New-York tribune., 1874-07-20
THE UNIVERSITY RACE.
THE STORY OF CoLUMBrAs SUCCESS.


AN ATTEMPT TO VIEW THE RACE WITH JUDI
CIAL MISD-THE LAKE IN THE M0RNING-REMf-
NIscENcE OF THE FIRST REGATTA-THE BOATS A.
THEY CAME UP THE INFRINGEMENT AT THE
FINISH
fFRoM THE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THH TRIBrvg ]
SARATOGA July 1s-The race just finished had it's
different aspects for different people; but for every
body who looked on il from near or from far, who
watched its unfolding at the start, awaited its de-
veopment at the intervals along the three-mile
stretch or stood still with strained tense nerves at
the line of the finish it occasion OF greater
OF less excitement. | presume there may have been
half dozen of absolutely cool, calm, and col
leced persons within the five rods of fringe OF that
three miles ellipsc of shellvexed water men and wo-
men-nO, not women, there were none-but men who
were self-poised and passonless. OF the six-which
make the outside limit-my conviction is that four
sold lager beer at 10 cents glass and embraced tho
opportunity of lull in business at the supreme
ment of the to count their gotten gains ono
other drove bakers wagon, and the other may
have been anybody. / throw him in a margin.
All the rest-eyerybody who looked once upon tho
lake tO-day-weTe more less kindled up by the oc
casiOn, the scene, aud the surroundings. The most
bOOrsh lOut who rumbled round on Moons piazza,
setting down his dust-encrusted No. l3 brogans with
a fine air of unconscious democracy upon trains OF
silk and muslin, felt a quicker motion of tho
pulse and some strange futering under his brown
bosom, as he looked with even his dull vision down
the shimmering race course. at whose further end
in the shadows lay the river crews on line with
bended backs and balanced blades waiting for tho
word Had it been possible for one to escape tho
contagion of the excitement which the race itself
Occasioned there was a certain magnetism in tho
crowd in its eagerness of expectancy, it's quver and
nd tha viii hrati ion viii ran tlrOuQl
that could not be resisted. | suspect that even
Moon himself-whO if poetry were million dollars
line, would hardly be able TO fish up enough out Of
his soul to buy one peanut with-that even he was
touched beyond his pocket by the magnetism of tho
crowd and the strangeness of the spectacle
REMNIscESCE.
Ihai flattered myself that however other people
might be excited and whatever absurd things grave
and serious people mi ght do under the excitement
here was an individual-and in my self-cOmmuningJ
on the subject at this point stood up and snote my
manly breast in the me Big Injun" style-here at
least was an individual who could look down with
judicial mind and eye, with undisturbed serenity
and unquickened pulse Once in while IN going
over myself thought detected a glimmer of some
thing that was not absolutely impartial as, for
instance, when | remembered that my OWN class at
Yale set this ball in motion" in lSj2-twcnty.two
down their dust upon my hair they've
flown. How they shouldered their of
lap-streak boats the Shawmut and the Undlne on
to the cars and went away up to Lake Winnepesau-
kee; how Dick" Waite, brother and law partner Of
the Chief-Justce steered the boat. and lot of such
Young fellows as George Smalley-"G. w. ;" OK
THE TRIBUNE" Benz Phelps-the terror of evil
doers in New-Y York" Ned' lIarland, who COM
manded division on the Potomac as bravely and
coolly as he pulled his at Winnepesaukee;
Jimmy" Wilton, a preacher varying tho
monotony of pastors life with the publication or
an occasional Greek grammar or reader;
Andrew White, now presiding over Cornell;
Hem Robinson, late Mayor OF Hartford, and
WELL half a hundred more less, bcsde-saw
themselves beaten by Harvard and went away dis
gusted. When remembered this. and that only SO
long ago as last year encountered in my catalogue
of temptations to foolishness when Yale won tho
race an almost irrepressible desire to stand my
head and my feet in the air. began TO suspect
myself of very remote and shadowy suggestion or
something not entirely judicial or impartial. And
yet sat on the Wesleyan float under the sunshine
for half an hour before the race began this morn
ing congratulating myself that at least of all tho
crowd was perfectly cool Let me be humble and
frank and whisper to you my confession.
THRILL OP EXCITEMENT.
The nine boats away down yonder at the start did
not shoot more suddenly forward ont of the leash
and into the straight stretch of water before them
at the flash of the pistol than did my pulse jump at
the report. My better judgment and cooler instincts
had chance to be surprised at being carried away.
Rider and driver were thrown, and in instant all
the life within me was at a wild gallop the blood
went down with thud to my toes and bounded
back my ribs were prison bars against which
the heart beat and futtered like Gagged
bird; in my hands my glass quvered and
shook, and my finger tips thrilled with
the suddenness of the sensation What was
itl do not know. only know it was, and l be-
lieve in that vast multitude it was as common as
pulsation; that it tinged through every individual
who caught the signal. aud that one escaped it.
And yet had not dollar a cent or the value Of
one staked on the result; had not hazarded guess
OF a conjecture upon it; did not know a man in all
the 81 whose bare backs and fell as their
blades flashed in the sunshine then three miles away.
We had waited here three days at the
least, and some of us much longer, to see tho
work of these seventeen crowded intense moments.
Thousands had come from long distances many at |
an expense for which they had beer obliged to make
sacrifices; ueU aud women who had sons relatives
I'm the several universities represented graduates Of
the colleges and friends of graduates great crowds
of people from the surrounding country, with nos
purpose except to see the spectacle and witness tho
excitement and great procession of men and wo-
men aud boys and girls who make pleasure pursuit
and gd through life mistaking foam ant
froth for body aud substance. They had
wearied themselves with ebowing each other
in tho crowd, had pushed and struggled
and jammed haggled with mercenary hackmen.