New-York tribune., 1888-03-25
OXFORD AGAIssT CAMBMrDGE

OXFORD AGIIHST C4NBfIDGE
American college oarsmen are still working as
pulling machines in their gsmnasiums, or at best
in indoor tanks and the composition OF their
racing crews is matter of speculation But
the English University crews were formed nearly
three months ago As soon as the Christmas holf-
days were past they began daily practice on the
rivers, amid falling snow and floating ice And
Yesterday the great race Of the year WIS rowed
to finish the historic Putney-Mortlake
course As was expected, Cambridge won. The
death of the doughty Mclean, president OF the
Oxford Club, two months ago. east fatal damp
er On the spirits Of the crew and deprived the
boat of its ablest oar The honors Of the boating
world, however, arc still with Oxford. or the
forty-ave races she has won twenty-thrce to Cam
rr;tpr's twenty-onc, and would doubtlcss also have
won the tie of 1877 had she not broken sn oar
Oxford, moreover giorics in the famous Sep
tenn contra Camum7 of s43, at Henley This was
a race for the Grand Challenge Cup. The Ok
onians had won the two trial heats. But on the
day of the decisive contest, the strolxe-man, on
taking his seat in the boat, tainted dead away
He evidently could not pull stroke. The crew
called in a substitute. But the Cantabs ungen-
erousy objected. Then the Oxford blood got up
and the crew declared they would pull through
with only seven oars against their ungsllant op-
ponents' eight. They did so and won-by two
GOOD lengths. 1t may be added that the man VINO
strolred this pluclsy seven to victory WIS none
other than George Hughes, brother OF Tom
Hughes OF Rugby. This race, OF course, Is noe
in the record of Varsity regattas, and Varsity
crews no longer enter at Henley. But there Is
no memory more grateful to the Oxonian oarsman
than that of the Scptem contra Camnm'
The first Varsity race in 1929, was also won
forI n
spect OF the character Of the men engaged In IT,
Oxfortrs No was Wordsworth, afterwHrd Bishop
Of St. Andrews; behind him sat Toogood, an en-
inert Prebendary Of York; next to him was
Garnicr, Dean of Norwich; and the coxswain was
Fremantc who became Bishop OF Ripon In
the Cambridge boat No. was Bayford, Chancellor
of the Diocese of Manchester; No. was Merivale,
Dean of Ely; and No. was Selwyn, Bishop OIL
Litchficld 1t was in this race, too, that oxford
adopted dark blue as the VARSITY color. Cam:
bridge showed pink, and dd not fix upon light blue
until seven years later and then only by accident
Since that early contest, of ffty-nine years ago.
there have been great changes in rowing. Boats'
oars seats and stroke have been transformed
But the more important features are unchanged
The crews rank high as ever in intellectual at
tanmcnts; their rivalry is friendly and generous; !;
and among all the degradation and venality that
Varsity race stands conspicuous as one never
smirched with even the suspicion of dupllcity
or fraud
In my Judgment the Constitution might WISE
lv have prohibited the election of Chief-Justce
to the Presidency. Entertaining such view
could I properly or consistently permit my name
to be used ?" These were the words OF the late
Morrison r. Waite, then Chief-Justice Of the
United States Grover Cleveland, the living
President Of the United States. has avowed pre-
cscy the same opinion about reelection. What
does he think about the propriety Of allowing the
use Of his namc9
I'm his grateful little speech Of farewell at the
Star Theatre last evening, Mr. Henry Irving
deprecated any extension of the American pro-
tectivc system which might place a duty upon
the importation of actors Mr.. Irving need
have no fear We not only admit him freely as
a guest. but we would gladly naturalIze him and
make him at once citizen and q sovereign.
~No Democratic newspaper has pretended to
know what Mr.. Blaines plans are" 1t is The
Utica Observer" that makes this prcposterous
assertion. Why, there isn't a man In the coun-
try with a head on his shoulders that does not
know that during the past four years the Demo
cratic and the Mugwump press have been con-
tinually evolving from their inner consciousness
O large and varied assortment of plans which they
have earnestly pretended were Mr.. Baine's plans.
= The Observer" apparently has mislaid its
memory.
Sunset Cox regrets that eoal not put
on the free list i'm the tariff bill Has the
Congressman any direct or indirect interest in the
Nova Scotia coal mines that he wants TO bring
them In competition with our soft coal produc-
tion, and further depress the miners wages5
The senior counsel Of Professor Bell explains
that the great suit over the telephone was won
by his client because he had patented a. I" prin-
ciple.' He also calls attention to the fact that
Professor Bell had been constantly improving this
principle Now that the inventor has had all
doubt TO the validity Of his patent set at rest he
should make haste to employ the calm which he
will now enjoy and which is so favorable for the
right working of the human mind in obviating
such defects in the telephone make it necessary
for man at end of 1t to wear his vocal chords
in such expressions as these: What's that ?"
Give that again How2' Once more
What in the dickens are you talking about 2"
o can't make out what you sayl' What?n
Darn the telephonel" Wires crossed? Yes
and Pm crossed Dash blank, bangl' Get
nearer the 'phone!' Shout louder.' Cant
hear you. Goodbye The principal trouble
with the telephone is that IL does work regular
ly on principle, but is frequently inclined to run
by what some people call pure cussedness Let
US have improvements, patented fast as possible
Ex-Mayor Grace has sailed for Europe His
plans to capture the Gubernatorial nomination
must be in forward state. Let Governor Hill,
however, not be deceived by his rivals absence
and lullcd into a sense of security. Mr.. Grace
will be gone only four weeks
The Tariff bill even IL it passes the House will