Lots of great information is there if you read thru it!
Sporting Life vol. 27 no. 13 June 20th 1896
Parts of the article:
THE EMPIRE STATE GREAT GATHERING OF TRAP SHOOTERS AT BUFFALO, N. Y, The Thirty-Eighth Annual Convention of the New York State Sportsmen's Association Successfully Carried Out by the Buffalo Audubon Club,
Dan "Lefever, Neaf Apgar and one or two other men reported that their gun cases had been stolen, This is one of the things to be regretted, but in such a crowd it is easy for a sneak thief to help himself to anything that he wants, and we wonder that more guns and cases are not stolen.
Dan Lefever won a Smith gun in a raffle, and when Harvey McMurchy heard of it he said to Dan. "There, Uncle Dan, at last you have got good gun."
"Bob" Hunter, of the Hunter Arms Company, of Fulton, makers of the Smith gun, was shooting a good clip for an amateur and landed in several good places. He missed his first bird in one State event, and then broke the next 24 straight.
Considerable amusement was furnished on Thursday when a gunner from the rural district came in and entered an open event. He was armed with a 10-bore hammer gun of ancient pattern, and his club shells were loaded with six drams of good old black powder, and nobody knows how much shot. The first time be touched off the cannon it startled everyone, and all made a rush for the spot. Those in the grand stand stood up to see what the trouble was, and the cries of "gun blew up" were heard. J. A. Flick, U. M. O. Thomas and "Sporting Life" reached the place just as the "rain-maker" was touched loose again. and the shock was so unexpected that all three of these worthies were sent sprawling on the ground. Soon a great crowd collected, and whenever a mighty roar was heard a huge balloon of smoke was sent skyward and trembling of the earth was felt, a mighty cheer would go up from the assembled multitude. It furnished great sport for awhile, and then the gunner disappeared in the smoke he had created and was seen no more.