, 1876-07-15
CENTENNIAL SIDE SHOWS.
(TSmes ~CorYesp0ndent,l

Foremost, perhaps, 10 interest among Cen
tennial "Sida Shows" will be the internation-
al boat races. II does not seem yet to be POI
sitively known what crews are coming over
from England, but We are expecting to see re-.
personalities from Cambridge, Dublin, London,
and, possibly Oxford. Hopes were OF first as
oertained that the Centennial might be made
the occasion Of a return match between liar
ward and Oxford, but this project appears to
have fallen through, greatly to the dlsappolnt-
ment Of the Americans, who think themselves
somewhal hardly used. They took the troQ-
bic to 90 oil the way over to England to ca
counter the Oxford men on their own waters,
aud In their own style, and as they We're beat
en- they considered it only fair they should be
given their revenge. It Is feared, TOO, that
some of the English oarsmen may be tempted
to Saratoga and this would certainly be hard
upon Philadelphia at such a moment as the
present, and considering the hearty h0spitabla
efforts that the "SohuylkilI Navy" under its
genial Commodore, Mr.. Ferguson, will make
to entertain them. About the character Of tho
reception there can be no doubt, and If they
have any doubts about the course over which
they will have to row these may be at once
dismissed. | went over it the other day, and
thought it one of the best, as we'll as p~rettiest,
I had ever seen. The 0no.and-a.half mile
course presents but one slight curve, so thab
the spectators on the banks will have little
difficulty in watching th9 race from beginning
to end, some beautiful scenery and fine view
Of the Exhibition buildings, which crown the
bank, being thrown in. Iroughly estimated the
Sohuylkin TO be al this point some GOO yards
broad, and the water, I am told, is very rarely,
II ever, "lumpy." 1t is, at any rate, guro to
be smooth at the season-from goth August 10
18th Soptembey-in which the races will be
r0Wed. The prizes will be a piece Of plate
each for fours, for I" doubles and for single
SOULS, aud, in addition, medals will be present
ed to each oarsman-of gold for the winning
crew, Of silver for the second, md for the re-
mainder Of bronze. The "Sohuylkill Navy
which had hitherto, perhaps, not been taken
sufficiently into consideration In estimating the
maritime resources OF the United States, but Of
which the world has yet to hear more, is an
organization of niue rowing clubs each of which
holds to the Navy" something Of he relations
which in England college boat holds to the
University. But In lieu Of our barges the
clubs here have their lighthouses, handsome
buildings OF stone, and great ornaments to the
Paramount Park, which they fringe. They
contain ample accommodation for boats as we'll
as of crews The one which | went over had
on the first floor two rooms used exclusively
for the storage Of boats aud oars, and on
The second floor two more-one used as
a dressing room, the other as d reception
room, Somewhere about $4,000 had
been invested on it. / must confess to
having felt some surprise at finding That
boating was kept up here with such spirit, for
had not come across any Of Tho amateurs who
in England make boating or criokoting the
business of their lives. OF q large party Of
American oarsnen whom | met.tho other day,
every one was. engaged in business Of a very
reading man does at Oxford, for recreation and
exercise. There must be plenty of men here
with money enough to do what they please,
bat they all please TO make money. As for
the English olub.man, who Is content with
Just enough to live what he calls d~eoently, and
whose existence from breakfast at noon to
supper at midnight would, without boatraoes,
or cricket matches, or pigeon shooting, be a
melancholy blank, | doubt whether he has his
counterpart in all Philadelphia. Here hs
would be driven to work, partly like the idle
boy In the story, for Want of companions to
play with and partly by public opinion, which has
no sympathy with the popular English notion
of a gentleman as 9 a man who does nothing. :"
/ remember in Paris meeting a young Ameri-
can who told me be had been fairly driven ont
of bis own country because, having just money
enough to enjoy life according to his own no
tions, be refused to work for enough to satisfy
the requirements of his more ambitious rela-
tives and friends.
Il ISL editable to the Philadelphia oars