September 1927

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September, 1927

20 Cents per cnpv *-5

Yew Bow Staves From High Altitude Cascade Mountain Male Yew Roger Asham, author of one of the first books on archery, published in i 1544, says: “Ewe of all other thinges is that, whereof perfite shootinge would have a bowe made. This woode as it is now general and common ■ amonges Englishmen, so hath it continued for a long time, and had in I most price for bowes amonges the Romaines.”

Just as in the times of Asham, yew is still considered the best bow ma­ terial and experts pronounce the yew from the Cascade Mountains superI' ior to the Spanish yew, which was, by statute, sold at a premium in EngIl land during the reigns of Edward the IV. and Richard III. It is every archer’s ambition to own a yew bow. Last winter we had an expert forester select several fine staves. Tiiese cainc from the very heart of the Cascade Mountains and aie winter cut, male yws. The most of this yew was cut in the dead of winter when the weather was very cold and the ground covered with snow.

We have both the self and the staves to be spliced and are pricing them very reasonable, $5.50, $7.50 and $10.00, depending upon the selec­ tion. This makes it possible for several archers to own a very fine yew bows at a very reasonable cost.

Dr. Pope’s book, “Hunting With the Bow and Arrow,” will enable any archer to make all his own tackle. It would take years and years of ex­ perience and cost many hundred dollars to gain this knowledge. Price, $3.00 each. Oregon Style, Thompson pattern hunting arrows, a new light weight arrow that will enable the hunter to get the same and even better | results with a lighter bow. Single sample $1.25; $13.00 per dozen.

Hand-made linen bow strings to order. State pull and length of your bow. Price $1.10 each. Target points 5c each, 40c the dozen. Twenty­ inch birch dowels, selected, 40c a dozen, % inch dowels 414>c each, L ■',W eight 60c the dozen. f Enamel, feathers, heads and dowels to make twelve fine arrows $1.50. JI Target dowels, headed, nocked, reinforced with silk and waterproofed, ;| K ■ 20c each.

I Yew self, and spliced hunting and target bows, fiber and calfskin | backed, made to order. Any length, any pull, Genuine Indian Oregon Oak bows made by Indian bowyer. $5.00 and up. Hard shooters, excellent workmanship.

Leather arm,guards, bow bags, quivers made to order.

If you are planning a hunting trip let me help you.

I am in toueh with guides in all parts of Oregon. ,j&as

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HARRY HOBSON

Lyons, Oregon g| <

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TOBIN Hi Would Have Liked

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Pine Lemon wood Bows, Arrows. Accessories, Turrets and Haw Materials Send for FREE Catalog-Dealers’ Inquiries Invited

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The Oldest M a an fact n rer in the E. S.—Est. 1912

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Championship Flight tfWi/Target ARROWS One of my flight arrows used by Dr. Geo. Cathey broke National flight record at Seattle meet; distance 300 yds., 1 ft., 2 inches.

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1247 East 27th Street North

LEMONWOOD AND YEW Hunting and Target Bows I have some fine, high altitude, Yew Staves that will make the kind of bow you have been wanting. .Sitka Spruce Hunting and Target Arrows. Specializing on arrows for bows up to 60 pounds.

Write for price list

P. W. LYNDON, Waldport, Oregon THURLOW’S SHOOTING GLOVE Gives smoother release than bare fingers, more protection than tips.

Made of fine grain coltskin. $1.50 each glove; $3.00 per pair.

THURLOW GLOVE CO., Portland, Oregon

Selected Standard Yew Staves FOR SALE

$3.00 to $6.00, postpaid 10 days return privilege if unsatisfactory

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Mention Ye Sylvan Archer when writing advertisers.

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Corvallis, Oregon

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Vol. i, No. 3

Published bi-monthly by Ye Sylvan Archer Publishing Co. at Corvallis, Oregon.

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Official Publication of Northwest Archery Association.

J. E. DAVIS Subscription Price Foreign Subscriptions Single Copies

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....................... Editor and Manager $1.00 Per Year $1.25 Per Year 20 Cents Advertising rates on application.

Copyright, 1927, Ye Sylvan Archer Publishing Co.

Table of Contents MISS BILLIE’S DEER, by the Husband.......................................................

THE NATIONAL ARCHERY ASSOCIATION, by Louis C. Smith........

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TOURNAMENT MAKING AND SHOOTING THE YEW LONGBOW, by Ted Nibler THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TOURNAMENT, by the Editor MAKING A SELF ARROW, by B. G. Thompson A WOMAN BOWYER, by the Editor SCIENTIFIC USE OF THE BOW AND ARROW, by W. O. Robinson.

ARCHERY FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, by Wallace H. Burr THE FRESNO SHOOT .......

ONCE AGAIN The third number of Ye Sylvan Ar­ cher is on its way to its rapidly in­ creasing family of readers. We wish to apologize for leaving out a num­ ber of excellent articles which have been sent to us, but next time we hope to increase the number of pages so that we can get in all the good material we receive. We especially regret our inability to publish most of the scores which have been sent us, as we believe that the publication of scores will do much to stimulate in­

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. 3 . 7 .11 .13 .15 .17 .19 .20 .21 .23

terest in target practice. Later we expect to give two or three pages to the publication of scores. During the winter months we shall devote con­ siderable of our space to hunting stories and invite contributions along that line. It takes time and is a dif­ ficult undertaking to get in touch . ask conwith all the archers, and we tinued cooperation of our subscribers in our campaign for new subscribers.

Please let your friends know about the new publication.

THE PUBLISHERS.

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SEPTEMBER, 1927

YE SYLVAN ARCHER

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QyVliss ^Billies ^eerBy THE HUSBAND.

Monchoc, thirty miles fiom New Or­ leans and home, in Annie Edward’s dug-out motor boat.

Miss Annie, Billie, Harold and I, “all for to hunt the merry little doe, among the leaves so green, 0,” (also the water so wet, Oh!) A long blue streamer of flame flickered from the noisy ex­ haust, erie in the cold dim dawn, and a million echoes rang from all around, till the whole water and sky “Rise and shine!” seemed one great roar of noisy mo­ “Eh?” tors. On and on we sped,—past “All out! Hit the deck!” floating ghosts of water hyacinths, “What for?” dreary, grotesque cypresses, bearded, “Say, Billie! If you’re going deer moss-hung oaks. The chill wind bit hunting with me, get up!” at us through every chink and button “What time is it?” hole, in our clothes, as we huddled to­ “Four fifteen. Come on—snap into gether around the scant warmth from it! The coffee’s ready—let’s eat.” the engine.

The high boots, the “I don’t see why we have to go deer heavy woolen underwear 'and socks, hunting today. Look how dark it is, the stuffy hunting coats, no longer and besides I’m so-o-o sleepy (yawn). seemed high nor heavy nor stuffy We’ve been out eight times already, enough, and each of us resolved to and only got one shot at a deer. Any­ ourselves that next time we’d put on way, that swamp is so doggone wet and cold, and we never get anything just a little more clothes, knowing that when the next time came we’d wear but wild pigs and rabbits. I wish ’ just what we were wearing now, you’d go alone this time an’ let me and be sorry and cold all over again. sleep.”

'We always think the next time won’t “Well, I spose you’re .right. But be quite so cold nor so wet as the last.

I'm going to get a deer with a bow ^And it isn’t—it’s usually colder and and arrow if I have to bite it and hold it down while I shoot it. This hunt- 'wetter! ing in that Monchac swamp is a Jj After ages and ages of sitting in tough game, bad enough for a man; Wthe cold wind and spray of the open Eboat, and when for the ’steenth time let alone a girl—” Ewe were trying to screw up enough “What! ! ! Say, where’s my boots?!

Jcourage to ask Miss Annie if we Get out of the way and let me dress.

