Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-07-23
Nliddlebury, July, 1875.
Sporting.

The Monitor handles this subject ably, as
follows
If one were to Judge in relation to the af-
fairs of the world, by the matter contained
at present IN the daily papers, he would
conclude that this busy, steady world was
becoming crazed over the feats of strength
aud the trials of skill in which men are now
engaging. Rihemen in Great Britains
yachts on the sea, boat racing on rivers and
lakes, baseball clubs in every park ,trottiog and
racing Of horses on thousand tracks, feats
of strength, pedestrianism, pugilism and
many other things are minIstering to the
tastes Of the sportive characters Of this and
other countries. During the past week, all
New England and much of the country west,
ran wild over the college regattas held at
Saratoga. All the sports, betting characters
and gamblers in the country were out ready
to win or lose, as fortune would have it,
The most important boat racing was that Of
thirteen crews from as many colleges, con.
tending for prizes at Saratoga on Wednesday
1t was estimated that 10000 people gath.
cred to witness the contest, and after day
Of expense, anxiety aud fatigue, the vast
crowd were satisfied, or dissatisfied, with the
discovery that the boys from the Cornell in.
stitution of Ithaca, N. Y, were able to get
their boat past a finish line III seconds
quicker than the other competing crews
-Four or five other boats were close up, aud
all made the distance in very short period
Of time.
As trial of skill in rowing and feat Of
strength, this was really grand affair and
those who witnessed it rcjoiced greatly in
the sport. But what of the other side ?
What an expense of time, money and mus
Gle What poor compensation Fol-
months these college boys have labored
deted, suffered, that they might be beaten
by the winning crew. The time spent, the
energy exhausted. the money lost, figures up
a great sum. Saratoga noted as q sporting
town and the home of the great American
sportsman aud gambler, Johu Morrissey
makes much money out of the affair. Many
other places suffer loss on account Of it. But
worse than the pecuniary losses aud the in.
jury done to the health Of those engaged, il
the denoralizing inHueHce of all sporting o
this character. All games are exciting, anC
the excitement leads to betting gambling
and dishonesty. Morrissey's "gilded saloon
was visited by thousands, and many felloV
who attended this great regatta was lurct
into betting and gambling by the very popu
larity Of the thing in such place and sucl
a crowd as met at Saratoga.
The proper and healthy development o
muscular strength in man is necessary, bu
when it is developed that it may minister l.
a depraved taste in others, the practice o
making athletes is not advantageous to
community or the world. The ancient Greek
or Romans might have been better soldier
from their engaging in all manner Of muscu
lar exercises and sports, but it was not lon
after the formation of the amphitheatres O
Greece and the Coliseum Of Rome befor
these natious began to decline and when W
convert America into sporting grounds,
will take hut short time to carry it bac
toward primitive barbarism.
| If athletic sportS of temperate characte
could be had without rum, rowdyism an
gambling, they might not be Objectionable
but so long as the present system leads t
these things, all persons who have at hear
the general welfare Of the country ought I
discouutenance them.