The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-14
. BIG MATCH ON.
Rogers of Schuyler.
vile and Durham
Of Toronto.
MAY ROW ON THE LAKE.
Worcester Sporting Men
Willing to Back
Rogers.
MAY ROW ON THE LAKE.

! A big professional sculling match is
likely to be rowed at the lake before
many weeks. Worcester men are
strenuous in an attempt to bring to-
lgether 'Ras Rogers of Schuylerville
and Eddie Durham of Toronto, two of
the fastest professional scullers in the
country.
| Martin w. Certify John P. Irwin and
John Holt went to Saratoga last week
with that end in view. They saw Rog-
ers, and he expressed his willingness to
row Durham at Lake QuinsigamOnd.
Durham was communicated with. He is
willing to race, but his hacker wants
the race to take place at Saratoga
| lake.
The Worcester party insists on hav-
| ing the race rowed at the lake. AS far
as it affects the rowing ability of the
man they are willing to back, they
would as soon take Saratoga lake.
Rogers is more at home on Saratoga
lake than he is at Lake QUinsigamond
His home is not far from the lake, and
he rows on Saratoga lake every day
during the rowing season. He has
done that for several years and knows
the lake like a book. He knows Lake
Quinsigamond, also, for he was in Wor-
| cester for two seasons, working at the
public boat houses here, and he rowed
lover the lake course hundreds of
times.
Monetary reasons are the ones that
affect the Worcester sporting men, who
are willing to back Rogers. Their at
tempt to arrange the race is to give
them a chance to wager money on
Rogers. They fear they would not be
able to lay any wagers if the race took
place at Saratoga, because betting men
would not attend the race there. But
If it took place on Lake Quinsigamond
betting men would flock to this city
from various places, including Toron-
to- and they would have an opportunity
to place their money on Rogers.
The stake in match race is given to
the contestant who wins, by his back
ers, so the Worcester men could get
nothing from that. Their plan is to
put up the money in order that they
may get chance to wager more.
The trip to Saratoga was the result
of challenge by Durham. The Wor-
cester men expressed a willingness to
back Rogers against Durham for $500 or
$1,000. That was satisfactory to the
Durham party but as his hacker named
Saratoga lake for the battle ground,
the match could not be contaminated.
The desire of the Worcester men has
nan, and the Worcester sports expect
to hear from Durnan's hacker in a few
days.
They made an offer to Durham which
should eliminate the possibility of any
kick over the choice of course. They
informed Durham they would give him
a reasonable amount for expenses if he
would row the race at Lake Quinsiga-
mond.
If arranged the race will be three
miles with turn, the distance of all
professional sculling matches for sew
eral years past. The stake will be
whatever the Durham party desires to
make It.
No attention has been paid by the
friends of Rogers in this city to the
challenge issued by Jim Wray, the
Australian, who trained Joe Mcguire
for his race with Ned Ten Eyck Wray
issued challenge to Jake Gaudaur di-
Irect, but included other scullers. He
did the same last year. and the men
now behind Rogers jumped at the
chance. They got after Wray's back
er in Philadelphia while the national
regatta was in progress, and tried by
every means in their power to match
the men. They could not succeed. and
came to the conclusion that Wray could
not get backing against Rogers For
| that reason they have left Wray out of
| consideration altogether this year.