New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-26
A GREAT RACE PROMISED.
,r CREWS AT POUGHKEEPs1E FIT TO
ROW FOR THEIR LIVES
.,.-,,,xc BUT FAIR WEATHER NEEDED TO IN
srpr CLOSE AND EXCITING STRUGGLE
TIE WINNER HARD TO PICK
CORNELL. FAVORITE IN
fry TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUNE.l
TIE BETTING

rRY TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNE.1
-.rybkeepsie. ~ Y. June % If the interest IN
r.ss rowing were as sincere as is that in foot
..n or baseball Poughkeepsie would be bubbling
with enthusiasm tonight. The race OF the
.,ren crews VI Wednesday scarcely served for
tfast talk vet all real oarsmen who saw it
,,t that il was as spirited a contest as could
- heen wished for. To-days race Of the Uni
....,tv crews. though IT also bids fair 10 be a
..,ordid struggle will derive the greater part OF
a.. advantage from the mere fact that II is Uni
,.,,v race and not freshmen's II would be
.ha san1e II all the crews had been drafted from
.,e freshmen classes 1t is thus plainly matter
=, sentiment. and a sentiment which springs
+cono something else than love for athletlc sports
,sr GO Freshmen crews are neglected by their
,,,eges vet IL would not be difficult 10 prove that
,oo..ar of fact they signify more than the
.revs Of riper or at least older men, Perhaps
ors reason is that collegiate rowing itself mas
Ian IN decadence for the last twenty years.
The regatta this year promises 10 reanimate the
s,ort which is surely the most beautiful ana dig
r,asd Of all collegiate athletics. and II 1t does
,.rhans greater interest in the freshmen crews
will be stimulated.
GAYETY IN POUGHKEEPsrH
Then. too Poughkeepeie will not have 10 wait
al, the day Of the University race before enjoying
the exhilarating sights which accompany
gathering Of thousands of collegtans. or course
the weather has had great deal 70 DO win 'he
general dulness. The doeful memories OF last
wear were recalled. and the experience repeated
on Wednesday, and the lowering clouds to-day
NAV have kept many hundreds at home. There
ia a plentiful lack Of Harvard men. but New
York Is near at hand and doubtless they Will be
I'D in numbers to-day Cornell seems 10 have the
largest representation among the visitors. with
Columbia and the University of Pennsylvania
pretty evenly matched for second place.
Cornell. moreover, has contributed the bulk or
the scenes Of fesivity. Her victory on Wednes-
day was followed by a natural jublation To-
night her glee banjo and mandolin club gave
concert in the Opera House. and although every
thing passed off as decorousy as II would have
passed off had the concert been given In New
York or Boston, yet Poughkeepsie turned out a
fine audience. which developed an extraordinary
amount of enthusiasm over the tinkling tum-
ming and plunk-plunklng which characterizes
the music cultivated in American colleges.
A committee Of townspeople also added TO the
gayety Of the season by giving a ball out OF
courtesy to the crews it called a regatta
ball. but 1t was quite notable from the fact
that it was the first public ball ever given in
Poughkeepse. The ladies and gentlemen chiefly
concerned in It's management were Mrs. Z. S. At
water. Mrs. A. C. Bunce. Mrs. Charles W. Swift.
James Reynolds. E. s. Atwater, DR.. Guy c. Bay
ley and Postmaster Hasbrouck. It held in
the beautiful armory OF the National Guard OF
the State.
THE CREWS EVENLY MATCHED.
The judicious among the experts who are here
are exceedingly chary In venturing prognostica-
tons on to-morrows race and this is one Of
the things which promise exciting contest.
The crews very evenly matched. and the
Judgment Of the critics finds echo in the
wagers that have been laid There is not much
life In the betting. The undercurrent OF COM
ment shows that what little there is is inspired
almost wholly by sentiment. No college is MAX
ing boisterous claims Of superiority. yet each is
full of confidence. If tomorrow shall yield a
surprise like that Of last year Il is just likely
not TO be the Pennsylva MIA crew that will pro-
vide IT, Columbia's silence Is enough like its be-
havor last year 10 make some shrewd guessers
think that II is more conscious Of its strength
than il cares TO show Naturally enough. they
encouraged in this by the fact that seven
out OF the eight men In Columbas boat were In
the winning last gear, but Meikeham, one
Of the most cool-headed and conservative Of CO.
lumba's veteran oarsmen. says the crew will
have to row vastly better race to win this time
than II did last
CHANGE IN CORNELL'S STROKE.
Cornell, too will put up different race this
year than IL did last. If the stroke OF 1899 was
Courtney's Characteristic stroke he has changed
his notions quickly. 1t would not be strange II
Henley had Induced some profitable reflections.
Instead Of the quick snappy movement of last
year, we have now long, easy swing, with
ample leg work and in consequence there Is less
he inah nf he O
pace for four miles. But speculation Is idle.
The most gratifying feature Of the situation is
the absence Of obvious superiority over It's rivals
In any crew, for this promises race full OF ex-
citing incident.
few changes In two Of the crews were an
n0unced to-day. In Harvards boat HOlIlster,
who has been rowing two, will exchange places
with Townsend who has been rowing four. In
the University Of Pennsylvania boat Frederick
NJ Dunn. substitute, will take the place OF car
nett and the first four men will be reseated as
follows: l. George L. Megargee; 2 Herman
kregelius B. Frederick NJ. Dunn: 4, Samuel a.
Boyle.
THE BETTING on THE RACE.
What Poughkeepsie seems to need is an active
contingent OF choice spirits from Yale to put life
and enthusiasm into Il. AS the stands,
there is an undeniable lack of interest in the
race, and a marked absence Of assurance over the
outcome. Corners success yesterday rather
placed damper Harvard's confidence in her
senior eight and tonight Pennsylvania stock is
rising. This was clearly demonstrated early In
The evening in the Nelson House, where couple
OF enterprising booknokers made their appear
arce They accepted all wagers that were offered
at three TO one against Columbia and two to one
against Cornell. One Of the strangers remarked
nat he had succeeded In placing 1900 at the
nds mentioned. Columbas men were not We
oement In their demands for wagers. and seemed
rather inclined 10 pool their capital. one OF
them offered a bookmaker a SO wager; but that
worthy, after looking him over. said: "Oh go and
pool II. and when You get something worth tax
Ing I'll talk 10 YOU" rather significant Incl
lent affecting PENNSYLVANIA was the effort Of the
nkrral alr.ra ,a AZ Lni