(0.... 4 3 3 4 5 5 4 5 5 5 5 3 5 5 5 ....66 900.... 5 553455 3 4555545. ...68 1,000. ...5 35545555044455 ...64-198 Major Henry Fulton— Remington Rifle. 800. .. .4 4 5 5 5 4 5 5 4 5 5 4 5 5 5 ... .70 900.... 3 5605 3. 345454233. ...54 1,000,... 4 344545535555 5 5.... 67— 191 Lieut.-Col. W. B. Farwell— Remington Rifle. 800. ...554550554455545. ...66 900. ...5 5545 5 4 5453555 4. ...69 1,000... 30053200550034 0.... 30— 165 Team aggregate 1,165 IRISH SCORE. Yards. 800. 900.. 1.000.. 800.. 900.. 1,000.. 800.. 900.. 1,000.. Joshua K. Milner— Rigby Rifle. 54455554 3 54554... 54555455455555... 55455455555035... Henry Dyas— Rigby Rifle. 44353454555555... 5454455523 5 345... 55555355555550... William Rigby— Kigby Kifle. .5 3 55534554 5 5555... ,3 52545543534553... .4 3 55 55355553555. ,, Totals. 68 .72 .66—206 ,66 .64 .68—193 .69 .61 67—197 Lieut. George Fenton— Rigby Rifle. Yards. Scores. Totals. 800.... 5 43544555454553. ...66 9U0... .444334245535554. ...59 1,000.... 3 4554454554443 5.... 64— 189 Edmund Johnson— Rigby Rifle. 800.... 5 55455545 5 43252. ..,64 900. ...3 56 2 5 45334 3 3435 ....57 1,000. ...3 54434545355553 ....63—184 W. R. Joynt— Rigby Rifle. 800.... 3 25455455354533. ...61 900... 455353255434404. ...56 1,000. ...5 5625425344554 5. ...63— 180 Team aggregate 1,154 It is somewhat curious as showing the close matching of the men that on the three days' shooting the aggregate of these six riflemen should exactly tie, as follows : Range. Sept. 13. 800 407 900 397 1,000 392 Aggregate.. 1196 —Irish team. — Sept. Sept. 14. 380 371 411 1162 21. 394 869 391 1154 Total. I Range. 1,181 800.... 1,137 900 ... . 1,194 ! 1,000.... I 3,512; Aggregate.. 1194 Sept. — American team. — Sept. Sept. Total. 13. 14. 21. 411 392 409 1,212 392 385 386 1,163 391 376 370 1,137 1153 1165 3,512 80 LONG-RANGE RIFLE SHOOTING. Few who have not been especially called to acquaint themselves with the details have a very clear idea of this long-range practice. The distances are 800, 900 and 1,000 yards, or 2,400, 2,700 and 3,000 feet. Two of the three distances thus exceed a half mile. From City Hall to Canal street is put down at half a mile, 'or, taking an up-town measurement, one of t^e team men stationed on Fifth avenue, at Delmonico's old quarters, would fire up the avenue to a target placed at or above his new one. The bull's-eye of the target, though three feet in diameter, at this distance is only a black dot. Fig. 1. at a distance of twenty-five feet shows the exact size of the target to the marksman at 1,000 yards. r Fig. 1. Of course, the interior division lines disappear from view ; a black dot upon a white face is all that remains to the unassisted eye. With the keen eye and steady holding power of a good rifle shot he is not able merely to distinguish the bull's-eye as a whole, but can discriminate between a shot near the edge of the bull and a more central one, or " carton " hit, as it is called. He will work his way by almost infinitesimal variations in his manipulation of the piece down to the very centre of the black central spot. Nor are these disturbing conditions of wind and light against which the riflemen contend fixed at all. A rifleman can seldom depend from one day to another upon the same conditions for his shooting. All other things being equal, a cloudy, moist, warm day requires the lowest elevation ; and a hot, bright day, or a very cold, bright day, the highest elevation. In the first instance there is no mirage, the eye is comfortable and lubri- cation of the piece is freer ; on the hot day the mirage is constant, and the powder scum packs in the barrel, causing friction and often the "leadiqg" of the barrel from the bullet. A heavy mist frequently rises, obscuring the target. The mirage seems to be the obstacle most diflicult to overcome, and no scientific ruk'S have yet been discovered in regard to it which can be depended upon. The bull's eye ap- pears to sink as the mirage increases, and to rise as it diminishes, and the nearer the line of sight i-s to the ground the more dense the mirage. Men with gray or blue eyes make better marksmen than those with dark eyes. All of the members of the American Teams have been light eyed men. It is as- serted, with great show of truth, that no marksman of prominence has had black eyes. It often occurs on days when clouds are fleeting across the range that as the marksman is about to fire after securing his aim, the bull's-eye disappears from "witlvn range of the sight, notwithstanding the fact that he is holding the ritle with perfect steadiness. The gray light of a rainy day is preferable to bright sunlight. The latter calls for almost constant and sometimes radical changes in elevation, while an entire score may be fired without changing the elevation when the sun is obscured. 81 In the foreign muzzle-loa'lers, as in our own breech-loaders, the appliances for governing and regulating the flight of the bullet are the same, wind gauges, levels, and Vernier sights are upon all. And first, of the rifles used : Those used by the Americans were of .44 calibre, that is with a bore of 44-100 of an inch diameter. The length of barrels may vary an inch or two, ranging from 32 to 36 inches in length. The butt stock is made . with pistol-grip, which enables the piece to be held more firmly, and a flat butt plate, which is easier on the shoulder in the lying-down position. The ammunition is contained in metallic cartridge cases, fitting very closely mto the chamber of the rifle. From 90 to 110 grains of powder are consumed, throwing a carefully avera-ed and patched hardened bullet of about 550 grains weight. The bullet and powder charges are each accurately weighed, as upon the exact equality of the ammunition charges in each case the uniformity of the firing will depend. 