Target Ball, glass balls for the fun of it

ANOTHER "GREAT TARGET BALL ARTICLE" BROUGHT TO YOU BY

ANTIQUE BOTTLE AND GLASS COLLECTOR MAGAZINE

THE MAGAZINE OF THE ANTIQUE BOTTLE COLLECTING HOBBY

target ball For fun, sure as shootin' – target balls hit the mark target balls

Our earliest competition with shotguns began between the commercial duck hunters who viewed amongst themselves as to who could bring down the most ducks in a single day's shooting.

This form of shotgun competition eventually graduated into “live bird” shooting and our first shooting ranges became established.

The first animate targets were pigeons, blackbirds, purple martins and bats, and the first records of this type of shooting in America comes from the records of the Sportsman Club of Cincinnati during the year 1831.

Pigeons eventually became the standard target, as they were available everywhere. Just who originated the idea of trap shooting is unknown, yet most historians credit the English for devising the game in the 1830's.

In an effort to equalize the type of shots presented to each shooter, the idea of shooting at glass balls was eventually hit upon.

Who started the game of “glass ball” shooting in the United States is not in doubt. Every historian credits Charles Portlock of Boston as introduced or originating the sport in the year 1866. The first competitive shoots began in 1867 in the Boston area.

Unfortunately the game did not have too much success, as the traps used at the time only threw the glass balls straight into the air. Obviously this was not much of a challenge to a shooter who was used to a darting, fast flying pigeon which – when released from its trap – tore off in any direction in order to escape from its temporary prison.

Bogardus invented the first practical glass ball trap in 1877. This trap threw the ball at least 60 feet through the air in a very long arc.

That same year, 1877, Bogardus patented various designs of glass target balls. His early designs for balls included a diamond-shaped pattern surrounding the ball (which he may have copied from the English).

This diamond pattern was raised from the surface of the ball in order to prevent shot from bounding or ricocheting off the edge of the surface of the ball. In most instances any shot hitting one of these ridges would break the ball.

Soon, regulations were drawn up for this type of shooting. The shooter was to be 18 yards back from the traps and the balls had to fly at least 60 feet in the air.

Usually, three traps were used and were hidden from the shooter's view. The left trap threw the ball to the left, the center trap hurtled the ball straight ahead and the right trap threw the ball to the right. The shooter never knew which of three types of shots he would get.

These early glass balls were much harder to break than the clay pigeons of today. Some companies advertised that their glass balls were made of more uniform thickness than others, therefore they could be made thinner and would break more easily.

There is no complete record of the manufacturers of these balls. Very few carried the name of their maker and all of these balls were hand blown in molds at the end of a blowpipe.

Glass balls generally may be identified by the neck, which protrudes from each one. The edge of the neck usually is very jagged, caused by breaking away the ball from the end of the blowpipe after the glass had cooled.

Some glass companies advertised their glass balls. Examples are: “Hagerty Bros. 10 Platt St., New York sole manufacturer of Bogardus patent rough glass balls”; “The Bohemian Glass Works, 214 Pear St. Manufacturers of Paines Feather-Filled Glass Ball”; and “Whitall, Tatum and Co. Manufacturer of the Patent Sanded Trap Ball.”

These balls were cold packaged in barrels full of sawdust and occasionally full barrels of these are located. Most are found in barns adjoining the areas on which the trap clubs were located.

Another source comes from the use of these balls as Christmas tree ornaments handed down by several generations in some families.

Because of the many companies making these balls, many varieties exist today, and in almost every color imaginable. The most popular of all was amber, which came in shades from a honey color to almost black, depending on how much coloring was added to the glass.

The second most popular color was blue, which also varied from light blue to dark blue.

Bogardus balls apparently were the most popular of the patterned type ball and these exist in both of the colors just mentioned, as well as light to dark green, purple, and a mixture of amber and purple.

Other companies also had innovations, such as their name and address in raised lettering completely around the ball. Others rolled the ball in sand while the glass was still hot enough for the sand to remain embedded in the surface of the ball. Many companies produced cheaper target balls with plain surfaces.

Last but not least were wholesalers of guns and ammunition who had their names embossed on the target balls.

It is difficult to see how the placing of names of manufacturers and distributors on the ball would benefit the producer to any great extent. Just as it is today, it is difficult to determine who the manufacturer of a target would be unless you saw the carton in which the target was contained.

Plain glass balls were usually sold for $1 per hundred and embossed balls at $1.35 per hundred.

Other innovations were patented. Ira Paines (a great shooter in his day) produced a ball known as “Ira Paine's filled ball.” These balls were stuffed with feathers or powder, which gave an illusion of a bird being hit.

When the ball was broken, feathers flew and drifted down to the ground or a puff of dust hung in the air if powder was used.