I was just fooling. I’ll show you if at ^hadn’t perhaps better turn around and least one girl can’t go anywhere the Ego back—and when we were just men can!” ] Vabout to give up or something, she As the first streaks of light filled /shut off the motor, and headed the the east, there we were again, for the /boat for the bank between two great ninth time, plutt plutting down Pass] Sold moss festooned oaks. But no! It (Editor’s Note—“Miss Billie,” as Mrs. Phillip Rounsevelle is called in archeiy circles, was only nineteen when this event occurred. She is the only woman known to have killed a deer with the bow and arrow since the days of Queen Elizabeth. Recently on her private range at Pinehurst Miss Billie made a new world’s prac­ tice record for target shooting in the American Round, with a total of 90 hits, 596 score.)

YE SYLVAN ARCHER

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wasn’t the bank after all. As we drew closer, drifting, we saw that the two oaks hid the mouth of a narrow canal. Miss Annie, who came from the old Fiench Arcadian stock, cocked an eye at the trees rustling in the breeze, shook her head and in the in­ imitable soft drawl of south Louisana said that it was all wrong—the wind

SEPTEMBER, 1927

of palmetto leaves, and plunk! plunk! plunk! and plunk! plunk! plunk! as something stepped through the foot deep water and stopped to sniff the bieeze and bounded on a few feet and stopped again. A far-off snort, a crash and loud ker-plunk! ker-plunk! ker-plunk! and something, hidden in thick foliage and bioad palmettos, was off for parts unknown.

We took our heavy hunting bows out of their waterproof canvas cases, and gave the strings, arrows, and other tackle a final inspection. We strung our bows, placed them across the thwarts and then gently oozed into our places.

“Oozed” is the word. If you don’t ooze in a piiogue, you will find your­ self combing the minnows out of your hair, for they are the tippiest cf all the tippicanoes. Even the mosquitoes are careful, and hunt in pairs, light­ ing on the right and left sides at once so as not to tip the victims over, and miss their lunch. In spite of their tippiness the pirogues weie much bet­ ter than the motor boat—you could paddle—and keep warm.

MISS BILLIE AND HER DEER

was against us. We could take the pirogues and paddle up the canal and have lunch, and wait, and then toward late afternoon, if the wind didn’t change and the weather was all right and we were lucky, we could drift back with the stream against the wind—and perhaps we might get a shot at a deer. But now—there was nothing doing.

Everthing was wrong.

“Listen!

You hear?”

Far down the canal came a crackle

As we went along, Miss Annie and Billie in the first boat, Harold and I biinging up the rear, we could hear the feeding deer in the briars along the banks as they caught our scent borne ahead of us on the breeze.

First there would be the crash as they flung head aloft to get a good whiff of the breeze, a few “plunks” as they retired a little way into the swamp and stopped for another whiff, and a whole series of crashes and “ker-plunks” as they sought the wide-open spaces.

“We might as well have a brass band to announce us,” growled Har­ old, “as to paddle down before this

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SEPTEMBER, 1927

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wind. Will they ever come back?”

“See those briars? You find ’em only along canals, where the land sticks above the water. When they get hungry they’ll be back, for briars are turkey and dressing to a deer.

Eats much the same things as a rab­ bit.”

“Speaking of rabbits,” said Harold, as he oozed gently to his feet, “there is,” drawing his bow, “a nice one.”

“You mean there was one,” I laughed, as we went to shore to pick up his scarlet-shafted hunting arrow, with its keen broad blade. “You’ll have to be quicker than that. These bunnies are wise babies. Shoot for their nose. If he jumps you’ll get him —if he doesn’t—you get him anyway.

All you have to do is to shoot quick and straight.”

“Great stuff—this bow and ar,row hunting,” remarked Harold a little later. “I know a fellow who was dropped from a deer-hunting club forshooting rabbits. Said his gun scared all the deer in the parish—and they couldn’t break him of the habit. Now with a bow you can shoot all you want, whenever you .get a chance, and not wake up the whole end of the state.”

“Yes, and if you’re quick, when you miss you can often get a second shot.

And when you do hit—the bacon is yours. No messy wounds—no lost •game. You kill it quickly or it gets away with a light clean wound that heals easily. Properly placed an ar­ row will be more deadly than a bul­ let. On the other hand ycur wounded game that escapes seldom dies, like those wounded with guns, because the arrow goes clean through, the sharp steel blade cut is free bleeding and easy to heal.”

“Speaking of bacon, did you have to

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pay for that tame pig Miss Billie killed?”

“Sh! For the lov^ of Pete, don’t let her hear you, Harold, That’s a tender point in our family. When they’re small you can’t tell the tame pigs from the wild boars, and we didn’t know we were within ten miles of a house, but we no sooner landed to pick it up than we heard a dog bark, and saw a house through the trees. We went over and found the owner and he was all right about it.

I paid him—but Billie says she never will look at another pi,g again—tame or wild.”

“But that isn’t any worse than the joke on me. We were over near the old garden and still hunting when a whole herd of little black ones came and fed all around me. I could have killed two or three without moving but I thought they were tame. That evening Cecil Edwards said he wished I’d go out and kill those darned little black wild hogs that had rooted up his garden! And pork chops sixty cents a pound, too! Don’t tell Billie— she’d never let me hear the end of it!”

“Say, how strong is Miss Billie’s bow ?”

“Only about forty pounds. But that’s plenty. You could kill dinosaurs with a bow with a forty pound pull.

The only reason I use a sixty-five or seventy pounder is because it feels better. When I killed that boar near the Scout camp my bow felt so weak.

Of course it was stronger than it needed to be—and I cut it down later so it’s about right now. This stuff about heavy bows is most all bunk.

You don’t need over sixty-five pounds pull for anything less than grizzly bear.”* All the time we were talking we were paddling up the canal. Finally

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we reached a bend and saw what seemed the end. The water hyacinths had blown up into it till they had filled it from bank to bank, prevent­ ing further passage. We had noth­ ing to do but stop for lunch.

“My heavens!” Miss Annie said, “I forgot de lunch!” and by jinks, she had!

“Now you see,” I said to Harold, if you’d killed that rabbit—!”

“Ya! Why didn’t you get the one you shot at?” j “Well, that’s different, (etc., etc.)”

So we did the best we could, tight­ ened our belts, filled up on water, and waited for afternoon. I’m net going to tell how Billie and I walked up the canal bank, and just as she sighted two deer, I stepped on a crackling rotten log and away they sped, be­ fore she got a shot. Nor of seven airows that I loosed at a fat old boar that I just couldn’t hit because he was standing in a thicket of small saplings which deflected every arrow till the last one pricked his back, and away he went across the canal, prov­ ing as liars all those who say pigs can’t swim.

As the shadows lengthened we turned to the boats again and began the slow drifting with the current, against the wind, down the long straight canal, right into the path of the slowly sinking sun. ,While mem­ ory lasts, that evening will never be forgotten. All about us was that be­ fore-sunset hush, save where some leaping gar startled the silence, or the dry click, click, click of two palmetto leaves hitting together in the softly blowing breeze. Ahead of us, on a ribbon of molten gold, floated the other boat, a black silhouette, with now an then a faint ripple as Miss Annie dipped a silent guiding paddle.

Suddenly we saw her peer beneath

SEPTEMBER, 1927

her hand and point. Billie stood up quietly and drew her bow, a slim Di­ ana, poised against the golden light.

The merest fraction of a second tco late, the questing shaft clipped through the broad palmettos. No time now to stop for lost arrows— night is coming—we float on.

Miss Annie seems to be giving a lesson. No sound of her whispers can we hear, but every gesture of her hands and eloquent shoulders indi­ cate that she and Billie are in earnest confab.

She points to the banks, low down.

We look and see where the rabbits have eaten the briars for six inches or so above the .ground leaving only thick stems. It is in this little clear space you must watch for slender feet, mincing quietly along. When you see them, quietly stand and quick­ ly shoot.

There! Billie is going to try again!

She has been ready this time— ar.on on the string—bow across her kne:s.

Miss Annie points. No time is lost this time! Billie stands up in the boat again, but she has drawn the bow as she rose, and no sooner is she upon her feet, than we see it glint in the sun, and hear the faint twang of the string. In a flash another arrow is on the string—is sped, and still another. As Miss Annie paddles mad­ ly to the shore a shrill cry breaks the si!ence of the golden evening!

