who is History Buff and where is he from. I am totally amazed at the History of Trap Shooting he has. I have never met him or even know his name. Just wanting to know for my records and to tell my grandchildren. Thanks Lew D. Boyko
Forums usually do not want real names on the forum. ATC strongly advises that members not use their real names. Please do not use real names. Sincerely Abe
Lew, Thank you for your kind words. I'm sure there are others who know much more than I do. I just have a passion for our shooting history which seems to have no bounds. I enjoy reading about these things and some years ago started compiling different subjects in my files in hopes of helping others with questions in the future. I learn something new almost every day and it usually goes into my files. A few years ago I sent a copy of my files to the Trapshooting Hall of Fame for their library. I've been a volunteer to answer research questions for them for several years. I enjoy helping others and have not only helped individuals but have assisted State Associations with their history and State Shoots. I've also have helped several book authors on a small scale with some of their writings. Believe me, I get more enjoyment out of it than the writers and I've never considered it as work. Familly Guy, I'm certainly no superhero. Just an average guy with an abiding love for our trapshooting history who gets pleasure from teaching others what I have learned from the many wonderful people who took time to pen their stories, memories and opinions printed in our sporting journals. All I do is bring those old reports out today and they seem to be just as interesting to those of us reading them a century later. I'll leave you with a couple of my favorite reports on "shooters with disabilities" file. Hope you like them. FIRES GUN WITH HIS TEETH Ingenuity of a Hunter Who Lacks Both Arms Johann Fuchs, who lives at Milltown, near New Brunswick, N. J., having lost both his arms nearly 30 years ago, has trained his stumps to work marvelously for him. Having a fondness for outdoor life, says the New York "Press." Fuchs found that he could devote some of his time to fishing and hunting with advantage. But he had to exercise his ingenuity. In rowing a boat he encircles the oar with the stump of his right arm, pressing it against the, cheek, which he bends down low to meet the oar to give him a better purchase. Planting himself in the bow of the boat, with a continuous wriggling motion of the whole right side of the body, Fuchs propels the boat along. Fuchs is an expert fisherman. He has an eight-foot rod. When he has reached the right spot in the river he anchors his boat and adjusts the rod under his armpit in such a way as to allow four or five feet of it to project behind him. The bait he fixes on the hook with his mouth. After experiencing a number of mishaps from the hook getting caught in his clothing Fuchs devised an invention to avert any further annoyance of this sort. The arrangement by which Fuchs manages to discharge his shotgun is ingenious. With his hook he takes the weapon and puts it in place against his right shoulder. Right opposite his mouth at the butt end of the gun, which be leans against his cheek to take aim, are two strings. Each communicates with a trigger. In firing the weapon he seizes one of the strings with his teeth and gives a quick backward jerk of his head, and the weapon is discharged. In nine cases out of ten the object at which be aims, be it a bird or a rabbit, is shot. [ SPORTING LIFE, November 19, 1898, page 15 ] JOHNNY NO-LEGS Ever hear of “Johnny-No-Legs”? No? Then you are not a trapshooter or you’ve not attended many big meets. Be it known, and we have Elmer E. Shaner’s word for it, “Johnny-No-Legs” is the best referee in the country. His real and whole name is John Hoerman, and his abode is in St. Louis. As his nick-name indicates, Hoerman has no legs, in fact, but he has a trapshooting head that makes a “straight” on all matters relating to the trap sport, and his services as arbiter of big matches are in demand. [ BASE BALL MAGAZINE, Volume 18, Issue 1, November 1916, page 108 ] In closing I say too everyone : Enjoy Our History !
Lew, I like to refer to HB as the GURU of trap shooting history. I cannot imagine anyone in this world that has compiled the collection of history of our sport like my friend HB has done. Ask any question about Trap Shooting history, and HB will either know the answer or find it out for you. He is: Simply the Best !
