The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-01


Inc possibility Of a neao issue Of inconuertibIs
paper regard 10Th amazement and anriety and,
IN myjud9ne,t such an issue ,oould be a detri-
ment and a slame.-CHARLEs SUMNER.
The English University Boat Race.
The winning University crew on Saturday
only exemplfed the rule, which has ever held
good, that, other things being equal, practice
and training will surely tell, no matter what
the work, whether painting with IN Angelo,
preaching with Beecher or a Guthrie or
opening oysters with Dorlon; in short, that
the professional is sure to beat the amateur.
Not that the Cambridge crew were profession
ais, but were simply nearer so than the
Oxford. The latter, for this reason and that
blunders about, and does not know whom
she will have in her boat until scarcely two
weeks before the event which, more than
any other of tie year, keeps her name before
all English-speaking people. Then she comes
in with raw team but two of them men who
had rowed last year, though others were avail
able, and is beaten worse than she was then
by her rival, who has had her rowers earlier
so well for her then Zone of those she omits, by
the way-Mr. Peabody-being, we believe an
Americana Long ago we learned to manage
better than this in this country, and already
a large majority of these who expect to add
renown to the names of their colleges or uni
versities in little over three months from
now are determined on, and are hard at it
over the rowing weights or on the river.
These races demand great skill, and the fight
is one for seconds, not minutes Who doubts
that, if the Oxford crew had been made up last
year and kept together for many months, the
result would have either been the other way
or, at least, that Cambridge would have been
no four lengths ahead when they passed the
Ship tavern at Mortlake? There was desper-
ate pluck in the losing boat, as the mighty
effort showed which drew her PROV actually
ahead when both crews sped by Chiswick
church, and the Oxford partisans there sent
up a roar which would have been worthy even
of the Cincinnati Convention. But, good
thing as is magnificent squirt, it does not
tell over four or five mile course like the
long, steady sweep; or, rather, it tells the
wrong way, for after that tremendous one
just named Oxford found that the strength
had gone out from her and would not return.
while her better trained and seasoned rival
swept away from her hand over hand through
the two whole miles to the goal.
Withal, as has been the rule in the major
ity of these interuniversity struggles, and as
will doubtless continue the case where hun
dred pounds of coxswain are to be carried,
the victors were heavier than their antago-
nists. Yet, in comparison with our American
rowing, it has, as heretofore, held good that
the Englshmen somehow do outweigh US
about ten pounds man. Maybe if we had
coxswain to carry this would not be the fact,
but it would partly even then. We are as well
made in the arms and shoulders-better, per-
haps-but they average stronger in the loins
and legs. Then, again, their sports when
boys build up and develop more strength and
endurance than ours, and so there are likely
to be more good men to pick from. Not only
among our boys, but our young men too,
there are far more weak than strong. Let
any one who doubts this go this summer to
one Of our bath houses (Which, by the way,
should number twenty to where there is now
one) or to the bathing beach and judge for him.
self. Only recently we heard of gentleman
who had been observing the students of one Of
our principal universities as they passed to and
from recitation, and who was so much struck
with the puny looks and general lack of force
and vigor among them that he has been think
ing seriously of taking steps to found pro-
censorship Of physical culture, the instructor
to receive salary of five thousand dollars, SO
that man can be had at last who will fill such
position as it ought to be filed, as we
have never yet heard that it had been filled
in this country, and as it is filed at Oxford
by a man of already international reputation
Professor Maclaren. Scatter such men as he
is through the land-trained, experienced
gymnastic instructors-men of such magnet
ism and power to lead as DR.. Dio Lewis used
to display in teaching his light gymnastics
and does now in fighting rum, and fewer of
our business men would break down when or
before they ought to be in their prime Min
listers would not have to be sent OFF for
months of travel in Europe when they ought
to be at home attending to their work, and
there would be among us more well pre-
served old men, white haired, hale and hearty,
not breaking down, like Sumner, at sixty
three-for it was his heart, not his head, that
gave way-but, with Theirs, Palmerston and
Brougham abroad and Bryant and Vanderbilt
at home, taking square look at eighty. We are
unquestionably improving in this respect, but
there is ample room yet Books such As those