83 In the breech-loading rifles an important point is the breech-action or device for opening and closing the rear end of the barrel. In the Sharps rifle a sliding breech- block is employed, the trigger guard acting as a lever to depress the breech-block at right angles to the axis of the bore. Fig. 5 — Sharps Rifle Breech-Action. 83 The sights, which the riflemen so carefully manipulate during the shooting, de- serve special attention. On the back of the rifle, nearest to the eye, is the rear sight. This is a round blackened disc, having an aperture of one-fortieth of an inch — about the size of the head of a pin. This moves up and down with a Vernier scale mark- ing lOOths of an inch. Each minute in this rear sight, when moved up or down, elevates or depresses the ball 1 inch in 100 yards. A mistake, then, of five minutes or 5-lOOths of an inch, makes, at 1,000 yards, a difference of 4 feet 3 inches, and when the rifle is aimed at a centre, with this error, it would throw the ball, the elevation being too great, clear over the target. Fig. T— Face view of rear sight. Pro. 8— Side view of rear sight. This rear sight is for convenience of packing, hinged upon the stock of the barrel, either at ths tang of the frame or upon the heel of the butt, the two positions being shown in Figure 3. The use of one or the other depends upon the posture assumed by the rifleman in firing. For most of the back positions the heel sight is preferred. 84 while for the front lying positions the sight is fixed forward, near the breech-action. In the construction of the front sight it is placed as low down oa the barrel as pos- sible, and the head or whatever particular form of sight may be used is well protected from confusing glare by a long projecting hood. Fig. 9— Front sigbt, showing spirit level. Fig. 10— Front sight, f-howing wind gau^o, As the riflemen at long range always hold " dead on," the allowance for right and left wind is made on the wind gauge, one subdivision corresponds to a shifting of two inches in one hundred yards, or to twenty inches at one thousand yards, and the nice discrimination required to formulate the force of the wind into so many points right or left on the wind gauge, calls for the keenest display of judgment on the part of the riflemen, and it is to cultivate this first sense of wind-judging that the riflemen practice with such tireless energy and persistency. The range work of the experts during the several years of their practice has been of immense service to the makers of guns and in questions of ammunition. It was formerly supposed necessary to use the purest and softest lead that could be obtained for bullets, in order that it might "upset" into and fill the grooves. This is now known to be a mistake, as the bullet will "upset" with the charges of powder now generally used, even if made quite hard, and it is to be found to be a decided advantage to harden lead by the addition of a little tin, say three-quarters of an ounce of tin to a pound of lead. A' hard bullet retains its shape better, is more accurat3 in its flight, and is less apt to lead the gun. Another error, which is not yet entirely given up, is the use of too quick powder. A comparatively slow burning, but scrupulously clean powder is found to show the best results. Questions of trajectory are interesting as well, and upon the path the bullet describes in reaching the target will depend to a great 'extent the amount of disturbance it will experience. If a gun is fired in a perfectly horizontal position the bullet commences to fall as soon as it leaves the muzzle, and after it has been one second in the air it will have fallen 16 9-100 feet ; at the end of two seconds it will have fallen 48 27-100 feet, and at the end of three seconds, 80 45-100 feet. Supposing the bullet to have a menu velocity of 1,000 feet during the first second, 800 feet during the next, and 60O feet during the next, it would have fallen 80 45-100 feetm going 800 yards. To counter- act this falling of the bullet it is necessary to give a variable amount of elevation, depending upon the distance at w^hich the target stands ; and in proportion as the trajectory is flatter by reason of the greater velocity and power of the bullet, will the amount of elevation be less. In hunting, or wherever the distance of the object fired at is unknown, the importance of a flat trajectory is evident, but even where the distance is known it is still important. In addition to the rapid increase of divergence produced by the more acute angle at which the bullet strikes the target the greater velocity a bullet has, and therefore the greater "m 'Wii^n," which varies as the square of the velocity, the less will the bullet be affected by accidental disturbing causes, and the more uniform and regular will be the shooting. The question of position in firing is one which has brought out no small amount of study and care. The old * 'deer-stalking" position, which but a few years ago was the almost universal one, is now as completely abandoned, especially by American riflemen, and of fifty 85 long-range shooters in a Creedmooor match, perhaps one, or possibly two, may be found shooting in the old Bodine position, as shown in Fig. 10. Among the best positions the variety of twists and twines which may be given to the several members of arms and legs and head, make almost as many distinct postures as there are riflemen. A few of these are shown in Figs. 12 to 15. Fig. 15. 