The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-06-14
no Lato Rowing Match-England's
Boast.

JOhn Bun mas so frequently and on many o
well-fought field come off e winner that 1t
would seem fair to infer, even Notwithstanding
: his proverbial deliberation in getting things
into his pate, that he should by this time know
how to rightly and becomingly SO victory.
Yet our readers will recall that shortly after
the arduous struggle on the Thames, in July,
1869, when four members Of Oxford University
managed 70 pass the winning post less than
forty feet ahead Of the Harvard men, the bow
oarsman Of the former party felt called upon
) to come out with card to the effect that Ok
! ford had had easy work of it, and could readily
have done much better had she cared to-
We had supposed that the ct least question able
taste displayed in this might belong to but one,
or, at any rate, to an isolated few, and that a
certain quality, about which a good deal has
! at one time or another been said, known as
English fair play, did not ordinarily tolerate
striking an enemy after he is down. But the
columns, not of any obscure sheet, but Of the
leading dailies of the British metropolis, not
content with the overwhelming, defeat the
ATLANTA crew recently suffered have felt
49,
that Americans do not know anything about
rowing, and that if they desire to learn the
only true way is to at once sit at the feet of
Britannia and listen to her wonderful wisdom
The London Post ays:-s'The result of the
race shows that we have nothing to learn from
the Americans The result con-
vinces us that the English style is the best now
practised"
The Standard tells us that "a more hollow
affair was never witnessed The Americans
were not good enough to win an ordinary
country regatta. The effect will be to prevent
some years The moral to be drawn is that
American oarsmen must learn the first ele-
ments before coming three thousand miles to
row. And even the Times adds:-"The l.
simple fact is that the Americans have not yet
learned, or they have lost, the true style of
rowing. They neglect the cardinal principles
L of effective rowing. We hope that
the Americans will learn how to row; that
they maS put our oarsmen to severer tests
Mixed among all this gratuitous advice
there is, unquestionably, more that is true
than is Ito Americans at least-palatable; but
it is just possible that it would have been
quite as modest to have left tho discovery Of
these plain facts to American sagacity, quick
ened as it has been SO keenly by this igno-
minious defeat.
If it would not be disrespectful to our self
appointed Mentor, we would like to call his
attention to one or two incidents, in reference
to which these remarks Of his have been made,
perhaps, pertinent
Up in the eastern part of this State, not very
far from its capital, lies, nesting among the
hills, beautiful little lake. to the vicinity of
which many people, when worn down and
jaded by long years work, have fallen into
the habit of going, not only for the inviting
rest that may be had there, but because, from
certain mineral springs thereabouts, it has
come to be famous watering place. Foreign
ers sometimes go, too, so attractive has
the place become, and even Englishmen
have been known to have been lured that far
into the wilds of this, our benighted land. In
decd, if we have read rightly, there is nothing
even new in this, for nearly hundred years
ago the books tell us that very large party Of!
English gentry happened up in those parts for
a days shooting, and that one Of their number
named Burgoyne, having no further need
Of sword he was in the habit of
carrying on his person, graciously pre-
scented it to an American whom he had
met up there, and whose winning ways
had seemed to him 'most extraordinary" But
it is to the visit Of other Englishmen to this
region, and at comparatively recent date,
afternoon of the 18th of September, 1870, at
Lachine. in Canada, four men. chosen with
extreme care out OF oil the millions OF Eng
lands subjects for their surprising skill a, !
the oar, defeated easily picked crew
Of the sturdy fishermen who have brought
credit TO the name of the quaint old town of I
ST John, in Tie province of New Brunswick /.
Elated with their victory, they go home and
spread the news, and the next Sumner we find .
them heading again for our shores, ana, to
make the victory for England doubly complete
and sure, bringing with them four other mas
ters of their art These eight men-the very
flower and pride OF English rowers-made
a tour of the British PROVINCES, sweeping every
thing before them, and forcing even ONE who
had won good name in this country to join
in the general admission that they were simply
Out of compliment to the coming
of so many distinguished oarsmen very libe-
raj purse was put up for whomsoever might win
it in four mile spin over this beautiful lake,
no matter whence they came and, just to show
us poor Yankees how to row, these foreigners
actually deigned to come and enter the
lists, so that they might have one more
plume to display on their then near return
10 their native land. Everything had been
we'll arranged, and at nineteen minutes