Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-09-14

JOHN TEEMER
Besides this. and 70 my mind of greater i'm
portance. Is the rapidly increasing number of
boat clubs IN every part of the Union. Go where
you please and in every place you will find a
club. and generally good one. Even in such
small city as Montpelier VT. there is a first
Glass organization which practices every day
upon that badly named but beautiful river
the Onion. So, along the Long Island sound
and the Hudson river there appears to be
club house every ten miles. and the traveller
along the Harlem river and around the beauti-
full shores of Staten Island will be amazed at the
number and at the excellent appointments of the
club houses that are to be seen there by the
score. Ihave never heard how many there are
but judging from what have seen and know |
should say that there were at least four thou.
sand boat clubs In the United States with a
membership of over half million young men
These figures may seem large. but when you
think OF such affairs as the New York athletic
club. the Atalanta and Manhattan athletic club
the New Jersey, Williamsburg, BROOKLYN and
Staten Island organizations. each one of which
musters full regiment. the numbers seem
understated rather than otherwise. Why. there
are successful clubs on such little lakes as
Greenwood and RonkOn Roma. and III such
little towns as Bristol, r. L., and Sheepshead
Bay IN New York.
Is THERE AN IMPROVEMENT IN ROWING?
OF course there is and in every respect
Everything connected with aquatics has under
everything in all the other fields of life. The
oars or SOULS. in the first place. are finer and
more efficient today than ever before The
substitution of the spoon for the fat blade of
the past was vast Improvement. OF almost
equal Importance have been the unneticed
alterations made in the shape and finish of
the handle. in the tightening of the oar as a
whole IN the curvature and outline of the
blade and even III the selection and treatment
OF the wood from which it Is made The
modern scuil is lighter. stronger, handsomer
and more effective than any past model known.
There is
THE SAME DEVELOPMENT IN BOATS
Whether made of cedar or paper, they are
finer and lighter than ever before and their
lines have less resistance and friction. Patent
bracing, patent outrIggers, patent sliding seats.
patent foot-rests. patent metal cut-waters and
patent diagonals tell the story of how much
thought and inventive genius have been de-
voted to the rowers art and of how much pro-
gress has been the result. One consequence
has been the shortening of the time in every
event All records, when examined. turn out
TO De OF recent date and coincide with the in
PRODUCTION and use of the inventions mentioned
Many OF the great oarsmen of thirty years ago
were better men than some of the champions
OF today and could have beaten them ON even
terms. But the improvements have referred
TO have given the latter a great advantage and
enabled them to eclipse the former in every
feat from singles to .'eights"
OLD TRAINING METHODS
There has been huge improvement in
training methods, thanks to our doctors and
experts. 1t is more like some Chinese school
of medical treatment than ANYTHING else to read
now oaTsmen were put into condition in the old
days. They took salts and SIENNA. sulphur and
MAGNETISM cathartic pills and blue mass until
the wonder Is that they did not die from
excessive drugging. Then there was at that
time holy horror against fat, and the luckless
oarsman had TO wear sweaters" which are the
thiekest Jerseys that can be knitted out of
WOODEN yarn heavy overcOats, two and three suits
OF clothes. thick shoes and stockings. and some
times even comforters and tippets, in order to
Produce coplous persplration and melt the fat
through the pores. Beyond this there were all
sorts OF useless exercise. Dumb bells and
Indian clubs, lifting heavy weights and shaking
unwieldy bars were small part of the training
which man IN training had to undergo.
DIETING WAS ANOTHER FEATURE.
The candidate was not allowed to smoke or
drink and was restricted to bill Of fare from
which sugar, fats, starch, many meats, ali
pastry, CONNECTIONS and sweetmeats were RIO
orously excluded. The result of this treatment
was disastrous IN any number of cases IL
weakened the man at his strongest points and
threw needless strains upon other parts of his
body There Is doubt that the famous
seuLer Brown came to an untimely end from
the unnecessary strain upon his b cart nro
duced by this method of training IL had ono
humorous phase, however, III producing boils
all over the body of the rover and especially
where lie came in contact with the seat On
one occasion three of the famous CoIunbia
college crew OF 1915 were troubled in this way
and Tor two weeks We're unable to sit down
and III fact to hardly move. The same trouble
occurred to great crews of Harvard and Yale
In this country. and to Oxford and Cambridge
In England This style, am glad to saw. is
now out of vogue not only in aauatics but in
every form of athletic exercise. People know
more about the laws of health and strength
ana apply their knowledge In a very sensible
and satisfactory manner.
TIE PRESENT STYLE OF TRAINING
u simplicity itself. Its first principle is the
avoidance OF any shock to the body. The
smoker is not compelled to give up tobacco
and so suffer indescribable nervous pain but
merely TO moderate and limit his use of the
weed Inc drinker il treated similarly and is
aloWed his bottle of Bass, his claret or Rnein
vine Win ms meals The regular course of
nature Is followed as far as possible The
athlete must go to bed and get up early. He
must take long walks and runs eat we'll and
eat everything he desires that is not intrin
slcally unwholesome. He must battle so "a 10
keep the skin clean and allow the norss "a
glands TO do their best work. In his exercise
he must pay particular attention to the organs
upon which his success depends These are
no. SO Iiueh the great muscles, as is commonly
believed, but
The LUNGS AND HEART
When these are in bad form the oarsman
minute after he has started, is in distress. The
lungs are moving faster and the heart is over
powered with blood. The result is that the
brain becomes surcharged and the man sees
indistinctly, the breathing becomes hot fast
irregular and then painful and, finally, the
muscles refuse TO do their proper work To
put these organs into good shape all that is
necessary is to use those forms of exercise
which call them most into use Running
playing foot ball. jumping the skipping rope,
rowing. swimming, sparrIng, fencing rri he