86 One of the most familiar of the bacK positions is that known on American ranges as the *' Fulton" position. This is most clearly shown in Fig. 16. Fig. 16. Scientific long-range shooting it will be seen in its intricacy and the complex in- fluences which go to make up the surroundings of a good marksman deserves almost the rank of a fine art. Certainly the man who make s a success of this sport is a genius if we accept Longfellow's diction that " Genius is only the infinite capacity of taking trouble." In addition to all the known positive obstructions to accurate shooting there are plenty of accidental disturbances. If the wind be blowing down the range the bullet is lifted along, and with a flatter trajectory or greater speed would slip over the top of the target. Dovm come the elevations ten, twenty, or thirty inches, and bull's-eyes are made. If the wind is varying each shot must be fired from the lesson of the last and the changes in the meantime. If the wind be blowing up the range the bullets are retarded, and drop to the ground before the target. In the case of a side wind the front sight is moved right or left to throw the muzzle of the rifle against the wind. The grooving of the rifle gives the swift, revolving leaden bolts a natural " drift" to the right. This is a permanent variation, and can be corrected : but the wind rises and fails, and it is no unfrequent thing to have the marksmen using fifteen "points of wind," or in other words, actually pointing the muzzle of the gun twenty-five or more feet away from the bull's-eye. Given a "fish-tail" wind partly up or dovni the range and partly across, and variable in strength as well, and some idea may be gotten of the perplexity which surrounds a good judge o^ wind. Some days the pressure of the air is greater than on others, and this must be allowed for. A hot sun pouring down en a damp range raises a shimmer cf mist which gives the whole target a dancing look, precisely as one would see an object across a room when looking over a hot stove. This is perplexing. The variations of light and shade seem to lift or depress the target centre. Heat and cold affect the gun metal and depress or elevate the flying bullet. But before all those mat- ters are attended to the rifleman must be sure of his weapon, confident in its ac- curacy ; his powder must bo of the same strength each and every day, and from charge to charge the bullets must be without air-holes, without dent or scratch, of the same hardness of metal, and accurately shaped. The rifle must be uniformly clean from shot to shot, and then when the man has mastered all these items and can hold his rifle true to the little bubble at the spirlt-gaugo which rests across the barrel at the front sight, can hold it with a vise-like grasp, can repress for a moment 87 all motion and hold his head steady as a rock and pull off the three-pound resistance of the trigger and care not at ell for the 200-pound kick which the rifle gives— Ihea, if he has not misjudged in any particular, may he hope to see the welcome sinking of the white lid over the black bull's-eye, telling the story of a perfect shot. Apart from the patriotic enthusiasm* aroused by the several long-range matches in which American rifles and riflemen have been successful, there is the gradual solu- tion of the problem of breech vs. muzzle-loading rifles. The use of breech-loaders in England is limited strictly to military weapons, for short and mid-range matches, and it is currently supposed by the majority of the long range experts that fixed am- munition was too unreliable to be used for such a delicate purpose as long-range shooting. The gun makers in England and other foreign countries had vaialy attempted the application of the breech-loading principle to arms of the highest pre- cision. The first establishments in this country to undertake the manufacture of breech-loading, long-range rifles were the Remingtons and Sharps. Their weapons stood the test of experience in the match of 1874, and came out in a manner that showed them to be fully the equals of the Riby rifle at least. The Remington rifle was especially distinguished in this match by the highest score that had ever been made by any rifle in any match at the same distances. This was a crowning triumph for it. American experts, while allowing all that could possibly be conceded to their sys- tem of team discipline, have yet been aware that a certain advantage accrued to the use of the guns themselves from the nature of their construction. This advantage was that they were enabled to use much heavier charges of powder in the course of a match, where wiping out is permitted after every shot, than can practically be used in the muzzle-loader. The reason is simple. While it is perfectly easy to pour any amount of powder into a muzzle-loader, it is far from safe, and the barrel becomes so foul after one or two shots that it is impracticable to clean it sufficiently for accurate shooting during the course of a match. Another objection to the use of heavy charges is, they heat the barrel excessively, and that it has no time to cool. With the breech- loader, on the other hand, when heavy charges are used, the breech-block can be thrown open between shots, and the barrel cools rapidly. It is also easy to shove a wet wad through from the rear, passing out through the muzzle, traveling only one way, when the same wad would inevitably stick fast on its return if it were com- pelled to be pulled back after being thrust forward. Besides, the breech-loader may be inspected by looking through the barrel in a way which cannot fail to detect any imperfection, and thus it is possible to deliver each shot under precisely the same conditions, so far as the weapon is concerned. The Canadians, after their defeat a . Creedmoor by the " babies " of the Amateur Club, expressed themselves as satisfied that their defeat was owing to the guns as much as the men, and emphasized that belief by providing themselves with Ameri- can rifles. The year 1876 saw the first Complete and decisive trial of the two systems without any possibility of a cavil as to the result. An analysis of the scores of the different teams shows this. The foreign teams, without exception, used muzzle-loaders, the names of all the noted makers being represented, and all of the systems in use in the British possessions being fairly tried, and the result was a fair, full triumph of the American breech-loader. 