Show J f I 1 Get your yourI yo l' l lr P t. t iF I I H J i I N r r G U. U r S. S w A r 7 1 v r ft a. a n r v w 41 1 ve y v rj j os J JW k W t tf f c 6 A Modern Annie w X J l. l Y t f I a Scoring the Hits s 's r rEY J. J 2 r t EY J 0 t c-t rM i L 1 r A S r y t Y f t t Mar Marine Corps ps Winners inners t o of the National Matches 1927 i VI X AKA V 1 r f i I Junior t CJ Champions 1927 4 4 c For Forthe the Il M Marksmen r i of th the Country r t wAre mAre Gathering at Camp Perry r e Ohio National for the f t Rifle Matches i 1 iBy i t 1 By ELMO SCOTT WATSON IDLE IME was when a gun was the comI commonest commonest com com- I utensil tool or monest weapon whatever you whatever you choose hoose to o call It to 11 to tobe be found In the hands of an AmerIcan AmerIcan American Amer Amer- ican n. n That wu was was 1 in ti the days day when th there re was a frontier when the West IVest was was still t to be won be-won won when wild game still formed a part of ot our daily dally fare when there was less I law taw o but t mor e r j c r fewer courts courts' but fewer criminals because men luan carried In their hands a u thing of wood and Iron w which l h could when the occasion d demanded act as as Judge Jury and court from which there was no appeal And of ot all the types J. J of t weapon apoI t which the generic term gun covers the one which was pre- pre American was the rifle Witness this sweet j ancient l t l weapon o of our our fathers the e A American rifle f maker of states empire builder writes Emerson Hough Bough In The Way t to the West West This engine of civilization served ser its purpose across the timbered Appalachians down dow the w watershed to the Mississippi up the long and winding Inding streams of ot the western lands over the and down the slopes of the Sierras to the farther sea But with Ith the the passing of the frontier and frontier conditions the American n laid aside the rJ rifle e for forthe forthe forthe the sickle and the plow and tests of marksman marksmanship marksmanship ship fathered by necessity which had become one of the leading sports for tor a n large proportion of our population b became bame came almost a lost art Tho The sport Interests of ot th tho average American today are of ot a n afar afar far fur dur different rent type He Be plays golf golt or tennis and tie he watches others box or play football baseball basket ball But of marksmanship he knows little or nothing Unless he Is one of the comparatively small email number of f sportsmen who ho find recreation In trap or target shooting he gets no thrill from a sports page announcement that a new record In shooting has been established However there are signs that a renaissance of ot i Interest In this form of sport Is under way The World war which put rifles Into the hands of millions of young Americans and taught them the thrill of puncturing the eye bulls had something to do with It t. t But more Important In crystallizing the Interest In the revival of this lost art are the annual National Rifle association matches which for the last 20 years have brought to Camp Perry ferry Ohio In la increasing numbers the crack shots of f the country Last year year 2007 participants stepped up to the firing line Une in the various contests contests contests con con- tests and this year real the the matches which are are being held beld from September 11 to 10 are expected to draw an even larger number For many years the national matches were dom dom- mated ted by the military element and the tho winners were were largely members of some branch of ot the tile national military or naval establishment In recent Y years ars how however ver the matches have attracted more of or our nonmilitary population and Camp Perry has lias recently been called the tho biggest civilian camp In America It is somewhat like Uke a huge aut automobile auto auto- r mobile tourist camp with between n and persons from all aU parts of ot the country most of ot them however from the smaller towns and cities of ot the West Vest and Middle West living under canvas camas there during the matches Many of ot the com competitors a t tors bring brine their families with them and they make malee ft It tt a glorified vacation which Is satisfactory in more ways than one They are having part In a great creat rent sporting event and one that Is more conA con con- A t. t y 0 7 v r Jv 7 77 t P. P ii J v IL 4 Vv V a o. o i a i 4 t S On the 00 yard firing Siring line lino str than Just a mere mer test of marksmanship It may be argued that in the last analysis a aman aman aman man learns to shoot so that he may destroy and kin kill But you yon will find I. I If you investigate among t those who Wb attend the matches at Camp Perry that th they they y hr are are anion among the moSt law-abiding law persons Inthe in inthe inthe the the- world And that goes goes not only for the civilians civil civil- tans ians but for tor members of the regular military or naval establishment as well They are all proud of their and enjoy the sporting element ele ele- clement element ment of this test of their skill but they have ha the satisfaction n also of knowing that they are training themselves to be of real rear service to their country If It It should have need of them When it Is said that whole families come to toCa Ca Camp p Perry for the matches it should not be supposed supposed supposed sup sup- posed that the feminine members of It are there merely to look on as their fathers and husbands and brothers take their turn on the ranges For ForIt If It you walk through the v camp as they facetiously refer reter to the camp for women you will find plenty of or Annie both young and old who are arc as enthusiastic addicts of Oh Ob shoot I as the men and boys They speak the argot of the rifle rille range a t tongue ngue that is as Greek to the outsider but perfectly understandable to those who attend the matches this matches this talk of wInd wInd- age mirage a tall fish wind lands grooves dope dop and the like And out on the firing line Une some of these girls can give Just as good an account account account ac ac- ac- ac count of ot themselves and probably even better with a death dealing instrument In their hands against the painted targets as their pioneer grandmothers grandmothers