Sporting Life archives

[Drew Hause]

Jan. 18 1908
http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL5019014.pdf
Among the many souvenir cards of greeting sent the Gun Editor is to be noted a photo of Fred Gilbert's seven-year-old son, Thomas Marshall Gilbert, showing how he celebrated the New Year. The successful combination is a bunch of pigeons, a twenty gauge Parker Hammerless, some boxes of
Winchester-Du Pont shells and last, but not least, a bright-eyed boy who inherits his father's skill. How about Annie Oakley Gilbert ? Does she take after her illustrious namesake is what we all want to know ?

Gilbert had the high average for 1907 and Crosby was 2nd; both shooting Parkers.
http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL5021016.pdf

[Drew Hause]

Ninth annual Grand American Handicap of the Interstate Association, Columbus, O. June 22-26, 1908
http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL5117024.pdf
The Professional Championship was won by Fred Gilbert, of Spirit Lake, la., over R. R. Barber, both men breaking 188. Gilbert then ran off his string of twenty while his opponent dropped 17 in the shoot-off.

[Drew Hause]

March 6 1909
The Interstate Individual Amateur Pigeon Cup Race at 25 live birds, held at Kansas City, February 17, 1909, was won by Mr. Frank Fuller, shooting THE PARKER GUN, and scoring 24 out of 25, tying four men, and winning on the shoot-off with 5 straight killed. This splendid piece of work was done with
THE PARKER GUN.
THE PARKER GUN in the hands of Mr. Fred. Gilbert, who shot from the 33-yard mark, won the Great Western Handicap at live birds, held in Kansas City, February 19, 1909, scoring 24 out of 25, and 12 straight in the shoot-off.
This demonstrates what we have always said that THE PARKER GUN is the strongest and closest-shooting gun made.

[Drew Hause]

June 26, 1909
The Old Reliable Parker Gun, in the hands of Mr. Lester S. German, made the
longest straight run that has been made this year at registered tournaments, by breaking 339 with out a miss.
This wonderful shooting was done on three consecutive days, and on two different grounds at Bellairs Grove, St. Louis, Mo., June 5 and 6, and at Moberly, Mo., June 7.

[Bill Murphy]

Drew, do we know what Les German's dates of birth and death are? My Mother went to live with her aunt in Bethesda, MD when she left home to work. Years later, when I was a youngster, we would visit her aunt in Bethesda, MD. Her next door neighbor was an old gentleman named Les German. This was in the late forties and early fifties. I have never heard of Les German the shooter living anywhere but Aberdeen, MD, but he may have retired somewhere else. Can anyone help?

[Drew Hause]

Born: June 1, 1869
Baltimore, Maryland
Died: June 10, 1934 (aged 65)
Germantown, Maryland

http://www.traphof.org/german-lester-stanley.htm

[Bill Murphy]

Thanks, Drew. Les was a ball player, and Walter Johnson, another average ball player, owned a farm in Germantown that I can see from my upper deck. Walter used to invite his buddies for bird hunts on his farm every year. I'm sure that the death of our hero Les German in Germantown was somehow related to a visit with Walter Johnson. What a piece of research lies before us. By the way, Germantown is about three towns or ten miles up the Frederick Pike from Bethesda where the other Les German lived next door to my Mother's aunt. I need help.

[Bill Murphy]

According to the HOF blurb, Les did not have a son named Les, but who knows how accurate all that information actually is?