The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-09-24
Regatta of the Riverside and Hope
Rowing Clubs at Baton
Rouge.
How They Were Received, and
Other Minor Incidents.
From One of Them.

On Monday, at little after +. NJ, the
staunch steamer VIM. S. Pike slipped her
cable, and headed up stream. After few
hours spent under the kind attention of Capt.
J. J. Brown and his attentive clerk, S. s,
Streck, we arrived at East Baton Rouge at
III A. M. on Tuesday.
Having landed our boats we were much
surprised to find that not single person rep
resenting the people of West Baton Rouge,
to whom we had come as guests upon their
earnest invitation, extended us the hand Of
welcome, or was present to receive us at the
landing. The courteous members of the
Pelican Club, of East Baton Rouge appre-
ciating our position, with true gentlemanly
instinct extended US their hospitality. Their
President, Mr.. Booth, and Capt Fisher, Sc
cured us rooms and made all other arrange
ments for us.
The doors of their club rooms were open to
us, which consisted of reading, billiard and
meeting rooms. They number one hundred and
fifty-three members on the roll. They have
no boat-house at present but intend to build
very soon. They have only one shell, but
have ordered others from Plttsburg. During
the day we visited all places of interest, the
Deaf and Dumb Asylum. the ruins of the old
State-House, and the Penitentiary. At the
latter place we were shown the different apart
ments by Mr.. Burg, the keeper. We first en-
tered the yard, where we found few con-
victs who were on the sick list. All able
bodied men are at work on the railroads.
,sAmong the inmates we saw Berth, who is
still suffering from the wounds received when
recaptured. He is closely watched and in
chains. In the female department we found
few wretched looking women, and among
them the celebrated Mrs. Burgess. About
half past 3 P. NJ. we were taken, on barge
lowed by the tugs Ivy and Fern, and were
landed at Poplar Grove, the starting point of
the race, on the West Baton Rouge side.
After some delay the first race was called.
This race was shell race, and the entries
we're the Riversides, Hopes and Pelicans of
East Baton Rouge, the race mile and a
quarter up stream and return. The Hopes
having won the choice, took the inside,
Riversides next, and the Pelicans the outside.
The Hopes took the lead, which they held
to the stake boat where, in making the turn,
they were run into by the Riversides, and
both boats badly damaged. There being only
one stake, and both boats making for it to-
gether, there could be no other result, as was
proved afterwards. The second race was be-
tween two skiffs from Bayou Sara and barge
from West Baton Rouge. This race started
badly, and, through a want of instruction
about the turning point also failed. The
third was the gig race between the River
sides and Hopes.
The Riversides won the choice and took
the inside. They took the lead, which they
held to the stake, where they were run into
by the Hopes. The effects of this collision
was the loss of the rudder of the Riversides
and broken oar. The failure is due to the
bad management of the committee, who
should have provided a stake boat for each
entry. The decision of the judges was (" No
Race" and "all bets off" To quote from the
Advocate "This was the most correct de-
cision that could have been made under the
circumstances.
The evenings amusements concluded with
a variety entertainment of tableaux, songs,
etc, which were we'll rendered by the ladies,
and wound up with dance, in which We
would have mingled with pleasure had our
West Baton Rouge friends done us the honor
to introduce us.
The next day was passed with our Pelican
friends, and was happy conclusion of our
stay at East Baton Rouge. The Pelican Club
expect to have the prize awarded to them, as
being the only boat pulling over the course
without foul; in which event they will send
it here to be run for by the Riversides and
Hopes. BARR.