Parker, Smith, Rem, Go Head-To-Head, 1896
 

As the story appeared 100 years ago in the Feb, 1918 Breeder & Sportsman. Titled "It Was Some Gun", and vividly recalled by T.E Doremus... Harvey McMurchy of Hunter Arms with his creative imagination seems to have carried the day...;)

"Here's a story that T. E. Doremus, former president of the Interstate Association, says he has carried in his mind for 20 years. It is worth while and has improved with age, like they tell us certain fluids do. It was along about 1896 when Harvey McMurchy of Fulton. N. Y., at that time sales manager for the Hunter Arms Company; the late Ed Fulford, of the Remington Company, and Jack Hull, of Parker Bros., began to argue about the respective shooting qualities of their guns, to the delight of a crowd at the New York State Fair. Fulford claimed for Remington guns (they were making double-barrel guns in 1896) that they would kill ducks at a distance of 150 yards. Hull insisted that the Parker was good for 25 yards more. That seemed to about settle the argument... Suddenly McMurchy horned in and in his quiet, serene manner told how one day he was out hunting partridges and, upon looking heavenward, saw a small object sailing around 'way up in the clouds. Although somewhat doubtful about the chances of making a kill, he nevertheless let drive. The result was most startling. The object seemed to stop for a moment, then it began to fall toward the earth in a wide, circling flight, and at last gracefully landed on a knoll some 200 yards away. All curiosity, McMurchy said he hurried to the spot, and his surprise was beyond imagination when he discovered that he had injured a baby angel. He carried it to a near-by farmhouse, and after a few days' nursing it recovered from the gunshot wound and flew back home. The Smith gun was unanimously voted some gun. "


Best ~ CSL
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that is the best storey i have heard in a while...i guess i d better start leaveing them lc smiths at the house when shooting skyward sure would hate to shoot a baby angel....charlie

I love old-time, clean humor, where it wasn't necessary to belittle, degrade or otherwise lower one to make the other better. I believe my dad and his cousin lived only to best eachother's fishtails and grouse shots.

It was reported later that after the Angel was returned to the skies Mr. McMurchy found the stock of his L.C. Smith had a large crack behind the left side plate from the shot. :rotf:

Good one Pete!

Now that's "Fake News" for sure. Remember, this was 1896 when the inletting on Smiths was better. :)

No it's not fake news, it just happened too late to make the last edition of the Bible. It was after the shooting of the baby Angel that God cursed the stocks of the L.C. Smith. :)

Thanks Chris.
Different, and more congenial times for Professional Representatives then

In 1899, McMurchy traveled through the West with both Col. A.G. Courtney (Remington) and S.A. Tucker (Parker)
Harvey McMurchy and Col. A.G. Courtney (Remington Arms), two popular gun salesmen, attended a holiday shoot at Kansas city Feb. 22. In a live-bird sweep each killed 14 out of 15. Both did well in the target events.

H. McMurchy, of the Hunter Arms Co., and S.A. Tucker, of Parker Bros., are now in San Francisco working the trade in the interests of their respective firms. They took part in the club shoot of the Olympic Gun Club on March 12; McMurchy killing 12 straight and Tucker 10 out of 12. In a six-bird sweep McMurchy again made a clean score.

More on "Prince Mac" here
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...mI9WSc/preview

Trade Representatives at the Seventh Annual Tournament of the Pennsylvania State Sportsmen’s Association June 22-25, 1897.
Captain A. W. Money (shooting a Greener, Parker and Smith), American “E.C.” and “Schultze” Powder Co.;
Fred Gilbert (shooting a Smith), DuPont Powder Co.;
Sim Glover, Parker gun and “Schultze” powder;
E. D. Fulford, Remington gun and U.M.C. factory loads;
Gus Grieff (shooting a Francotte), Von Lengerke & Detmold, New York;
Ferd. Van Dyke, Winchester Repeating Arms Co., New Haven;
Rolla O. Heikes, Winchester Repeating Arms Co. and “E.C.” Powder;
Ralph Trimble, DuPont Powder Co., Cincinnati;
Will Crosby, Baker Gun Co., Batavia, N. Y.;
J. “147” L. Winston, (shooting a Smith) Austin Cartridge Co., Cleveland O.;
Harvey McMurchy, L.C. Smith Gun, Fulton, N. Y.;
Geo. Mosher, Syracuse Gun Co., Syracuse, N. Y.;
Dan Lefever, Lefever Arms Co., Syracuse, N. Y.;
Milt F. Lindsley and wife “Wanda” (both shooting Smiths), King Powder Co. and Peters Cartridge Co.;
J. Fanning (shooting a Smith), U.S. Smokeless Powder Co., San Francisco;
A.W. DuBray, Parker Gun Co., Meriden, Conn.;
L.D. Thomas, Laflin & Rand Powder Co., Pittsburg;
E.H. Kniskein, Schoverling, Daly & Gales;
“U.M.C.” Thomas, Union Metallic Cartridge Co., Bridgeport, Conn.;
C.A. North, Cleveland Target Co., Cleveland, O.;
A.G. Courtney, Remington Arms Co., New York.
Fred Quimby, New York representative of Smith guns, “E.C.” powder, and Hunter wheels (bicycles).

