Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-07-16

The Pittsburgers and the denizens of the
regions adjacent to the ancient capital of
Western Pennsylvania are now all agog
over boat-race between three 'syoung
lady champions" varying in age from
fifteen to eighteen years, and in ayoirdu-
pois from one hundred and nine to one
hundred and thirty pounds, which is to
come off on the 10th inst. The contest.
ants have all been practising in scull boats
for the past two weeks, and large crowds
gather almost every evening along the
banks of the Monongahela to see the girls
practice. They manifest considerable
skill in the handling of the oars, and all
appear to have the spirit necessary for an
exciting race. The contestants are Miss
Lolita McAlice, Miss Mary Whalen, and
Miss Maggie Lue. They are described in
one of the local journals as follows:
'Miss Lolita McAlice, who is member
OF the Max Moorhead Boat Club. is an
orphan, and resides with brother-in- law
and sister. She is about fifteen years of
age, good looking, and weighs one hum
pred and nine pounds. On the day of
the race she will wear red Jacket and
white dress. She win row in an elegant
cedar boat.
'Miss Mary Whalen is receiving
instruction in the use of the oar
from the members of the Beck Club, and
has been improving rapidly during the
past few days. She resides with her
parents in floating house near the Beck
boat house, and has been familiar with
skiffs since she was a little girl. She
is about eighteen years of age, black hair
and eyes, and good looking Her weight
is one hundred and nineteen pounds.
Her boat is CEDAR thirty-two feet long
and twelve and One-half inches wide:
weight thirty seven pounds. She will
wear light buff dress, and does not pro-
pose to cucumber herself with Jacket.
"Miss Maggie Lue is a fine blocking, au-
burn-haired girl about sixteen years old,
and resides with her parents in Browns
town. She is protege of the Chambers
Club, and may be seen leaving their boat
house in SOUL every evening. She has
a fine cedar boat, and handles it with no
small degree of skill. She has an adyan-
tage over her opponents in one respect,
and that is she weighs one hundred and
thirty pounds. She will wear q white
dress and blue jacket s
The New York World say the contest
thus to be undertaken is not without pre-
cedent by analogy. In ancient Greece
the noblest virgins, lovely and fabricated,
tried conclusions with the noblest youths
of Lacedemon as wrestlers in the public
arena The silver-footed ATLANTA outran
all the masculine Westons and Jack
sons of her mythic time, and would
have run herself into an old maid
had not the apples of the astute Meleager
tempted her into defeat and matrimony.
In more modern times, we have had Miss
Elizabeth Webb in the English prize-ring
approving herself pugilist of pluck and
Skill and Mademoiselle de Maupin taking
rank as one of the first swordswomen of
fighting France. The beauteous boat
racers of Pennsylvania thus far confne
their emulation to their own sex. But
there can be no good reason, we suppose,
why they should decline to row against
ours as well. And that will be truly
remarkable day, and to be noted in the
calendar with rose colored chalk, on
which, fired by the example of the girls
of PetroHa, the academic damsels of the
North, the ''sweet girl graduates in their
golden hair" shall set themselves in ar
ray for peaceful conflict on the waters of
Lake Quinsigamond against the we'll
trained crews of Harvard and Yale.