Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-10-15
COURTNEY AND HANLAN.
THE COMING RACE on CHAUTAUQUA
LAKE.
The 0asmen at work-A Brief Review Of
What Has Rendered the Two Men
Famous-Both Said to Be
Down Too Fine.
COURTNEY AND HAELAE.
The Coming Race on Cnsutauoua Lake
The Oarymen ct Work.

brief review OF what has rendered Han
Ian and Courtney 50 famous As oarsmen
will make il easier to understand the
deep interest 50 widely felt in the ap-
preaching struggle on ChautauQua
Lake, especially among the young men
OF both this country and Canada For
nearly dozen years Courtney has been
sharing in almost every race he could
get into and whipping every one who
came in his way, saving always Hanlan.
Even Riley, who is probably his most
dangerous rival in the United States to-
day, he defeated away hack in 1872, at
Syracuse; but after his fame began 10
spread. and he had won the champion
ship Of the State of New York. he still
further added to his score the champi-
onship of the nation, at Philadelphia,
actually playing with all who faced him.
so far he was only amateur, but shortly
after the affair at Greenwood Lake with
Riley he came out an openly avoved
professional, and bess an looking FOR bus
mess. Riley and Piaisted soon cut II
out for him at Saratoga, where he
whipped them handily, doing the three
miles in y0:li!, the fastest time on rec
ord then or now for the distance.
Riley had another taste Of him later at
0uasco, and another thrashlne, and
then came the great fight with Hanlan.
The record OF the Canadian Was even
more brilliant than Courtney's, for he
had entered the professional lists earlier
and beaten everything that would face
him, winning the professional cham.
pionship Of America at the Centennial as
easily rs Courtney had the amateur,
and various times disposing of such
good men as Eph. Morris, Wallace Ross,
Plaisted, Luther, Bayley, Hosmer, Da.
Wis, Kennedy, Mcken and others OF
scarcely less note. Matters were now
rife for crossing Of swords between
these two champions, who had fought
their WAY up ~ brilliantly Ia the front
ranks OF their respective countries. A
purse of 5000 was raised 10y Montreal,
and suburb, lachine, Was named as the
field. Rough water sadly interfercd with
the practice work OF both men, and
when the day came found them but
partially acquainted with the course.
They r6wed on water unfit Ia race on,
played tag all over the distance, often
one ahead, a. often the other. Both
stecrcd across the course near the finish,
and were almost ON the poom of logs
which enclosed the track, when Han
Ian, seeing his danger, turned sharply
back, directly across Courtney bow,
forcing the latter either 10 foul him
"ior they were in lianlan's water'-or
Ia stop rowing lie did the latter, and
Hanlan won. Mingled excitement and
indignation ran over the country NJ
Courtney, who WAS openly charged with
having sold the race, and the curions
way il had been rowcd, combined with
unlimited Canadian willingness Ia back
their man at long odds, lent color
To this rumor. Courtney, however,
never for q moment hesitated, but al
WAYS and everywhere stoutly denied il.
Many and searching investigations fol
lowed, and the story sifted down Ia an
admitted endcavor on the party of Mr..
Brister one Of Courtncy's hackers, to in
huencc the betting few days before the
race, which, in his locality (Auburn) AT
least, WAS then in favor Of Courtney.
and to sending cipher dispatches to that
effect 10 his brother at that place.
Meanwhile Courtney had 10 undergo an
agony OF mental suffering, which, he
saws freely now he believes, il repeated
would kill lie gave up rowing, appa-
rently forever, stuck steadily To his little
planning mill at Union Springs, with
John, his brother, and there was every
prospect that Americas greatest oars
man was to end his DAYS under cloud,
and cloud which he did not deserve.
The Present Match.
IInnlan had no notion OF stopping.
however, hut, looking for other worlds
10 conquer, crossed the briny Atlantic,
met and whipped llawden, n good
sccond-rate man, astonishing all Eng
land at the ease with which lac did IL.
In the middle Of June he met Elliott,
the English champion, and bestowed
the like favor on him, winning his title
away from him easier than il was ever
won before. Very naturally all Canada,
on his return, received him with open
arms, and but once since his return
has lac had Q race At nll-this time with
the determined and steadily improving
Riley, who, catching him of his guard
and out Of condition, rowcd him dead
heat in a trial heat oi a four-mile race
nj Barric, Ont, in the wonderful time
Of 37m. 2s., but to the surprise 81 all he
did not meet Riley again in the final
heat, the first time he hal ever been
known 10 waver. go the latter won the
race. At Courtney's mill one day
man named Tripp was killed by an
accident. This reused the suller, and
he rowed for and won purse of $500,
beating Riley in 27m. 37ls., giving the
money 10 Trips widow. Then came
this Chautauqua purse, and Hanlah
will again meet Courtney at the sculls
The oarsmen at Work.
Both men came up here not feeling
yer' vel. lInnlan, before starting,
even announcing that Ice was ~ out of
shape and run down that he MAS unfit
to row, while Courtney had an abscess,
some sgue and sore hand, but they
came on, nevertheless, and, fortunately
for both, the bracing air mp in these high
land. and plenty 81 vigorous wOrk soon
brought both into shape again. There
is little doubt. however, that each In II
anything down toO fine. lIanlsn denies
this report, and says that he weighs 1852
pounds, and doubts u he will go below
l5j pounds. lie looks fresh and ruddy,
though, and decidedly fuller In the face
than on the day he returned from Eu-
rope. In his boat he looks larger than
on land. and no man can watch
him long there without concluding
that he il wonderfully handy
at his work, but there are
points readily detected which show that
he plainly would be none the worse for
dali faithful coaching. The peculisri-
ties which 80 scon arrested the atten-
tion Of the British experts, or rather, 40
soon after he beat Havdon, ae unmis-
takably here. II he gets his seat started
on the slide back ward, before ho gets
his shoulders and lack on, he hss on
the other hand the marvellous shorten
ing up Of bis legs, actually almost
scratching his arlnpits with his knees A.
he reaches out for his stroke; lat he
hangs perceptibly when about 10 catch
the water, and feathers irrcgularly,
sometimes high, sometimes low, though
the lumpy water at the time was some-
what ~ blame tor this. Besides the
splendid ue Of his legsr there is one
thing which no great Oarsmen YET ever
did sithOut anil wuB, bIt which
10 slvays lacking in men
nj any but long experience, and that
is that, dick him up where you will, he
is always throwing his back out, not
only simply neatly and gracefully. bat
with dash and slam, ~ u he wtre go
ing 70 break all the rvetS out Of the boat
at every stroke, % he makes her dance
along at his 32 Q minute. An impressive
thing about his style is the astonishing
fength Of arc his scuIls travel through
for q man Of only medium height and
reach. Nor il it owing 10 unusually
long sculls; in fact his are five inches
shorter than those formerly % popular,