88 THE BRITISH-AMERICAN MATCH— CREEDMOOR- 1877. Still united let us be While we vie in rivalry, Which, with head and heart and hand, Shall honor most his Fatberland. The idea of holding the competitions for the Centennial trophy at yearly intervals, which in the first enthusiasm of preparation was decided upon by the N. R. A., was thought by many as rather too much of a straia upon the efforts of the long-range shooters, and as demanding too much outlay of time, money, and labor, and in a series of suggestions proposed by the several team captains, triennial or biennial matches for the great trophy were urged. With the view of leaving the matter more completely to the option of competitors, the Director of the N. R. A. decided that if in case no entries were made for the match of 1877 on or before the 1st of June of that year the matches should thereafter be biennial in their occurrence. It was within a week of that date, and not a response had yet been received in answer to the invitation of the American riflemen to such as felt inclined to dispute with tbem the honors of the championship, when on the morning of May 29 the riflemen of New York and America were set agog by the receipt of the following : To Col. George S. SchermerJiorn, Secretary If. R. A., 25 Park Row, Neic York: The National Rifle Association will send a United Kingdom team to Creedmoor this year. E. ST. JOHN MILDMAY, Secretary. "We'll beat 'em," was the first general remark on all sides, and at once all was activity and bustle about the quarters of the shooting men. Time was pressing ; barely three months remained in which to give notice to the long-range men of a continent that their badge of honorable championship had been challenged. There was promise of some slight diflficulty in the protest of the Scots against the recog- nition of an Imperial British team, the cautious Highlanders fearing that should this mixed team be lucky or skillful enough to carry away the bauble to England, that the right of a distinctively Scotch team to shoot for it there might be questioned. It is undoubtedly, and always has been, the intention of the donors of the prize to have it competed for by national teams, and not by the narrower limit of politically, national teams, and while in a diplomatic service Ireland and Scotland and the colonies of Great Britain might not demand free and independent representation, it was the intent of the framers of this team competition programme to have such rights accorded them on the rifle field. There arose too a qu?sjion of judAmeut in chosing the team or teams from the British Isles. The N R. A. of Great Britain held, as did many of the English riflemen, that the country could only be properly rep- resented by the choice of the best of the three kingdoms, and this was a perfectly logi- cal outgrowth of their theory of team practice, which is the aggregate result of the in- dividual efforts of a squad of picked riflemen; while others holding that something of aggregate eifort, or in other words, "clanishness," played an important p:irti n this form of rifle shooting, were unwilling to fritter their strength in divided eifort. The one theory was tried by separate teams in 1876, and the Americans were victorious. "Ah I" cried the Imperial team advocates, "just as we expected;" and the match of ISTT'was seized as an opportanlty to try the opposing theory of a mixed or united team. Sir Henry Halford had been appointed by the British N. R. A. as Captain of the Imperial team, and he at once placed himself in communication with the American riflemen in arrangement of the details. On this side the water no time was lost in issuing the usual preliminary call to the riflemen of the country desirous of winning a place on the team, and on June 9 the following call was sent out: PROGRAMME FOR THE SELECTION OF THE AMERICAN RIFLE TEAM OF 1877. Office of the N. R. A., 23 Pabk Row, New Yoek, June 9, 1877. Whereas, A united team representing Great Britain and Ireland has been entered to compete for the American Centennial Long Range Trophy and the Championship of the World, to be shot for at Creedmoor in September next ; and, WJiereas, The importance of this match demands that the best riflemen the coun- try can produce be selected to defend it ; therefore Resolved, That, for the purpose of seleciing a team to represent America in this match, four (4) competitions of two (2) days each shall be held at Creedmoor on July 17 and 18, 24 and 25, 31 and Aug. 1, 7 and 8— the scores in three (3) of such com- petitions only to be counted in determining the team and reserve. Open to all native-born citizens of the United States who in any two stated prac- tices or competitions of 15 shots at each of the three distances of 800, 900, and 1,000 yards upon any range, between April 1 and July 17, 1877, shall have made an aver- age of at least 180 points in each of said