Hunting - Gun Clubs - Shooting Matches
ALTON ROD AND RIFLE CLUB
Source: Alton Telegraph, December 28, 1893
The Alton Rod and Rifle Club had a shoot on Christmas Day at the
residence of Mr. George R. Hewitt on Liberty Street. The club shot a
match for six turkeys on that day. The winners were the following
gentlemen in the order named: Rev. H. M. Chittenden, Messrs. E. H.
Lahee, H. R. Wills, E. C. Hayward, George R. Hewitt, and J. S.
Roper.
Mr. H. R. Wills says he desires to relinquish the championship of
the Piasa Rod and Rifle Club. He is tired of being beaten repeatedly
by Mr. Lahee, and to cap the climax, he succumbed to Bro. Chittenden
on Christmas Day, who shoots elegantly on a very windy day. By the
way, Mr. Chittenden is probably the best shot in Madison County, or
fot that matter, in Southern Illinois. One of his brethren, “a
mighty Nimrod,” tells a good joke on the Reverend, or rather on the
six successful shooters of the club, on Thanksgiving Day. The
clergyman held services in the morning at his church, and in the
afternoon at the Mission Chapel on State Street. When the services
were over at the latter place, Mr. Chittenden hastily took his
departure for the shoot, which was being held at Mr. Hewitt’s, a
good two miles from the chapel. Arriving there about 5 p.m., all had
finished shooting. But it was thought best to give Mr. Chittenden a
chance at the turkey, so he was asked to try his skill. Nothing
loth, he took up the nearest rifle, put it to his shoulder, and
fired, making a center shot. This he did several times, making the
best score, and taking the fowl from the grasp of the lucky winner.
Next time he comes late, and the turkey is won, he will not be asked
to shoot. They know him too well lnow.
HUNT IN CANADA
Source: Alton Telegraph, November 7, 1895
Perhaps it will be of interest to Altonians to read about our last
hunting trip in the wilds of Canada. Captain Farwell of Holley, New
York; W. B. Coppinger; and myself, made up the party which left
here, and Colonel Swales of Her Majesty’s 2nd Dragoons met us at
Callander. We left Toronto on the morning of September 25, and
arrived at Callander that evening. We stayed there that night, and
after tea enjoyed the many stories the different members had to
relate. The next morning we were up bright and early. Breakfast
over, we started for camp, riding behind a yoke of oxen. By noon, we
had made Wiawasa, where we met our guides and embarked in canoes,
and soon the last of civilization was left behind. We arrived at
camp about six o’clock. After getting everything in shape and tea
over, the name of the camp was the subject to consider. After
various names had been mentioned, we finally decided on “Camp
Illinois.” At daybreak, everybody was up and ready for bear or any
other of Canada’s great animals. Will and I went after partridges
with “Crip” (as guide No. 1 was called), while Captain Farwell and
the Colonel went after muskalonge. We had a tramp of about eight
miles, and succeeded in bagging eleven partridges and about the same
number of squirrels. We saw a great many deer tracks, but did not
see the deer themselves. When we got back to camp, we found the rest
there before us. They had caught seven muskalonge, the largest
weighing 17 and a quarter pounds.
The following day we had to remain in camp, as it rained all day.
September 29 was perfect, so Captain Farwell and Will went after
ducks, and the Colonel, “Crip,” and I, after partridges, the Colonel
taking his Winchester. We had been tramping all morning, and had
shot but three partridges when “Crip” discovered fresh deer tracks
leading towards the lake. He cautioned us to keep quiet, and told us
to follow him. We had been tracking him about fifteen minutes when
the guide stopped and pointed ahead, and through the undergrowth we
could see the lake, and there was the deer, standing in the water,
his head erect as if he knew danger was near. The Colonel drew bead
on him, and as the report of rifle rang out, he made one leap and
fell in the shallow water. “Crip” plunged after him most daringly,
putting an end to his dying struggles. “Crip” then started for camp
for one of our boats, returning in about two hours. When we arrived
at camp, we found the others had not yet returned. About seven
o’clock the rest arrived, they also had success bringing as evidence
a young deer, three mallards, and twenty-two teal. Will had landed
at one of the numerous island, and had sighted his game drinking on
a nearby island. He gave him both barrels loaded with buck, laying
him out. On September 30 it snowed furiously nearly all day, and as
my leave of absence was up on October 03, we left on the morning of
the first and arrived in Toronto on October 03, well pleased with
our enjoyable trip, and convinced that Canada excelled the United
States in being the sportsmans’ paradise. Signed J. B. C.
