The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-18

tainments. The practice viii he CHIEFLY upon the
blackboard. and ultimately. perhaps, the contest
as we'll large hall Will be engaged the
audience Will assemble; the crews Will occupy
seats on the platform; at the words. "Are you
readyYn eacn man win proauce hts slate Tor ad-
vance TO the blackboard. as 1t may be arrangedl,
and az the momentous signal COP each VIII
dash IN chalk In hand, and demonstrate his
problem as well as ne can. We may fancy, per-
haps, the tumult OF intellectual excitement
throughout the assembly as the progress OF the
calculations Is nom time 10 time announced by
the judges. By and by the last 1gure Is down;
amid the silence OF GREATNESS suspense the
referee examines the results balances one against
the other. and announces the issue. Applause,
congratulations follow: the pocket their
chalks. compliment one another. ana are escorted
home by their friends one OF them, perhaps. 10
taken with brain fever and thereby occasions
q hot discussion in the newspapers to
whether boat racing IL healthy pasrime
or not. Some one, thereupon, writes a novel,
whose hero exhibits the evils or over
application TO intellectual athletics and SO on.
All am afraid or is that Will die out from lack
OF ladies' who, as shall always believe would
with an argument
GOOD AvERAGE.n
But this savoIs OF forecasting. At present the
state OF things have described Is but family indl
Gated. The crews considered "good averagen
this year-not good as the men VINO out-rowed
Harvard, not so bad as others wnom IL would be
invidious to name. The time they made in spite
OF their rowing machinery, was not good; out, as
was universally and sapiently remarked, that
proves nothing. The practice or rowing upon
tidal rivers makes any comparison OF the crews OF
one year with those OF another quite out OF the
question IL win never be really known, as long as
Varsity races may continue, whether the eight OF
1s45 was not q match for any that has appeared
since then. The Thames alone Is IN possession OF
The secret, aud there is small chance OF his ever
revealing 1t. Indeed, considering the complicated
nature OF his relations with Neptune, IL Is not lm-
possible that he may Le a little uncertain about It
himself.
UoIGNs OF VANTAGE.
The writer spent the weeks Immediately pre-
ceding the race in debating with himself from
what point Of view it were best observed. 1t first
occurred TO him TO solicit position on one OF the
steamers which follow in the wake OF the dying
craft; but TINS design was finally abandoned. IL
was TOO ousiness-nke, analytic and naked a way
OF going 10 work. Ills desire 10 witness the
race In a perfectly spontaneous. unrestralned and
inartincal manner, aud TINS was not TO be done
among sucn an assemolage oil self-possessed, Keen
eyed and rgtdly critical gentlemen as would not
fail to be collected on the decks OF either OF the
three pursuing steamers Moreover, the essence
OF viewing q race, distinguished from taking
part In II, seeing only section thereof
for otherwise all the waiting and wondering; all
the false alarms, tptoelng and fruitess shouting;
all the fun OF the crowd and the glorious discom-
ort ali the envy or the people who are in
more eligible POSITIONS than ourselves; all the
sympathy with sucn as are IN q similar
plight, and finally. all the inestmable
value which attaches TO intermittent
and frantic gllmpses or the famous elgnts,
as they dash and swing and are gone between the
roaring banks and past the only dozen rods
which the utmost possibilities OF our vision ex-
tended, would be rremedlably forfeited. No. no
The only way IN which II could be worth while 10
follow the course from end to end would be as
member OF one OF the contending crews, ana as
This not to be expected, still less, under the
existing circumstances desired the steamboat
plan was rejected
VIEWED FROM THE RIVER.
Before deciding upon the banks, however, there
was q third alternative to consider the river,
during the race, alive with SKINS and wineries,
canoes and steam Launches and every other mag
inable description OF water-golng structure, and
no small portion OF the spectators go 10 and FRO In
these, scuttllng in toward the bank just as me
elgnts appear and swarming out again the instant
they nave passed. This method OF getting over the
difficulty doubt mas attractions for certain
classes or minds-uotaoly for corn watermen and
also for those whose aquatic ambitions consld
erably IN excess their attamments. Candor
obhges the writer 20 disclatm either fraternity;
he was neither born Win an oar In his hand nor
are his rowing powers other than precisely what he
would WISH them to be. Besides, ne is OF opinion
that tue who 20 down TO ships OF their
own are apt 10 De TOO much engrossed with
thoughts Of their own appearance, or Danger. or
fair companions, or blstered fingers, TO allow OF
their giving the race that unquesuoned suprem-
acy In their regard, which Is positive necessity
70 its rIgnt enjoyment and appreciation. Rever-
ence tor the higher law, therefore, denied the
skins his patronage; and the barges and scows,
ancnored permanently at intervals along tue
course. permitted TO share IN THIS exclusion.
IL only remained, then. TO PICK out the most avail
able situation on snore-
THE SUSPENSION BRIDGE.
Hammersmith Bridget bridges may be consld-
cred as snore-ls one OF the favonte stations,
and 1t certainly has many advantages. The crew
winch drst catches ils shadow il currently be-
Ieved to "haye" the race, tnougn the race Is lust
as much mad, potentially, q oay or a week before
It taxes place as then. Every year this bridge
groans under the weight OF some 1900 excited
people, and a mighty roar goes forth as the mar
row boats, straishtmoving, swift, eignt-lcgged,
approach and snp beneath, nrst one, then the
o;ner. But ere The last rudder mas vanished
there IL fearful tumult and quick rush;
the whole great crowd has swept across
TO the other side, and the people on the
steamboats, shudder and look spprehensively
upward. and the bridge creaks and sways and
says DOWNWARD full three feet. Another roar
pursues the onward course or the narrow boats,
ana their crews, IN the midst or their GREATNESS
tug, halt see the myriad multitude hanging in
air ABOVE them. and The thunderous shout echoes
II their ears, ana winner and loser pun tnem.
selves together and quicken up q stroke or 20.
Nevertheless, Hammersmlth Bridge was not the
place Fixed upon by the writer. Perhaps ne was
Inundated ~ alarming paragraphs Ia the newspa-
pers concerning It's insecurity, ana the probability
Of some CHASTITY accident happening there-some
general slaughter, 70 which the annual squeezing
nat or two or three women and old men IA but A