two competitions or practices. Said scores to be certified by an officer of the rifle club to which the person belongs, or sworn to by himself before any officer authorized to administer oaths. Distances, 800, 900, and 1,000 yards, fifteen shots at each distance on each day. Weapon, any rifle within the rules of the National Rifle Association of America (which rules shall also govern the competitions in all other respects). No sighting shots or previous practice by any competitor on the days of these competitions to be allowed. A committee of three (3) shall be appointed by the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association, to whom shall be referred the duty of carrying out this programme. The team shall consist of a captain, adjutant, eight (8) men, and two (2) reserves. The captain may or may not be one of the shooting members of the team. in case any competitor shall, for reasons satisfactory to the committee charged with the conduct of these competitions, be imable to finish a score, or to compete on <^ny of the prescribed days, such committee shall be authorized to fix another day for such part of the competition as he may have missed. Such committee shall decide when, if at all, a competition shall be postponed on account of the weather, and when it shall be resumed or completed. No competitor shall be allowed to retire from any competition, without the permission of the committee. The team and reserve shall be chosen as follows : Upon the conclusion of the competitions six members of the team shall be decided upon by selectmg in the order of merit, as shown by aggregating the best three of their scores in these competitions, the highest aggregate taking the first place, and so on until the required number be obtained. The committee of three (3) herein provided for, and the six men so chosen, shall by a joint majority vote elect the other two of the eight necessary to constitute the team, being authorized, if in their judgment it be deemed advisable and necessary for the strengthening of team, to make their selection from among riflemen of known skill who may not have shot in all or any of the competitions. The reserve shall consist of the two (2) men next highest in order of merit in the competitions to those already on the team. As soon as practicable after their selection the team and reserve shall, by a ma- jority vote, select a captain, who shall appoint an adjutant to assist him in his duties. The captain, when elected, shall have the management of the team and prescribe the rules for its government and practice. Each person entering for the competitions shall subscribe to the following ; I desire to compete for a p'ace on the American rifle team to represent the United States in the Centennial Long Range Rifle Mttch of 1877 for the Centennial Trophy, and hereby agree to con- form to the conditions pre^^c^ibed for the se'ection of said team. If I am a succens'iil ompsriior I hereby pledge my word that I will shoot in the match, and will in adfiition perform such practice and submit to such discipline and government as the cap- tain of said team t^hall direct. {)0 Competitors, not members of the N. R. A., will be furnished with members' tickets admitting them to the Range during the year 1877. Successful competitors on the team and reserve will have their expenses (that are approved by the committee having charge of the competitions) refunded to the extent of $200 each. In view of the national importance of this match competitors will be required to furnish to the committee having charge of the competitions, satisfactory reference s as to their character from the localities they represent, or the rifle a'^sociations or clubs to which they may belong. Any person who may have been selected in accordance with the foregoing regula- tions may for cause be removed by a two-thirds vote of the members of the commit- tee, team, and reserve. Entries for competition may be made by letter to the Secretary of the N. R. A. up to the evening of July 16, or in person on the Range up to 10 a. m. on July 17, 1877. Those desiriDg to compete are requested to notifiy the Secretary as earl}^ as possible. All entries must be accompanied by the certificate of eligibility above provided for. Resolved^ That the Secretary be directed to issue a circular to the various rifle as- sociations and clubs throughout the United States, urging them to send their best marksmen to compete for places upon ihe team, so as to ensure the selection of a truly "national team," fully competent to sustain the reputation which has already been earned by American riflemen; and, further, that as the selection of the strong- est team can only be had by competing together and upon the Range wht re the match is to be shot, it will be necessary for competitors to attend at Creedmoor; that the conditions have bee#i made with a view to accommodate as much as possi- ble those living at a distance, and that the National Rifle Association earnestly recommends that the various localities having riflemen competent in their opinion to win a place upon the team should make such arrangements as will enable them not only to do so, but to remain during the practice. N. P. STANTON, Preddent. Geokge S. Schermeehoen, Jr., Secretary. The first day's shooting on July 17, was interrupted by a thunder storm and two ranges left unfired. On this day there were twenty-seven entries, and with three post entries made the total roll of candidates thirty. From Baltimore to Boston rep- resentatives were present, while in the list of arms, Remington's, Sharps', Peabody's, Ballard's and Muzzle-Loading riflts were noticed. Good scores were the rule during the several weeks' drill, and this preliminary independent practice showed that the choice, while from a limited was at any rate from a skillful circle of marssmen. At last on the 14th of August the competitive competitions for places were brought to a close and without availing themselves of the nomination clause in the programme took the first eight men in order, declaring that the team and the next couple as the reserve as follows : I'eam.