Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1869-09-15

4
were burning glory into the waters, woul'
have borne favorable comparison with an,
of those stalwart youths of old in England
OF true grace and knightly bearing, witt
; hand " corded like a blacksmith's anC
white as Duchess" he was almost a pro
. test against the physical degeneracy of tn,
l times The faces of his comrades, lik,
r his own, were so clear, pure and earnest
! in the midst of the crowd, that no matter
= how prosaic our waterman might hav,
been, he must inevitably have moralizeC
trife on the fact that the best way t.
develop the spirit is to also develop tht
|, body at the same time. Close to Tim,
was Garborough, with his keen, critica
face and eagle eye, and that inexplicablt
expression of pluck which always produce:
, cheer when he marches to the boat and
? near by was william, whom the Englist
, call king Of bowmen, and who is Exeter
particular Joy. In Williams features more
of the American turks than in any of hi.
oarsmen compatriots he might be takeI
for Westerner rather than an English
man. Above, or the boat house balcony
leaned Darbishire- never say die
!, Darbishire-with his serious, almost obsti
nate face turned grimly toward Loring
who alert, active, seemed to fret because
he was not tugging at the oar. \ goodly
sight was the American captain as he
awaited the hour of his last trial with his
trusty crew, before the final contest. Sun
tanned face, great, ripping cords playing
up and down his arms as he moved even
but slightly, deep set, earnest eyes, thin,
fierce features, and an air of intense striv-
ing about the whole man. Just beyond
was Simmons, with those noble arms folded
across a chest which but few oarsmen OF
the present can match, and with his hand
some face alight with humor as he over
heard the comments of party of work
men, who had mistaken the London row.
ing clubs " four" for the Americans Like
statues behind all the others stood Fay
and Lyman, Fay with a handkerchief
bound tight around his temples, and Ly-
man critically scanning the new boat which
Elliott had just completed and in which
the last trial was to be made. Above the
whole group lowered Morrison, the Ok
ford 4" COACH" benignantly smiling, and
seeming to say Bless you, my children, :"
as he looked down even on Captain Time
No gathering of ancient knights for battle
could have afforded better specimens of
men-with nobler or more heroic counte-
nances, with brawnier limbs-with more
modest, courteous bearing.
The Friday which was to witness the
great struggle brought US real American
weather of the season-a clear sky, crisp
atmosphere, and burning sun. Every
one remarked that the weather came by
Gable expressly; for England has seen
none such before since July. The fact
that the race was to be the most important
event of the year was amply attested by
the crowds and excitements in the princi-
pal streets at an early hour. 1t was curious
to note the adoption of the different badges
tho Magenta or the " dark blue"-by
the various classes. All the commercial
and literary folks, all the really city people,
sported Oxford's emblems but the cab
men. the workers IN the streets, the con-
ductJrs the railways, the lower classes,
generally, had adopted Harvard as their
champion, and firmly wished it to win, that
they might have some cause to triumph
over the aristocracy The Strand swarmed
with beggars, selling red and blue ribbons
at penny each And the great tide set
in toward Putney as early as 10 a. NJ, by
water, rail, over and underground, by
thousands of private carriages, and even
by balloon-in one case. The best spec
tacle in the crowds was the great strings
of boats laden with the workingmen from
the obscure parts of London-such types
of life as you cannot imagine outside
Whitechapel or a Bowery. These people,
u r. g. l.
fr sh air, as they came yesterday, rent
the air with shouting, sang until it seemed
as if the bridge piers would fall down, and
constantly exploded in vast and extinguish-
able laughter. They were ready to fight,
too, for their rights, and the officers of
the Conservancy often had to use harsh
measures to keep them out of the way of
the more important steamers and off the
course.
Our little craft, the Sunfower,' ar
rived at her post next the starting point
of the great race. about two o'clock in the
afternoon, and we turned to contemplate
such spectacle as will never be seen in
Eogland again until another international
boat race occurs As far as eye could
reach, perhaps two miles, before the green
and willow fringed river banks shut out
the sight, it was one huge variegated mass
of cleaning ribbons and laces and silks of
all colors, set out in bold relief by the
duller garments of the men. As the
statistics now have it, and as, doubt not,
is true, full half a million people were
gathered on the banks between Putney
and MOrtlake, and for miles away in the
surrounding country people were still hur-
rying to the scene, even after the shout
ing announced that the race had terminal
ed. Around the boat houses enthusiastic
masses were passing, shouting g Hurrah
Harvard and 81 Bravo, Oxford =! On
the tow-path from Putney to Hammer
smith nearly all the athlete in the swell
rowing clubs had gathered, ready for a run
to cheer up the Oxfords by shouting to
them, and persisted in maintaining their
ground against all would-be encroachers
There was such mob Of gipsies, wander
ing minstrels and small beer sellers a only
a country in which half the inhabitants
are out Of work can furnish. Policemen
were ranged every few feet along the river
bank, and any truculent conner was speedi-
ly collared and locked up without apology.
Along the Bishops Walk, on the side next
to the starting point, the dense masses of
willows seemed alive, and thousands of
people must have stood ankle deep in
water, for an hour or two, rather than
give up their front rank in the ever press
ing line. At Hammersmith, one spectacle
was especially fine. 1t was an immense
hotel, the ro of of which, high above the
course, was crowded, and the six balconies
at each of the stories also crammed with
humans. Probably at least 1000 persons
cIung to those frail supporters at a dizzy
el elevation for hours, with the sun burning
their faces and threatening to encourage