The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-08-15
Coming Boat Races.

Richard Maggie issued challenge Saturday
to row John Mckay of Dartmouth or Fred
Plaisted q three or four-mile race in st. John
or Halifax, give or take $50 expenses, on or
about August %, for $500 a side. He has de-
posted 500 with the ST. John Globe.
It is rumored at st. John that crew, COM
posed of Wallace Ross, Fred Plaisted, Mckay
of Dartmouth and Warren Smith will enter
for the four-oared race in the Toronto regatta.
All these four will row in the single-scull race.
The Boston Herald says much disappoint-
ment is felt not only in this country, but in
Canada, because the well-known oarsmen,
Messrs. Davis and Kennedy of Portland, have
decided not to be entered either for singles,
doubles or fours for the regatta at Toronto in
September next. 1t was thought the offer Of a
valuable purse for four-oar race would in
duce the Portland oarsmen to enter for the
event in that class of rowing on the 18th and
9Th of September, and the intention was to
try and organize Canadian four to give them
battle. Ifthey have decided not to be repre-
scented in the four-oar race, their decision will
go far toward obstructing the revival of inter
est in four-oar shell racing. It is an indisputa-
BILE fact that both Davis and Kennedy are do
ing better business and making more money
from their patents and practical training of in
experienced oarsmen than they can possibly
do by spending time in preparing for and row.
ing in races; but one things lead to another in
the boating business, and, if they should row
and win two or three good races this season,
the fame they would gain and the praise they
would receive would go farther to help them
in their business than thousands of dollars
worth of advertising. ! If the people of Toron-
to are not encouraged in their aquatic enthusi-
asm by oarsmen themselves, the fact that
their efforts are not appreciated will result in
other cities, at present contemplating offering
purses for rowing regattas, Withholding their
promised awards. Ross, also, may have some
good reasons for not desiring to meet Hanlan
in a regatta until the articles for their pro-
posed match race have been signed, sealed and
delivered. If he can beat Hanlan at Toronto
he can make "a pot of money" over and above
the purse offered. If he cannot beat him, and
can row him so close as to make almost dead
heat of the race, the interest in the match
race will only increase the desire to see the
pair meet on some other water than Toronto
bay where the chances will be equal Advices
from Canada, received Saturday, state that
the biggest crowd ever seen at a boat race will
assemble on the It'll and 9Th of September at
Toronto and that excursions are booked from
all over Canada and every part of the States.
If the oarsmen from this country are as good
as many think, there are fortunes to be made
by sporting men from the States who know
just what the American oarsmen are capable
of doing II the oarsmen of the United States
are not represented by a four-oared crew, and
in double SOULS as well, at the Toronto regat-
ia, there may be some justifabe reason for it,
and, if there is, a challenge to the winning
four and double would certainly indicate that
fear of defeat was not the cause.