“Oh, Phillip! Come quick! I him! I got him! I got him!”

A few hours later we all sat around the supper table. The talk had been thick and fast. Cecil had to be shown the three arrows that had done the deed. How they had gone in one side of the hundred and twen­ ty-five pound deer, bathed their feathers in its blood, and out the (Continued on page 23)

SEPTEMBER, 1927

YE SYLVAN ARCHER

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National Archer^' Association of £he United States

By LOUIS C. SMITH President National Archery Asscciation.

Archery, as an organized sport in archery clubs scattered throughout the United States, dates from 1879, the country. the year in which the National Arch­ The circumstances which led to this ery Association of the United States wide-spread interest forms an enter­ taining chapter in the history of ar­ was organized. One of the objects of the Association, as stated in its Con­ chery. It seems that during the Civil War there were two brothers in the stitution, is “to encourage the prac­ Confederate Army by the names of tice of archery and to arrange, each Maurice Thompson and Will Thomp­ year, a tournament to determine the son. When the war archery championship was over they return­ of the United States.” ed to their old home, The same year also but found it had been saw the organization devastated by Sher­ of The Eastern Arch­ man’s march to the ery Association, which sea. Maurice Thomp­ has jurisdiction over son had been wounded the territory east of and was advised by the Mississippi River, his physician to live and which holds an in the open air. As annual tournament to they had no home or determine the archery money, and as firing championships for the arms were denied eastern part cf the them, they proceeded United States. to fashion bows and Prior to 1870, there MAURICE THOMPSON airows, and for sev­ was very little inter­ First President of National Archery Association. eral years lived in est in archery in this the woods, largely on the game which country, although we have record of they were able to get with their the organization in Philadelphia in home-made weapons.

September, 1828, of an archery club Both young men became extra­ called “The United Bowmen of Phila­ ordinarily skillful in the use of delphia.” This club continued its ac­ the bow and arrow, and the tive existence for only a few years and archery tackle which they made for a considerable period before the to be in some way Civil War and a short period imme­ seemed expressions of themselves. Maur'co diately after it, there is no evidence of Thompson was gifted as a writer, and any interest in archery in this coun­ try. in 1877 and 1878 he wrote a series of articles describing his experi:n:es in During the 70’s, however, archery the woods, and these were published as a sport came to the front, and in in Harper’s Magazine. Later Urey 1879, there were a large number of

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YE SYLVAN ARCHER

were published as a book, entitled “The Witchery of Archery,” a book which is, perhaps, the most readable of any that has ever been written on the subject of archery. As a result of these articles and this bcok, ar­ chery at once came into popular favor.

This was before the days of golf and at a time when about the only recrea­ tion for adults was croquet. Archery, as presented in Maurice Thompson’s writings, had an appeal for both young and old, and the result was that by 1879 so many archery clubs had sprung into existence that the time seemed right to correlate their activ­ ities by the organization of a national body. This organization was per­ fected in January, 1879, under the name “The National Archery Associa­ tion of the United States,” and Mau­ rice Thompson was elected as the first president.

The first tournament was held in Chicago in August, 1879, and was a very elaborate affair. There were 89 contestants, 20 ladies and 69 gentle­ men, a number which has not been ex­ ceeded since.

The National Archery Association has held an annual tournament every year since its organization, except in the years 1917 ad 1918, when activi­ ties were suspended on account of the war.

For the first few years the tourna­ ments were well attended and then in­ terest in archery seemed to wane,pos­ sibly because the game of golf was coming into prominence and many de­ serted archery for the latter sport.

But, whatever the cause may have been, the decline in the interest in archery continued, until about 1900, at which time there were only a hand­ ful of archers attending the annual tournaments. One of the enthusiastic archers at this time was L. W. Maxon

SEPTEMBER, 1927

of Washington, D. C., and it was laigely through his activity that the annual tournaments were maintained at this period.

About 1900, the tide turned and a revival of interest in archery was ap­ parent, this being reflected in an in­ creased attendance at the National tournaments. (Within the last three or four years archery has become so universally popular that now it is difficult to find a field large enough to accommodate the National tourna­ ments. The tournament this year is to be held on Soldiers Field, Boston, Mass., August 23 to 26, inclusive, and provision is being made for over 100 contestants, some of whom will come clear from the Pacific coast.

The National Archery Association awards both a men’s championship and a ladies’ championship. In the early tournaments the men’s cham­ pionship was decided by the results in a Double York Round, and the ladies’ championship by the results in a Double National Round. Later the American Round was introduced as part of the men’s program, and the Columbia Round as part of the ladies’ program, this being a concession to those archers who felt that the 100 yard range of the York Round and the 60 yard range of the National Round were too great for them to at­ tempt.

Up till 1914, the method of deter­ mining championships was by the “Point” system which is in vogue in England. By this system two points are given for the highest score, two points for the largest number of hits, one point for the highest score at each distance, and one point for the great­ est number of hits at each distance.

Thus, for a York Round there will be ten points, two for the highest score, two for the greatest number of hits,

SEPTEMBER, 1927

YE SYLVAN ARCHER

one for the highest score at 100 yards, one for the greatest number of hits at 100 yards, one for the highest score at 80 yards, one for the greatest number of hits at 80 yards, one for the highest score at 60 yards, and one for the greatest number of hits at 60 yards. In the National Round, which includes only two distances, the total possible points is eight. Under this system it happened several times that the championship was won by an archer who stood second or third on the list as arranged by scores. As an illustration of how the point system sometimes worked out I will refer to the scores at the tournament in 1913.

The two leaders in the Double York Round had the following scores:

100 yds.

H S 65-279

Geo. P. Bryant 80 yds.

Total 60 yds.

H S H S H !S 67-315 176-832 44-238

100 yds.

H S 66-282

J. W. Doughty 80 yds.

Total 60 yds.

H S H S H “S 178-802 66-254 46-266

Doughty was given two points for greatest number of hits, one point for largest score at 100 yards, one point fo.r greatest number of hits at 100 yards and one point for .greatest score at 60 yards, five po’nts in all.

Bryant was given two points for the greatest score, one point for greatest number of hits at 80 yards, and one point for greatest score at 80 yards, four points in all. Dr. R. P. Elmer, who stood fourth as listed by scores, had one point for greatest number of hits at 60 yards, he having made 47 hits.

In 1914, this method of deciding championships was discarded in favor of the present method, which is by adding gross hits and score. The present Constitution of the National

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Archery Association contains the fol­ lowing provision: 42. The Champion Archer of the United States shall be the archer who, in an Annual Tournament, has the highest result obtained by adding to­ gether the scores and hits of his Double York and Double American Rounds. In case of a tie the archer with the greatest score wins. In case of a second tie the archer with the •greatest score in the York Round wins.

43. The Champion Woman Archer of the United States shall be the wom­ an who, in an Annual Tournament, has the highest result obtained by adding together the scores and hits of her Double National and Double Columbia Rounds. In case of a tie the woman with the greatest score wins. In case of a second tie the woman with the greatest score in the Double National Round wins.

This method of deciding champion­ ships by adding hits and scores seems to work out more satisfactorily than the old point system.

To those who are not familiar with methods of conducting National tour­ naments, it may be interesting to know there are usually four archers assigned to each target, and a score card is provided for each target which is ruled to receive the scores of the four archers shooting thereon.

One of the archers on each target is appointed as Captain, another is ap­ pointed as Scorer, another is assigned to call and draw the arrows after each end. When the time for shoot­ ing begins, the Field Captain, who is in charge of the tournament, blows his whistle or bugle as a signal for the shooting to begin. The archers on each target shoot in turn, only one archer shooting on any one target at any one time. Number 1 archer on each target shoots three arrows, then yields his place to Number 2 archer, who shoots three arrows, and so on until all four archers have shot

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YE SYLVAN ARCHER

their first three arrows of an end.

