, 1890-08-27
AMATEUR SAILORS
5000 American Yachts Which
$4,000 People Enjoy.
sPORTsMEN OF INLAND WATERS.

The Great Lakes and Rivers Haunted by
of Fine Pleasure Graft
Something About the Clubs Many
Taohtsmen in California
At this season Of the year no class of our
citizens enjoys itself more han yachts
men. To be sun, the pleasure is costly.
but when you reflect that II gives employ
ment to fifry or sixty thousand people, and
that the money of the millionaire thus
flows through hundreds OF channels OF
trade, going round aud round like a tract
distributor doing good, the chief lamenta-
ton Of the onlooker may well be that he,
too, canno join the gay procession whose
privilege il Is to HE away from hot and
dusty streets, plunge into the recesses OF
luxurious cabins and live a life OF ease on
the ocean blue
In looking over some OF the yachting rec
ords OF the year il will be found that more
than 5000 splendidly equipped craft be
longing to ninety-three American yacht
clubs go into commission and sail some
where between the LIST OF May and Noyem-
Der. During this period all the interesting
points on the sesboard, lakes and nayi-
gable rivers OF the country are probably
visited by one or more of these fleet winged
boats And they carry new lie wherever
they stop.
In point of numbers and by reason OF its
age, having been organized in 1874, the
New York Yacht club naturally heads the
list. Its roll OF membership comprises
nearly 100 names, and their owners reside
in all parts OF the United States, and some
in London. Paris, Naples and elsewhere on
the continent M Vuebtg fhav No. Lave,
ty-one steamers. soyenty-nine schoOners
and seventy-seven sloops and cutters, or a
total OF 27. The remainder Of the ninety
odd clubs are located on the shores OF New
York, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont,
Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey.
pennsylvaniA, Michigan, Maryland, Vir-
ginia, South Carolina, North Carolina,
Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana and
California.
II addition to the foregoing arc the
Hamilton Yacht club, Of Hamilton, Can
ada; the Quebec Yacht club. the Royal
Nova Scotia Yacht club, stationed at Hall
fax; the Toronto Yacht club. at Toronto,
Canada, and the HabanA Yacht club, OF
Cuba There are also several ice yacht
clubs in the United States. 1t will be seen
therefore that next 10 baseball and horse
racing no diversion is more popular In
America than that Of yachting.
In the neighborhood OF New York the
yachting season begins on what Ia known
As Decoration Day, but the formal open
ing Is on regatta day, which is some time
during the first or second week in June,
according to the tide. The yachts then
separate, and Join in the cruises Of neigh
boring clubs, or follow the inclinations OF
their respective owners. OF late years 1t
has become fashionable to spend a part Of
the summer on the lakes or in Canadian
waters, and good cruising Is found among
The Thousand Islands, especially II the en-
thusiAst is the fortunate possessor OF a
steam yacht The return is made about
the latter part OF July or the first part of
August, when the season Is at its height
at Newport and other watering places, and
II is in order to prepare for the annual
cruise. Tho latter occupies two or three
weeks, and this year IL Is expected that the
cruise will be more interesting than ever,
because the feet will probably comprise
i40 yachts
II must not lie supposed, however, that
all the good s~eamRnship is confined to the
Atlantic coast. Some OF the best sailors
and truest sportsmen are to be found on
the lakes, and In point Of elegance, II not
of speed, many Of their craft will vie with
those OF their more ostentatious neighbors
OF the east The conditions OF wfnd and
Wv bNAAk AAAANANAAH NhN huAtNI htAIlhna
ship is often required, and qualities are
evoked from captain and crew under GER
tain circumstances that would put on their
mettle the hardest and most akillful of
their salt water brethren This Is especially
true OF the gentlemen who belong to the
clubs OF Milwaukee, Detroit, Toledo, Buf
fAlo, Cleveland, Rochester and elsewhere
in the interior. 1t is not less character
istic Of the yachtspien Of California, where
tho weather is more treaoherous thai in
the east, and at times calls for the exhibi-
ton OF rare Judgment, courage and ability.
III the Bay OF San Francisco there nre
from twenty-five to thirty yachts, and at
least two clubs, " not three, composed Of
enthusiastic owner and amateur sailors,
among them gentlemen of the type of
Stewart Menzles, the SpreckleS brothers,
Philip Caduc, j. V. Coleman, Cornelius
O'COnnor, J. C. Cousins and the Crockers.
Their club houses are models and their hos.
pitality Of n kind that n man never likes TO
leave. Their officers ave entertained dis
tinguished visitors from the Atlantic
states. Europe and Australia. The cruises
OF some of the fleet, notably the CAsco,
nave extended to Santa Cruz, San Diego
the South Soa islands, Puget sound and
many other picturesque places. As is the
custom In the east, many OF the own
ers Of yachts use them for both pleasure
and business, sailing home at night after
the days work is lone and returning by
Iatl in the morning. Every year two large
social parties are given, the first in the
early -p-ing 70 open the season, and the
Second In the autumn, when sailing for the
yesr is formally ended. When 1t comes to
racing on the Pacific, however. especially
IL storm has tumbled up the water, alands-
man wants 10 be at home.
The CarolinAs, Georgia, Florida, and the
Gulf Of Mexico washing the shores OF Ala
bamA and Louisiana, are also f~ayorite
cruising grounds Of yachtsmen. In all
these states excellent clubs have been
organized, and a summers recreation is
intensified 10y the kindred sports Of fishing
and bunting +. G. DE FoNTAINE
n Proposed CHANGE.