The New York herald., 1871-09-12
The Boat Race at Saratoga.

KNOW, Dut sure IL lS tnat the thrill that went
forth from there throughout thirteen little
struggling colonies nigh hundred years ago
was hardly less grateful than were the tidings
that swiftly travelled thence far and wide at
noon of yesterday. If past years have estab-
lished that American rowers, in striving to de-
feat the English on their own waters undertook
too much, we are delighted to put on record
the converse of that proposition. For long
half century England has looked proudly
down-and justly too-upon all who dared to
meet her in her favorite athletics, and for any
claim to physical strength and endurance
from our own oouutrymen in particular she has
had but patronizing airs, if we may not say
simple contempt. Hence we may well be
jubilant over the good news of the 1lth of Sep
tember, 1871.
Years ago James Hamill, of Pittsburg, the
best man we had then to offer, met with easy
defeat. on the Tyne at the hands of Harry
Kelly, the English champion. In 1867, at the
races connected with the Paris Exposition, q
st. John crew defeated all comers, including
several English amateur crews (thus earning
the title of the Paris crew.; but as all the
others carried coxswaln, while the former had
none, this was little to tell of. Again, in 1869,
Harvard University found that she had yet
something to learn in matters aquatic of her
sister across the ocean. Then last fall
picked British crew came over and fairly ran
away from the best men of the New Do
minion. Less than a month ago, at the
earnest solicitation of the vanquished, they
had 1t over, and then the tables turned,
though the sudden crippling of the strangers
by the fainting of their best man early in the
race made this triumph, too, not much to
boast of.
Liberal prizes for an open contest at Hall
fax soon after drew together, besides the crack
rowers of the provinces, the very flower of the
English oarsmen, for certainly before these
races no Englishman could name more than,
if even one, whom he would substitute for any
of the eight who rowed so gallantly and lost on
that beautiful lake yesterday. The Biglins, too,
with so good man as Coulter for company,
helped to fill the brilliant list. The Tyne men,
after splendid race over course of nearly
seven milestone of the longest In aquatic
annals-won with apparent ease, while their
countrymen, who have just beaten them, were
then fourth. Their confidence in them rose to
an unlimited extent, and wild odds were given
that they would again sweep the field, seven
to one even being reported to have been
offered and taken, while match between them
and the doughty Paris crew for the 4th of o.
tober at Springfield, Mass, was swiftly ar
ranged.
But meanwhile four men-all sons of one
man, and he is reported to have six more on
hand, if more are needed-had quietly gone
up to Saratoga Lake and were carefully study
ing every inch of the course (who ever found
the Wards not knowing the course p where
the picked men of two continents were to
struggle for the mastery. Though these
brothers had individual renown the four
had never before, that we are aware of,
rowed together, Ellis, the youngest, taking in
the famed quartet the place of Charlie, who
had been put on the retired list. All along
through the last thirteen years all young
Americans and many older ones knew some of
these four by reputation, for they seldom kept
out of any race they could get into. But
much as all wished them to win few had the
hardihood to- hope 80. And yet when now
the trial comes they not only dash away clear
of everything with their wonderf fully rapid
start, but they win easily from the very word
go. No foul or blunder is laid at their door,
but they lead all the way in fashion perfectly
honorable and at once most satisfactory.
II it be claimed that the two lengths between
them and the Englishmen would not have been
there had Renforth set the latter's stroke, they
may pertinently reply, as Oxford did, that
their supply was not exhausted. And even if
they could not do this, who doubts that stalwart
Walter Brown, the fastest oarsman America
ever produced-could have filled young Ellis
Wards place far better than he, for he is scarce
more than striplingP Two of England's cham
pion scullers, Chambers and Kelly, men of
worldwide reputation, were In the boat that
suffered defeat at the hands of these modest
brothers; and not the least singular part of it
all, to say nothing Of Hank Wards (the stroke)
age-for he is going on ffty-is that the latter
were 80 badly beaten at Springfield by the
Paris crew in the fall of 1869 that they had
disbanded, as all had supposed, forever
Here, then, we have country which of all
the world plumes itself on Its prowess at
rowing; which takes In this art an interest 80
great that Its aquatic Almanac" shows, year
after year, record of over one race for every
day; where all that tradition and skill and
time and money could combine to bring
the art to perfecton-and which complacently
tion-sending to our shores the very best tried
men 1t had; men who are professional water
men, who have lived on the water almost since
they were born and rowed o number of races
ihai 10 Amarican xuould acoxa fnla,loua-