Then Number 1 archer shoots his re­ maining three arrows, and the other archers follow in turn. As soon as each archer has finished shooting he retires behind the firing line where he remains until all the archers have shot their six arrows. The Field Cap­ tain then blows his whistle as a sig­ nal far the archers to move down to the target for scoring. The archer on any target appointed to draw the arrows will proceed to do so by draw­ ing the arrows of each archer in turn, and as each arrow is drawn, calling the value of the hit. As the value is announced it is entered on the score card by the Scorer. The Captain of the target acts as a check­ er to see that no mistakes are made in drawing or calling the anows.

When the arrows have all besn gath­ ered the archers return to the firing line where they wait for the signal of the Field Captain to shoot the next end.

When the shooting at any one dis­ tance has been completed, the targets are moved up to the nearer distance, the shooting always being done from the same firing line.

The question of sights on bows and artificial points of aim has been un­ der discussion at several of the an­ nual meetings of the National Ar­ chery Association, but at present there is no ruling against the uoe cf either of these artificial aids. At any tournament a small number of arch­ ers will be found to be using some sort of sight fixed to the bow. A larger number will be found t> be us­ ing artificial points of aim placed on the ground at the proper dis'.ance n front of the target, and the r:mrining archers will be found shooting without any artificial aid, using fo ■ their point of aim whatever the

SEPTEMBER, 1927

ground may naturally afford. Dr. R. P. Elmer of Wayne, Pa., who won the men’s championship on six dif­ ferent occasions, and Miss Dorothy Smith (now Mrs. Henry H. C. Cum­ mings), who has won the woman’s championship on six different occa­ sions, both shoot without sights and without using artificial points of aim, which goes to show that these arti­ ficial aids are not necessarily essen­ tial for making good scoies.

At the tournament held by the Greenwood Archers of Oakland, Calif., the Pacific Archers Association was formed. C. B. Hutchinson of Oakland was elected president, W. C. Burgess of Berkeley, sec.etary-treasurer, and Capt. C. H. Styles of Los Gatos, Dr. F. S. Godbolt of Red Bluff and F. S. Crandall of Sacramento ap­ pointed members of the Board of Gov­ ernors. The Association membership is open to regularly organized clubs and to individuals who are not club members. It is the aim of the new Association to promote the sport in all ways and to help the archers of the West to get better acquainted.

The Oakland shoot was very en­ joyable, about 40 archers being pres­ ent. The single American Round and some novelty events were shot as it was considered best to make it a not too strenuous day. The prizes were pretty well distiibuted, many of them going to out of town shooters.

Four members of the Caspar Arch­ ery Association, L. L. Langworthy, K. L. Krusmark, L. C. Goodrich and B. F. Terman have expeiienced the thrill of bringing down sage chickens with the bow. They a e looking forward to the opening of the hunting season this year, when they expect to better

SEPTEMBER, 1927

YE SYLVAN ARCHER

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Southern California ^Tournament The second annual tournament of the Southern California Arche.ry as­ sociation was held in Los Angeles June 25 and 26, for the championship of southern California.

Total hits and scores decided the championship.

The two day tournament was en­ joyed by members and friends of the Southern California Archery Associ­ ation; and many spectators were on hand at all times. The shoot was held on the new range of the Los Angeles Archery Club in Griffith Park.

Nine ladies and twenty men par­ ticipated in the shooting, which was good in spite of the fact that many of the members were making then- in­ itial public appearance. Repiesentatives from Riverside, Santa Monica, San Pedro, Long Beach and Los An­ geles were on the line.

The program was opened by Ar­ thur Young, who, with an appropri­ ate ceremony, dedicated the new flag pole to Saxton Pope. The national colors, with the club emblem under­ neath, were then run up and at the bugle call the shooting started.

IThe field looked very gay with the twenty targets spaced well rpart; with the long line of archers; the big open tent filled with chairs for the contestants and visitors; the vivid booth housing the secretary and his assistants; and a number cf colored beach umbrellas scattered around; making in all a pleasing appearance.

Twelve trophies were awarded in the order of their score. .Stanley Spencer won both the wand and the flight shoots for the men; Miss Edith Strasser won the wand; ar.d Mrs. Robert Johnson the flight f:r the la­ dies.

Saturday night, June 25, the an-

nual business meeting and election of officers was held at the home of Cap­ tain and Mrs. O’Davoren, where the club members were charmingly en­ tertained.

Chester Seay was re­ elected president and Burton C. Bald­ win was elected secretary-treasurer for the coming fiscal year. It was decided that the next annual tourna­ ment be again held in Los Angeles.

The five highest men’s scores were: S. F. Spencer YorkTotal 60 yds.

100 yds.

80 yds.

104-480 24-116 39-183 41-181 1st Amer.— Total 40 yds.

60 yds.

50 yds.

89-531 30-204 29- 167 30-160 2nd Amer.— 30-220 88-574 30- 194 28-160 C. L. Douglas YorkTotal 80 yds.

60 yds.

100 yds.

75-355 23-137 33-139 19- 79 1st Amer.— Total 40 yds.

50 yds.

60 yds.

88-572 30-208 30-196 28-168 2nd Amer.— 90-520 30-210 30-172 30-138 L. Yeaman York60 yds. /Total 80 yds.

100 yds.

85-385 21-115 29-123 35-147 1st Amer.— Total 40 yds.

50 yds.

60 yds.

88-490 29-169 . 30-186 29-135 2nd Amer.— 85 527 30-188 28-184 27-155 Carl Yeaman York— Total 60 yds.

80 yds.

100 yds.

81-305 19- 93 34-130 28- 82 1st AmerTotal 40 yds.

50 yds.

60 yds.

88-556 30-204 30-194 28-158 2nd Amer.— 85-489 30-196 28-136 ’ 27-157 £7 Jay Plowe YorkTotal 60 yds.

80 yds.

100 yds.

74-316 19- 81 24- 94 31-141

YE SYLVAN ARCHER

12

1st Amer.— Total 40 yds.

50 yds.

60 yds.

88-476 30-184 28-154 30-138 2nd Amer.— 82-482 30-180 24-116 28-186 iThe three highest of the ladies’ scores were: Mrs. R. Johnson 1st National— Total 50 yds.

60 yds.

65-337 24-142 41-195 2nd National— 61-289 24-136 37-153 1st Columbia— Total 30 yds.

40 yds.

50 yds.

69-453 24-172 24-164 21-117 2nd Columbia— 70.462 24-192 23-153 23-117 Mrs. H. Raymond 1st National— Total 50 yds.

60 yds.

61-223 22- 82 39-151 2nd National— 64-292 21- 95 43-197 1st Columbia— Total 50 vds.

40 yds.

30 yds.

70-460 24-182 22-132 24-146 2nd Columbia— 69-449 21-121 24-156 24-172 Mrs. R. Hodgson 1st National— 60 yds.

40-188 2nd National— 39-165 1st Columbia— 50 yds.

40 yds.

24-122 21-105 2nd Columbia— 19- 93 22-110

50 yds.

23-119

Total 63-307

23-119

62-284

30 yds.

23-127

Total 68-354

16- 78

57-281

Dr. George A. Cathey of Portland, Oregon, and the editor of Ye Sylvan Archer had a pleasant visit at the home of General Maurice A. Thomp­ son, son of Will Thompson and neph­ ew of Maurice Thompson, on our way home from the Seattle tournament.

General Thompson has a beautiful home at Camp Murray on the Camp Lewis Federal Military reservation.

He has many priceless relics of his father’s archery career, including the

SEPTEMBER, 1927

famous bows, “Maid Marian” and “.Whirlwind.” We had the opportun­ ity also to see a copy of that rare old book that did so much to bring about the present revival of interest in arch­ ery, “The Witchery of Archery,” by Maurice Thompson. The general, his wife, and two daughters are delight­ ful people to meet and this visit with them, among relics made sacred to archers by memory of the “Fathers of American Archery,” was one that will be treasured as a red letter day in our archery experiences.