Two great competitive glass ball shooters emerged from the pack of those who competed in this type of activity. Bogardus received by far the most publicity in this area, primarily through his promotion of the game as well as the advertising of his products.

Bogardus even had a glass ball shooting gallery in Chicago. The gallery apparently handed out souvenir glass balls to the shooters, and carried the following inscription on the base of the ball: “From Bogardus and Co. Shooting Gallery, 158 So. Clark St., Chicago.”

At this time Bogardus held about every shooting record in the book. Unlike today, these records were not only for the most number of targets broken out of 100 but the least time taken to break 100 targets as well as breaking the most targets in one day – 4,844 out of 5,000 in 500 minutes!

Bogardus was by no means a modest man. In 1874 he proceeded to publish a book entitled “Field, Cover and Trapshooting.” Underneath this title were the words “Champion Living Shot of the World.”

In as much as the book was originally published by Forest and Stream magazine we can assume that he had quite a reputation as a live pigeon shooter. The last chapter of his book covers some of his many wins at live pigeon shooting.

Not satisfied with instructing in the arts of shooting, he later published a book in 1898 entitled “One Thousand Secrets of Rich and Wise Men Revealed,” by C.A. Bogardus, “Champion Shot of the World.”

The first chapter dealt with his shooting accomplishments, and he goes on to cover many patent medicines and cures he considered to be the best available at the time, as well as what to do in accidents and emergencies, etc.

One thing this man never lacked was belief in himself and confidence in his knowledge of all things.

The other great shooter to emerge in the glass ball era was W.F. “Doc” Carver.

“Doc” Carver received his nickname as a little boy because he was always trying to heal small birds and animals found in fields surrounding his home.

Unlike Bogardus, he was a very modest man; yet he was considered by some to he the greatest commercial buffalo hunter of all time. In the book “Spirit Gun of the West", he was titled “Plainsman, World's Champion Marksman, Originator of the American Wild West Show.”

It was inevitable that “Doc” Carver and Adam Bogardus would complete against each other, although their face-to-face competition was delayed for years.

Shooting events in those days were conducted in a different manner than matches of today. Challenges were usually issued by either participant or a third party interested in promoting a match. All types of shooting were included in these challenges and large amounts of money were laid on the line.

Cast iron three-legged target ball trap embossed: "M.E. CARD, CAZENOVIA, N.Y. U.S.A. and PAT'D MAY 7. 78, APRIL 22, 79 also PATD MAY 8, 82"

Offered were matches such as who could break 100 balls in the shortest period of time, as well as who could break the most balls out of 100 with rifles or shotguns.

Carver and Bogardus first met in competition in a live pigeon match in Louisville in 1883, and Bogardus was beaten by the slim margin of ONE target.

The second and third matches between them were held in St. Louis and Chicago, using clay pigeons. Again, Carver won.

Ligowsky, the inventor of the clay pigeon and the clay pigeon trap, wished to promote his new invention (patented in 1880) and made an offer too good to be refused by these two shooters.

The offer consisted of 100 of Ligowsky's targets to be shot on five traps. The shooters were to fire from 18 yards behind the traps and were offered $100 each time either shooter broke 82 or more out of 100. In addition, the winner of each match would receive $300. Each match was to be conducted in one of 25 different cities.

Bogardus and Carver jumped at the chance and, since each had tremendous confidence in their respective abilities, agreed that they would shoot on a winner-take-all basis!

Carver proceeded to prove that he was by far the better shot of the two by winning all of the matches except six. Bogardus won only three and tied in three others.

This target ball thrower has no markings but is similar to traps made by Caption Bogardus for his patented glass target balls. The trap swivels on a wooden base, its movement controlled by hand lines attached to the wooden cross piece.

Ligowsky accomplished what he wanted, which was the establishment of the clay pigeon as a suitable target that did not leave broken glass lying around.

Clay pigeons, however, did not immediately replace the glass balls, but just added this type of competition to live bird and glass ball shooting.

Clay pigeons did gradually ease glass balls out of the picture in competitive trap shooting. Not so, however, in the Wild West shows. Shattering glass balls was far more spectacular for show business, and balls were manufactured until the 1920's.

Glass target balls were made in England, Canada, Australia and the United States. A number were also produced in mainland Europe, as “Doc” Carver spent two years in England, France, Austria and Germany shooting against all comers, as well as putting on shooting exhibitions for the Prince of Wales in England, and Emperor William I of Germany.

Fortunately, many of these balls have survived to remind us of the early days of competitive shooting.

Alex Kerr was named the “greatest skeet shooter of all time” by the American Shotgunner magazine.

This story – an in-depth look at the history of target balls – was originaly printed in Peterson Publishing Co.'s Guns & Ammo magazine.

Did you enjoy this article? Every month Antique Bottle and Glass Collector magazine gives you neat stories like this one.