PIASA GUN CLUB TOURNAMENT
Source: Alton Telegraph, June 02, 1898
The second annual tournament of the Piasa Gun Club of Alton, to be
known as the “White Flyer,” named for the pigeons made by Mr.
Franklin W. Olin, which will be used in the shoot, will take place
on Thursday and Friday, June 02 and 03, at Douglas Park on State
Street.
Successful as the last tournament of the Piasa boys was, the White
Flyer promises to be even more so, both in the character of the
events and the competitors for the prizes offered. There will be ten
events each day, and nineteen targets in each event. The entries in
each event will be $1.90. The money will be divided 40, 30, 20 and
10 percent. The club has added $150 to the prize money, also $5 to
each event and $10 to one event. All the big shooters of the country
will be present. Among them are: Charley Grimm, Charley Budd, Billy
Crosby, Sam Tucker, F. Parmatee, Dick Merrill, Rolla Heikis, Chan.
Powers, Harvey McMurchey, Tom Marshall, Jim Still, Charley Spencer,
Largeant, Fanning, Hirschey, Kling, Prendergrast, Duer, and all the
other circuit chasers. They were all in Omaha, Nebraska last week,
and will be in Peoria next week at the State tournament.
Jack Parker of Detroit will manage the tournament. George R. Hewitt
and Dr. Burnap will be in the cashiers box; A. J. Howell will manage
the traps; H. M. Schweppe, Wesley Beall, and G. H. Lane will be
squad hustlers.
A wire fence will surround the grounds to keep boys from encroaching
too close upon the shooters. Inside the fence will be chairs, which
will be sold at 25 cents; insuring a good view and a comfortable
time while witnessing the tournament.
FRANK C. RIEHL WINS SHOOTING STATE CHAMPIONSHIP AT PEORIA
Source: Alton Evening Telegraph, May 12, 1899
Frank C. Riehl took the State championship at Peoria Thursday, at
the Illinois State Tournament. He receives a fine silver cup – a
trophy offered by the manufacturers of the L. C. Smith gun, a rich
prize. The cup does not become his property, however, but must be
contested for at the next tournament of the State, which will be
held in Chicago in 1900.
Frank is very modest in telling of his achievement in winning the
trophy. He wrote to H. M. Schweppe last night after the close of the
day’s shoot, and told his friend of his success. He has been
shooting well since he went to Peoria – in fact, he has been
shooting well for some time – but his most sanguine friends little
thought he would come home with the championship of blue-rock
shooters of the State of Illinois. In the tournament, he contested
with W. R. Crosby and John Ruble, two of the best shooters in the
United States. There were over 600 entries in all events at Peoria,
and Frank had made the third highest score up to yesterday. In the
shoot for the State championship, there were 54 entries, but only
three of these shot 20 straight. They were Frank C. Riehl, W. R.
Crosby, and John Ruble. The three highest then shot to decide who
was to be champion and take the cup, and Riehl was the successful
man. He broke 10 targets straight, and his competitors broke 8 each.
When the Alton man won, he was overwhelmed with congratulations. He
writes that he sat for pictures four times to as many enthusiastic
photographers in one hour, and was besieged by newspaper
correspondents for interviews.
Riehl’s record for Thursday’s shoot was almost phenomenal. Of 212
targets, he broke 197, a percentage of 95 for the day’s work. The
cup he received is said to be a prize well worth contesting for.
Because the Piasa Gun Club is not in the State Association, Frank
had to enter as a member of the Peoria club. The cup must remain at
Peoria in the club to which he belonged when he entered the shoot.