Dr. J. W. Doughty invited the Northwest archers to a tournament at Sedro-Wooley, Washington, on July 10th. The men shot the Metropolitan round and a silver cup was presented to the winner, Mr. Joseph V. Kerchen, of Seattle, who had a score of 599.

J. H. Adams, also of Seattle, 'was second with a score of 492. Dr. Geo. A. Cathey of Portland was third with a 430 score. The ladies’ .round was won by Miss Jane Cheetham of Seattle with a score of 354. Miss Gertrude West was second with 260 and Miss Patsy Duryee third with 158. Those present were so pleased with the cor­ dial treatment and the beautiful lo­ cation that Sedro-Wooley was unan­ imously chosen as the place for hold­ ing the second tournament of the Pa­ cific Northwest association.

Mr. Hill of the Vancouver, (B. C.), Company of Archers invites any arch­ ers who may be in Vancouver to take along their shooting tackle and meet with some of their club members Sat­ urday afternoons at the archery butts at Brockton Point, Stanley Park, and help them “put the arch in archery.’’

Dr. W. H. Bamford, president of the club can be reached by phone—Doug­ las 2131.

SEPTEMBER, 1927

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13

Q^Miaking and Shooting, die Yew Longbow

By TED NIBLER

Having made and shot a longbow for several months, and mastered it so completely, I would be doing an injustice to my friends if I did not tell them how to accomplish this so soon. Naturally I would not expect the average man to be able to do this as soon as I did, as I have ex­ ceptional strength, as well as steady nerves and clear eyes, mostly due to the absence of my favorite bootleg­ ger who is at this time taking a little vacation, at a certain judge’s earnest request. So, after having read how deer and bear were being killed with the treacherous arrows, I immediate­ ly decided I would do the same. On account of my superior strength, I would make a bow not only to shoot through deer, but one that would shoot through, say a rhino. There is nothing like having plenty of ambi­ tion. Setting my mighty brain to work, I found the first step in this program would be to make a bow.

Going to an oldtimer who had a lot of yew posts cut, I explained to him what I wanted. After selecting the post I wanted, the farmer did not want to part with it, and it was only after using all my great will power I simply forced him to let me have it for friendship’s sake and ?5. Taking the post, I stopped at the hardware store on my way home and bought a plane, saw, sandpaper, knife, hatchet, glue, varnish, and linen thread.

As soon as I got home Lin (Lin is my wife) wanted to know what I was going to make. “I hope it is not go­ ing to be a collapsible boat, this time,” she said, with a kind of nasty slur on the “collapsible.” How did I know the darn boat would collapse in the middle of the lake? Lin has

a very queer sense of humor. I merely ignored her question as I al­ ways do anything unpleasant, and started to work in the kitchen. Lin came into the kitchen and, after a few words, I picked up my tools and took them to the woodshed.

After a few hours work, I came out of my workshop, formerly the woodshed, with a perfect specimen of yew bow. I had made it a little large; almost too large in fact.

I will not attempt to give the measurements of the bow or how I cut the heart out of the bow and tamed the stubborn yew. The words stubborn yew are some I have thought out, myself, as being very de­ scriptive. The shape of a bow and how it was conquered, is what most archers gloat over. I will simply ignore it as I always do anything unpleasant. It will be best that way.

After- having finished the bow I look­ ed around what to do next and de­ cided it needed a string. So, taking my linen thread, I doubled it about 60 times and after waxing it started to string the bow. But it wouldn’t string, so, calling Lin and two of the boys to help, we got it strung. My great strength came in handy at th’S point.

While stringing the bow I got a black eye when Lin let it slip. I tried to ignore this too, but not very successfully. So setting the bow down after stringing it, I turned to wipe the sweat off my face. Just then I heard something snap, and looking around, found that the string had parted.

Not wanting to ask Lan to help me again, I invented a way of stringing a bow, which I will make public at

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YE SYLVAN ARCHER

this time. It will make archers out of ninety-nine out of every hundred who at this time' do not take up archery, on account of the danger of bracing their bows. I have no way of knowing how many black eyes and sore shins will be prevented by us­ ing this method.

First, lay the bow on two blocks of wood, one at each end. Then take

SEPTEMBER, 1927

Calling my imaginary hound (I call him imaginary hound because while every archer should have a hound, my hound is no hound at all, only a shep­ herd with a slight touch of asthma) and after spending some time getting Lin and the boys to accompany me, we started. Seeing a squirrel, I or­ dered the hound to tree him and when he saw there was something I wanted him to do he ran quick­ ly, or at least as fast as he could, and dug up a last year’s mouse nest.

By the time the squirrel had treed of his own accord, I had the bow braced. After telling the boy to watch me feather his Vi ribs (I always use ar­ I 111 chers’ slang when talk­ "l In 1|> ing to the boy; I want him to grow up to be an expert archer like I am) I advanced. The squirrel froze to the tree, no doubt at my terrifying appearance, “X INVENTED A WAY OF STRINGING A BOW” so taking careful a bucket of sand in each hand and stance, I drew to the head and re­ stand on the middle of the bow. Both leased. ends will now rise up, making it In place of feathering the ribs of the very easy for two other people, one squirrel, I feathered my own hand. at each end of the bow, to slip the The end of one of the feathers not noose into the nocks. having stuck on well, no doubt owing This, later, proved a little cumber­ to the poor quality of the glue. The some for field work, as Lin and the arrow seemed to leap from the bow, boy found it difficult to carry the made several queer tu.ns like a blocks and sand, and keep up with my drunk Ford driver dodging a Rollsgait, which, as the reader has prob­ Riot, and sank deep into the heart of ably surmised, is very fast, espec­ the .rotten snag the squirrel was sit­ ting on. ially when in the pursuit cf game.

■

h"' M

Just to show how far I have pro­ gressed as an archer, I will relate the following, which is a very good de­ scription of my last hunt:

Mranifffri

! j

One mo.re bit of advice and I will close. You have probably heard it said that a good archer should not smoke.

(Continued on page 18)

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a is

SEPTEMBER, 1927

YE SYLVAN ARCHER

15

^GTie Pacific Northwest ^Tournament

By THE EDITOR The first annual tourr ament of the Pacific Northwest Archery associa­ tion was held at Woodland Park, Se­ attle, Washington, July 16 and 17, 1927. Kore T. Duryee, of Seattle, chairman of the tournament commit­ tee, had made very satisfactory and adequate arrangements for the care and entertainment of the visitors and the carrying out of the tournament program. He deserves great credit for putting on so successful a tourna­ ment.

The tournament was officially opened at 8:30 a. m., Saturday, July 16, by the Hon. Bertha K. Landess, mayor of Seattle, who shot the first arrow. Mayor Taylor of Vancouver, B. C., was to have assisted with the official opening but his attendance was prevented by illness. Gen. Mau­ rice Thompson of Camp Lewis, Washington, son of Will Thompson, first national champion, ably acted as field judge of the tournament.

The York round was shot Saturday morning. Oregon, Washington and British Columbia were all well rep­ resented by the thirty-six archers on

the shooting line.

Practically all, with the exception of Dr. J. W. Doughty, ex-national champion, were new to the tournament game and scores were not so high as can be expected next year.

At 1:30 p. m., Saturday, the flight shoot was held, at which time Dr. George A. Cathey cf Portland, Ore gon, who placed first, exceeded the present National Association record of 293 yards by shooting 300 yards, 1 foot, and 2 inches. This was a reg­ ulation shot and against a slight wind. The doctor used an 85-pound, Lewis, yew bow and a 29-inch, Port Orford cedar, flight arrow, made by Schulte. Harry Hobson of Lyons, Oregon, who placed second, also ex­ ceeded the National record by shoot­ ing 296 yards.

Following the flight shoot, the la­ dies shot the Columbia round and the men followed with the American round. The day was very warm and Old Sol placed his mark cn many tender portions of human anatomy, especially upon the hairless pate of genial and jolly J. H. Adams. Don’t ............ '

PACIFIC NORTHWEST ARCHERS AT SEATTLE

’

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YE SYLVAN ARCHER

take this to mean that Mr. Adams is soft-headed, because he isn’t. He is a hard-headed Seattle business man but the sun was hot and Mr. Adams was too much excited to wear a hat.

