The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-31
Copyright. 1911


The brilliant style and dash in which
my young godson and namesake Ed"
ward Hanan Ten Eyck won the Dla-
mond sculls at Henley, the aquatic
Derby OF old England. have set the
whole sporting world agog. Everywhere
he is hailed as the coming champion The
youngster will not be IS years old until
Aug. 20 next. A stripping Of such ten
der years who could defeat all England
and capture the coveted trophy every
ambitious youth in Christendom yearns
for. a feat no other American ever ac-
complished. is indeed marvel. / ven-
ture TO predict that long before he Is
n years old. the age I'm which l won
the championship of America at Phil
adelphia in 1876. this boy will have be-
come the champion OF the world. He
viii break the records and excel any of
he feats your humble servant, Jake
Gaudaur, Charles T.. Courtney. John
Teemer, John Renforth Of England.
Walter Brown OF Nova Scotia or Henry
Searle of Australia ever performed.
Young Ten Eyck's victory marks an
epoch in the history of sculling. IL
will bring. about a revival of rowing
and put IL on the plane Of popularity
IL occupied in the days when l contend
ed for supremacy with Courtney. Ross
Teemer. Riley, Plaisted and the elder
Ten Eyck in America, with Elliot OF
England and Trickett and Laycock or
Australia on the Thames and Tyne and
with Beach OF Australia on the Para
malta river in that country II VIII
develop new and great men and en-
courage Yale Harvard, Cornell and
other oarsmen to visit England and
strive for aquatic honors.
| see the boy says he viii not row
again for the Diamond sculls. That Is
n wise resolution in view Of the oppo-
sition he has met with in England.
Englishmen hate TO be beaten on their
own soil. or. rather. waters. and they
would be nreltY- sure 10 put stumbling
blocks in the lads path. They really
think he is a professional in disguis
because he comes OF a race Of oarsmer
his father and grandfather being eel
brated rowers in their day. One won
think. OF course. that the lads yout
and the fact that he is still a school
boy at Worcester. Mass, would rescue
him from such a charge, but English
men are very much set in their ways,
and the much talked of 'insuar preju-
dice" Is very hard to overcome. They
are fair as fair can be with any rivals
whenever a contest of any kind is once
entered upon, but they growl very much
over preliminary conditions. They like
10 get shade the better OF IL in match
making: hence the old English proverb,
"A match we'll made is half Won" II
is bad enough for our British brethren
10 be beaten, but to be OUTRAGED by a
mere boy is particularly aggravating to
British pride.
My friend Dr. Chauncey NJ. Depew liz
mistaken, however, when he hints that
they will take an unfair advantage OF
a stranger. For instance. he says that
one Englishman in talking 10 another
about the trial heat between DR..
Mcdowell of Chicago and Black
staffe of London said, "Oh, yes, the
Yankee was given 80 feet the worst OF
the start. but say nothing about IL,
Americans are so sensitive, don't you
know"
The doctor overheard the conversa-
ton, / believe, but / am satisfied that
that was an English joke intended for
the Doctors ears. Such an advantage
in starting would be impossible. Ev-
erybody would see il and the judges
would not under any circumstances al
low It, The Londoner may have gained
30 odd feet Immediately after the start
by furious squirting. but not at the stake
boat when the signal was giving. Eng
lishmen will growl but they won't
cheat. Certainly no English gentleman
will, and the people who manage the
Henley regatta are the finest gentle
men in England.
l say 1t is a wise resolution on Eddie