—R. S. Jewell, Isaac L. Allen, W. H. Jackson, L. Weber, F. Hyde, T. S. Dakin, L. C. Bruce and C. E. Blydtnburgh. Reserve. — L. L. Hepburn and T. Lamb, Jr. Out of the possible 1,350 in the thrtc double day competitions on which the choice was founded, the scores stood, Jewell, 1,220 ; Allen, 1,219; Jackson, 1,201, ; Weber, 1,195; Hyde, 1,191 ; Dakin, 1,187; Bruce, 1,172; BIydenburgh, 1,169. What the several detailed scores were, may be seen in the following table of totals made in the competition for places : -Jl'LY- i4 212 181 211 219 195 189 208 204 1, 09 ^LGUST- 7 192 2^5 V02 1^9 mo 1^8 191 l»i 1,660 Namb. '17 IS A 200 184 195 19. 19-2 171 U>3 25 i02 2t'7 197 197 202 A 197 lfc5 81 ' 1 8 Jewell 199 207 19i! 203 l>-3 1S9 A 191 200 1J.2 iMi 177 193 20' 191 187 1,626 205 203 194 200 207 2(18 189 204 1,610 209 Allen 212 JackMon Weber 211 202 HyUe 198 DaklQ 210 Bruce BIydenburgh • 190 11'6 Totals 1,627 The practice after the selection was excellent, but with sucti expert long-range . 91 men as the New Orleans team had shown themselves, it was not an impossibility to add strength to the team by a rearrangement of its personnel. The plan selected by Sir Henry Halford in the choice of his team was simple and more expeditious. Starting with the Elcho Shield competitions, it was arranged that the three eights which shot for England, Scotland, and Ireland ia the shield match at Wimbledon on July 19 should meet at the Cambridge ranges on the 23, 24, and 25 of July, and hold a three- days' contest for places on a team of ten men, the final and shooting eight to be chosen after reaching Creedmoor. The Cambridge competitions over the riflemen separated to meet again on the deck of the City of Richmond, sailing on the 15th of August on the transatlantic trip. Lieut. George Fenton, of the Irish squad, was taken by unanimous consent without competition as a thoroughly reliable shot. The scores made by the other con- testants stood : Name. Sergt. Ferguson, Scotcn Wm. Rigby, Irish A. P. Humphry, Eoglish L\eut.-Col. Fenton, English.. H. S. Evans, English R. W. Dunlop, C. B., Scotch. F. T. Piggott, English. Majors. S. Young, Irish.... Sir H. Halfurd, Euglisli Sergt. Gilder, English Lieut. Geo. Fen tun, Irish. . . . A. M. Fraser, Scotch G. G. Peterkin, Scotch H. Dy as, Irish Martin Smith, English R. S. Greenhill, Irish Dr. Traill, Irish , Cambridge, July. Elcho. Shield 23(i. 2Uh. 25th. Total. July 19. 208 195 192 595 184 197 191 180 668 193 184 180 197 561 192 185 183 191 659 199 166 196 193 5^5 183 188 180 551 182 173 186 541 17T 176 178 187 541 199 182 178 179 539 196 1T7 177 180 534 — — — — 201 176 165 I8r) 526 — 166 173 182 521 186 166 168 520 187 161 177 179 517 158 162 175 178 515 162 155 168 485 — In turning over the pages of the reports of the National Rifle Association and other records of rifle shooting in Great Britain, these team names are met again and again. Sir Henry Halford has been for many years connected with the volunteer force. He enjoys abundant leisure, which he spends upon a private range at his elegant estate atWistow, Leicester, England, and rarely misses a rifle competition of consequence in any part of the kingdom. He is, of the leading riflemen of England, the best inform- ed on the doings in foreign rifle circles, and in the matter of arms and position is fully up to the time. He was very courteous to the American team of 1875, at the time of their stay in England, and during a day's stay at his place he eagerly ac- cepted many hints on rifle shooting from the Americans. Of the other Englishmen on the team, A. P. Humphry is a barrister-at-law, an old Rugby lad, and latterly of Trinity College, Cambridge. He held ihe position of Ensign in the Cambridge University Corps and is a private in the " Inns of Court " Battalion. In 1871 he stood champion military shot of England in taking the Queen's Prize, with 68 in possible 84 at 800, 900 and 1,000 yards. He has published a small ■work on " First Hints in Rifle Shooting." Lieutenant-Colonel Fenton also carries a Volunteer title from his post in the twenty-fourth Lancashire Regiment. He has fired extensively at all the ranges and with all classes of weapons. H. S. W. Evans, another of the English contingents in the team, is a member of the Eton Veteran Corps. He came to America last year with the Irish team. He is a private in the 'Inns of Court" Battalion. F. T. Piggott until the present year had never fired in the Elcho Shield eight, though he had fired extensively with the Snider rifle. He is a Sergeant in the Cambridge University Corps, and is well up in all competitions in which he takes part. Sergeant-Instructor Gilder, of the Eighteenth Middlesex Regiment, has gained 92 but little prominence as a small-bore shot, 1877 being his first year on the Elcho Sbield lists. In 1874 he held the Dudley prize at Wimbledon. The Irish section of the British team will compare well with the Erglish and Scots. First in the group of three is Wm. Rigby, a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin. He is connected with the gun-making house of Rigby & Co., of Dublin and London, ana is the " Old Reliable" of Irish rifle shooting. The Rigby rifles used by the