The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-26
COLLEGES ON The WATER
Berkeley and Stanford Might
Meet in Annual Row.
ing Matches.
Prospects That 0ppor tunities May Yet
Favor a Cons summation
of the Idea.

Lovers OF aquatic sports hereaD0uts are
looking forward to the time when the two
big California universities shall meet upon
the water as do the great rival colleges OF
the East and of England.
In the Inauguration of an annual inter-
collegiate rowing match between Califor-
mia and Stanford they anticipate great en-
enlargement to the graceful sport and
with the many nundr eds of partisans back
of and intensely interested in each col
lege they believe rowing would be estab-
hshed as one of the most generally popu-
lar of all amateur athletic contests. Inter
collegiate rivalry has proved the very life
Of football on this coast. 1t has developed
track athletics until California s university
men have nothing to fear from any other
State in the Union. And it has main
tanned baseball when interest in the game
had almost died out.
What then are the possibilities of the
two universities coming together, and
what has prevented their meeting up to
this time? The fault is not with the Uni
verslty of California. Berkeley has had q
boating association, and has maintained a
crew for the last three years encouraged
by the hope Of some day meeting a crew
from Stanford. This year the Berkeley
crew made a very credltable showing
against more experienced San Francisco
oarsmen.
Nor is the fault intentionally with the
Stanford men. 1t Is due principally to
present existing natural obstacles 10 the
practice and development of crew. The
nearest point of the bay is four miles from
Stanford University and accessible only
by way of an Indifferent and little fire.
quented road over long stretch OF marsh
land.
At low tide, owing to the comparative
shallowness OF the water, a broad mud fiat
marks the western shore line of the soutn-
ern arm of San Francisco Bay. Nothing
short of long pier to permanently deep
water would overcome this particular OBJ
stacle, for the students, busy as they are
all the forenoon and early in the afternoon
in lecture.rooms, could not regulate
their practice to the varying tides, but
would have to train as do the football,
baseball and track men during the late
daily recreation hours Immediately pre-
ceding supper time.
For the past two years there have seemed
to be prospects OF the establishment of an
electrician line from Palo Alto, mile
from the university. to the bay, three
miles beyond. Those students particu-
larry DESTROYS of seeing crew developed
have looked expectantiy forward to the
accom- plishment of this enterprise as
partial solution of the problem of ways
eight miles regular travel by private con-
veyance would be expensive and covered
afoot or awheeI would consume so much
time that very little would be left for row.
ing. Then, too, there is the expense of
building properly equipped boathouse,
which under present conditions would be
during great part of the day and night
unmatched and far from the nearest habi-
tation. That this is not an imaginary
danger has often been proven in the treat
ment accorded private hunting boats
moored in the marshes.
On the other hand Stanford has some
present opportunities for boating in
small way on Lagunita, little artificial
lake, beautifully situated only a quarter
of a mile back from the quadrangle build
ings and covering an area of about twenty
five acres. On the edge of this willow
skirted pleasure lake is a boathouse built
three years ago by then existing STAN
ford Boat Club that after a great and
successful struggle of over year paid its
debts and became thing of the past
while the boathouse occupied in part by
several private small rowboats and sail
boats continued to be used early each
summer as a dressing-room for several
hundred students who regularly each
warm afternoon disport the nselves in the
waters OF the placid little lake.
Part of the boathouse has for the past
two years been occupied by several self
supporting students, who by special per-
mission live there in curiousiy fitted up
rooms, heated by fireplace supplied with
rou h, home made chimney built
against the side OF the light, frame build
ing.
All Standards athletic and musical
Organizations are supported by the student
BODY, which in turn derives its principal
revenue from football games, the expenses
over the general receipts for baseball,
track athletics, tennis. debates and per-
haps musical and other organizations be-
ing made good out of the annual football
surplus, which up TO the present time has
not yet been quite sufficient to pay off old
standing bills and put the student body
completely out of debt. Under these con-
ditions the student body is not in posi-
ton to incur the expense necessary to the
establishment of such an equipment as
would be necessary for the maintenance
of a crew.
Over three years ago. at the time when
there were immediate prospects of send
ing a Stanford crew to the Worlds Fair at
Chicago. Senator and Mrs. Fair donated
$500 for the purchase OF barge. The
barge was not bought, though the money
is probably accessible whenever the stu
dents are ready to use it for the specific
PURPOSE for which if was offered.