The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-12-03
JOSEPH HOLLANDS YACHT RACE

He Lost it Through A Trick Played on
His Boat by the Jeffersons.
Joseph Holland, the comedian who
is playing the leading role in "The
Mysterious Mr.. Bugle," is the godson of
Joseph Jefferson. Every summer Mr..
Holland spends his holidays near the
summer home of his godfather at Buzz
Yards Bay. Holland is an enthusiastic
yachtsman, as are also all the Jefferson
boys-Charles, Thomas and young
Joseph-and they all own Cape Cod cat
boats. &C..
Last spring Holland ordered new
catboat built by the celebrated boat
builder Of Bristol, r. l., Herreshoff. AS
soon as the season closed Holland took
the Madeleine, as he called his boat
after the fair author of "The Mys-
terious Mr.. Bugle," to Buzzard's Bay.
The first serious trial of the new boat
in competition with the boats belonging
to the Jeffersons was to occur on the
Fourth of July. Prizes had been put
up for the event by Joseph Jefferson
himself. President Cleveland, who, as
is well known, is a neighbor and warm
friend Of the Jeffersons, was one of the
spectators Of the, race. The day
before the race Holland had put the
finishing touches to his trim little craft,
and, as he expressed it, "she was fit to
race for kingdom"
IT@1J Lei
Madeleine securely tied up in the pri-
waite boathouse owned by the Jeffersons
there was mysterious gathering Of the
| Jefferson boys. The boys worked like
beavers for several hours, and before
| midnight they had succeeded in at
| taching to the keel of the trim little
Madeleine enough old rubbish to re-
quire a gale of wind to send her over
a course at greater speed than two
knots an hour.
| 1t was glorious day for. the race,
and a spanking breeze filled the sails
| Of the little fleet which started in the
| race at Buzzard's Bay Hollands trim
| little Madeleine seemed little sluggish
| in her movements, but the sanguine
Joseph simply laughed and said as the
| Jeffersons flew pas him in their boats
wait until Madeleine gets where she
| can feel the full strength Of the wind"
1t was sorry race for Holland. The
| Jeffersons had come home flying before
the breeze, and the trim little Made
leine, with Holland at the helm, was
still laboring oyer the course like a
thoroughbred Tacehorse harnessed to a
coal cart. When Holland finally
reached the end of the course, one
hour and fifteen minutes behind every
body else, the Jefferson boys gave him
the laugh, and Tommy Jefferson Said:
'I'll bet you $40, Joe, 1 can bring her
over that same course in less than
half the time. The trouble isn't with
the Madeleine, but you don't know how
to handle her.
Thoroughly disheartened, Holland
agreed and Jefferson took the yacht In
hand. Before y he hoisted sail he
quietly severed the rope which held
all the rubbish attached to the Made
leine's keel, consequently when the
word was given the new boat spec
away like. a bird freed from con.
fnement She went over the course In
quicker time than that made by any
boat ever ownedin that harbor, demon.
strating that she would have won the
race handily in the first instance.
When Holland saw young Jefferson's
success with the Madeleine he said
well, thought knew how to handle
a catboat, but see I've got to begir
| all over again.
The story was too good to keep, how
ever, and in a few days Holland wa:
formally presented with the prize.
which the Madeleine would have wor
had she not been weighted down will
old iron.-Chicago Chronicle.