Fulford won the 1898 Grand American Handicap at Live Birds as a shooting representative of the Remington Arms Co., and used a Remington hammerless gun weighing 7 3/4 lbs., 3 1/2 Dram “Schultze” powder in U.M.C. Trap shells, three inches in length; 1 1/4 oz. No. 7 shot.

One of the very few images of Fulford; 1897 at Watson's Park, Chicago

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../389691556.jpg

He sadly (and needlessly today) died of pneumonia in 1904

His Memorial Dedication in "Sporting Review" June 24, 1905. McMurchy is farthest left behind the Parson

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../413741289.jpg

If they still had shooting at the NYS fair, it would actually be worth going to.

Here you go Brian

1896 Empire State Tournament
http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL2713020.pdf
Dan Lefever won a Smith gun in a raffle, then had his Lefever stolen.

New York State Tournament 1899
C.M. Powers, of Decatur, Ill., made the best general average for both classes, breaking 477 out of 500, an average of .954 per cent. He used a Parker gun, DuPont powder, loaded in Leader shells by the Winchester Repeating Arms Co.
Charlie Young again showed his skill and might have landed first average had he not exhausted his regular load and made a change. This caused him a loss of 13 targets in the last four events of the race. As it turned out, he was second, with an average of .948 per cent., having broken 474 out of 500. He used an L.C. Smith gun, Schultze powder and U.M.C. factory-loaded shells.


1905 N.Y. State Tournament from the 1905 'Baker Gun Quarterly' courtesy of David Noreen

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../394324850.jpg

them were the times i should have been born in....charlie

Then again Charlie

George Lyon died age 34 of Tuberculosis
http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrar.../SL6621031.pdf
http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrar...16/bbm165x.pdf

E.D. Fulford, winner of the 1898 GAH, died at age 41 of pneumonia.

Fred Gilbert was sidelined with Inflammatory Rheumatism (Adult Poststreptococcal Arthritis) in 1906 (age 40) and again in 1910
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...iW-cpc/preview

While touring with the 1904 U.M.C. Southern squad, Rolla Heikes acquired Typhoid Fever and his son Horace, Malaria.
Rolla had Malaria in 1901 and 1911, and Erysipelas in 1907.
Rolla however lived to 78!

Chan Powers almost didn’t make it home from the 1901 Anglo-American match after getting Typhoid Fever
https://docs.google.com/document/pub...jEdR4j_E9l4HLw

William Heer had malaria in the Spring of 1904
http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrar.../SL4308022.pdf

October 29, 1901, a show train carrying Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show was hit head-on by a southbound train near Lexington, N.C. Annie Oakley and her husband Frank Butler were on the train, and Annie was temporarily paralyzed, eventually requiring 5 surgeries.

sounds like old age and going to a nurseing home were not a problem in those years....charlie

We do know the guns chosen by the competitors at the 1895 & 1896 GAH

1895 (3rd) Grand American Handicap at Live Birds
http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL2504015.pdf
Won by J.G. Messner using a Parker; the first GAH win with an American maker's gun.
Guns: Greener – 17; Capt. “Jack” Brewer, Capt. A.W. Money, E.D. Fulford, J.A.R. Elliott
Smith – 11; Apgar & Lindsley
Parker – 6; O.R. Dickey, Noel Money, A.W. DuBray
Winchester Repeater – 2; Rolla Heikes
Francotte – 7, Scott – 3, Lefever – 2, Purdey - 2

Capt. DuBray on Messner’s victory
https://books.google.com/books?id=GE...AJ&pg=PA31&lpg

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../397271601.jpg

1896
O. R. Dickey, of Boston. Mass., used a very handsome Parker Bros, hammerless gun, of the Pigeon model, and his load consisted of 50 grains, or about 3 1/2 drams by measure, of American “E.C.” powder, 1 trap wad, one 3/8 inch pink felt, one 1/4-inch pink edge, and 1 1/8 ounce of No. 7 chilled shot in the United States Cartridge Co.'s “Rapid” shells, 2 3/4 inches in length.

