Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-06
THE CEDAR SHE'LL.
Reasons for the Decadence OF Paper nd
the Popularity Of Wood.

From the New York Star.
How surely fashions change with the lapse OF
years. When back in the sixties paper racing
boats were first introduced they immediately
attained to such favor that no oarsman thodght
of using cedar shell when a paper one was to
be had. To such height did popular enthusi-
asm run over the novelty that some apparently
serious-minded men actually announced. as
their opinion, that a mediocre man in a paper
boat could defeat more skillful opponent N n
wooden she'll. Such declarations were on their
face mere twsddle, but as builders had not
then learned the secret Of constructing wooden
shells on lines as they now do, the paper boats
which presented much smoother surface and
finer lines, we're undoubtedly faster.
While progression in paper boat building
however, has for years been at standstill.
the cedar craft builders have rapidly been i'm
proving IN their art until finally the adoption
by Ruddock of the system of constructing on
iron mods or frames has finally placed wooden
boats on an equal basis with paper shells
When tins point was reached the decline of
the paper boat became merely a matter OF
time. Single sculers were the first to desert
the new idol for the improved old one. All
the praise bestowed on it could not change the
fact that the paper boat was dead In the
water and quite without the life" of the cedar
shell, and that it was far heavier. The conse-
quence is that for some years back no scullers,
single or double, would dream Of rowing an
important race in paper boat
slowly 1t has boon dawning upon oarsmen
that If cedar single is faster than a paper
single the same must be equally true OF tours
and oIghts, and i'll the last year or two the con-
viction has grown upon all thinking minds that
the wooden boat is much the faster of the two.
The decadence OF paper boats may in a meas
ure be ascribed to the carelessness with which
they have lately been built. Greedy in the
monopoly Of fourishing and profitable bust
ness, the manufacturer has become indifferent
In his endeavor to keep up with the demand
and turned out boats before they were properly
dried and seasoned The result, of course, has
been that they soon softened and lost their
shape, In many instances making it necessary
10 patch them within . yoar or two of their
purchase.
The fittings have been crude and badly pu,
together, the models not carefully followed,
and altogether 1t has been a case of killing the
gold-egg- bearing goose. For long factor
against the general adoption Of wooden fours
and elghts has been that in the old days of de-
fective boat building the shells were not prop
erly stayed" consequently in the severe
strain OF race the eggshell skin was very apt
to be split, and the boats gained a bad name
for their want of durability. From this it was
feared that nothing but paper would answer,
but experience shows that the modern wooden
racing boats, so far as actual resistance to row.
ing strain goes. are quite as hardy as their
paper rivals. As to speed there can be nc
doubt of their superiority.
The consensus of opinion of rowing authori-
ties plainly awards the palm for speed to the
cedar boat. In these days of fast rowing it il
folly to face the starter unless boated and lifted
with the best materials that can be obtained
A second wins or loses a race and when at the
lowest computation the wooden boat is the
faster by ten seconds to the mile. durable OF
not, it is the boat that will be used in the future
and within five years the paper racing boat OF
today will be relegated to the rank OF practice
tubs, while the light and lively cedar takes the
place of the us1lrper