The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-09-02
AMATEUR SAILORS
1000 American Yachts Which
$4,000 People Enjoy.
sPORTsnEN OF INLAND WATERS.

The Great Lakes and Rivers Haunted by
Something About the Clubs Many
Yachtsmen In California.
At this season of the year no class Of our
citizens enjoys itself more than yachts
men. To be sure, the pleasure Is costly,
but when you reflect that it gives employ
ment to fifty or sixty thousand people, and
that the money of the millionaire thus
flows through hundreds of channels of
trade, going round and round like a tract
distributor doing good, the chief lamenta-
ton of the onlooker may well be that he,
too, cannot join the gay procession whose
privilege it Is to HE awapfrom hot and
dusty streets, plunge into the recesses of
luxurious cabins and live life Of ease on
the ocean blue.
In looking over some of the yachting rec
ords of the year it will be found that more
than 5000 splendidly equipped craft be-
longing to ninety-three American yacht
clubs 90 into commission and sail some
where between the 1st Of May and Novem-
ber During this period all the interesting
points on the seaboard, lakes and navi-
gable rivers Of the country are probably
visited by one or more of these feet winged
boats And they carry new lits wherever
they stop.
In point Of numbers and by reason of its
age, having been organised m 1874, the
New York Yacht club naturally heads the
list. Its roll OF membership comprises
nearly 100 names, and thsSr owners reside
in all parts Of the Unlsed States, and some
in London. Paris, NapAes and elsewhere on
the continent. OF yachts. they own seven
ty-one steamers. ssTsntySnine schoonsrs
and seventy.seyen sloops and cutterS. or q
total Of 227. The reu1ainder.of the ninety
odd clubs are located,on the shores Of New
York, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont,
Rhode Island, Connecticut, New jersey,
Pennsylvania, Miohigsn, Maryland. vtr-
ginia, South Carolina, North Carolina,
Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana and
California.
In addition to, the foregoing are the
Hamilton Yacht. club, Of Hamilton, Can
ada; the Quebec YaOtt 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. It will be seen
therefore that next to 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 is 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 it
has become fashionable to spend part of
the summer on the lakes or in Canadian
waters, and good cruising Is found among
The Thousand Islands, especially If the en-
thusiAst is the fortunate passessor 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
it is in order TO prepare for the annual
cruise. the latter occupies two or three
weeks, and this year it isexpected that the
cruise will be more interesting than ever.
because the fleet will probably comprise
140 yachts.
1t must not be supposed, however, that
Atlantic coast. Some of the best sailors
and truest sportsmsn are to be found on
the lakes, and In point OF elegance, II not
OF speed, many Of their craft viii vie with
those of their more osteatatiOus neighbors
Of the east. The conditions of wind and
wave being different, the ablest seaman
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 skillful 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
istio Of the yachtsmen Of California, where
the weather is more treacherous than In
the east, and at times calls for the exhibi-
tion of rare Judgment, courage and ability.
In the Bay OF San Francisco there are
from twenty-five to thirty yachts, and at
least two clubs, Il not three, composed OF
enthusiastic owners and amsteur sailors,
among them gentlemen Of the type of
Stewart Menzies, the SpFeckles brothers,
Philip Caduc, J. V. Coleman, Cornelius
O'Connor, J. O. Cousins and the Crookers
Their club housas are models and their hos
pftality of kind that man never likes TO
leave. Their officers have entertained dis
tinguished visisors from the Atlantic
states, Europe and Australia. The cruises
Of some Of she feet, notably the CAsoo,
have extended TO Santa Cruz, San Diego,
the South Ses islands, Puget sound and
many other picturesque places AS II 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 done and reeuxrinE by
rail IN the morning. Every year two large
social parties are given, the 6rs4 in the
early spring to open the season, and the
second in the antumn, when sailing for the
year lSfoTmally ended. When it comes 70
racing on the Pacific, however. especially
II astorm has tumhle1 up the water, alands-
man wsnts 70 be st home
The Oarottass, Georgia, Florida, and the
Gulf Of Mexico washing the shores Of Als-
bana and LSzisianA, are also fsvorite
cruising grounds Of yachssDen- In all
these states excellart clubs have been
organized, and q summers recreation is
intensihed by the kindred sports Of fishing
and hunting. T. G. DE- FoSTATEE