Sim Glover, of Rochester, winner of second place stood on the 30 yds. mark in the handicap, using a Parker hammerless gun, loaded with 50 grains of Schultze powder and 1 1/4 ounces of No. 7 shot in Trap shell.

Guns: Smith - 23, Greener - 21, Parker - 16, Francotte - 10, Lefever - 7, 4 Scotts; 4 Winchesters; Remington, Purdey & Colt - 2 each; Lang, Hollenbeck, Westley Richards, Grant, and Lancaster - 1 each.
http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrar.../SL2701022.pdf

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../395982352.jpg

5th (1897) GAH Elkwood Park, Long Branch, N. J., March 23, 24 and 25.
Thomas A. Marshall, of Keithsburg, Ill., won in a four man shoot-off using a Cashmore.
Dr. W.F. Carver, Chicago, 32 yds.; Cashmore
Chas. Grimm, Clear Lake, Ia., 32 yds.; Smith
J.A.R. Elliott, Kansas City. 32 yds.; Winchester
W.D. Stannard. Chicago, 27 yds.; Smith
J.S. Fanning, San Francisco, 29 1/2 yds.; Smith
J.M. Browning, Salt Lake City, 29 1/2 yds.; Winchester
Captain A. W. Money, Oakland, N. J., 28 yds.; Greener
W.R. Crosby, Batavia, N. Y., Baker
Fred Gilbert, Spirit Lake, Iowa. 30 yds.; Smith
Guns: Smith- 31, Parker- 23, Greener- 21, Francotte- 12, Cashmore- 11, Scott- 9, Winchester- 8, Purdey- 5, Lefever- 3

1898 Grand American Handicap at Live Birds
http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL3102016.pdf
http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL3102018.pdf
http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL3102019.pdf
Guns: Parker- 56, Smith- 42, Greener- 20, Francotte- 17, Remington- 11, Cashmore- 9, Lefever- 8, Scott- 8, Daly- 6, Winchester- 5, Colt- 4, Purdey- 2, Richards- 2, Churchill, Baker, Hollenbeck, Forehand and Stannard- 1 each.

Note Remington Ordnance Steel was introduced in 1897 for the 1894 Hammerless Double and the 1898 GAH was the first with a significant Remington use; and was won by E.D. Fulford with a Remington

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../413037474.jpg

The CEO was not promoted as a "Pigeon Gun" for a few more years; this 1902 courtesy of David Noreen

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../410378457.jpg


1899 Grand American Handicap at Live Birds
http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL3305013.pdf
http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL3305014.pdf
http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL3305016.pdf
Guns: Parker- 78, Smith- 56, Greener- 31, Francotte- 24, Winchester- 12, Remington- 11, Cashmore- 10, Lefever- 6, Purdey- 5, Scott- 6, Colt- 4, Daly- 3, Stannard- 3, Boss- 2, Richards- 2, Baker- 2, Forehand, Syracuse, Clabrough, Renette, Abbey, Spencer & Webley- 1 each.
Smith: C.M. Grimm, Charles Young, W.B. Leffingwell, Fred Gilbert (Gilbert switched to a Parker after the 1899 GAH), F.P. Stannard, J.J. Sumpter, J.S. Fanning, Fred Quimby, J.J. Hallowell (U.M.C. Co.), “Wanda” and Milt Lindsley, Wanda Shattuck, Fen Cooper, H.C. Hershey (Hazard Powder Co.)
Parker: Neaf Apgar, John Parker (Peters Cartridge Co.), Wilbur F. Parker, A.W. duBray, H.D. Kirkover, H.E. Buckwalter, L.W. Stoddard, Harold Money, C.W. Budd, J.D. Gay, George Loomis, O.R. Dickey, Ed Bingham, R. Merrill, C.M. Powers, Howard Ridge (Laflin & Rand Powder Co.)
“E.A. Sturdevant shot a 16-gauge Parker at 26 yards, with 2 3/4 drams Du Pont, and 1 ounce No. 8 and 7 shot. He killed 23, which was a very nice performance.”
Winchester Repeater: J.A.R. & Dave Elliott, Ed Banks (“E.C.” and “Schultze” Powder Co.), Ralph Trimble (WRAC)
Cashmore: T.A. Marshall, Dr. W.F. Carver
Francotte: Fred Coleman, Paul North (Cleveland Target Co.), J., C., & O. Von Lengerke
Remington: R.O. Heikes, Col. A.G. Courtney, Frank Parmelee, B. Le Roy (Remington, DuPont and U.M.C.) E.D. Fulford, George Roll, Captain J.A.H. Dressel (U.M.C. and president of the Interstate Association)
Greener: Capt. A.W. Money
Baker: W.R. Crosby (who in 1900 switched to a Smith, and 1906 to a Parker)

