, 1876-08-27

in The background; or they may have been nlo-
den from view behind the sails Of the scores
OF yachts whose frequent, though not Always
exciting, races have attracted more than 1he1f
share OF attention. But Of late the long, sfsee-
full barges and dancing shcll-boats o1 tne t"o
clubs in which the city should take some pfloe
have come oftencr before the people, and oy u
long, steady stroke are running close oesioe
the yachts in their race for popular favor
FROM HYo1EN1c STANDPOINT
rowing is entitled to more encouragement tnan
any other effort at exercise. There IS just
enough danger in it to make it interesting, ana
as a means Of developing the muscles it has no
superior It is an art easily acquired, anu one
that trains the temper Is well as the body, anu
while there is enough of spice to warn OH any
anproach Of 1nonotony, it docs not begin TO IN
volye tue danger that surrounds yacht on SO
treacherous q surface IS Lake Michigan. As
far as rapidity Of propulsion is involved, the
YACHT, rs swi1tcr and labor-savipg machine,
is unouestionably superior; but for steady 60
ing in all kinds OF weather, pleasant exercise,
and certainty of ssgctting somewhere the man
Will, the oars POSSESSES a decided advantage.
The proportion to which small boat building
has been brought, and the heathful
EXCITEMENT ESGEsDERED BIZ '' PULLING"
have given this element of aquatics great pres
t;ac in the East, where q rowing regatta will
attract when yacht race presents no seduc-
tlous. And this, too, where they have yachts,
and not swell-bcllicl sail-boats with just
enough canvas to carry their bearings to the
water. The annual college contests are OF more
absorbing interest than any other sporting ef-
fort, and Of late years people seem to have
l.; ,;.rlrn~
who wins rather by his strength and endurance
than by the skill some builder has shown in the
construction of his craft. As a test OF the su-
neriority Of one style OF marine architecture
over another, perhaps the yacht may again
claim precedence, but III the exhibition OF gFlt
and endurance, the oarslnan SIMPLY u1seoaus7
the yachtsman.
Yet this is something that the lovers OF active
snorts in Chicago never have appeared to appre-
ciate, aud, Notwithstanding the existence Of two
excellent boat clubs, not an e1lort has be2n
made to encourage them. In fact there seems
to have been lalnentable ignorance Of What
they represented. Not long ago,
TES-oARED BARGE
shot under Clark street bridge, the crew neatly
a.tlrcd i'll white flannel suits, and pulling: u
steady, measured stroke. everything besPoke,
discipline and skill, and the conclusion arrived
at by the id1ers on the bridge was that it was q
yawl from revenue cutter hunting up whisky
thieves.
The establishment of good boat club de-
mands u peculiar material, and the stun OF
which tue two Chicago clubs are composed is
taken from the best men in Chicago society;
Not fops, for, while your genuine, thoroughbred
fop is often the most reliable man IN cases or
emergency and danger, he shrinks from any I'M
Farragut and the Chicago are men who are en.
thusiastic III their affection for the sport anu
for the pleasure it yields to those who pursue
it, and for their labors in building up their
clubs to the excellence they have attained, and
the impetus they given to the art OF rowing IN
.tl,e pptket,r u they are entitled to more credit
than they have yet received at the hands o1 Tie
public.
was organized some two or three years ago, and
upon its organization the question came up as
to the standard it should set up. The mana
gers carefully studied the various styles Of row
Ing, and finally concluded to limit all under
takings to barge rowing and ease anu grace OF
method, rather than the attainment OF an e1-
traordinary degree Of speed. The object was to
learn to. row and row well, and to present such
ATTRACTIONS to all who might wish to join, that
they would not BE- discouraged bY fear that
they would be unequal to the task OF Keeping
up III q spirited race Inc eluo coneiuuea 20
| order that could be secured. Ihey wanted
boats that would Ago," and 20 swiftly, but at
| the same time roomy boats that would enable
| them to carry pleasure parties on their trips,
secure TO LllEI 4IlEuAS 6Cl4l5 " LILO
| Of their skill aud strength. The next step was
to insure perfect discipline, and tothis end none
| were admitted to membership who we're un-
| willing to subscribe to perfect aud absolute
obedience to orders and the duties prescribed
| On this basis the organization went to work- A
| modest and comfortable boat-house was erected
| on the Front, near Twelfth street, and two
barges, one ten-oared and one eight Dared; TWO
| piys. one six-oared and one four-oaredi and a
| four-oaTed shcll-boat, were ordered and maoe
| far and the mam1ErE OF
| TIE CLUB WENT INTO ACTIVE TRAINING. =,
| There were very few Of them who couldn't
iump into an ordinary working boat and row all
day, but once seated in trim barge or gag, ana
! bcforc them and even the alphabet Of rowing a
| mystery. To the people who stand on the
Front now and watch the long, narrow, and
handsome barge slip by it looks easy enough q
g9ga t+sS g any tncls hs aud Do it ea equally Wc
| the novice has little appreciation OF the time
| and patience devoted to the requirement o1
what looks so easy. and the boys themselves
perhaps did not contemplate the long anu weary
Struggle necessary to learn the swing, or the
rrarficc demanded to uccustom the muscles tt
q long pull. But they stuck to 1t, and among
their eighty members to-day they number some
of the best oarsmen In the West. A l0-mllt
stretch is chd's play now to the fellows os1n wne
used to liu.i the persplratlon pouring ou& a1tcl
ten minutes Of hard work.
In the construction OF their boats
! THE SOCIAL SIDE OF TIE PICTURE
was not forgotten, and their barges are httee
up for pleasant cruises. "There Is scarcely 1
day," said one of the crew to TRIBUNE re
porter, ssthat We do not take out party O
ladies'"
The officers of the Club are D1r. T. s. Faun
tlerov, Captain; Calvin Cobb, Commander; W
Young, Lieutenant Commander; I. Il. Purple
Ensign; and Alessrs. Cox, Hall, aud stevens
milship1nen. The officers Of the civic organl
zatiou are J. P. Smith, President; w. A.. An
gcll, Vice-Prcsiient; F. B. Hamilton, Secrc
tary; and F. Stevens, Treasurer.
| THE EARRAGUT CLUB
is an older organization, and composed OF mcr
who started ii to get out Of rowing all there !:
in it. Every working member is put into rigit
training, and taught to exert every muscle AMI
siuew to secure speed. Every boat is built t.
run fast, and the sole object OF the crews is II
get through the water as quickly as possible
I And the Club las won a most enyiable reputa
ton for swift and perfect rowing. Every im
proycment that will heightcn the speed OF
boat finds its way to the clubhouse, which i
situated close by that Of the Chicago Club
The institution owns twelve boats in all, ON
eight and one four-oarcd barge, the former i
feet long by q feet beam, and the latter q by
feet, one six and one four-oarcd glg,-the 81:
y feet By ~ inches, and the four ~ feet BY I
| inches; one four CARED SHE'LL Il feet long by l
inches beam; one doublc-scull shell, IS feet b.
Il inches; five single-scull shells, Is feet by i
in;.hes rat.l,: and one 1Oublu-wOrking boat,