Beside the honor and the trophy, the State champion receives quite a
neat sum of money. The holder of the championship trophy received 20
percent of the entry money at the State tournament, to be held in
Chicago in 1900, which will be worth several hundred dollars. Frank
wrote that he will be home Saturday morning, as he was obliged to
remain over today to close up the transfer of the cup to himself.
There is not a man in the Piasa Gun Club who is not glad that the
championship fell to their comrade, and when he comes home he will
find friends enough here to congratulate him. He is entered in the
Missouri State shoot at St. Louis, to be held next week, and if
those Missouri fellows do not shoot better than he does, he will
take their prize too.
ALTON WILDCAT
Source: Auburn, New York Citizen, January 20, 1906
A large wildcat that has been filling the night air with hair
raising sounds and the people in the vicinity with terror on the
bluffs between Hop Hollow and Alton, was killed early yesterday
morning by Henry Schwallensticher, an Alton stone mason, whose dogs
treed the cat on Haskell Hill. Schwallensticher had gone coon
hunting Sunday night and was returning home when the dogs started
the wild cat inside the northern limits of the city of Alton. After
a sharp chase, the animal ran up a large tree on Haskell Hill and
the dogs howled and barked furiously until their master came up. The
figure of the animal was outlined against the limb of the tree upon
which it crouched and the hunter, thinking it was a coon, fired at
the dark object. The aim was true, and the animal, giving a scream
of pain, came tumbling to the ground. Dying as it was, the trained
dogs had a hard fight, and many bad wounds from the cat, which is
said to be the largest specimen ever seen in the vicinity.
EAGLE ATTACKS BOY AFTER MATE BEING SHOT
Source: Alton Evening Telegraph, June 19, 1909
Constable J. H. Dailey yesterday defended his s13 year old son, Joe
Dailey, from a vicious attack by an eagle that had a 7-foot spread
of wings. Constable Dailey was out shooting squirrels, and seeing
two birds sailing around overhead, he mistook them for hawks and
fired at one of them, killing it instantly. The dead bird dropped to
the ground at the feet of the two hunters. The other eagle
disappeared in the tree tops for a few seconds, but in another
second appeared on the ground with its wings outspread and every
indication of wrath in its action. The bird was doubtless a mate of
the surviving eagle, and the living bird was after revenge.
Constable Dailey says that the big bird made a rush at his son and
got so close he could not use his gun for fear of shooting the boy.
The boy backed away and tripped over a log, falling prostrate. In
another instant the big eagle would have sunk its talons in the
flesh of the boy, and perhaps would have done him injury, but
Constable Dailey, the father, seized his shotgun by the barrel and
making a stroke with it, struck the eagle on the back of the head
and killed it. He brought both dead birds to Upper Alton, and will
have them mounted by William Stork.
WIGWAM ISLANDERS RETURN WITH GRUESOME TROPHIES - WILD BOARS,
SKELETON HEADS, WOLF EARS AND RATTLESNAKE BUTTONS
Source: Alton Evening Telegraph, July 20, 1914
About eighteen members of the Wigwam Hunting and Fishing Club
enjoyed themselves at the clubhouse on the Illinois River Saturday
evening and all day Sunday, and came home rested and refreshed. At
Joseph E. Holl's cigar store are displayed some relics or trophies
brought back by J. B. Foreman and J. E. Holl, who were up in Calhoun
a couple of days ahead of the others. The skeleton head of one of
the original inhabitants of Calhoun county is among the trophies. It
is that of a wild boar, and he must have been a giant among boars
judging from the size of the head and of the tusks protruding from
the big jaw bones. The head was procured near Fuller's Landing on
the Illinois River. Two large, long ears are being displayed also,
and they are said to be a wolf's ears. Out in Kansas and Nebraska
they call animals wearing similar ears, Jack Rabbits, but of course
they may be wolves in Calhoun. This is not disputing anything. Mr.
Foreman killed a large rattler and brought back the rattles and
button attached as souvenirs. All the club members had a delightful
outing and some splendid eating while out.