The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-10-16
THE MYRTLE BOAT CLUB.
ITS PAST SUCCESS AND FUTURE
PROSPECTS.
The Club Has Been Victorious in Fiji
teen Out of Nineteen Races--Its
Clubhouse and Boats.

Messrs. w. c. Parke, w. T. Monsar-
rat, W. F. Love, J. L. Torbert, A. w.
Carter, A. M. Brown and A. G.. Nj.
Robertson met together and organized
the Myrtle Boat Club. The admission
fee for membership was fixed at $25
and dues at ST. 90 per month. The
formation of the club was the outcome
of the interest taken by King Kalakaua
in aquatic sports and the first racing
was done in one Of His Majesty's i'm
ported boats. The club was success
from the start and very soon was able to
send for racing boat of its own. This
is named The Stranger and is the first
sliding-seat six-oared racing boat ever
brought to the islands. 1t is 40 feet
long and was made by Alfred Rogers,
the well-known boat builder of San
Francisco. The next racing boat pro-
cured was the Alice NJ, named after
Mrs. Frank Hastings, an honorary
member of the club. This boat is the
same size as The Stranger and was the
one used last year against the Healanis.
The latest addition to the fleet is the
Myrtle which was used in the race the
other day and to whose superiority
the Healanis claim the loss of the race.
The new boat is AZ feet long and is
much lighter than the others, in spite
of the fact that it is fitted with steel
cut-under horizontal rudder which is
five times as heavy as wooden one.
The club also owns a four cared
racing boat, named the Alfred Rogers,
after its builder, and big twelve dared
pleasure boat named the Aloha, used
for moonlight parties. There is also
a Racine canoe and four single-scull
out-riggers belonging to individual
members of the club.
The boat house proper is two stories
high, about fifty by twenty feet, the
lower floor being used for storing the
boats, oars and other paraphernalia.
There are two shed rooms used by the
members as dressing rooms and pro-
vided with separate locker for each
member to keep his bathing and boat
ing costumes in.
Upstairs is the meeting room with
two small ante-rooms, one used to
keep gymnastic apparatus, and the
other as a music room, the latter being
provided with handsome piano. The
meeting room is neatly fitted up, the
walls being adorned with handsome
oil paintings and engravings, among
them being portraits of Hanlan, Beach
and the other celebrated oarsmen. In
glass case at the head of the room
are the cups won in the various races,
among them being two large silver
trophies presented by the Oahu Rail
road Company for annual competition.
These were won by the Myrtle Club
the first year but no one has since de-
sired to compete for them. Two
others were won from the Honolulu
Boat Club on March 28th, 1885, one
by the senior six-oared crew and the
other by the junior. Among other OBJ
jects Of value in the room is a power
full telescope and handsome photo
graphs of the racing yachts Volunteer
and Thistle. Another prominent OBJ
ject is the silk flag owned by the Ho.
nolulu Boat Club. This was bought
at auction by the Myrtle's and is about
the only relic left of the old Honolulu
| Club.
Since the Myrtle Club has been ir
existence five other boating organiza
tons have been started, but they have
all met the fate of the Honoluus with
the exception of the present Healan
club, which is an off-shoot from 1t
Captain AL Lyle has charge of the
clubs property and looks after thu
boat house and boats. He lives in al
adjoining two-story house which is alsc
owned by the club.
Starting with membership of sever
and nothing in the treasury, the cul
now has 81 members and owns proper
ty worth $1,000. Of this $4,000 is in
vested in the boat houses, $4,000 il
boats and the balance in furniture
Lately the entrance fee for member
has been reduced from $as to $40 ant
a large increase in the membership i
an: cipated in consequence. The pres
ent financial prosperity of the club re
fleets great credit on those who hav
had the management # its affairs.