The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-09-17
ROGERS ARRIVES.
He VIII Finish framing
for His Matct Race
at the Ike.

Brown as berry fom the ta>
exposure of his northen home and II Win
confidence depicted pom his counteA /
ance, Ras Rogers, tho is to row Ed
ward Durham of Tconto at the lake 8
three-mile match ace with turn, ar
rived in this city yesterday afternoon.
He was accompanied by Jean Avery, a
prominent young snateur from Schuy-
lervilIe, N. Y. Taey were met at the
Union station byJ. 2. Irwin and Mar
tin Gerrity, who are backing Rogers in
his match race.
Rogers arrived on the train from Bos-
ton getting hes at 100 o'clock. He at
once proceeded to the lake and rugged
his shell, which came by the same train.
Rogers took a spin of a mile and q half.
He did not attempt to do any fast work
and simply tried the course. Rogers is
not new to the lake course, he having
rowed on it many times. His work was
watched by many who were aware of
his presence.
His boat will be housed at the Wacllu-
sett Boat club where he will make his
headquarters while here, the courtesy
Of the club having been extended to him
by the members. After taking his spin
he repaired to the Hotel Belmont, where
arrangements had been made for his
comfort. During the afternoon he en-
tertained the old timers who knew him
when he first reached Worcester, with
experiences which he had met since
leaving this city.
To The Spy reporter he gave an in
teresting sketch Of some of the more
important races in which he has fig
ured He was reticent regarding the
outcome of the race with Durham but
expressed his confidence in his ability
to give the Canadian a race such as ne
would remember all his life.
The hardest race that Rogers ever
participated in was that when the
American four defeated the English
four for the championship of the world.
In speaking Of this race, Rogers said:
Il have followed racing the better part
of my life and have never witnessed
such a sight in the finish Of the FACE. 40
begin with, the race vas four pSiles fHI
the championship Of the world and
there was pile Of money wagered on
! the outcome. Both tours were out to win
or die and If they cid not die the losins
| four came as near It as any four men
l ever saw in my life. During the four
miles of the race the two boats did not
show space between them so fast and
we'll We're both sides rowing When
| within ten Yards of fie finish, Haynes
and Gibson of the English crew Topped
and dropped into their boats We fin
ished and don't know to this day how
| it was. Hacketc, our stroke, had to be
taken out Of the boat. as did the worlds
champion, Jake GfaudaIr. The latter
was finished by II e race, and had bui
| the strength to crawl upon the float.
/ fsINell 10 IN on.
other race like that, though the mex
day we rowed, Gaudaur and l, in tn,
double. and won the worlds champion
ship from the Englishmen. They wert
| the hardest races which I ever par
ticipated in. The four which repre-
scented the Americans was made up o
| Hackett stroke Durham bow and Jak
Gaudaur and myself. The Englisl
| four were Bubear, Haynes, Hines anC
! Gibson.
"The double. cared worlds champion
ship which Jake Gaudaur and I VOL
the next day at Halifax was also
great race but not to be compares
with the race of the day previous TIL
Englishmen in the double were Bubea
and Barry, the latter having a grea
reputation in those days.
| tits no use in talking, Jake eau
| daur was moving along at a fast eli
in those days, and would leave all hi
comnetltors as though they were stand
| ing still.
| Il remember. the first professiona
race that | competed in. 1t was il
| Colorado. had just left the amateu
! ranks and had the usual amount O
concelt as regards the work l was do
! ing, I had heard that Gaudaur would
leave everybody who attempted to race
| him, far behind. l went out on thu
| river one day, for q practice spin, anC
in the distance 1 saw the mighty Jake
at once settled in my mind that l wai
| to see Just how fast he could go anC
! see how near could keep to him. Well
| Jake came alongside me, and l hit II
| up to beat the band. Jake did no.
| even look in my direction, hut proceed
ed along his way with a calm indiffer.
ence that was CALLING.
"He did not have any trouble in leav.
| ing me behind, and it honestly did seen
| to me that I remained in the same
place though / worked as hard as
ever did in my life to stay with him
The most CALLING part of the entire in
| cident was that Jake kept right along
without even deigning to notice me OF
my vain endeavor to stay with him
| In a few days race day came, and Jake
| did the same to the field as he did tc
me in practice, which relieved my
wounded feelings quite a good deal"
'Ras says that he is in perfect shape
and he certainly does look fit as q
| fiddle, and in condition to row the race
of his life. He now weighs 1870 pounds
with his clothes on, and 1873 stripped
He expects to be about 1870 pounds
race day. He says that he has had
all the training desired on Saratogs
| lake and is in fine shape. He thinks
| that he will be in good condition the
date Of the race, the 9th of this
month.
JnNES DEFEATED