El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-04-08
SPORTS.

| When John l.. Sullivan came out,
shortly before the Cor b=tt-Fitzsim 10 ons
FIGHT, and announced his intention of
challenging the winner thereof, manv
people wondered if there were any back
humble still left who had not made a
desperate effort in like manner to re-
cover some of their lost and buried
prestige. A big event like that at Car
son City is "a great boon to the lesser
lights of the ring, for they can invar-
iably extract some imitation glory from
it, in Just the way that John l., Shar-
KEY, Peter Jackson and even Charley
| Mitchell, not to mention others. have
done. OF course, no hing ever comes of
| these, dramatic announcements OF lnten-
tions to challenge, even when the chal-
lenge is actually made. But there are
always a lot of credulous people who
are willing to take a little stock in
them, and their drawing qualities on
! the stage are correspondingly enhanced
by the added character of a ''challenger
of the winner Of such and such a
fight.
John +. g Jump towards New York,
despite his denial that he was out for !
an ad., had all the ear-marks of the
press agents work. 1t is rubbish to
refer to his firm flesh, clear complex
ion. etc. in support of his assertion
that he still has good fight left in
him, that he is younger than Mace was
upon the occasion of his great cham
pionsbip b ittle, for every body knows
that John could not have broken
up his once magnificent health more
completely than he has done, even had
he started in to do so systematically
and with slowly suicidal intent. Mace
was a very different sort of man, as his
still well-preserved physique attests.
Sullivan may yet have some fight in
him-but it will be before the foot
lights.
The settlement upon Poughlleepsie
as the place for the 4ale-Harvard-Cor-
nell boat race this summer Will have
the distinct advan age Of placing Yale
aud Harvard in neutral waters, for
New Losdon, although remote from
both colleges. is, as matter of fact,
Yale territory. The sons OF Eli have
become as used to it and it's waters as
if it were right in New Haven. Har-
ward on the other hand. does not seem
for "a long time if at all, to have be-
come as familiar with that rowing
ground as her rival, and her series of
defeats of late years may be argely at
tributed to that fact. Ii Poughkeepsie
may, for analogous reasons, be regard
ed as place favorable to Cornell. it is
better that it should be so. for the riv-
airy is most intense between Yale and
Harvard, and lovers of aquatics are
generally anxious to pit those two
crews against each other, taking less
interest in other competitions. 1t is
evident though, that Cornell is a for
midable adversary for both the larger
colleges, and her crew Is so strong this
year thai one would not be aghasJ with
establishment were she tOcome in ahead
of both Yale and Harvard. AT any rate
she can be depended upon as d decided
iy interesting pace-maker.
What Fred Plaisted says in regard
to Craftsmanship goes, for few are as
well qualified as he to express expert
opinions Accordingly, Difference is
due to his statement that the coxswajn
of an eight-oared crew should be lOcat-
ed in the bow Instead of the stern. He
saws: IF seated in the stern AID down
in the bottom of the boat the cOXSwan
cannot see any object in the water di-
rectly ahead of the shell without lean
ing to starboard or port, and if he does
so he tips the boat on her de, which
results in the loss of Roadway and pre-
vents the crew from catching the water
firmly aud together. If the coxswain
cannot see ahead, the boat is likely to
strike any object which may be in the
course. In one Of the Harvard Y ale
races at New London the Harvard boat
struck one of the course flags, which
lost the crew several strokes. Also
when the coxswain is seated in the
stern his orders have to be yelled to
the crew in such loud tone of voice
for the bow man to hear that the rival
crew can hear also. 1t should be the
coxswain's business to steer the boat
and not boss the boat. If placed for
ward he could steer the shell straight
for the mark A boat length gained by
good steering saves the crew tn at much
and in many race boat length has
won"
The University Of Pennsylvania foot
| ball team will knuckl lie dow to steady,
| though net overheard, work in a few
weeks, and during the summer will
practice right along. Reports that
| Pennsy will not have as strong as Il
team this year as in 1898 and 1895 are
not TO be credited. The available ma
terial is all that could be desired, and
practice is only needed to enter the
| field next autumn with an eleven which
will give the other colleges a good
tussle.
Mr.. Percy Chubb, of Queen Nab
fame, who recently purchased the cup
defender Vigilant from George Gould
is going to reduce the top-hamper o
the noted caft, with view of using
her as a cruising yacht. The spars anc
sail area will be materially cut down
and during the coming summer he eX.
poets to have her do Il good deal OF
work Her racing Gays are over, ap-
parently, and, lilzeI the cd America
she will probably spend the rest of hel
life as a comforta BILE pleasure craft.
With eight out of the twelve club
in the national league playing Sunda.
! ball, it looks as if liberality in thi
, respect was on the increase. The Othe
! four, though, seem to be about as Oh
, stinate in their failure to play o
! Sunday as the others are to play.