"The Phantom of Spirit Lake"

[Drew Hause]

While touring for Winchester & DuPont in 1907, Gilbert (98), W.R. Crosby (100), J. M. Hawkins (99), John Taylor (100), and Lee Barkley (99) set a new World's Record at Columbia, S.C. breaking 496x500 targets. Gilbert and Crosby used Parkers; the other Winchester 1897 Repeaters.

[Drew Hause]

Fred used his Smith in the 1899 GAH then switched to a Parker. Parker Brothers Order Book No. 41 records BH SN 83855 placed into stock in January, 1896 consigned to Fred Gilbert.
http://www.shootingsportsman.com/mag...gilbert-parker

Could someone please confirm the specifications for SN 83855 and thanks!

[Drew Hause]

More about Fred, and other Parker and Smith shooters here http://docs.google.com/View?id=dfg2hmx7_337gqdvwccf

No Parkers, but an amazing picture taken at the Madison Square Garden during the 1901 Sportsmen's Exposition. Note the sign that says "Annie Oakley" and the time of her appearance



R.O. Heikes (Remington Hammerless), Ed Banks (Winchester Repeater), W.R. Crosby (Smith), Jack Fanning (Smith), possibly B. LeRoy (Remington)

They, and Fred, were all together that summer for the 1901 Anglo-American competition, and Heikes and LeRoy switched to Parkers. Scroll down a bit here
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dfg2hmx7_309ckt6hmd4

[Drew Hause]

Entertaining reading about the Southern tour of the 1907 Winchester Squad by Ed Banks

http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL5013012.pdf
http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL5013015.pdf

Those were different times. While touring the South with the 1904 U.M.C. squad, Rolla Heikes acquired Typhoid fever and his son Horace, Malaria

[Dean Romig]

I wonder if any of those gents, shooters or spectators, were "hearing impaired"?

[Drew Hause]

Not if they used one of these! Introduced by J.A.R. Elliott in 1904



Not sure how the "Restores Impaired Hearing" part works

[Dean Romig]

My-my... what'll they think of next?

[Drew Hause]

Sporting Life August 24, 1912
Fred Gilbert and Lester S. German have made the announcement that they will shoot any pair of shooters in the world a team race at 100 pairs of doubles per man. Fred says the table is set. How about such guests as Bill Crosby, H. D. Freeman, Ed. O’Brien, H. W. Kahler, Geo. Lyon, Dick Clancy, Jim Day, Al Heil, Nick Arie, John Taylor, Jay Graham?

German of Aberdeen, Md. won the Professional Championship at the 1911 Grand American with 198x200 and Professional Doubles Championship with 89x100.
http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL5717022.PDF
http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL5717031.PDF

At the 1912 GAH
Day and Walter Huff (both Winchester pumps) tied for the Professional Doubles Championship with 84x100. Huff used a Parker to take the Professional Championship at the 1906 GAH.
Harry Kahler won the Amateur Doubles Championship with 88x100 using a Smith.
Crosby (Parker) won the Professional Singles Championship 198x200; Gilbert was second.

Fred and Les, another Parker shooter, tied for High Average on Doubles in 1912 with .8700.

Graham won Gold at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics using a Remington pump
http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL5919025.pdf
He had the high Doubles average in 1913

[Drew Hause]

http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL5719029.PDF

Fred Gilbert Defeats Lester German for Hazard Trophy
Wilmington, Del., July 10, 1911
Preliminary to the sixth annual Eastern Handicap shoot, which starts tomorrow, Fred Gilbert, of Spirit Lake, Iowa, and Lester S. German, of Aberdeen, Md., two of the best-known shots in the country, today shot at the du Pont Gun Club for the Hazard trophy, a $750 cup, offered for the double target championship. The match was won by Gilbert by the score of 183 to 178.

[Drew Hause]

Gilbert's averages 1897-1908
http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL5424020.pdf