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The Du Pont Company Plans to Pay Tribute to Fred Gilbert.
Nearly 20 years ago there occurred a momentous event in trap shooting circles when the sport was in its infancy, overshadowed by the more popular live-bird shooting the arrival of Fred Gilbert, of Spirit Lake, Ia., in Baltimore, Md., to compete in the matches for the live-bird championship of the world. Arrayed against the then unknown youthful Westerner were the mighty Brewer, the great Macalaster and many other celebrities of the shooting game. Unheralded at the time of his arrival in the Maryland city, in three days Gilbert had vanquished every competitor and won the title "Champion of the World."
With practically no experience at shooting live pigeons or clay targets, almost over night he assumed a leading place in American shooting annals, which, thanks to his early training on the sloughs of his native State shooting ducks, and on the prairies of Iowa and Minnesota shooting prairie chicken, he has held ever since.
IN THE TWENTY YEARS, during which Gilbert has constantly been in the limelight, a host of celebrities have arisen n the shooting game, only to be overshadow ed after a short time by some still greater performance by a more youthful or more expert competitor. Not so with Gilbert. Shooters have come and shooters have gone, but Gilbert goes on forever. Year in and year out, a high standard of excellence has characterized his performances. To the Du Pont Powder Company, with whom he associated himself at the very start of his shooting career, he has always given the very best he had to give and by his personality and happy and likable disposition, he has made Du Pont powders thousands of friends. It seems very fitting and proper that they should, in appreciation of his faithful and meritorious service, take unusual steps to honor him as no man in trap shooting history has EVER BEEN HONORED.
This tribute will take the form of a "Fred Gilbert Du Pont Twentieth Anniversary Celebration." Some time during the month of March Gilbert will be entertained in Wilmington, Del., by the Du Pont Powder Company. On the date appointed there will be a 100-target trap shooting event at the Du Pont Trap Shooting Club, to which will be invited every trap shooter desirous of attending. In the evening of this date a banquet will be arranged in honor of Gilbert, who will be the guest of honor, and to which local trap shooters, members and officials of the Interstate Association and others will be invited. It is not the intention to confine participation in the Fred Gilbert Twentieth Anniversary Shoot solely to those who find it convenient to visit Wilmington on the date the event is staged there. Every club through out -the country, especially those which Gilbert has visited and shot at during THE LAST TWENTY YEARS, are extended a special invitation to assist in making this the greatest celebration ever given in honor of a trap shooter.
In honor of the occasion the Du Pont Powder Company has arranged for a
special trophy cup, one side of which portrays in relief Mr. Gilbert in shooting position, while the reverse is engraved "Fred Gilbert Du Pont Twentieth Anniversary Shoot, 1895-1915," and these cups will be sent to all gun clubs which will hold a “Fred Gilbert Shoot" during the week of March. 13th to 20th, both dates inclusive.
Clubs applying for these cups must agree to hold a 100-target event on one day during this period at which 10 or more shooters will compete, and the cup will be awarded permanently on any plan agreeable to the club. Fully 500 clubs are expected to hold "Fred Gilbert Anniversary Shoots" and figuring on the most conservative basis of an average of 15 shooters at each club, it will mean that 7500 shooters THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY will assist in doing honor to a man long known and loved by thousands as "The Wizard Of Spirit Lake."
A record of each shoot and of all contestants will be kept. That trap shooters and gun clubs in general will approve of this move to render fitting tribute to one of the greatest figures in the trap shooting, game goes without saying. Aside from the fact that this affair will give the Du Pont Powder Company an opportunity of publicly expressing their appreciation of the long and faithful services of the dean of their shooting representatives, and his many friends throughout the country one more opportunity of shooting with him "in spirit if not in person," the Fred Gilbert Twentieth Anniversary Shoot should do much for the grand old game of trap shooting.