Irish team in the several matches were from his house. He has shot in nearly eveiy contest for the Elcho shield, and either he or his cousin, John Rigby, has always figured as a member of the Irish eight. Mr, Rigby took jart in the second Irish- American match at Dollymount in 1875, and again at Creedmoor in 1876. Lieutenant Fenton is an officer in the Seventy-seventh Regiment of Foot. He is an old match shooter, always reliable, and the records show that never jet in a match has he scored a miss. He has fired in both the Creedmoor Irish-American matches, and held his owti well in both. Joshua K. Milner is the only one of the visitors who has taken part in all the pre- ceding matches. His brilliant .record as a marksman induced Sir Henry Halford to telegraph a request for his services at the last moment before sailing. R. S. Green- hill is another of the young shooters, and in several matches has filled the post of a reserve man. The Scotsmen on the British team are tried veterans. Sergeant N. Ferguson, of the First Inverness Regiment, shot in the first Elcho Shield match, and with the champion Rosses has shared the honors of the Scotch shooting ever since. C. Gr. Peterkin is a young man who has been in America before as a settler in Virginia. Arthur M. Eraser is a Highlander of high degree, and in Elcho Shield matches, as in individual matches, has a record to be proud of. These twelve men will make up the shooting party and reserve. The other members of the team party include Lieut. -Col. C. Lenox Peel and Major Waller, of the Wimbledon Staff ; Captain Bowlby, E. Vaughan Thompson and Vernon K. Armitage, with three ladies, the party is complete. Sir Henry Halford is a shrewd team captain. He has made every preparation for success, and has secured every point which might conduce to his success, and if defeat is to be his share, will take it only over an honorably high team total. ASK THE RIFLEMEN OF THE AMERICAN, BRITISH AND Which is the favorite Long Range Rifle at Creedmoor, this year. Average shooting last four days practicing at Creedmoor, by American Team: Sharps' Rifle, Average, - - - 202 1-2 Remington's " - - - . 1981-2 SHARFS m \m um mmm rifle MODEL 18T7. Sharps^ Mifle Company, BRIDGEPORT, CONN. ^» ^1 » » ■» SALESROOM: Iff BmPABWAT, NEW YORK. Union Square Hotel, I7i^i@if SQ'@r^ms, Corner Fifteenth Street, New York. ON THE EUROPEAN PLAN. BOOMS FBOM $1.00 to $4.00 :PEB DAT. G. K. LANSING, Manag^er. ALLEN & DAM, Propr's. Conroy, Bissett & Malleson, 65 FULTON STREET, NEW YORK. Factory— Foot of South Eighth St., Brooklyn, E. D. SIX STRIP SPLIT BAMBOO RODS. Either Round or Hkxagonal. ENAMEL ALL PRESERVED ON THE OUTSIDE-QUALITY GUARANTEED. The annexed Hat will show the reductions we have made. We quote : Nf^w. FormerlT Fly Rods, 6 strip, 2 Tips $15 •40 Black Bass Rods, 6 strip, 2 Tips :so 50 Salmon Rods, estrlp, 2 Tips .,,.'... 50 80 These rods are, in all their pai ts, WHOLLY MADE BY HAND. Positively no machinerr IB used in any part of their construction, tw SEND FOR CIRCULAR, We hare but ona ip-ade of these Rods— the best in the market. LAFLIN & RAND POWDER CO., 26 MURRAY STREET, NEW YORK, MANUFA-OTTTRERS OF THI OELBBBATED BBANDS OF ORANGE LIGHTNING POWDER. Th« Strongest and Cleanest made. Noa. 1 fine to '. co irse, packed onlt ia sealed 1 lb. canisters. ORANGE DUCKING POWDER. For water-fowL Strong and clean. Nob. l fine to 6 coarse, packed in metal kegs of 63^ lbs. and canisters of 1 lb* ORANGE RIFLE POWDER. Tlie best for Rifles and for all ordinary pnrposes. Sizes F.g, FF.g, FFF.g, the last being the finest. Packed in wood and metal kegs of 25 lbs., 12>^ lbs., and 6K lbs., and in canisters of 1 lb. and K-lb. AJl of the above give high velocities, and less residnum than any other brands made. PAMPHLETS SHOWING SIZES OF GRAIN SENT FREE. The Creedmoor Watch Chain Charm. This Cut is the exact size, mounted in solid 14 karat gold, on pearl and white onyx. A very handsome ornament for sportsmen. Price of Pearl $3 each. Price of White Onyx $5 each. SENT ON RECEIPT OF PRICE. CHARLES A. FAAS & CO., Boom 6> 194 Broadway, New Tork. CHARLES L. RITZMANN, 943 BROADWAY, above Twenty-second Street, New York. GUNS, Pistols, Fishing Tackle, SHOOTING ACCESSORIES AND SPORTING GOODS, of all kinds. Also, OPTICAL GOODS AND FINE POCKET CUTLERY. GUNS TAKEN IN EXCHANGE. Have always some Fine Second-hand Qnns cheap. Send 25c. for the completest catalogue published. LOisrG-ii^isrGE; Kill tootin A COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE Intsmational Long-Range Matches. COMPLETE ELCHO SHIELD SCORES. EWMS Am ElSWMflOlS Of Til I. 1. A., its., m. FTJLLY ILHJSTR^VTEr>. BY THE Rifle Editor of the '' Forest and Stream and Rod and Gun." ipiE^iGE 25 a^,nsrTS. NEW YORK : THE FOREST AND STREAM PUBLISHING COMPANY. American News Company, Agents. 1877. PRICES REDUCED TO SUIT THE TIMES. REMINGTONS' BREECH-LOADING Rl LONG RANGE—" Creedmoor "— As Used by the Rifle Teams. PBIOE- No. 1 — Pistol-grip stock, vernier and wind-gaiige sights, 34-in barrel, 10 lbs. welgbt. . . $100 00 No. 2 — Sporting pistol-grip-pattern stock, vernier and wind-gauge sights, 34-iQch bar^ reljlOlbs weight.... : 75 00 No. 3 — Military stock, vernier and wind-gauge sights, 34-inch barrel, 10 lbs. weight. . . 65 00 Extra Same as Nb^ 1, except rubber butt and tip, and checked fore-end, including spirit-level and 2 ex. disc 125 00 Superior Same as extra, except selected, curly, polished stock. . . ; 150 00 MID-RANGE—" Wimbledon." 44-77, 45-70 and 50-70. 