The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-04
HARD WORK AT CORNELL.
How the Ithaca Lads Are Making
Ready,

ITHACA, NJ Y, April 1.-The training
Of the crews which will represent Cornell on
the water this summer has been going on
under the watchful care Of the coach, Court
ney. The candidates for the crews have been
coming together between and 8 D. m. six
days In the weeke, going through various
gymnastic exercises calculated to develop the
muscles used in rowing, taking a turn on the
rowing machines under the eye of the old
oarsman and ending up with a brisk run
of one and half or two miles
No more interest seemed to attach to this
humdrum process than is usually the case.
But when Capt. Spillman came out to the
crew men from meeting Of the Athletic
council held within tWenty-four hours after
the receipt of Harvard's letter asking that
Yale be admitted to the Harvard-Cornell
race, and announced that Cornell cordially
accepted the proposition, there was an i'm
mediate impetus given to the work of indi-
vidual prenaraton.
The prospect that the present crew would
be the first to row Yale in over twenty years
changed the face Of matters considerably
and 1t is evident that from now until the time
the eight men are finally selected there will
not be the slightest let up in the sturdy RI
valry for places in the boat. There will be
plenty OF men to choose from. The number
OF races to be rowed and the increased
chance of getting a seat in one of the boats
has caused large number Of good candi-
dates TO turn out. 1t will be strange, indeed
If with the material at hand Courtney does
not turn out one of the very best crews.
The refusal of Harvard and Yale to admit
Pennsylvania and Columbia to the Harvard
Cornell-Yale race In accordance with Cor
nells request made 1t necessary for Cornell
to row five races this year an unprecedented
number for a college.
This large number Of races means con-
siderable increase in Cornells rowing expen-
diture this year. OF course IL is impoSsible
to estimate accurately as yet what will be
the expense OF training, equipping and trans
! porting these crews but it can be reasonably
placed in the neighborhood of S. 0OO
Charles E. Courtney, who for a number
OF years has so satisfactorily coached the
cornell crews, and who has just signed an
other three years contract to continue the
which is raised by popular subscription
among the students. The remaining expenses
have to be met in pretty much the same
way, though the boating management, or
the Cornell navy, as 1t is called here also
| realizes something from the town merchants
and when a race is held on Lake Cavuga
from the chartering Of the observation boats
In case there is a deficit as frequently oc-
cuTsEfor boat racing can in no sense be
! is called upon to meet ii.
The training OF the men who are to repre-
! sent Cornell on the water begins about the
hrst OF January. Last fall, to be sure, the
continuance OF warm weather made 1t pos
| sibie to get together enough Of the oarsmen
to hold fall regatta the lake. This was
an innovation at Cornell which the climate
| Will not often permit to be repeated.
At the beginning Of the winter term the
| varsity captain issues a call for candidates
for both varsity and freshman crews to ap-
| pod1 at tHo Sy Inc men who turn
up to compete for places on the varsity crew
are usually the surviving members Of the
eight Of the previous year and the more
promising members Of the last freshman
crew. These men begin work at once on the
rowing machines under the eye Of Courtney
who is usually assisted by the old coxswain
and the captain.
After a row on the machines the men take
run at a swinging pace and end the days
work with bath and a rubbing down The
freshman candidates turn out in large num-
bers and have to be carefully weeded out
until fairly manageable supply remains
The first thing the freshman who wishes to
handle the long oar has to do is to present
himself to the physical director, Dr. E.
Hitchcock Jr., who gives him a thorough
examination and decides whether he Is to be
allowed to compete. Any symptoms of heart
trouble throw a man out at once
The men who successfully pass the physi-
cal examination, usually over sixty in num-
Der, are put through various gymnastio ex-
ercises in squads and are given a little try on
the rowing machines. After a fortnight Of
this sort of work Courtney posts notice
containing the names Of the men who are to
continue training. More attention is paid to
them, and the wedding process goes on
For a considerable time, much longer than
is the case with the other great rowing uni
versities. the men have to depend entirely
on indoor rowing. Indeed other crews are
Usually on the water two or three weeks be-