Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1867-04-25
From the London Society, for April.
BOATING LIFE Al OXFORD.

what is meant by Z" Torpid" 1t may be as
well to begin with a brief explanation Of
that rather unattractiye term. There are
two periods Of the year at which races reg
ularly take place between the eight-oared
boats of the. various. colleges in Oxford,
namely, March and May. In May, crews
formed of the. best eight men that
can be got together out OF each coliegee,
and called par ercettence the !" Fights,
race against each other for the headshlp OF
the river. or strive to come as near it as
they may. In March the racing of the
second best boats takes place: these boats
are the "Torpids." Why so called none
can tell the origin of the name is yelled
in mystery, which it would seem to the
present writer sacrilege to attempt to pene-
trate. No one who has rowed in his col
lege eight of the previous year is allowed
TO row in Torpid, SO that the Torpid crews
are formed chiefly of the fresh blood of the
year, and, as showing what is the new ma.
terial in each college, the Torpid races pos
sess peculiar interest for the rowing COM
munity of Oxford So Eluch for explana-
ton, which, however necessary, is likely to
be dull. | shall now proceed with the his
tory of the st. Anthony's Torpid for the
year 49,. z.s-i~ -
We had always been proud of our Torpid;
[ say "we, for, though at the time speak
of | was but freshman, i felt myself heir
to ali the traditions of the college, and a
good Torpid was one Of the oldest What
ever our pick Of men might be, whatever
bad luck we might have-and we had our
share-we had always worked hard and
made the best of it; and we could, and
often did say with pride, that never since
we put on a Torpid had we fallen so low as
to take it off The year before came up
to st. Anthony's our boat had moved up
from ninth to fifth on the river, and the
proves of the crew was well remembered
at every festive gathering of the college.
This year, however, our prospects were
not of the brightest our best mar, had
been drafted into the eight, and the fresh
men OF the year were not of a promising
lot; or, according to- Baxter, who, like
most big men, inclined to a Responding
view of things, "no good at all" -
"Why, look here, young 'un," heard
him say to the more sangulne Tip, /" l
coached that big lubber Wilkinson every
day last term to try and make something
of him, and all he does now is to put his
oar in deep, and pull it out with jerk"
"Well but, my dear fellow" returned
Tip, "all that, bone and muscle must be
got to work somehow, and I'm sure the
mans willing enough besides, just
think what an awful ,duffer you were
yourself when you began to row; by
Jove, l shall never forget your plaintive
old face when Thornhill was pitching into
you for not keeping your arms straight p
"No more of that, Tip, or I'll scrag you, y
replied Baxter, as Tip began an imitation
of his first essay in rowing; "Pll have an
other turn at the big duffer, but it's my be-
lief the boat will be bumped three times
flo
along; it is time we were down at the
barge"
From the time when Thornhill resigned,
and said goodbye, the boating spirit had
entered deeply into my soul, and made a
strong resolve that, if perseverance and
hard work could do it, l would some day
be good oar. Ihad learned something
about the handling of an oar on the river
near my own home, and by dint of hard
practice and plenty of coaching achieved
at last what was then the dearest wish of
my heart, place in the ST. Anthony's tor
pid. Wingfeld, being by far the lightest
man in the college, and possessing that
quickness and self-confidence which is in
dispensable in a coxswain, was learning the
art of steering, and was pretty sure to keep
his position in the stern of the boat.
1t wanted now three weeks to the first
day of the races, and | was seated in the
window Of my rooms, which were on the
ground-fioor, pegging away at Euripides
for the "smalls" that doomed in the dis
lance, when l was aware of Hallett and
Baxter, talking at q short distance from
me. +. s.a9 tsot q a.l' sae1 as f;s49i- iat.;s
"Have you considered, old man." began
Baxter, that it only wants three weeks to
the races, and the Torpid is not made up
yet 2"
eyes, know, replied Hallett, "it's an
awkward state of things the men ought to
go into training tomorrow, but it's no use
without having the crew settled, and es-
pecially stroke" }kvTtYf1
"Just So" said Baxter, rather indistinct-
ly, for he had cigar in his mouth.
We'll, what's .tosbedone We must try
somebody; there's Wilkinson will do well
enough for tive must say he's turned out
better than ever l expected, and We're is
pretty good at six, and Hilton makes fair
two, but none of them would do for stroke "
"Well, there's young Maynard" OBJ
served Hallett, reflectively at that
pricked up my ears, and Euripides and
smalls vanished into thin air. "He's not
the best oar in the boat" continued Hal
lett, "but he has the most pluck and &C
about him of any suppose we try him to
day. Whereaboutss does he hang out
Halo p lie went on, in lower tone, ISM
that his name over the, door? If he's in
he must have heard all we have beer
saying" With that he knocked, and both
entered.
Goodmerning, Maynartl;1 expect yor
heard what Baxter and l were talking
about outside" turned rather red, anC
confessed I had "Well," said Hallett
"you see, wegwant you to row stroke to
day, and if you get on all right we'll begir
training Tomorrow" W gs1 ~ % SIS 30,
"You mustn't be surprised, you know,
said Baxter Sit you're sent back to YOU
old place"
"Oh, of course not" replied 4, meekly
"but I'll do thebestI can to keep my plae,
at stroke"
"All right" returned Hallett.; "mine
you're down lin time-three o. clock sharp
you know" and he and Baxter left tn,
room.
rememben asyif it were yesterday, thu
feeling Of mingled pride and misgiylns
with which stepped into the boat tina
afternoon to,row stroke i felt as II all thu
river would be watching every turn OF my
oar, and, as the boat went swimming dow
the stream, fancied l could hear the meI
on the barges saying to each other, "Her,
comes st. Anthony's; so they've got {
stroke at last; wonder what he's like