28 in. 30 in. No. O..Sporting stock, ordinary peep and globe sights.. ; $39 00 $4100 No. 1 ..Sporting stock, improved peep and globe sights 44 50 46 5n No. 2 .. Sporting pistoi-grip-pattern stock, impi3ved peep and globe sights 50 00 52 50 No. 3 . . Sporting pistol-grip-pattern stock, imp. peep and wind-gauge sights 51 50 53 ou No. 4.. Sporting pistol-grip-pattern stock, vernier, peep and wind-gauge sights.. 60 60 62 50 No. 5 . -Sporting pi tol-grip stock, vernier, peep and wind-gauge sights 64 on 66 00 No. 6.. Sporting pistol-grip, fine stock, rubber butt and tip, checked fore-end, vernier, peep and wind-gauge sights... 75 09 77 00 SHORT-RANGE--" DoUymonnt. " 40-50, 40-70^ C. F.J, 44, 38 R. F. 26 in. 28 in. No. O.-Sportingstock, ordinary peep and'globe sights...- '..../.^.^ $37 00 $39 0« No. 1.. Sporting stock, improved peep and globe sights .*............ .^. 42 50 44 BO No. 2. .Sporting pistoi-grip-pattern stock, improved peep and globe sights., 50 00 52 00 No. 3.. Pistol-grip stock, improved peep and globe sights ' .'64 00 55 50 No. 4.. Pistol-grip stock, vernier, peep and wind-gauge sights ..............62 00 64 00 SPORTING AND HUNTING. $30. $31. $32. $33. $34. 26 inch. 28 inch. 30 inch- 32 iuch. 34 inch. SPORTING ]No. 2. 24 inch, 22 calibre. 32 calibre. 38 calibre. 44 calibre $20 00 26 " " " " 21 00 28 " " " " '22 00 30 «« " " " .....23 00 DOUBLE-BARRELED, BREECH-LOADING SHOT GUNS. Weight— 30 in., 8^ lbs.; 28 In., 8j^ lbs.; Gauge 13. WBiGnT-30 In., 8»^ lbs.; 28 In., 8>^ lbs. Gauge 10. Plain walnut stock, decarbonized steel barrel $46 00 Extra " " twlstbarrel 60 00 " '* " laminated barrel, engraved lock plate and breech frame 75 00 Extra pairs of barrels fitted to same breech $25 to 40 oo Doable gun, one barrel rifle, and one shot, decarbonized steel barrels. 66 00 Forest & Stream AND ROD AND GUN. THE AMERICAN SPORTSMAN'S JOURNAL. A WEEKIiir PAPKR I>ETOTi:i> TO Field Sports, Practical Natural History, Fish Culture, Protection of Game, Preservation of Forests, Yachting and Boating, Eifle Pmctice, — AND ALL — ^KL. OUT-DOOR RECREATIOUrS AND STUDY. . This is tlie only journal in the countiy tbat fully supplies the wants and necessities of the GENTLEMAN SPORTSMAN. TERMS, $4 a year. Send for a Specimen Copy. FOREST & STREAM PUBLISHING CO., Ill Fulton Street, NEW YORK American Bfews Go. Agents. FOR SALE BY ALL NEWS DEALERS. ■ sPBifs imtw —AND— GENERAL GUIDE, WITH MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS, 89e Pages. Price,. $3.00. Tinted Paper, half bound Morocco, $5.00. Tinted Paper, Muslin, $4.00 EDITOR OF *' FOREST AND STREAM;" Author of "THE FISHING TOURIST," " CAMP LIFE IN FLORIDA," &c. NEW YORK: FOREST & STREAM PUBLISHING CO. Sent by Mail post-paid on receipt of price. The book is a complete dictionary for sportsmen:— It gives every sportsmanlike method for capturing every known game animal, bird and fisli in North America — It desig- nates the proper cliargcs for guns for eacli kind of game, the various kinds of decoys and bl inds, and baits and tackle for the fish It gives over 4,000 localities where game and fish may be jfound, specifies the game found in each locality, the hotel accommodation, and the best route to get there. (The preparation of this Directory was in itself a work of great magnitude.). ...It gives the scientific name and specific characteristics of each species it describes, with the habitat and breeding season of each— a most valuable contribution to science It .describes 297 varieties of edible fish alone, that may be taken with ihehook; 50 varieties of ducks; 50 varieties of snipe or waders, and the diflorent methods of shooting each — Its instructions for capturing large game are very minute, and the chaptei's on woodcraft, outfitting and camping have t>een pro- nounced by "El Cazador,^' of Los Angeles, Cal., to be simply complete Every kind of dog used'lor sport is designated and his points for bench judgments fully given. The chapters relating to selection, breeding, rearing, breaking, cire and diseases com- prise a seventh part of the volume. There are 71 prescriptions and recipes given under the revision of the best modern canine therapeutists. ...It is in itself the most concise, accurate, in.structive, sensible and compreheriaive work ever written upon tlie dog and his diseases. Any person can administer^the prescriptions witli perfect confidence in their safety and efllclency Every scientific portion of the work has passed the inspection of an oflicer of tlie Smithsonian Institution It contains very useful recipes and remedies for wounds, bites, poisons, illness and emergencies of all kinds; for cleaning, repairing and preserving every implement used for sport; for selection and use of every kind of boat employed by sportsmen, and a directory where to buy outfitting goods. ...It instructs in Taxidermy, and tells how to preserve and mount specimens of animals, birds and fish. >» w> > > > ^s> .> > ■■-> 3^ •■ > . j> ^ ):g> > >^ : > < ■; ^ 3> > -^o > J> ) ^ "lA .■*> > ^ > ^^^ > ■ >> ' ' >•>• >>^ > 3> ->o ><)> > >> > > > :> ^ -^ ■•"> >';j> > > > y i'; > 3 y ^ y y ^i> >L> » ^^ i> >>*3 > J> > y >) > > )3 > > yy J> ^ ^> > > ^> > ^ ^^ >^ ^ ) >':> J) D^ > ^ » ":^ ) ^r) > 3 >> > -; ' > > >3 > J J > > >:> ^ > ) :> ■ ^. :>"> D> ^ :> ? > i •j } y > :> > > :> >,> • ^ ■ ^■■■ 3* ^ y^ U^ -:} '^ 0> ^ > ^> Zl^ -> > ^ "^v_ 3 ^») "S")^ > > .-- Hi*-. >) .» -> -> :> -^ ^ ::» :> > ^ ^ -••> >■ I> "^ 3> "^ -> ^ u > > ) > 3 > > >. ^ :> j> >> -y -> 33 ^ v> :i^ _. > :> » '•>'>» .»'>^ ,3 >-A: 3 ^'3 ) >) > ) ^^ -fe Jt >3 > i >3> JS5) > 3 > Jg* > ) > :» ^3 > > J> 3 > -^ i> 3 > ::]^ ^ o > ::^ ^ ^ ^ i* > ) ) o . 3.J> > > ::)3 > ^'"^ 3lL :> 33l:> 3 ^^ > .3 .^ )3^) 3 V >r> , _ ^j3)_ • *) 3 > ,_ 3d:) >> "^^>3 3> !) !>...■:>■. ►) 3 > >:> 3 > '3«> 3 ^ ) 3 ^ "> ^ > 3 3 >~Kk . ? ^ ) ) ■ ) >3 > f ^'^ 3 ■ ., LIBRARY OF CONGRESS ill 029 714 246 A