Morning journal and courier., 1889-03-11
ALBION AND THE BLUE.
MT. Sheffield Explains Why Yale
 Should not go to England.

MT. Sheffield Explains Why Yale
 Should not go to England.
 The Hartford Post has the following from George St. John Sheffield
 would like through your columns to ex- press an opinion as to the desirability of sending crew to compete with either Ox- ford or Cambridge or both.
 It has always been the custom of an En- glish gentleman to hold himself open to friendly challenge to any physical contest l where there is no evident disparity on either side, and where other necessary occupation does not conflict. This, so far as have seen l of university men, either simple or in a body, is strictly true. The rowing men of the uni } versity or their governing bodies are willing | at all times consistent with their other duties 1 to meet any rival. They do not as rule de- l sire it, but if challenged, if possible will give the challenger an opportunity. They said in | 1869 to the Harvard crew of Simmons and | Loring, "Come over when we rowing | and we will row." This being the case it l will be seen how difficult it would be to re- | copcile the duties of academic students l to 8 visit to England while the Englishmen | are in training. l think it may be safe to | say that about the only time meeting with ! Oxford or Cambridge could be had on the | Thames would be covered by fortnight previous to a week before their regular uni versity race. After that time and up to July 4, when the Henley regatta occurs, it
 
 that date not one of the college oarsmen would keep in practice, much less an eight; more than it is like our men would do here. When in their opinion, believe, they have nothing to gain and everything to lose by making race with us, 1t is not likely that they are going to give us any more facility than what gentlemanly honor requires.
 It is, therefore, not likely that meeting could be arranged. It has been said that our crews of 1887 and noticeably 1888 were phe- nomenal. That of 1888, composed mainly of the same clements and eolidiied by training and practice, was probably the ultima thule of American university crews. I had the pleasure in the spring of 1888 to see the prac- tice and witness the race between Oxford and Cambridge from Putney to Mortlake. l wrote to some of my friends at that time and think I stated that in ny opinion the crew of 1887 could have beaten the winner on the New London course. Not having seen the 1888 crew, but from what l have known of it, I have no doubt but in g straightaway row it could have beaten anything. It must be remem- bered that the Putney-Mortlake course is in the shape of 8 letter $, extending over four miles and furlong. It is not straight row ing but rowing from side to side as the judg- ment of the captain and coxswain determines. All the caew do not put out all their strength all the time, but it is figuring, dependant upon the intelligence of the eoxswain and the general intelligence of the oarsmen. Hence, if boat is ahead, it has a vast chance, as there are no dividing lines as in our races, and necessarily the hindermost boat is, or can be, put to disadvantage. A species of jockeying, but governed by the strictest rules of boating, comes into play, and can be made use of in a legitimate way according to Eng fish custom.
 I mention this to show how unaccustomed our men might be on the Thames course as against the probable knowledge of those who | G. r .lars ford and Cambridge crews from Hammer smith bridge and vicinity for several days previous to the race, and was distinctly i'm pressed with the power of the Oxford men. The two styles of rowing were very much the same. The same attempt to reach, the same endeayor to put the oar through the water, the same device to finish clean and let the boat go, the same wish to recover and go at it again; and there was hardly choice between them. And yet the policemen and the spectators on the bridge picked out Oxford as the winner. As I look back can see that the slow ease up of the Oxfords as compared to the comparatively rapid slide of the Cambridge crew, did the work. Both rowed we'll. It was the power in the Oxford boat, put forth st once and all together, which enabled them to get ready for the next stroke, hardly knowing it. Compared to our crews it was ragged row. ing. The men were all over the boat az viewed from in front, but the oars struck the water with exactisude, and the haul ap- peared to be longer than ours. I viewed the race from Chiswick-Eyot. Oxford was five lengths ahead and apparently had such desire to demolish her adversary as has been noticeable in Yale and Harvard races. Aside from the question of application of music to acquire desired result, which certainly the Englishmen know well we do, it remains to be seen whether the undergrad uate of the English humanities is our ip1y intar ad in h. letes will find that the record of the English men surpasses ours. I mean to say univer- sity records; and the comparison are by what we call the athletic games and row ing. know nothing about the former, but I think did see last spring some perform
 ance in that line which eolipsed any Yale record which I know of. The rowing record of course goes ahead of us-under twenty minutes on a four mile and one furlong course. It is a question to say who has got the most muscle or who has got the skill to apply an equal muscle. It is my opinion thnt we have no business with the English boys, either in muscle or skill compared with our standard. Their standard is several years older than ours in experience in ath letics, and their muscle is an average of eight pounds heavier and two years older than our college men.
 In these remarks do not want to imply that there is an inferiority on the part of Yale undergraduates as compared with those Of the English universities. 1nls comparl- son is not fair It is like juniors to fresh- men. Lord Coleridge once came as an hon. ored guest to Yale, and in his address at the chapel, where he was received with great en- thusiasm, he recounted the virtue of clas- sical, especially Latin education, and he wound up with what he thought would be cheering to the boys, viz: 'To your young faces before me, to think of my boy hood days, reminds me of Eaton" There was 8 muttering from the seniors, a rumbling from the juniors and suppressed undertone from the lower classes. The lord chief justice of England had expressed his opinion of us. We shall gee! In fine, I ad- wise not. We would have to fight like Na- poleon in Russia on foreign soil, or like 8 more modern illustration, John L. Sullivan on French soil. Both were champions and both defeated. Better not carry the war into Africa, but subjugate our own species. GEORGE ST. JOHN SHEFFIELD,
 Attleborough, Mass, March 9th, 1889.