The Pigeon Shoot That Turned Tacoma's Traps Into a Free-for-All

Stevens, the old reliable trap shot of this city, rolled up a score of 85 out of a possible 100 against Barlow's 76, thus winning the match and the stake. This, too, must be remembered, was on grounds where Barlow had been practicing almost daily for the last thirty days, while his opponent had visited the grounds only once before, on New Year's Day last.

The reports which had been floating about for the last week, crediting Barlow with 95 and 98 out of a possible 100 in his frequent practice shoots, did not discourage the many Stevens men of the city. Although rumor had it there would be plenty of Barlow money on the grounds the day of the shoot, it was put away out of sight and kept there. Indeed, those who made bets at two to one were lucky; hundreds of dollars of Stevens money lay idle, it being impossible for Seattle sportsmen to find takers. Never before in the history of trap shooting in the Pacific Northwest had more enthusiasm prevailed than yesterday at Tacoma, fully 500 people witnessing the sport.

The spectators were thoroughly worked up as the big match began, and the yell of delight which went up from the Tacoma boys when Stevens, after killing his first 32 birds straight, missed his 33rd and it sped the boundary, was deafening.

In a 25-bird race shot immediately after the Stevens-Barlow match was decided, between Jackson of Tacoma and Churchill of Seattle, the latter was defeated by the narrow margin of one bird, the score standing 24 to 25. The result of Churchill's defeat will very likely be a return race between the men in the near future. This match was for $50 a side.

The last sweep being finished, 14 birds remained, and a five-bird race for $20 a side was shot, W. A. Eberly of Tacoma and Noble Wallingford of Seattle being the contestants. This proved another victory for the Queen City, the score showing Eberly 3, Wallingford 4. Fully seventy-five people left on the 8:15 train yesterday morning for the City of Destiny to witness the much-talked-of event.

On arriving at the grounds at the head of the bay, it was found that a stiff wind was blowing across the traps from left to right, and it was difficult for the shooters to make allowance for the drifting of the shot. This was especially observed when a bird was shot at on the ground, the main portion of the shot almost invariably striking a little to the right of the bird, and several birds were missed clean as a consequence. About noon the big match was called. Churchill won the toss for Stevens, sending him to the score first. Stevens held his lead through the afternoon, and when the match ended the score stood 85 to 76.

The only drawback to the event was the constant fear on the part of onlookers of getting hit by pellets from guns in the hands of skirmishers, who were thick outside the boundary. This should, if possible, be stopped, as it is a great drawback to the sport. Once during the afternoon a scheme was laid among about twenty of the skirmishers, and, while everybody was busy making up a fresh sweep, one of them slipped up and, pulling the whole five traps open at one time, set at liberty five pigeons. The expectant skirmishers rushed to the middle of the field, and the fusillade which was carried on for the next ten seconds can be imagined, about thirty shots being fired. They were, however, disappointed in not even ruffling a feather on the poor birds. It was a miracle that nobody was injured.