The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-10-21
WILL TRY 1T AGAIN.
Sir Thomas Upton Is Not Ready tC
Give Up the Contest

Give Up the Contest.
New York Oct. 21.-Sir Thomas Lip
ton bore his defeat like the gentleman
and the sportsman he is.
The best boat won," he said, land
that is as it should be and has always
been in the races for Americas cup"
He was very hopeful and sanguine,
in fact, that the Shamrock would win
the race when the wind came up so
strong.
This is regular Shamrock weather"
he exclaimed to his guests as they came
aboard.
Later, after the racers. had passed
the outward mark and had covered a
third Of the distance back to the start
ing line, Sir Thomas came down from
the bridge, where he had been watch
ing the race and said;
I'VE have no chance to win now.
Columbia is the better boat I had
hoped for another result but it is no
use now. Nothing but an accident to
the Columbia could give US the race,
and I would not have that happen for
the world. Let US all go below and
have luncheon"
And so the man who had spent a mil
lion dollars to win the Americas cup
calmly resigned himself to the newt
able, left off looking at the now hope
less tight his boat was making and de-
voted himself to entertaining his
guests.
When luncheon was over the guests
rose in his place, at the head of the
table, and said:
My friends, came over here to lift
the americas cup and take it back to
England, and I have failed to do it. I
never said that I woul- do it, nor did I
ever say more than that 1 thought I
had an equal chance for it. My rival
has never said more than this so there
has been no bOasting on either side.
If it had been a sure thing either way
there would have been no sport in it.
Whatever L may have thought in the
past does not matter now. L am con-
WINGED that the Columbia is the better
boat and she richly deserved her VIC
tory. The first race was a disappoint-
ment and the second was lost to us by
an accident, but that matters nothing.
we had today perfect Shamrock
weather, our boat was handled mag
nifcently, not a chance was neglected.
Columbia won because she ought to
have won, and am satisfied that it is
so.
''I am glad of one thing, and that is
that while have failed to lift the cup,
l have succeeded in proving to the
British public that I was right when
1 SAID that an English gentleman could
come over here with the absolute GER
IalnLy OF getting fair play. If he be-
HAYES like a gentleman he will be treat
ed like gentleman and in any event
ne VIII be accorded perfectly fair and
sportsmanlike treatment. This has al
ways been my belief, in spite of all as
seruons to the contrary, and I think
I have convinced the world that I am
right in this belief My opponents
have treated me not only fairly, but
generously. Not a single request of
mine has been refused. They have
granted all that I asked freely and I'M
heSitatingly. In short I have received
nothing but kindness and sportsman
like treatment from first to last. Under
these circumstances, I feel that I can
truthfully say that if must have lost
1t is a pleasure to have lost to such
friendly and generous rivals"
Sir Thomas then proposed the health
of the Columbia, her crew and her own
ers, which was drunk amid cheers and
hand-clapping.
Sir Henry Burdette added to the en-
Ihuslasm by declaring that Sir Thorn
as, it is true, failed to lift the cup, but
ne mas succeeded in lifting the hearts
OF the American people"
i desire to add resumed Sir Thomas
that mean to challenge again if I
can arrange matters so as to make it
possible. At this time I can not go into
details, but I'll try it again some dav
l have long regarded Mr.. Herreshoff as
the greatest designer of yachts in the
world and the future possession of the
Americas cup depends solely upon the
ability of English designers to excel
| him. III get it if can find the man
| to build the boat My ability in that
direction ends with my ability to nav
| for it. I can neither design nor build
/ boats.
Il can not dismiss this subject" he
| continued, without expressing my
| great sorrow that Mr. Fife has not F,ae1
| able to give US the benefit of his advise
| and assistance in tuning I'D our boat
| for these contests. for while as I have
said, believe Columbia to be the bet
| ter boat, am not sure that the sham
rock has done all she is capable of do
ing. II we could have had Mr.. Fife on
board he could have seen better than
any one else what her weak points are
and now to remedy them and what her
good points are and how to make the
( best of them. His absence has been a
| serious handicap to US all. I am con-
ndent that the boat was properly and
slkilfully handled. Captain Hogarth and
the crew did all they could have done
but they are not designers. 1t is their
business to manage a boat when it has
been handed over to them ready for
sailing. Mr.. Fife is good man and we
have missed him greatly"
Lieutenant Won Beskerick, of the
| revenue cutter Algonquin proposed a
toast to Sir Thomas Upton "a king
among gentlemen, an English sports
man whose memory will always live in
| this country as that of a worthy rep
| resentative of a great nation" which
ELECTED applause.
| Lieutenant Hall, of Fort Hancock.
| spoke happily of the neighborly feeling
that had existed between Sir Thomas
and the officers at the fort during the
stay at the Erin at Sandy Hook, to
| which Sir Thomas responded that he
| Lked the place so well that he hated to
| IeaVe II, and that he had been accorded
| privileges there, which he very much
| QouDued II his own government would
/ nave granted him.
r. NJ. Little. o. NJ G. of London.
! proposed the toast 1.-The President and
| the United States, God Bless Them
| Botn, and Lieutenant Hall proposed
the heaIth OF the Queen. to which Hon.