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NOVEMBER 30, 1887.
The applause of the evening, however, is reserved for Miss Annie Oakley, because her shooting is clever, precise and dramatic. - The preferee, May 10.
Miss Oakley undoubtedly made the hit of the show. - The Era, May 16.
Miss Oaklye was then presented to Her Majesty; she made the prettiest of bows and then scampered off. - Daily Telegraphy, May 12.
Miss Oakley has accepted a three months' engagement in Germany after the close of her engagement with the Wild West in London. She has also offers from Monoco, France and Brighton, Eng., which will keep her in Europe for a year longer. She has also recieved some very good offers to make a tour of this country on her return.
Miss Oakley has promised to give one of her first exhibitions in the city on her return, and is backed to shoot a 100 shot match against a well known sportsman of this city September 30, 1888. That Miss Oakley will meet with a grand reception from the sportsman of this city there is no doubt. The Bullard Repeating Arms company has recently shipped to England for Miss Oakley one of its finest rifles, and is now making her a repeating shot gun on its repeating rifle system to use in her fancy shooting exhibitions.
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AMONG THE RIFLE SHOTS.
More About Annie Oakley--Note and Comment of Interest to Riflemen.
Miss Annie Oakley, the champion woman wing shot of the world, whose picture The Union published October 29, has severed her connection with Buffalo Bill's Wold West and is now in Berlin, Germany. On November 9 she was to give a private exhi-bition to the press of Berlin and on the 10th an exhibition before the German royal family. Previous to leaving for Germany Miss Oakley was invited to shoot over Sir J. F. Clark's preserves at Shrewsbury, Shrop-shire, where she was a guest of the baronet for a week. Miss Oakley surprised the party by her wonderful shooting in the open field and her kill for the day was the largest but one--in fact, she said she never shot better in her life. The London Even-ning News gives her the following pleasant notice: By the way, the show, when it winds up its career at Brompton to-night, will lose one of its principal attractions in the person of Miss Annie Oakley, who severs her connection with the Wild West voluntarily. Miss Oakley means to go in for a somewhat prolonged rest, after which we shall probably see her in London again in a different kind of entertainment. This week she goes down to Shropshire to join a shooting and hunting party at the house of a country magnate. Afterwards she intends visiting various places on the Continent. Litlle Sure Shot's personal urbanity, as well as her won-derful skill in her profession, will assure her a warm welcome whenever she may decide to turn her footsteps Londonwards once more Her loss to the Wild West show will be a serious one.
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PROGRAMME of Miss Annie Oakley's Private Performance
Before The Members and Their Friends of The Union-Club Berlin
On November 13. 1887 At Charlottenburg Rase Cours.
1. Exhibition of Rifle Shooting. 2. Shooting Clay Pigions for straight. 3. Pulling the trap herself. 4. Standing back to trap, turning and firing. 5. The snap shot hitting the pitgin close the trap. 6. Shooting double or from two traps sprung at same firms. 7. Picking gun from ground after trap is sprung. 8. Same shot double. 9. Starding 20 feet from the gun, runing and firing after the trap is sprung. 10. Holding gun with one hand throwing ball herself. 11. Throwing two balls herself, bracking both. 12. Throwing ball backwards, picking up gun, and breaking it. 13. Breaking two balls picking ap fun and breaking im. 14. Breaking six balls throwing in air in four seconds. 15. Breaking threeballs in air at the sam tirms. 16. Breaking five balls in five seconds first with rifle others with shot guns changing guns three times. 17. Shooting ath twelf lif pidgings 25 yards rise 20 bor gun.
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SHOOTING. 182, STRAND, LONDON, NOVEMBER 30, 1887. ANNIE OAKLEY ON HER 20-BORE LANCASTER.
Sir,--In answer to "Cigar's" letter regarding my 20-bore shot guns, I will say that they were built as I ordered them, and intended for exhibition shooting only. To Mr. Charles Lancaster I owe very much for fitting me so well, as I did not know what drop or length of stock I required. To find that I could kill blue roks and game, and break clay pigeons, was a surprise to me. Mr. Lancaster has built me a 12-bore gun also, but I have used it very little since I got the 20-bore, for why should I use a heavier gun when a light one, and light load, will do the work as well? As for Mr. Lancaster making a 4 1/2 lbs. 12-gun, I would not accept it for a gift, if he did make one, and for this reason. I do not think that a 12-bore of l4 1/2 lbs. could do better work then a 5lb. 20-bore, unless it was loaded more heavily. If it is loaded as a 12-bore should be, then there is bound to be recoil; and, in my exhibitions, I may have to shoot from 1,000 to 5,000 shots in one day. Recoil is something I want to do away with as much as possible. I only write this letter in justice to Mr. Lancaster, and shall decline any further correspondence, as I do not wish to be mixed up in any controversy; besides, I do not think I know enough to write upon the subject. Hoping I have not trespassed on your kindness, and that you will be able o give me space in your columns, P.S.--I leave shortly for Russia. ANNIE OAKLEY. Berlin, November 21.
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AMERICAN FIELD NOVEMBER 19TH, 1887
MISS ANNIE OAKLEY.
Miss Oakley has been with the Wild West for some time past, and during the engagement of the show at the American Exhibition, in London, Miss Oakley has been one of the strongest drawing attractions of the show. Her exhibitions are considered by the sportsmen of England as marvelous. She has been complimented on her ability by all classes of Englishmen and Englishwomen, from the Prince and Princess of Wales down to the show blacks, one of whom was heard to say on seeing Miss Oakley pass on the street: "There goes the boss shooter." Miss Oakley has given a great many private exhibitions in London, aside from those given at the Wild West entertainment. The newspapers of England were loud in their praise of the little wonder, some even going so fas as to say that her act was the taking one of the entire show.
In May last Miss Oakley gave an exhibition at the grounds of the London Gun Club, which is the crack club of England, Biscount Stormont being president and the Prince of Wales a member. The exhibition consisted of rifle and shotfun shooting at live blue rocks. Her score of kills on that occasion would have won the Challenge Cup if it had been in competition. In the sweepstakes which followed, Miss Oakley won $250, and the club, to mark their appreciation of the event, presented her with the club gold medal, worth $250. This is the first time the club has ever presented the club medal to any one. The medal is a handsome piece of workmanship and has a picture of the grounds, with traps, dog, club house and shooter on one side; on the other is, "Presented to Miss Annie Oakley by the London Gun Club," and underneath are the words which the Prince of Wales used on being shown the medal: "I know of no one more worthy of it."
Miss Oakley's cabinet is full of handsome medals, in the center of which stands a bracelt with different coins and souvenirs presented by clubs and individuals, among them being a Jubilee sovereign presented by Lord Mandeville with his crest and monogram.
August 13 being Miss Oakley's twenty-first birthdya, she held a reception in her tent at the American Exhibition, which was crowded all day. She recieved a great number of very valuable presents, among them being a photograph of the Princess of Wales, sent by the Princess herself, a silk dress, carriage, clock, a thouroughbred English horse, a St. Bernard dog - one of the best bred dogs in England - and a host of other useful and valuable presents, numbering in all sixty-seven. The flowers sent her on the occasion were very fine and choice. Miss Oakley has several titled ladies who are taking lessons from her on shooting.
Miss Oakley will make a tour of the United States and Canada on her return and will then retire from public shooting. The live blue rock shooting in England, reports of which have appeared form time to time in the AMERICAN FIELD, proves that Miss Oakley is a wonderful shot for a lady.
T.T. CARTWRIGHT.