However, a liberal application of real cow’s cream enabled him to be back on the shooting line the next day.

A fine banquet was served in the Chamber of Commerce building Sat­ urday evening. Joseph V. Kerchen presided and the following gave short talks: Dr. J. W. Doughty, Sedro,Wooley, Washington, ex-national champion; Dr. George A. Cathey, Portland, Oregon; Mr. M. F. Hill, Vancouver, B. C.; Prof. B. G. Thomp­ son, Corvallis, Oregon; Dr. R. R. Bradley, Snohomish, Washington; Kore T. Duryee, chairman of the tournament committee; R. N. Under­ wood, Olympia, Washington; and J. E. Davis, editor of Ye Sylvan Archer.

After these talks, it was voted to or­ ganize a Pacific Northwest Archery Association and the following officers were elected: President, Dr. J. W. Doughty, Sedro-Wooley, Washington; secretary-treasurer, Kore T. Duryee, Seattle, Washington; regional vicepresidents, Dr. R. R. Bradley, Sno­ homish, Washington; Prof. B. G. Thompson, Corvallis, Oregon; Mr. M. F. Hill, Vancouver, B. C. The piesident was empowered to appoint vicepresidents for those states and pro­ vinces not represented at the first meeting. Next year’s tournament will be held at Sedro-Wooley, Wash­ ington, on a date to be selected by the executive committee.

The 17th was much cooler than the previous day and this probably had something to do with the better scores. The morning was spent on the York round and in the afternoon the ladies again shot the Columbia round and the men the American.

SEPTEMBER, 1£27

After the smoke of battle had cleared away but while the hot air continued to flow, Mr. Duryee and his able as­ sistants tallied up the scores. It was found that Joseph V. Kerchen, presi­ dent of the Seattle club, was fist Northwest champion and entitled to have his name engraved on the big, handsome, silver cup which was pre­ sented to the Noi thwest Association by the Seattle club as a perpetual trophy. Mr. Kerchen had also won the cups for both the Double and Sin­ gle American rounds. Prof. B. G. Thompson, Corvallis, Oregon, won the cups for both the Double and Single York rounds and Miss Jane Cheetham, Seattle, .Washington, for both the Double and Single Columbia rounds. As before stated Dr. Cathey won the cup for the flight shoot.

Other prizes weie as follows: Sin­ gle York round, 2nd, Joseph Kerchen, Seattle; 3rd, James H. Denison, Seat­ tle. Double York round, 2nd, Dr. J. W. Doughty, Sedro-Wooley, Wash.; 3rd, Kore T. Duryee, Seattle. Single American round, 2nd, Dr. R. E. West, Seattle; 3rd, J. H. Adams, .Seattle.

Double American round, 2nd, J. H. Adams, Seattle; 3rd, Dr. R. E. West, Seattle. Single Columbia round, 2nd, Mrs. R. E. West, Seattle; 3rd, Miss M. G. Furry, Seattle. Double Colum­ bia round, 2nd, Mrs. R. E. West, Seat­ tle; 3rd, Mrs. Dorothy McMannus, Seattle.

The archers of the Northwest are appreciative of the fact that Presi­ dent Kerchen and his Seattle club took the initiative and sponsored a successful Northwest tournament.

Shooting 96 arrows at a two-foot indoor target at 20 yards, Marshall Dayton of the Caspar Archery Asso­ ciation put 92 in the red and gold and the remaining 4 in the blue.

SEPTEMBER, 1927

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17

CVVftzZciTlg a Self CArrow

By B. G. THOMPSON There are many kinds or arrows and a multitude of ways of making them, in fact almost every fletcher has a way of his own. As the pur­ pose of this article is to help the be­ ginner make a satisfactory set of arrows, I shall confine my sugges­ tions to directions for making the most simple arrow—namely, a plain self arrow made from stock dowels.

In a later article the writer hopes to give directions for making footed ar­ rows and some ideas he has on hunt­ ing arrows.

Some 5-16th-inch birch or spruce dowels are secured. These can be purchased from almost any dealer in archery tackle. Birch makes an ex­ cellent all around arrow, especially for rough usage such as roving, be­ cause of its toughness. The writer, however, prefers .Sitka spiuce. It is light, stiff, straight, tough, and holds its shape well, and, here in the west, it is easily procured.

The dowel stock is sorted over and only those shafts which are free from knots, cross grained places, and other defects, are used. If shafts are crooked they can be heat­ ed over a gas or electric plate for a short time and easily straightened while hot.

After the shafts have been selected and straight­ ened they are sandpaper­ ed smooth and the heads fitted on.

The metal jackets of .30 caliber bul­ lets make excellent heads.

These can be purchased from almost any dealer

in archery tackle. A .32 caliber shell makes a good roving head. The heads are best fastened on with fer­ rule cement or casein glue, although common liquid glue will suffice.

The arrow is now cut to length and the nock made. The nock can be made with three hacksaw blades tap­ ed together at the ends, with a scroll saw, or a knife-edge file.

Now comes the most difficult part —the feathering. Some “pointers” (primaries) from the wing of a tur­ key are secured for this purpose. All three feathers on an arrow should be taken from the same wing. An easy and quite satisfactory way of pre­ paring these for plain self arrows is to strip the web from the “bone.”

The feather is split for a short dis­ tance at the tip. (See Fig. 1.) The “bone” is grasped firmly with the left hand and the web is quickly pulled off with the thumb and first finger of the right hand, keeping the thumb and finger with which the web is be­ ing stripped in advance of the hand

18

YE SYLVAN ARCHER

which is holding the bone, or it is likely to break or not strip clean.

(See Fig. 2.)

After the feathers are stripped they are cut to proper length (about 2% to 3 inches) and the bone side coated with liquid glue. The arrows are also covered thinly with glue at the point of contact with the feathers. The feathers should extend to about 1& to 1% inches from the nock. (See Fig 4.) One feather (called the cock feather) is placed at a right angle to the nock and the other two spaced at 120 degree intervals. (See Fig. 3.)

If the glue is allowed to dry 3 or 4 minutes before the feather is brought in contact with the arrow, it will probably stick without assistance.

If it does not stick down propeily, pin one end down, draw the feather down tight, and pin the other end.

After a few minutes the pins may be removed. Large glass headed pins are easiest to use. The feathers are allowed to dry for an hour or two and then trimmed with a pair of sharp scissors. A straight-cut feathei is easiest to make and quite satisfac­ tory.

(See Fig. 4.) Horace Ford used straight-cut feathers. The ends of the feathers nearest the head are wound on with ribboneze or silk thread laid on in glue.

The arrow is now ready to paint or varnish. This is done to suit the ar­ cher’s fancy. Usually the shaftment (part between the feathers) is paint­ ed one color and the crest (that por­ tion of the arrow just below the shaftment) is painted with a series of rings. Each archer should use the same crest on all his arrows as a means of identification. The entire arrow is then varnished or shellacked.

The Vancouver Company of Arch­ ers had a very successful meet at the archery butts at Brockton Point Sat-

■MKWmsal

SEPTEMBER, 1927

urday afternoon, June 18th. The “International cup” was won by Dr. J. W. Doughty, ex-champion archer of the United States. The Mayor’s cup was won by Dr. Hesketh-Bamfoid; the Ladies’ cup, given by the club, was won by Miss Bamford; and the Howell cup, by Mrs. Bamford. Mrs, Bluer and Mr. Collins also wen prizes. M. F. Hill, field captain, car­ ried out the arrangements in a very successful manner.

The Famous Players-Lasky studio workers have organized an archery club and have contributed $50 fcr butts and target faces to be placed within the studio lot. It is expected that prizes of some nature will be contested fcr at the monthly or bi­ monthly shoots. The membership roll contains the names of several of the Famous Players-Lasky “stars.”

King Henry V. directed the sheriffs of counties to take six wing feathers from every goose for the feathering of arrows.

MAKING AND SHOOTING THE

YEW LONGBOW

I

(Continued .from page 14) I could never guess why until I had the following narrow escape. Draw­ ing the shaft to the head, while hold­ ing my pipe firmly in my mouth, I released the string which seems to have caught onto the pipe bowl and sent it sailing, together with two of my front teeth. I consider this a very good reason why archers should not smoke, especially while shooting.

my experiences, and I will close f°r this time. Ye expert archer, GHANDY CHUMP-

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SEPTEMBER, 1927

YE SYLVAN ARCHER

19

Jetties Woman QBowyem

By THE EDITOR

In most households it is, “Hubby, won’t you make me a bow like Mrs. Jones has?” but in one home it is, “Wife, I want to go on a hunting trip this fall with Tom Brown and I wish you wmuld make me a 65-pour.d bow to use on the trip.” This home is

that of Dr. Ralph E. West of Seattle, Washington.

Mrs. West has qualified as a real bow maker by making eleven beauti­ ful bows, not just beautiful bows as bows go in amateur classes but bows that are things of beauty at any time and in any place and in any competition. And do they sho:t ? Just try cne.

A delightful cast that can only be secured f om the high grade of wood that Mrs. West insists upon usi--g.

In the first place, Mrs. West will work with nothing but roy­ al yew. She has al­ ways loved to work with wood but has de­ cided that all other wood seems dead and lifeless compared with yew. She says, “Yew seems alive. It has individuality. Ev­ ery stick is different.

It has traits and tempesraments.”

MRS. WEST AT WORK

She selects her staves herself from the growing trees, securing them high

I

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YE SYLVAN ARCHER

SEPTEMBER, 1927

SCIENTIFIC USE OF THE BOW in the Cascade mountains above Snoqualmie Falls. Shortly after my AND ARROW interview with her she expected to go, with her two sons, to this region

By W. 0. ROBINSON and select a few promising trees While it may take consierable from the many thousands there.

Later her busy husband will st:al a hunting skill to get within a bow shot little time from his dental practice, of a bear or deer, it will be agreed and help her cut the trees and carry that their vitals present a reasonable them the three miles to a road. Mrs. sized target for the archer. How­ West says perfect yew staves, long ever, when it comes to killing gnats enough to make one-piece bows, can the size of the target becomes infini­ be secured and she will have nothing tesimal. to do with any other kind. She is a W. W. Diehl of the Potomac Arch­ slow and patient workman and does ers, Washington, D. C., is a great not care to waste time with inferior shooter. Several weeks ago, tiny col­ wood. “Lots of time and care and umns of “smoke” were seen arising perfect work” is her motto. from the topmost branches of a num­ Her tools are draw knife, spoke ber to tall trees on the Mall. It was shave, scraper and file, much of the a curious phenomenon. There seemed work being done with the file. Some to be no fire or visible cause for the may be devotees of the plane, but “ smoke. ” Closer examination showed Mrs. West is not. She does not the “ smoke ” to be made up of gnats question the effectiveness of the plane in the hands of one who is flying close together and keeping in able to use it, but she has never been a thin, cylindrical, vertical column. able successfully to engineer this Several entomologists nearly broke their necks trying to climb to the tcp tool.

In making her first bow Mrs. West of the trees and hang on the thin had no assistance whatever except branches to capture the insects in from books. Her first bow was a long-handled insect nets. They got sixty-five pound hunting bow which none. Finally Diehl came along with she made for her husband. However, his trusty yew bow, smeared some a slight flaw developed and in taking mucilage on the feathers and base cf this out she reduced the pull to such an arrow and captured several fine an extent that it was too light for specimens. They turned out to be Dr. West. Then she again worked it quite rare and imperfectly known. over into a handsome thirty-one The bow and arrow is a splendid pound bow for herself. This bow is instrument for getting specimens in made from a very fine-grained piece inaccessible places and can be used to of wood, with beautifully contrasting advantage in many places. It makes white sap wood and dark heart wood. no noise to speak of and the wild Mrs. West’s hunting bows are backed thing, if missed, takes the arrow with rawhide, making them espec­ “whisle” for a bird or bee and stays ially durable. for another shot. With)' a coil of fish Mrs. West makes bows because she line on the ground, one end of the really loves the work and she is one coil being tied to the rear of tjie ar­ of the very few women who are real row, the contraption has untold possi­ bowyers. bilities.

SEPTEMBER, 1927

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v n ixrr

C/Lrchery~ for Elementary Schools

By WALLACE H. BURR In the fall of 1926, having been bit­ from a study of the history of arch­ ery and its influence on the develop­ ten seme months previously by the ment of man, down to actual shooting “archery bug,” I decided to perform an experiment to determine how con­ of matches and tournaments.

It was also announced that no boy tagious the disease caused by the bite of this comparatively unknown bug could participate who was delinquent really might be. Being in charge of in his school work, or who used his the manual training shop in one of archery tackle in such a way as to the large elementary schools in Bal­ endanger life and property, or to lard, the Scandinavian suburb of Se­ bring discredit to his school. A for­ attle, in the heait of the lumber in­ mal club was not organized because it dustry, and having about 90 lively was decided that too much valuable youngsters from 12 to 16 years of time might be wasted in organization age. enrolled in my four classes, I de­ and administration, although under cided to expose them to the bite of other conditions this might be a valu­ able part of the project. the afore-mentioned “bug.”

Thirty boys were eager to launch Many difficulties were anticipated, —the construction of efficient archery out on this new venture, and soon 50 tackle is not as easy as some writers to 60 boys fell victims. All available on the subject would have us believe. books on the subject were secured Supplies are not easy to obtain even from the Public Library. Stewart in the raw state. Many people re­ Edward White’s articles in the Satur­ membering the toy bows and arrows day Evening Post were “dug up” and of their younger days look back on eagerly read. The excellent books of archery as something for boys to Pope and Elmer were purchased for tinker with a few weeks and then reference works. Pope’s sad death discard for some new fancy. Then, served to endear his writings to all of too, we must admit that there is a us.

Then the actual making of the slight element of danger, especially when youngsters play without adult tackle began. Our first bows were of supervision. Lastly, the expense is ash and hickory, neither of which considerable even when the tackle is proved very satisfactory. However, the fact that these woods were inex­ made by the young archers.

These things were explained to the pensive made them valuable as a boys. They were also told that, if means of teaching the rudiments of undertaken, the project would be tak­ bow making. The boys were taught en up seriously and systematically, that, unlike metal and other materials,

SEPTEMBER, 1927

YE SYLVAN ARCHER

22

RIGHT—Hans and Gertrude Grape of Seattle, Washington. Hans makes all of his own tackle and is a skillful fletcher. His best score for the American round is 26-134, 29-169, 30-198; total 85-501. Miss Gertrude is also a fine archer.—CENTER—Keimit Maass with a silver gray squirrel that he killed with his bow.—LEFT—Dwight Stancell, captain of a Boy Scout archery team of Chattanooga, Tenn. This shows him with a score of 29 in the first end at the 40-yard range in his merit badge test.

each piece of wood was an individual problem, calling for patience, skill and constant thought, that an error in judgment or carelessly done work would ruin the piece in a few seconds.

Next a Tennessee cedar bow backed with hickory was made by the in­ structor and tried out by the boys, who were not slow to note prop­ erties not present in their first bows.

This bow, with which scores of per­ sons, young and old, have had their first lessons, has been shot many, many thousands of times and is now in perfect condition and performs like a .good yew.

Soon all available cedar in town had been culled for bow. material and clamps for the gluing up of this "synthetic yew wood” were at a pre­ mium.

In two school years well over two hundred bows were made from this material. A thousand arrows brought, the total value of the product to over a thousand dollars. Later lemon wood and yew were used by some of

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the boys and several sets of footed arrows were made, although ths dowel stock arrows were used mostly.

The arrow points were turned from solid cold rolled iron on a small en­ gine lathe. Some good problems in metal work were afforded by these and different sizes of broadheads at­ tempted by the more skillful hoys.

