The New York herald., 1869-05-10
The international University Races.

The Harvard University oarsmen have again
thrown down the gauntlet to their English
cousins, and this time the latter have taken it
up. 1t will be remembered that the original
''cartel" was for an eight race, without
coxswains but now Harvard has agreed TO
carry such an ornament. This is, on the whole,
well for, leaving out the indefinite period we
should have had to wait before the Engiisn
would have been ready to row without one'
we understand that this little man in both the
Oxford and Cambridge boats is about as new TO
the Putney course, on which the race is to be
rowed, as the American one will be; so that,
particularly as the latter is already man OF
some experience, we shall not be SO badly of IN
this respect. In fact, a London correspondent
practically yields this !; for he says "A cox
swain who is familiar with the shifting and
violent currents of the Charles will have no
difficulty in mastering the popularity of the
Thames between Putney and Mortlake." This
same gentleman-whom, by the way, contenl-
porary keenly describes as ''a sort Journalistic
McCracken"-has, to be sure, endeavored to
throw wet blanket on the whole plan of an
inter-university race. He says: :-'None know
better than the Harvard men themselves that it
is easier to get together and get into good form
four good men than eight good men. A good
eight is the elimination of all the science
and art there is in rowing" But why
is "good eight the elimination Of all the
science and art there is in rowing" any
Eaoh n
either boat has exactly the same sort of work
to do, and we fail to see why four men cannot
represent community as well as eight The
London Rowing Club have racing twelve
oar, which, other things being equal, can
always beat an eight. Why not say good
twelve is the elimination above mentioned
The real reason why the challenge was made
for four-oared race was undoubtedly because
Harvard has only some six hundred men from
whom she could choose her four, and hardly
hundred of these row any, while Oxford has
over two thousand and Cambridge twenty-five
hundred, and each of the latter a large pro-
portion of rowers Why, then, Harvard must
be prepared to find the proposed contest con-
sidered as an incomplete trial Of strength is
not 80 plain. Would the two nations have
been any more fairly represented in the Kelly
and Hamill sculling match had there been two
or two dozen on side instead of one? That
race can be no omen of defeat here, because,
leaving out of consideration whatever may
justify the opinion that it was thrown, it is
well known that Hamill's style Of rowing was
wretchedly short and snatchy, and calculated
to use man up much faster than the long,
clean sweep now common to both Oxford and
Harvard. The i'll luck of Mr.. Smalley and
some of his friends in an 'eight' from Yale,
which had fine opportunity for inspecting the
stern of Harvard ''four, up on Lake Win
nipiseogee, so far back as 1853, to say nothing
of the fact that he has not seen one of the
later Harvard and Yale races where the ''time"
has 30 visibly improved, may have had some
thing to do with souring his views on the wis
dom Of rowing in four-oared boats.
Some fears have been expressed lest the dis
position to interfere with Heenan in his Farm
borough fight might show itself in this river
struggle. But, with the London press gene
rally, we think not. That was contest where
no respectable man had right to be seen,
fought in an out-of-the-way place, with
mortal fear Of the police, in defiance of all
laws except those of the P. R. Here is a
struggle where there is absolutely no cheating,
where honor alone is at stake, where four gen.
tlemen, chosen with great care from each of
the best known universities of two mighty
nations, meet on field right at the metropolis
Of the world, have every aid from the police,
have for their referee perhaps an NJ. p, and
are eagerly watched by million of people,
including the very elite of Great Britain.
The proposed American party, it is said, con-
tains the two best men of the fastest amateur
crew yet turned out on this Continent-the
Harvard Of 6S; for the st. John crew, which
absolutely ran away from these same doughty
Oxford men at the Paris Exposition in 1867,
having previously rOwed match race for
money, were not amateurs. They have to
meet, not professionals, like the Wards, whom
they pushed so closely at Worcester last July,
nor even the champion amateurs Of England
for the London Rowing Club have frequently
defeated them, and the Kingston men can
show some slime" over the Henley course that
we do not hear Of their beating-but simply
four students like themselves, trihe only, if
any, heavier, no older, and no more expert
enced in shell racing. We must say that we
have seen no good reason as yet why the trial
should not go on, and we wish the four young
gentlemen who are to represent US complete
success.
The Pacific Railroad.