Telegram-herald., 1889-09-21

JOHN rrENER.
umbia. Harvard. Yale, Princeton. Penn
sylyania, Cornell and Michigan have
each one OF them navies OF which they
can be proud and which in season and
out do work OF the best class. Even
the smaller and poorer institutions OF
learning like Brown. Amherst, VIII
liams, Dartmouth, Lehigh, Union and
Toronto have excellent organizations,
whose members, both as individuals
aud crews, viii compare favOrably with
those of the larger and richer colleges.
When IL is remem bercd that these
great schools have on their rolls over
eight thousand names and close onto q
hundred thousand alumni, il is easily
seen how large an interest is centered
in rowing events.
Besides this, and 70 my mind, OF
greater Importance, is the rapidly in
crcasing number Of boatclubs 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 a small city as Montpelier, Yer
mont, there is q frst-class organization
whice practices every day upon that
badly-named but beautiful river. the
Onion. SO along the Long Island Sound
and the Hudson River, there appears
10 be a clubhouse every ten miles, and
the traveller along the Harlem River,
and around the beautiful shores of
Staten Island Will be amazed at the
number and at the excellent APP
pointments of the club-houses that are
To be seen there by the score. | have
never heard how many there are, but
Judging from what j have seen and
know I should say that there were at
least four thousand boat-clubs in the
United States with membership of
over half a million young men. These
figures may seem large but when you
think of such affairs as the New York
Athletic Club. the Atalanta and Man
haitian Athletic Club. the New Jersey,
Williams burg, Brooklyn and Staten
Island organizations, each one Of which
musters a full regiment, the numbers
seem understated rather than other
wise. WHY, there are successful clubs
on such little lakes as Greenwood and
Ronkon koma. and in such little towns
as Bristol. Rhode Island and Sleeps
head Bay in New York.
lis there an improvement in rowing?"
''Of course there is and in every re-
spect. EVERYTHING connected with
aquatics has undergone the same
change Tor the better as has everything
I'm all the other fields of life. The oars
or sculls, in the first place, are finer
and more efficient to-day than ever be-
fore. The substitution OF the spoon
for the fat blade of the past was vast
improvement. OF almost equal import
ance have been the unnOticed 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 in the selection and
treatment of the wood from which il is
made The modern scuN is lighter,
stronger, handSOmer and more ef-
fective than any past model
known. There is the same de
velopment in boats. Whether made
OF cedar or paper they are finer and
lighter than ever before and their lines
have less resistance and friction. Pat
ent bracing. patent outriggers. patent
sliding seats. patent fcot-rests, patent
metal cut-waters and patent diagonals
tell the story Of how much thought and
inventive genius have been devoted 20
tho rower's art and OF how much pro-
gross has been the result One conse-
ouence has been the shortening o. the
time in every event All records when
examined turn out 20 be Of recent date
and coincide with The Introduction and
use OF The inventions mentioned. Many
OF the great oarsmer II thirty years ago
were better men than some OF the cham
uions OF today and could have beaten
them on even terms. But the improve
ments have referred 20 have given he
latter great advant-<e and enabled
them 20 eclipse 'he former in every
feat from singles" 20 "eiEnts-
IhQre has heen huge irp-oFement n