Our first target was a frame of 1x6 lumber, covered back and front by built up squares of discarded inner tube.

Arrows which struck the double portions at the seams would come right back to the shooter and could be shot over or counted as five.

A large space in the attic of the school was discovered and used as a range during the wet weather. By this time some of the teachers be­ came interested and came out during noon hour and took lessons from their pupils. /The first meet was between teams from the four classes, 7B, 7A, 8B and 8A, and was witnessed by a good crowd, due to an advance notice being sent to the local weekly which also

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SEPTEMBER, 1927

YE SYLVAN ARCHER

published results of the contest.

Then came an inter-school meet against another large school that had taken up the sport. They were beat­ en by a one-sided score and a return match was arranged to include a third school. This never materialized because the principal of the third school was afraid there was too much danger present. However, the ath­ letic supervisor who witnessed the second meet was of the opinion that the element of danger was not greater than with the other competitive sports and that archery might well serve to fill in the long interval be­ tween soccer and baseball.

Although much time was spent by some of the boys in the construction of their tackle, the regular routine of the shop did not suffer, because the boys were stimulated to greater ac­ tivity.

If handled correctly at first, it is a sport that few boys will ever tire of and certainly none of us will ever outgrow’ it, as is the case with other sports. Surely a sport which en­ courages industry, responsibility and a love of English literature and his­ tory is a healthy thing for our young­ sters.

After sitting at the typewriter for three hours trying in vain to think up a joke to use in this number of the magazine, we have come to the con­ clusion that archery simply isn’t a joking matter.

Certain natives of the Congo region of Africa make strong wood bows which they cover with the skins of the tails of monkeys, slipped on over the wood, hair side out. Two tails are used, one on each limb. Sometimes a native fibre is used as a bow string and sometimes a cord made of hide is used.

23

MISS BILLIE’S DEER (Continued from page six) other side to stick in the ground be­ yond, clipping through ribs and tough hide as through a leaf. How the first arrow alone had killed it— straight through the heart—at twenty yards. How Billie had put two more beside it “to make sure.”

“I sure am hungry,” said Billie, as she passed her plate for the third (or was it the fourth ?) helping of fish, fiied golden brown in corn meal.

“That fish is fine! It was thoughtful of you to have it ready for us, Mr. Edwards, because we were about to starve. I’m mighty fond of fish—all except catfish. I can’t stand catfish.

What kind of fish is this ?—it’s so good!”

“Catfish, Miss Billie!”

THE FRESNO SHOOT

W. C. Burgess, secretary of the Pa­ cific Archery Association, sends us the following report of the Fresno shoot: “Those of you who did not go to Fresno for the shoot July 4th surely missed a good time. As one of the Oakland fellows said, ‘they even set the town on fire to show us a good time.’ The Fresno club is to be congratulated on the fine shooting grounds they have in Roeding Park.

It is level and open, has ample room with trees in the back ground to get a point of aim for the longer ranges and provide shade, and the turf is so thick that arrows cannot hide. It was too bad that Crawford and Moody, the Fresno Aces, were not there, as they would probably have taken first places, and that the Hanford team did not show up. Dr. W. H. Dolman of Oakland was high point winner on the shoot at 40, 60 and 80 yards. The scores have not been received yet.”

YE SYLVAN ARCHER

24

SEPTEMBER, ic27

CLASSIFIED ADS CHEVY' CHASE—New game, pat­ ents pending. Attractively illustrated booklet giving directions for this and the game of Rovers, 25c. The Archers

Company, Pinehurst, North Carolina.

OWN A YEW BOW—See Harry Hobson’s ad on inside front cover of

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this issue.

LATEST and most up-to-date books

on archery—“Archery,” by Dr. R. P. Elmer, S5.00, and “Bows and Arrows,”

by James Duff, $2.00. Address orders to Ye Sylvan Archer, Corvallis, Ore. ■

Alle ye archers, hark!

Pope’s good Bois d’arc Is the best that grows For ye stout long-bows.

OSAGE ORANGE Bois d’arc (Wood ofthe <Bow) Bows and Sta ves of Quality supplied by

E. F. POPE, Woodville,

-

Yew Bow Staves Selected, partially seasoned, 6-ft.

Yew Staves for sale, $5.00 each, f. 0. b„ Corvallis.

Selected, straight-grained, 3-8 in.

Sitka Spruce dowels, 75 cents3 ,,per c, dozen; 3-8 in. square pieces for foot­ ecl ed arrows, 50 cents per dozen. A stiff, light, tough wood, which i ’ makes splendid hunting and target shafts.

JAMES A. BERRY

244 31st St.

Corvallis, Ore.

ARCHERY TACKLE MADE BY ARCHERS FOR ARCHERS Write for Price List

NATIONAL ARCHERY TACKLE CO. Manufacturers of

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5 1-2 ft. Lemonwood Bow.......... $5.00 25 in. Target Arrows, each..........

Fine Yew Bows and Tournament Special matched Arrows made to Order. with Send 10c for Archery Catalog RULES FOR SHOOTING A. W. Lambert, Jr. THE ARCHERY SHOP 4444 Olive St.. St. Loillsn^.

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COMPANY of all kind® Makers and distributors Yew, rawhide of archery tackle, specialty. Send backed bows a s. price list.

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The Two Latest Books on Archery

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By ROBT. P. ELMER. M. D.

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“Bows and Arrows”

By JAMES DUFF

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Mr. Duff treats the subject from the standpoint of an ex­ perienced bowmaker of acknowledged ability. He handles the subject fearlessly and does not hesitate to explode old theories when his experiences warrant, and yet is not inclined to leave the old ideas for fads and fancies.

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Send orders to Ye Sylvan Archer

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BOX 156, CORVALLIS, OREGON _

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for Serious Minded Archers

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Me icel that those seriously interested in archery will welcome igi class archery tackle and raw materials which we list below. ' e"» Lemonwood, and Rois’d’arc bows. These can be had in Tar'^' j, or '‘ul}Lng hows of any weight either self or backed. We also Pm e sPee*al laminated bows of Bois’d’arc, Lemonwood, Greenhart, 4,nl‘? Brava, Snakewood, Rod Cedar, Yew, Hickorv and South Ameri­ can Black Walnut. type's-0 recommen<I our line of high class hand made arrows made in the following arrciWR -fA i tar^et arrows, footed target arrows, flight arrows, roving arrows and hunting r t h . 10 n antl Kame. rawF< rnLrAA ' 8ma)1 desires to make his own tackle, we list the following high grade mater’11 S R ^°W-S^av<?s Cascade Yew, Bois’d’arcand Lemonwood. All kinds of backcement w t. • -W t’pa h°rn» stag or aluminum. Shafts, ribboriize, feathers, ferrule strinirc-’ n„a fflue. fibre and aluminum nocksand six types of arrow points. Bow Bow?• —’ bowyers wax and“Shoshoni string dressing. stands cases> arm guards, ” quivers, finger tips, targets, target faces and give'vri!1?kev>t^eo materjals not listed and will be glad infill any special requirements and — ' G of our experience on any archery problem.

Try a dozen of our Improved Arapahoe hig game broad heads. Tried and proven.

H50 per dozen, money refunded if they arc not the best you have ever used |

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Sportsmen ’s Archery Company > urner-Cottman Building Box 887, CASPER. WYOMING

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“ Wyoming's Oldest Archery Company" MU.

Mention Ye Sylvan Archer when writing advertisers.

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America’s and probably the world’s largest exclusive manufacturers of Archery tackle, has unusual meth­ ods of fitting each Archer’s set to the purchaser.

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Every Workman An Archer Is Reason for Quality Products Because every one of our workmen is a capable ar­ cher, they are able to make much better equipment than ordinary factory employees, and when you get r a bow and arrow from us, you may be sure that it was made made by by a craftsman who took pride in his work. was

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Send for Catalogue CHE ARCHER’S HANDBOOK

Archers Compan#

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PINEHURST, NORTH

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Carolina