Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-05-28

Ia for three months, at
8 least, the Potomac from
- eY the Analostan boat
.SsH house to the Chain
bridge was dotted with
~ boats Of every descrip-
>SN ton, from the two
A ~ seated outrigger to the
heavy, lubbering White
hall, all filed with gay
parties each in search of
the best" landing
place, and with music and laughter making the
hillsides ring, while the carefully prepared
lunches rapidly disappeared before the appe-
tite which only gentle pull up river, all the
while filling the lungs with purest Of air. can
give. And the matches that resulted from
these trips! Why. the young and middle-aged
married men in this city, prominent in business
and In the professions and in society, who did
their counting up river and drifting down"
are greater in number than the largest number
of base ball cranks who will go to see the ball
games on Monday if it is a clear day. Now. why
is all this changed and why is boating no longer
POPULAR
Well, there are two reasons: First, the danger
caused by the swift-running steam launches
which make frequent trips up and down, carry
ing passengers, keeping the water churned up
and rough, but the greatest danger is from the
terrible swell and wash they create and the
river being narrow above the new bridge the
swell is all the stronger. The swift running
and racing Of these steamers should be stopped
by the proper authorities before it is too late
stop 1t before some terrible tragedy caused by
npsetting boats occurs. The other reason is the
fact that the authorities on the Virginia shore
seem to be blind to the character of the gam
bling and the drinking olives that are openly
conducted. They are demoralizing in more
ways than one, the greatest of which is the
character of the parties which in the large ma
jority make up the visitors to these resorts.
Cannot Capt. Mushback, a boating man and
member OF the senate in the state of Virginia
from the Alexandria county district, be pre-
vailed upon to open the eyes of the guardians
OF the peace to what is going on in their baili-
wick!
ROWING IN SHELLS.
Now as to the brawny, muscular oarsmen who
row in shell boats, they seem this season to
awaken slowly from that comatose condition
into which they fall as athletes in their line.
when the first tinge of color changes the hue
OF the leaves in the autumn. Allowances must.
however. be made, for this spring has been
| extremely backward.
William Blake. one of the best known train
ers and all-round men and one of the highest
practical authorities the subject of athletics
| the author OF How to Get Strong and How to
| Stay So, tells us that ''the man with first
class brain and third-class stomach and a
| fourth-class liver is beginning to find out that
| he Is really not strong man. and that while by
| sensible exercise he might have stayed, like Bis
marck or Webster. till seventy, his obituary is
likely to be written by the time soon after
| the time he is fifty"
ATHLETICS DRAW FROM ROWING.
One of the reasons why the number of actual
| rowing men who trained for events has grown
80 much less, say in the past six years. is the
| steady drifting to track and field athletics. In
| these events a man does not have to train so
hard and religiously. nor does he have to work
so hard as the earnest, honest aspirant for row.
| ing honors does.
In field and track events he is constantly
| cheered and encouraged not only by the pres
| ence but by the applause of the crowd. In row.
| ing race the one who has chosen tine sport on
the water has simply to settle himself down.
| and if in a crew he can do nothing more than
pull and grit his teeth, and if he is in the win
ming boat he gets the cheers of the crowd at the
| end OF the long struggle and the poor devil who
| Is last in the race has the means and the growls
and the concentrations of the crowd for his
trouble; and this is indeed poor compensation
for the work he has done and the sacrifices he
has made to bring honor to himself and credit
| to his club.
Can we not in some way bring out again the
old love and enthusiasm for the most manly OF
| sports and again have rowing head the list of
athletics! l think it can be done. Let us have
more local and club regattas. The people do
not have to be educated up to the sport; it
| simply needs revival of what is now dormant
something.
REGATTA THIS YEAR.
1t seems to me- that something should be done,
and that at once, looking to the holding of a
Potomac river regatta here this year. 1t would
not only revive the interest among boating
| men, but it would show orr people that the
| boat clubs are still i'll existence and need en-
| couragement as much as ever. We go away
each season one or more times, at great expense.
for the purpose of helping to make some other
! citys regatta a success, and why not spend that
same amount of money right here and add a
little to 1t and receive here the plaudits of the
| people interested in every man in the crews and
| in the clubs? And for once let us induce the
| other clubs whom helped out at their re-
gattas to come here and have good time. fair
| races on the best course i'll the country. and let
| us beat the ''other fellows in every race. The
| last phrase may not seem gallant but am
| for the local clubs every time.
The STAR and Post cups. and likewise the
Mason cup-the two former were generously
| presented as trophies by the two newspapers
bearing their names, and the latter by the
Mason Cracker Company of Baltimore-all
| three trophies are magnificent specimens of the
| sllversmlths art, and are at present held by
out-Of-town clubs, The STAR and Post cups
| for senior tours by the Passaic Boat Club of
Newark, n j., and the Mason cup for junior
| fours by Baltimore club the Arie1s, l believe
OTHER EXPENSES.
| Now, with these cups provided, the only
other expense would be for medals and such
minor incidental expenses as pertain to re-
gattas, snch as tug boats, printing. &C. The
| course was surveyed and staked last year for
| the national regatta, and the comparatively
| small amount necessary for the regatta could
| very soon and very readily be gotten by sub
scription from among our local business and
professional men and others. and it would not
be surprising if some of the business men or
other persons of means would, in answer to this,
start the ball rolling
| almost forgot to mention that there is quite
respectable sum on deposit in one of the
banks, a balance placed there by the local COM
mittee having in charge the national regatta
held here last summer. 1t is unnecessary to
add that the local clubs cannot themselves stand
the expenses q regatta would involve. It is not
to be expected Of them. They already have use
for every dollar they handle. But these clubs
can take the initiative by appointing commit
tees and comforting to the feasibility of hold
ing regatta this year. The practicability is
assured. as shown by successes Of former wears.
n Now, gentlemen Of the three clubs, let's to
| work, and that soon. If we cannot hold re-
| gatta this summer. then have it in September