The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-10
THE MORNING NEWS: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1899

hack this old piece Of silverware. But
the Thistle is beaten by the Volunteer,
which cost her owners $4,000, and the
Brtons were 50 much discouraged that
they left six years eiapse before having
another try for the cup. In 1893 came Lord
Dunraven's Challenger and four boats
were built on this side to guard the mug.
Boston furnished the jubilee and Pilgrim.
costing respectively $4,000 and $4,000,
while G. Oliver Iselin and other New York
ers invested s125.00@ on the Nigilant and
$4,000 on the Co.onia. The Vigilants ex-
ira expense was due greatly to her bronze
bottom The Nalkyrie stood Dunraven
SIS 600.
In 1895 DuIfraven came back again with
new Nalkyrie which cost him something
like 100000. The Defender will have cost
at the close of the coming races, from first
10 last about $3.50 600 and the Columbia
the same amount. 1t is not known just
what Sir Thomas Upton has spent on the
Shamrock, but this summing up gives some
idea of what this So worth of silver has
cost England and America. 1t is a mighty
valuable trophy and no wonder the banquet
hall of the New York Yacht Club echoes
these days with the refrain. "Oh, the cup,
the cup, we will never give it up Its
members have come to regard it as a fix
ture. So has Tiffany. and the firm would
feel as though part OF the building were
taken away should the Shamrock be VIC
torious. The trophy is kept in a large
vault year in and year out and only re-
moved on great occasions to the club
house, where it is taken with solemn pomp.
1t is regarded as so immensely precious
by the members that to speak of it as
an old mug they consider rank desc
Grafton. No more will they allow il 10 be
handled and so il was only by chance
few years ago that the cup was dis
covered to be bottomless. The commodore,
a mighty honor n a British or
dered the steward to hll it with wine, to
drink the foreigners health. The steward
cracked a bottle, but 10 and behold the
wine gushed out the other end, much to
every ones amaZement, and overlooked
many an eveniug dress. No one had dared
before TO tUrn the bottom up or they would
have seen that the base, which unscrews,
has hole three inches in diameter. Eth
er the English silvefsmiths intended il this
way or did not have time 10 put in bot
tom.
An Artistic Horror.
Boston artists declare that the cup is
marvel of artistic abortion. Whenever 1
catch glimpse of that ugly Old silver
challenge cup" said one recently Il feel
that the next best thing to owning 1t and
hiding ii In Tiffany's safe so that it could
not possibly be exhibited year after year,
as il now is, would be to melt it down and
convert IL into something really beautiful
LOOK at the handsome trophies that are
offered and compare them with the Amer
icasi There is the Gould cup, the Goefet,
the Astor, the Cape May, the Brenton's
Reef, and the Two Bennett trophies, all
costly acd beautiful. They are works of
art with merry Bacchanalian suggestions.
But this staid old thing is absolutely
gloomy" The yacht club might point out,
however, that though the Gould cup cost
$4,000 it was raced for just once and has
never since been heard of. While All the
Others bear somewhat the same relation to
the Americas cup as do the chorus girls
who carry a wand to the star actress.
Though of so little intrinsic worth, even
the insurance companies appreciate the
sentimental value Of this trophy and the
Queens Insurance Company of America
has issued a policy Tor 81 400 payable to
the treasurer of the New York Yacht Club
in favor of the cup. This policy covers the
cup in Tiffanys and wherever it may be
taken. The insurance company places the
intrinsic value of the cup at $500, but adds
500 ION account of its associations"