Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-07-26
The University Boat Race at Spring
field

In the College Regatta at Springfield
Mass, on Friday. over which the Massachu-
sets College boys have been immensely ex-
cited, the Amherst Agricultural College crew
came out ahead, beating both the Harvard
crew, who were second, and the Brown Uni
versity crew.
The Republican thus describes the close Of
the race, as the boats came in sight, on the
home stretch:
Some few seconds of profound silence, in
which you could hear your heart beat, and
then there began a nervous borrowing of
opera glasses and comparison of opinions
or rather of coniectures Then a group OF
young gentlemen wearing magenta ties and
Boston clothes, made sure in their minds
that the boat which was so far ahead apper-
tanned to fair Harvard, and shrieking 9 'rah,
'rah, 'rah,'' tumbled down the sandy bank
to the beach. There they brought up stand
ing, and one of them concisely remarked to
the ladies whom they had deserted, cit s
Amherst" He was right. 1t was Amherst.
1.-The Agriculturalists. as snObs have seen
fit to call one of the finest amateur crews
that ever pulled in New England waters,
had held their start, came round the corner
in capital style, and easily kept their pur-
suers at a respectful distance. They won by
an awful distanee-a dozen lengths at least,
and the enthusiasm which greeted their
entirely unlocked for arrival was to say, the
least, encouraging. Their time was remark
ably good-l7 minutes, At seconds-while
Harvard came in second in Is 80 (43 seconds
later, but better time than they made when
they pulled against the Atlantas) and Brown
in 1919.
This brilliant victory of the Amherst Ag-
ricultural crew fairly startled the public,
being entirely unexpected, and betting men
especially were shocked to an appalling de-
gree. Nobody placed any faith in those
country chaps - nobody "backed" them.
Every body said "What a jolly thing it
would be if these Amherst farmers could
whip Harvard" but every body looked upon
that result as the remotest kind of posi-
bility, and too improbable for a thought.
The pools which were solid at Ingleside du-
ring the day showed what the betting men
thought, and reflected also the average pub
lie opinion. The proportions were usually
these One hundred for Harvard, 60 for
Brown, and 20 for Amherst One of the last
pools sold was Harvard 10, Brown 3, Am
herst 1. The Harvard boys, having been
pretty well f'cleaned OUT by the Atlanta
race, expected to replenish their purses with
the income Of yesterdays wagers, but that
alas, was also outgo, and if ever men were
sore and sad, those men were the adherentS
| of Harvard last night
Probably there is Just one who is not ant
was not surprised at the upshOt of the uni
versity race, and that man is Josh Ward
Josh has trained the Amherst crew with con
summate skill and cOnsummate craftiness
| lie must have known their capabilities, but
| he has somehow managed to conceal the fact
completely from the public; and every ont
while seeing ehat tnfy were stout ana star a,
and wholly incapable of competing with sucf
a crew as Harvard's. Josh who has had them
but short time, has encouraged this IDEA
remarking at one time in his peculiar way
''Yes, they are good men enOugh,-if coulc
only make the ID fools row !" Yester
days race convinced more than one observer
that if Josh could train this splendid crew
! month longer, they would be match for am
six-oared crew in the country.