Dr. W. F. Carver, The Evil Spirit of the Plains was matched against Capt. A. H. Bogardus by the Ligowsky Clay Pigeon Co. in a 25-match series in 1883. He and Capt. Bogardus shot 100 targets each in 25 different cities, with Carver winning 19 matches, three tied, and losing three. He used a hammerless 12b Greener then but was shooting a Cashmore 1897-1899.
Entertaining exchange in 1897 after Carver lost to Grimm
Jan. 2 1897 Sporting Life
Charles Grimm defeats Doc Carver in Chicago for the Cast Iron Metal using a 12-bore L.C. Smith gun, 7 3/4 pounds, 3 3/4 drams Schultze, l 1/4 ounce No. 7 shot, in U.M.C. Trap shell.
(1 1/4 oz. 3 3/4 Dr. Eq. (1330 fps) in an 8# gun = 29 ft/lbs free recoil)
Jan. 30 1897 Sporting Life
Letter from Carver re: J. 147 L. Winston, The Wizard of the West, St. Louis representing Austin Powder Co.
Dr. W. F. Carver wrote a funny letter in a Chicago journal last week, in which he states that Winston could not kill good birds because he had a cheap American machine made gun, and if 147 had used the same kind of imported gun that he did the matches would have been closer. Will Dr. W. F. Carver kindly explain why Charles Grimm, using the same kind of machine made gun (L.C. Smith) as Winston did, managed to kill 98 out of 100 live birds and take the Cast Iron Medal away from him? In this match Grimm used the American machine made L.C. Smith gun, while Carver used an imported gun that he advertises free when he gets a chance.
Now if Carvers gun is so much better than Grimms why did he not kill more birds? or was it because the cashless (Carver used a Cashmore) gun was only good on hard, fast zig-zig screamers, and not adapted for soft easy duffer birds? The Evil Spirit had better think again.
