New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-06-21
THE COLLEGE REGATTA.
THE BROWN GREW.


REApPEARANCE OF THE RHODE IsLANDERS-A LITTLE
MORE ATTENTION TO BUSINESS REQUTRED-THE
sEEKONK AS A RowING-CO URsE-THE FRESHMAN
CREW ACTIVE.
IFRoM SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUSE
PROVIDENCE, June 15.-Out of the old build
ings and under the tall elms of Brown we
passed yesterday on way to the Seekonk. The
imposing form of the Commencement tent which
was to ring on the morrow with didactic thunders
of Senators and with HOratian poetry rose
white and cool by the gray battlements of old
Rhode Island Hall. But the sounds which came from
it now were the fresh voices of young who sang
in pathetic strains the college song of the period.
Oh the whpporwils did sng-and the crckets they did
The pollywog tried to come it-but he couldn't get
chance:
and the forms which fitted by the broad entrance
were not those of Observation-Disclosures rusty minis
ters but beautiful girls the farest of the fair daugh
tiers of Providence in popns and cr6pes and muslins
and other distracting commodities, trimmed with
little brown bows for the Brown cites, and ght-bue
ribbons for the blondes, and decked out with pinks
and roses not to mention those destructive little
French bonnie caps with frlled edges. And in their
hands these madens bore Strawberries and ice cream
and cakes and gimcracks, which they were evidently
selling to the pleasant folks who Sat at the tme-worn
Commencement tables. think hear the old boat
man inquire: What has this to do with the College
Regattaf Let that grouty individual understand
that this was the strawberry festival of the Brown
Navy that the scholar had given his tables and his
tent, the student his campus, the confectoner his
ice cream the fruiterer his Strawberries, the young
men their voices, and the young ladies their minis
trations all that the Brown boat might come in
first on the 10Th of next month on Saratoga Lake.
The old College sits on the tree-covered crown of
liz IN n fpy "
dred yards to the busy Square of the city, and grad
ually Oh the other a mile so to the SeekOnk. Going
thiter pass first through splendid suburban streets
sprinkled with mansions of Rhode Island magnates
Smiths, Spragues, Browns and Lipptts, Governors
past present and future Them nearing the river, we
come into stiffness which but for the allpervasive
locomotive in the distance would be as deep as it
was when Roger Williams, founder of the State, first
raised the standard of religious liberty on slate
rock here by the bridge in sixteen hundred and
something.
The road comes ont close by the College bOat-house
ON the shore and the Red Bridge spans the stream
about five hundred yards below. From here
ND to the dam at Pawtucket there is an unbroken
stretch of water, and the best course for training
purposes which any college is furnished with. The
river is broad bending gradually where 1T bends at
ALL is deep enough for all purposes, and has not much
current except what comes from the rise and fall OF
the tide in Nara gansett Bay.
There are now about 250 students in Brown of whom
"a are Freshmen, and the material for boating men
is good The citizens of Providence have responded
very generously to all calls for money, and the
students and Faculty have given literally Brown
might be expected with such advantages to bring
ont first-class crew for the Regatta; but, candor
co1npels fair critic however favOrably disposed to
acknowledge that the Brown crew is not at this time
all that il should be. There seems to he most re-
markable lack OF brain III conducting boating affairs
here. The sending of Brown Freshman crew to
Saratoga last year in boat with stationary seats
was an unaccountabe piece OF stupidity, which
resulted in the defeat of strong and well trained
crew by weaker opponents, who had used a httic
brain rs well as muscle il making their preara-
tjons The boat-bouse containing property valued III
all al S. 900 was insured for only $500. When 1t was
burned last Winter the insurance just sufficed to pay
the debts instead Of being enough to put up another
at-house as it should have been. Now they are
talking about brick bOathouse, and propose to tax
the friends of the boating interest for that purpose
ANY friend Of good sense however, will tell the Brown
boating authorities that they would better defer the
buildinQ of a new boat bouse or any other expensive
enterprise till they have done their best at aSegatta
If they go to the coming regatta with their crew nail
trained and half disciplined, they will not deserve
either success or encouragement.
Tho Irni versitv crew will probably include: