Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-09-19
MANHATTAN'S YACHTMEN
COMMODORE GERRY's STRICT
DISCIPLINE.

1ontemptibIe Representative of Frit-
lsh Snobbery-Yachting the Most Eie-
waiting of Modern Sports.
NEW YORK, Sept. 1S.-New Workers
who are fond of one form of sport diner
materially from the votaries OF any other
kind OF diversion. No one could imagine
Commodores Gerry or Smith on race
track, and the presence OF the DWyer
brothers at yacht race would cause the
amateur salts to smile all over New YORK
bay. The yachting type is, OF course, Ia
miliar enough in town now, but there are
various kinds of yachtmen. Commodore
Gerry was known as the life and bulwark
OF the Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Children long before the pub
lic found out that he was an enthusiastic
yachtman. He wears cape-sf sealskin
IN winter during business hours, and is
nan OF extraordinary energy and dash.
IN appearance he is 80 years old, with
strong features, gray whiskers under his
Ears, knitted brows and an erect and
Commanding figure. He is direct and in
pisive in talk and looks, nautical even
Turing the months when the snow Is on
The ground. Commodore Gerry has gained
he name of being something OF marti-
net. The officers Of his society stand
around and march about like 80 many
members OF the regular army, and the
discipline of the crew Of his yacht the
Electra, would make the eyes of an old
man-o'-war's man glisten with delight.
No Yacht that floats in our waters has
such thoroughly drilled crew as the
Electra. Commodore 0erry's reputation
rs a disciplinarian spread so that for
time considerable fun was made OF him,
out the value of these qualities has been
fully realized during the recent yacht
races, and the ridicule has turned to ad-
miration.
Although Gen. Paine Is not a New
Yorker, be yet serves as an admirable
type of the American yachtman. He has
an easy smile, long moustache, keen
eyes and a brOnZed skin. and be fs COM
pletely at home when afloat. While he
is the owner, hacker and enthusiastic ad-
mirer of the Mayfower, he does not sail
ON her as capitalist by any means, but
looks personally after the working OF his
beautiful craft. The sailors have a great
respect for him, and this is usually re-
garded as the highest praise that cap
bain's seamanship can call forth.
There is a vast difference between Mr..
Bevor-Webb, who designed the Galatea
and no end of other English yachts, and
Mr. Burgess, who designed the Mayfiower
and the Puritan, the two fastest sloops
Rfoat. The latter is as genial and clever
a yacbtman as one could wish to meet,
while Mr.. Bevor- Webb is an admirable
type of the domineering and insolent
Briton. He has made no friends during
his visits to America, though Lieut.. HEM
and Sir Richard Sutton, of the Genesta,
are both very popular. All sorts of efforts
10 conciliate and welcome the pudgy and
Doughty Bevor-W ebD have been made by
The good-natured and hospitable New
York yaohtman, but in vain. He has in
suited the newspaper reporters, too, and
II was amusing to observe with what un-
Bring skill and vim those wide-awake
gentlemen got seven" with him after be
had sailed the Galatea In the second race.
They pointed out the stupidity and igno-
rance OF MIR. Bevor- Webb in tanning the
cutter into the wind so perslstently, with
maps, diagrams and terse and vigorous
English. They did him up brown, so to
speak, and nobody is sorry.
An admirable type of the New York
yachtman is Mr.. Robert Centre, more
Rffectionately known as Little Bob Gen.
tre." He is an acknowledged authority
on all matters concerning the sea, and
will SIT in the Union Club and talk salt
water lingo twenty hours day all winter.
Like most of the genuine yachting men,
he is easy and agreeable in manner.
There are, however, amateur tars in New
York who are not altogether lcvable.
They are the bowling swells of society,
who "keep a yacht because il accords
with their dignity and position socially,
and not because they are fond of the
Hport. III one OF these gentlemen should
catch a glimpse of Gen. Paine standing
by the wheel of the MayflOwer, with an
old worsted cap awry on bis head, one
moot and one slipper on his feet, coatess
and absorbed 10 the sport, he would in ali
Likelihood feel shocked and contemptuous.
The society yachtman is all clothes. AS
rule he prefers steam, or "tea-keUtle''
yachting, as there Is less danger and
more convenience in that direction. |
found myself beside a heavyweight So
ciety yachtman on Saturday. he is calm
serene and lofty at all times. His nose
was held very high, and this gave an I'M
Distracted and generous view OF verv
long and thin cap. His moustache was
waxed. All genuine old salts wax their
m1ustaches. On his head was q cap made
of blue cloth, with no end of gold braid
The peak was of patent leather. The
buttons on either side OF the cap were
gold, with the owners monogram stamped
In them. All Of the other buttons were
gold, and similarly decorated. A white
flannel shirt with a rOlling collar WAS
open enough at tue NICK ~ show The en-
broideTed edge Of While silk shirt be-
meath. \ bright Llne scarf was drawn
through llttle circle of diamonds at the
neck. Tie coat was OF fine blue clOlh
heavily decorated with broad blue braid
AID gold jrappings. In tit and form il
was something Ike a Hussar's iackut,eX-
c.pt that H. WAS "a BIT lOn2er than that
natty garment usually is. The waistcoat
was ot wnlte duck, on which min ature
fAc eimiles ot the owners yacht mad been
worked In cOlOred silks cum n2lv. 1t was
Bn inspiring work of art. His watch chain
va oi platinum. in the form of snip's
cable. v It'll bunch Of nautical charms
aIacbe. A pair of marine glasses we're
Sung yer tie yachtman's shoulder, and
BIS sill. legs were clad IN loose blue
q puSeI ), terminating in white canvas
shoes 1Ih rubber-ribbed soles, useful
When 'e owner is on the slippery deck
mJnai 40 MS boat in "A hurricane mt sea.
] wa .tght N conf 4cturing that this gen.
ilemaS's Yacht ran by steam. tor | saw
bin within two hours OF the moment when
be- had drst nurst on my vision. lying in u
hammock that was swung on the after
deck Of one OF the shOwiest of steam
yacuts. BY this time, however, he had
made another toilet. From the little
wOrsiGd bail on his Tam o Shantpr to the
toe Of his slipper ne was clad in whole
white. There was not dot of color any
where about his attire. II viii be see n
that yachting has its advantages as "A
medium for dress as wen rs any other