Parker went 1-2-3 1900 GAH at Live Birds, Queens, L.I. at the new Interstate Park
Won by 25 year old H.D. Bates, using a Parker, of Ridgetown, Ontario after 8 men tied at 25: J. L. Smith, C. F. Ayling, J. R. Malone – 2nd, Col. A.G. Courtney, Dr. A.A. Webber, Tom A. Marshall, and Phil Daly – 3rd.
“The Parker gun which Phil Daly Jr. shot in the Grand American Carnival and won third prize, was one which he borrowed from A.W. Du Bray, the Parker representative. Daly never saw the gun until the day before the big event, when he killed 15 out of 16. In the big event be was shot out on the 32d bird.”
Guns—Parker- 73, Smith- 34, Greener- 19, Francotte- 19, Daly- 12, Remington- 10, Lefever- 7, Scott- 7, Winchester- 5, Cashmore- 5, Purdey- 3, Baker- 2, Colt- 2, Richards- 2, Marlin, Prechtel, Grant, Webley, Stannard, Forehand, Syracuse, Churchill, Claybrough- 1 each.
http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrar.../SL3504011.pdf
http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrar.../SL3504012.pdf
Forest & Stream 4-14-1900
https://books.google.com/books?id=UkohAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA299

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../397098808.jpg

Parker Shooters: H.D. Bates, A.W. Money, J.D. Gay, H.E. Buckwalter, A.H. Fox, F.S. Parmelee, Wilbur F. Parker, A.W. DuBray, R.O. Heikes, and Annie Oakley.
A. H. Fox used a DH SN 88807 ordered on August 9, 1898 by H.P. Collins in Baltimore. The gun was a 12/30 Titanic, with a straight grip and no safety. The gun was returned to Parker Bros. on September 18, 1900 by A. H. Fox to clean and rebrown the barrels and repair the action and the work was completed October 5, 1900.

The Interstate Association’s First Annual GAH at Targets June 1900
"The traps were placed inside the live bird grounds, Nos. 2 and 3 being used. At No. 1 score a Magautrap was placed, at No. 2 a set of three expert traps, on the Sergeant system; at No. 3 a Magautrap; at No. 4 a set of five expert traps, throwing unknown angles. Nos. 1, 2 and 3 were arranged on the flat, or underground plan, without an inch of screen in the way. No. 4, the five expert trap set, had a low screen, and the shooting platform was almost on a level with the top of it. At the first three sets the targets were seen almost from the moment they left the traps, coming, as they did, directly out of the ground. This gave a quick sight, but to many men a deceptive one, as they were inclined to fire too quickly, often undershooting. Blue Rock targets were used, and a good, fair flight was thrown at a uniform speed and angle. Owing to the four different sets of traps, each with a different background, the scores were not high."
Grand American Handicap at Targets, open to all. 100 Blue Rocks, handicaps 14 to 25 yards:
R.O. Heikes, Dayton, O., 22 yds., Remington - 91
“Hood,” Baltimore, 18 yds., Parker - 89
P.H. Willey, Danville, N. Y., 16 yds., Parker - 88
G.O. Henderson, Hingham, Mass., 17 yds., Smith - 88
“Robin Hood” (Charles Young), Young Repeater, 20 yds - 88
H. Landis. Philadelphia, Cashmore, 18 yds. - 88

http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrar.../SL3514013.pdf
Guns: Parker- 27, Smith – 13, Remington – 7, Winchester – 9, Greener – 4, Lefever – 3, Scott, Purdey, Marlin – 2 each, Young Repeater, Cashmore, Baker, Richards, Daly, Francotte – 1 each.

Great information Drew,

Thanks for taking the time to share the research, very much appreciated...

Best, Chris ~ CSL
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