grandmothers grand grand- mothers and great grandmothers and great great-great- grandmothers once did when the occasion arose against the painted Indians If It you doubt that ask some of those who attended the national matches last year and watched Miss Louise Thompson the modern modem Annie Oakley pictured above do her stuff stun out on the ranges I 1 As for the boys take a look at the medals which adorn the tho three Davy Crocketts shown In the thc picture labeled Junior Champions 1927 1027 In the center Is David MacDongal a sixteen year sixteen year old high school boy from the District of Columbia who was the winner of ot both the national Individual ual championship and the high school Individual championship in last years year's matches On his left Is another year sixteen-year-old Philip tenter of ot Norwood Norwood Nor Nor- wood Ohio Ohl who was McDongal's cl close se competitor In the national Individual matches and who won the senior classified match On his right is Lawrence Lawrence Lawrence Law Law- rence Wilkins fifteen years old and also hailing balling from Norwood Ol Ohio lo who won the two two position match Any of ot these three youngsters Can an go out on the range any day and make a record which older marksmen of ot another day would be proud of ot Although the national rifle matches a at Camp Perry are the biggest of their kind In this country they are quite unlike any other great sports event Usually there are no huge hige crowds on the range and no thunderous chee cheers s greet the victor A few devoted enthusiasts stand back of ot the firing line Une tight lipped quiet and Intent But nut they arc are appreciative appreciative dative spectators nevertheless for they are watching watch watch- tag Ins testa tests of ot skill which are not spectacular ular but bute e which demand the utmost t In steadiness of ot nerve and concentration on the part art of the contestant Stand back k of the firm firing line i with them and watch a typical scene icene Over on n the right is a a y young u g marksman Be Tie looks sixteen and Is actually on the Junior side of twenty It Is his first match Is he be nervous Not so you could notice it I Nervous men men or bo boys boys dont s dont don't dont last long on rifle ranges But there Is a ripple of comment as ho hI shoots hoots a a possible possible possible pos sible In other words he has placed every shot within the edges of the bull buU outsiders call caU it eye bulls that looks like a pin point from the firing line lne No one cheers There is not even the polite polte hand-clapping hand that greets a tennis champion on the courts The boy grins as he gathers up his brass the empty shells that the ejector of ot his rl rifle e tins Has sent nt spinning to the ground The young marksman walks slowly to the ne next net t range to fire his final string However he be avoids the spectators There Is a reason for this Even the youngest rifleman is prey to the superstition o of i the r range ge and It Is bad luck to receive congratulations congratulations congratulations con con- until the last shot Is fired And bj the way dont don't ever try to take a snapshot of ot a ash sh shooter oter until he has finished his match If It his warning does not stop you and he cannot run runaway runaway away he and his buddies may wreck your camera Black cats may cross his path mirrors may smash to bits In his hands and he will saunter unconcernedly unconcernedly unconcernedly under a I leaning ladder but if It he be Is photographed during a match that match Is la lost lost lost- and he knows it t The riflemen are ready to fire the last string at rapid fire Several of the young marl marksman's rivals are crowding him and he Is doing some rapid figuring He kno knows vs with the lead he has secured In the earlier matches that If It he makes 48 out of a possible CO GO he Is safe sate Even If It his nearest rival should make a possible the young marksman cannot be defeated unless he f Mils falls below 48 46 Any score below that figure will make defeat detent possible and even probable In rapid rapid fire a shooter must get off on his ten shots within a limited number of seconds The take their places on the firing line Ioa loading and one locking their rifles against accidental firing The officers stationed on the firing line walk to anc and fro to see that all aU Is ready The field telephone operator op op- orator sends his stand by messages to the rifle butts where sweating men operate the targets Ready on the right cries an official Ready lendy on the left echoes another Ready on the firing line calls the operator A gong sounds Up III ride the white targets from behind an embankment like a n company of ot soldier ghosts attacking from a trench Then the guns begin to bark It Is called rapid fire but to the novice the riflemen seem very slow How can they ever get In ten shots with such unhurried ease But nut these men are able to Judge time In split sec sec- It seems only an Instant after the last burst of ot firing splits the air that the targets sink slowly from sight Our young marksman has his eyes turned toward the tho butts butte There Is a babie of voices around him but he hears nothing distinctly He lie is watchIng with eager Interest for tor the reappearance of ot the target Up It comes slowly too slowly too slowly for his wildly beating pulse Seconds seem like hours He Ue has hns s set t his heart on winning this match and and and- Now comes the flash of a white disk That Tillit means V V five points a points a bulls bull's eye I 1 It flashes again and again and again He Ue counts forty points before be be- fore the disk drops down for a short Interval and again comes up white That last flash o ot of the tho disk Indicates that one of ot his shots was Wag Inside the bull buU by a fraction of an Inch Down goes the disk again Everything hinges on ou Its next appearance lie knows he has fort forty-five forty p points A miss means menns almost certain defeat J A tree trec or better hetter assures victory Up bobs that fatal fata disk again It Is red this time Indicating a four tour Our young oung marl marksman now has hns a total of for forty nine and Ims hns won the match And that as a fa far mows c cartoonist would say is certainly one grand and glorious feeling |