The Competitive Spirit of Old Seattle
A historic local shooting club gathers to elect new leadership and discuss the high-stakes world of Northwest trap shooting.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The Rod and Gun Club of Seattle held its annual meeting last evening at No. 1 engine house. A pretty full attendance was present. The annual election was held, which resulted as follows: For president, M. W. Blackpool; vice president, Dr. Thomas T. Minor; secretary and treasurer, Maurice McMicken; board of directors, L. H. Lewis, F. B. Bourman, Lawrence S. Booth, William Robertson and Joseph F. McNaught. Immediately after the election, a vote of thanks was tendered to Judge Jacobs, the retiring president, and to Maurice McMicken, the secretary and treasurer, for the interest they have taken in the club during the past year. The secretary then read a letter from Portland regarding a diamond badge, emblematic of the championship of the Northwest, at clay pigeon trap shooting. The medal is valued at $150, and the entrance is $10. Challenges are currently being issued to Seattle shooters to compete for the honor.
“The medal is valued at $150, and the entrance is $10. Can't some of your shooters come over?”
This meeting highlights a time when 'social clubs' were the engine of civic life, much like today’s neighborhood leagues or recreational hobbyist groups. While the sport has changed, the competitive drive for 'Northwest supremacy' remains a constant in the region's cultural fabric.
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