The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-05-18
FARM NOTES.
Edited by John c. Edgar Duval to whom all
communications for this column should be adj
drpCgpd I
Austin Regatta

communications for this column should be ad
dressed.
Austin Regatta
1t may occur 10 some who honol
me with an occasional glance at thi!
column that 1 am straying from my
legitimate work when l deal witt
aquatic sports. That may be so, bu
all press correspondents are allowed
some license to roam from the field q
their daily labor, and should they
stray too far afieid they are always
checked up when they reach the end
OF the stake rope.
While it is true that there is no ap.
parent connection between agricuI
tural and aquatic affairs, aquatic
sports appeal alike to all who appre-
ciate athletic pastimes and love to see
the highest physical development of
mankind; and they can be found on
the farm as easily as on the city side
walk.
The quality of the water sports to
be given on our new lake on the 18th to
the 10th of June is not, Pm afraid,
fully appreciated by the averaged
Texas citizen. This is not surprising,
as the nearest approach to racing
shell he has ever seen, or dreamt
of, is a flat-bottomed fishing
punt or mud scow, and he cannot
understand that any contest over the
surface of water can be either elegant
or exciting. All labOring under this
impression will be disillusioned if
they visit our regatta. They will see
the nearest approach to ply steal per-
lection in man; they will see giants
striving with each other in bloOdless
encounters for honor, as much as for
lucre; they will see boats so Slim and
graceful in their proportions as to sug.
gest fairyland, and they will get all
the excitement of heated contests
without the dehasing influences at.
tached to modern horse racing and
pugilistic encounters.
There no grander spectacle than
well matched scullers, or crews, hon.
orably striving tor victory, and one
taste of the sport is always followed
by desire for more. 1t is safeto pre-.
dict that the Austin regatta will be.
come an annua, event and grow in
popularity each succeeding year.
l believe tie people of Austin do
not yet fully realize the importance of
the event and are not laying them
selves out to make the most OF it as
a medium for advertising the
city and its supreme advantages
fors homeseekers and investors.
Every possible effort should be
made to let outsiders know the SUPER
lative attractions we will offer. | be-
lleve L state a fact when | say that
never before has such an array of
talent met at one place with
the same object in view. 1t is an
event and will draw the
eyes of the world to Austin. Unfortu-
nately the festival was too late in
being started TO give the oarsmen ana
lovers of the sport in the Old World
time to come over in any great num-
Der, but the results of the various con-
tests will be eagerly watched for, ard
Austin's lake will be talked about all
the world over as much as any otE er
rowing center.
The time was, and that very recent
ly, when Texas was only known to
the world as place for cotton, cattle
and cowboys, but the enterprise of
Austin's citizens has created new
order of things and millions of people
will be surprised to find that we are
more than cotton choppers
and cow-punchers. This regatta is
like the first cannon in great war, it
is the precursor of victory or defeat
In this case there can be nothing but
triumphant victory if everyone does
his duty. Citizens of Texas, the honor
and the profit is yours. Boom the re
gatta.