Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-11-23
TO-MORROw'S STRUGGLE.
Preparations for the Great Boat Race
for the Championship.


Preparations for the Great Boat Race
for the Championship.
rEEMER AND o'coNNoR TAKE MORNING SPIN,
BUT DO NO PHENOMENAL woRK-TEEMER OBJ
yEcrs TO BEING cLAssED WITH COURTNEY
BOTH MEN EAGER FOR THE FRAY.
Interest in the Teemer-O Connor boat race
has freshened up considerably during the past
day or two. For awhile it seemed as though
the general public was entirely unaware of the
existence Of either Teemer or O'Connor. Save
in one or two sporting resorts but little was
heard of the preparations which were being
actively carried on in this city. 1t was not
difficult to understand this unconcern on the
part of the public. The public has a memory,
and memory does not have to strain itself when
it is called upon to reproduce in an intangible
form the Hanlan-C Courtney fizzle. The perform
ance of Courtney upon that occasion disgusted
thousands of people with professional oars
men, and large majority of those who dark
ened the Potomac ) banks that day registered
solemn vow never to waste time, money and
sef-respect by Witnessing a boat race between
men who were in the business for financial
reasons. A great many of those who so vowed
have now moved to reconsider. and the proba-
billties are that, If the weather il propitious.
there will be large crowd present 70 witness
the struggle for the American aquatic cham
pionship, which comes off tomorrow after
noon on the Potomac Both Teemer and
OConnor are more than anxious to represent
the United States on the Paramatta river in
Australia, where the race for the champion
ship of the world must be rowed. Both are in
prime condition, and they are rivals of the
most intense description. The conditions,
therefore, give promise of great race; per-
haps the greatest ever seen in this country.
THE BETTING.
Yesterday the betting commenced to be q
little lively and this morning the confidence of
both mems friends seemed to have increased
as their number grew. Toronto sent its dele
CATION of boating men this morning and they
brought good deal Of money with them.
They will back OConnor for all they have, and
say they can, II necessary, walk home before
the snow falls SO heavily to make the pc
destrian's life burden. McKeesport and
PlttsburS men are also coming in in consider
| able numbers. They too have much cash. and
| 1t will ali go up on Teemer. There is de-
clded difference between the loyalty of the
two armies, or navies. The McKeesport
and Pittsburg men are loud in their praises
of the man they term 1.-The onliest Teemer."
Their oppOnents-O' Connor's friends-say but
little; are willing even to admit that there is a
possibility of his defeat, but they keen on
piiing up the bets in a determined, unobtru-
sive manner that gives evidence of their abid-
ing Iaitn IN " Connors aDlIlty to row away
from his Pennsylvania competitor.
Last night J. d. Mathes0n. a prominent To-
| ronto druggist, was in Scanlon's saloon Offering
money on OConnor. Teemer's hacker, Nor
ris, took him up to the tune of IL 900 even.
This was the bet which has been incorrectly
ascribed to Morris and Rogers. Grady, Of To-
ronto, is believer in OConnor and he put
up $500 to cover like sum laid down by Con-
well. of Portland, Me. Dick Morgan holds the
money.
This morning the stakes were practically in
creased by wager made between the hackers
of the two oarsmen. Rogers was seated in the
restaurant OF the Morgan house, in West Wash
lngton, at about III O'Clock, when Morris en-
tered and offered to bet : 500 additional on
his man. The offer was promptly accepted
and the money was put up in the hands of Mr..
Lang. A number of small bets have been made
this morning, many of them by local sports
and nearly all of them were on even basis
Occasionally Teemer man would ofer slight
odds, and once in while one of o Connor's 8
| followers would ask for an advantage in that
| respect.
ON THE WATER TO-DAY.
The first of the two great oarsmen on the
| water this morning was Teemer. He arrived
| at Cumberland's, alongside the Columbia club
boat house, at about 10:30 and after chatting
pleasantly with a number of his admirers who
stood shivering on the float, he went up to
his dressing-room and few minutes later re-
appeared in costume that looked decidedly
airy. There was good deal of warmth in it.
however. for under the red and white striped
| boating shirt Teemer wore couple of heavy
| f1annels. The champions face was brown,
clean-looking, and smiling, and was surmounted
| by red and white cap. After brief survey
| of the water and the sky, Teemer got into his
shell and pulled slowly out to the center of the
| stream. Then he settled down to his work and
the frail craft shot through the water very rap
idly He rowed over the course, squirting occa-
SlOnallv- str
| His fannels were soaked with perspration
when, at 1l:15, he stepped out of his shell and
ran UP the steps to his dressing-room. Here he
| was rubbed down. while on the floor below his
trainer was engaged in drying and polishing
the boat. The amount of attention bestowed
on oarsman and boat was about the same.
TEEMER TALKS.
81 never felt better than do this morning :"
said Teemer to a STAR reporter who entered
his room while he was wriggling himself into
dry, warm fannels. "An want tom orrow is a
fair course and no favors. l hope the people
on the river will give us chance to row the
race through without an accident. THEY'LL see
| the race just as well when they are back IS
| yards as they can when they right on the
course. l don't want any advantage, and
| don't want O'Connor to get any. I'm after
| square race. Let's see who's the best man."
IF you lose," suggested his trainer, you'll
not say the fault lay in your training?"
1
| tip-top shape. little frightened, though"
| The last remark tickled the trainer consider
| ably, and he laughed loud and long. Scared,
| eh?" said he. "'Tis the first time in your life
you ever were scared. I don't see what there
| is to be scared about"
Then Teemer laughed and tacitly agreed
with his friend that there really was no cause
| for alarm on his part He confident.
"Do you think there will be good crowd of
| the city people out to witness the race?"
Teemer asked the reporter.
There an intimation in the reporters re-
| ply that the crowd would have been a great
| one had it not been for Courtney's conduct
| here. That aroused Teemer's Indignation
81 hope the people don't class me with such
| q man as Courtney. He never could row. He
never beat first-class Oarsman in his life, and
the public shouldn't be down on me for what
he has done. I'm going to give you a good,
| square race"
| o'coNNOR AFLOAT.
just about the time when Teemer was dis
| embarking OConnor, at John Cumberland's,
| took to the water, and after circling round for
awhile started down the course. He pulled
| very steadily, and so smooth was his stroke
| that the shell was on an even keel throughout
| the entire half hour he was ont. On his return
| he tried few starts, and succeeded admirably
| in getting up speed in a very short distance.
| His heart was evidently in his work, and when
| he stepped ashore he looked the very embodi-