Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-08-06
COURTNEY OF WHEELING.
An interesting Narrative by Fatty
Wsisgerber.
-|||-| 10 81" -"
He Tells the Boys at Conneaut Of His
Streak Of Bad Luck and How He
Won Ms Title.


if unlucky, oarsmsn himself George W.
Weisgerber. 1t was written from the camp
at Connaut Lake the night before the great
regatta:
Even oarsmen's lives have their dark and
light phases, and while it is fine thing and
all that to go sculling over the finishing
line of three or FIVE mile race a winner
aid be cheered and made the lion of the
hour, still they work for all they get. l re-
fer now only to square boat racing. But
then one hears so much of jobs and hippo
dromes that it is hard to tell nowadays what
races are on the square. j sat around the
oarsmen's campfire last evening until after
midnight, listening 20 their yarns, and some
of the boys tell story that sounds natural
enough to make one think it is
truth, whereas in nine cases out
of ten it is romance. Fred
Plaisted is considered the king bee of story
tellers among the scullers, but neither
Fred nor Wallace Ross are here, so that the
boys started in for free-for-all lying
match, and for time Plaisteds title was in
jeopardy. Truth is mighter than fiction,
however, and it was so in this case, for after
awhile one after another of the listeners
began to yawn and it was only question
OF a short time when the fire and its noisy
surroundings would have been dispersed
had it not been for the arrival of George
Weisgerber, or as he is Familiarity called,
Fatty" Come, Fatty, we've had plenty
of funny stories and darned lies tonight
but we want something that smacks of the
truth. Tell US how you came to be called
THE COURTNEY OF WHEELING"
said the speaker. After a little time he
started and from the time he began until
he finished he had the crowd laughing con-
tinually. 1t was a true story and vouched
for BY at least dozen of the boys. 1t only
goes to show how mans misfortunes will
stick to him and proves the old adage OF
Troubles never come singly. 81 don,
know what will happen to me tomorrow,
began Weisgerber, "but if my usual luck
follows me | suppose will be killed to,mor-
row. used to think that good portion
of our bad luck was brought on by one 5
self, but by the great horn spoon I've
mad that knocked out of me.
Why, I've lain awake of nights try
ny to devise some means whereby my i'll
ortune could be shook of, but h-adeS
why, the more | schemed the tougher IN.
'uck got, and, until got hardened, | wor-
ried myself almost crazy. | was a mem
,er of boat club in Wheeling, but the club
broke up, and when | went to buy the sin
lie scull and offered $50 for it discovered
hat the craft had been sold not ten minutes
efore for $50. ordered boat however
md gave up $3.50 of my good money for
/ ] thought | was rowing pretty fast and
concluded to go to Providence and try for
piece of the cake in the regatta
there. That was in 80. | paid all
nv own expenses, and you can bet was
GOING TO ROW HARD FOR A PLACE.
The day before the regatta, however, |
was rowing up the river at pretty good
rate, when bang went onto a rock and my
new $3.50 boat was ripped from stem to
stern. That settled it; got none of the
Providence cake-it was dough. At Gene
va thought was a dandy, but after get
ting to the buoy boat first two of the suck
ersT beat me home, and l got third money.
Subsequently started for Toronto. Going
over lost my baggage and had to go clear
back to Niagara Falls before got my lug
gage. When l got back to Toronto dis
covered that the outriggers for my shell and
my oars were missing. | telegraphed for
them and the way | swelled the operator s
head was a caution think | telegraphed
20 every point on the road, but it was no
use, as the blamed stuff was sent
clear back to Pittsburg and had
% have it forwarded to me. For
.en days rowed around in a big skif, and
iust two days before the race | got every,
thing. Then l was happy. After rigging
up | started out for row, had just got
started when two men in skif went bang
Up against me, breaking my boat and spill.
ing me out in the water; more OF my good
luck" was desperate, and rushed around
and had the darned old tub repaired. i
was happy when we got started in the race,
| was fifth man getting to the buoy boat,
but the other four got tangled up with each
other, and as result turned and got
squared away for home with lead of three
good lengths before the quartette were sep
4rated. / had sure thing on first place
and was pulling for dear life, when blan
ket blanked old
TUB OF A TUG BOAT
ran across my bow and the four passed mt
and was the last man to cross the finish
ing line, The next day Eph Morris, Magic
Lee and myself were in a four,oared boat
There were eight crews in Tie race but on
crew was leading when Plaisteds crew raj
into the Toronto crew (the favorites) and
we had to row over again. That night Lee
got money consideration from old Shaft
to get tired while rowing the next day.
Eph heard of it, and we determined TO row
the race out and win, even if we did have
a passenger in the boat. That day Plaisted'
crew ran into the buoy boat, and again got
fouled with the Torontos aud we had
to row over again The third time
we were mad and when we got started
we're determined to win at all hazards. We
had brought Lee into line and he was going
10 try to win. We had turned the buoy all
right, and were well on our way home
leading, when one of the last crews ran into
our boat, got us fouled with two others, and
in all instant all three of the crews were
Aoundering around in the water, The fou
was 80 plain that the judges could not helE
giving US first money, but dog gone it, the
Toronto people attached $50 of our prize
to pay for the boat we had broken
Ny next successful (O venture was
at the Pullman regatta In my
heat l lead the party to the buoy, AND
after squaring away for home and still hav
ing good lead, heavy wave came over
me and filed the cockpit of my boat with
water. got in third, after having to STOP
three times and sponge my boat out The
next day was entered with Briceland fol
a double scull race, and we could have
beaten the balance nicely, but Briceland
got sick that night, and | had to take Cls
tor in with me, and instead of winning first
place and the accompanying ducats we goi
in third Then w.at to the Cincinnati
regatta. l might have got place there
but had Just got new boat and it weighed
o,,oz c,r4y nonnds and he the tima | had