Rensselaer Standard, Volume 1, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 August 1879 — BAT SHOOTING. [ARTICLE]

BAT SHOOTING.

Something More Lively and Eccentric in Movement than a Glass B^ll. Virginia (Nev.) Chronicle. Yesterday afternoon a number of crack shots went out to the Emmet Guard range and indulged in a new variety of sport—bat shooting. The bats are thrown up in the air by a person who wears thick buckskin gloves. They can also be sprung from a trap, but yesterday the trap was not in working order, and the hand only was used. Those who have tried both hand and trap say that hand-throwing is more effective and saves considerable time. The bats used yesterday were the first ever shot at in Nevada under the regular pigeon shooting rules. About two hundred were received yesterday morning by express from Sacramento, where they are found in great numbers in old barns and sheds, and are caught by boys in nests. The novelty of the sport attracted quite a crowd of pigeon shooters, who at first did not take very kindly to the innovation; but before the sport was over they all expressed themselves quite pleased with it. The bats were thrown up at a 21-yard rise, and some of the most experienced pigeon shots found considerable difficulty in hitting them. Each bat was thrown to a height of about thirty feet, when he would spread his wiqgs and go through a series of evolutions which rather bewildered the shooters. The course taken by the bat consists of a number of sharp zigzag movements, as if he was going somewhere in a devil of a hurry and changed his mind about forty times in three seconds. At the end of tne three seconds he is generally about where he started from. Then he calls in his scattered senses and shoots off in straight line for the nearest building. Now comes the shooter’s golden'opportunity, and if he bangs away at tne bat he generally brings him down (if be aims well). Most men, however, shoot os soon as the bat rises in the air, and when he is going through his circus business be can slide around and in among the shot with comparative ease and safety. George Bryson, who had shot bats before, and Jimmy Sumner did some good work. E. A. Shultz shot at five “double birds” and killed all. The rest of the scores were rather poor. About half the bats got away. Tiie sport wound up by throwing a box of twenty bats in the air, and allowing the crowd to bang away at will. James Sumner took the box, and, pulling off the lid, threw the box twenty-five feet in the air and ran for his life. About twenty guns were immediately brought to bear, aud a succession of stunuing reports followed. The bats seemed utterly frigbteued out of their senses, and some flew Into the crowd. After the smoke cleared away the sports began to look for the dead, but reported “nary bat.” This was admitted to be the best shot-dodging done since Malone and Slack’s famous duel on O street.