The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-24

A daring plot is in it's incipiency
among a clique of boating men of the
high school.
1t is nothing less than the selling of
the eight-oared shell in which the crew
has gained national fame, to either
hquidate debts which may be contract
ed this season or to divide among the
men who have often made claim they
own the shell, and that the athletic as
ISOLATION connected with the school
does not own even a nail in the boat.
How far the plot has been carried
nobody can tell, One of the men in
authority who claims ownership OF
the boat with seven others, openly
stated not long since that there would
be no high school crew, as after this
season that there would be no boat for
the crew to row in.
The belief among members of the
crew and others who were directly in
terested in the task of raising money
when the shell was purchased. lends
color to the existence of a project of
the sale of the boat. Members of the
crew who were in the first eight and
assisted in raising funds for the or
ganization of the crew confidently be,
lieve the boat is the property of the
eight men who raised the funds and
not of the athletic association of the
school s-.l.>rps--''-
That belief was apparent last sum-
mer when the crew desired to compete
in the national regatta at Philadelphia
The crew wanted to take a man who
did not reach the required standard in
his studies, and the authorities of the
school objected
While a settlement of the difference
was pending, some Of the less diplo-
matte members of the crew made bold
statements that they would go any
way because the boat was the proper
ty of the eight men who organized the
crew the first year high school boys
manifested an interest in athletics
Some of the crew threatened to sell the
boat if the high school committee did
not give them leave to compete in
Philadelphia.
All trouble was avoided, however, by
the high school committee allowing the
lads to go under certain conditions
with which they easily complied
There is a suspicion that others than
high school boys look on the eight
cared shell with envious eyes, and ii
is feared by some interested in the
school boys that the lads could be cas-
lily made victims of the shrewdness OF
older heads, who might have no COM
junction in getting possession of the
shell on the easiest terms possible.
The present condition of matters in
which the crew is interested, is not en-
tirely satisfactory to persons who look
to the welfare of high school athletes
The claim Is made that in the business
which the high school )ys have done
this year, they have the poorest end
of everything.
The engaging of the coach is one of
these things. The contract under
which James A. Ten Eyck has been
engaged, gives him $3.50 for the task
of coaching the boys. Tive price has
not created opposition from any quar-
ter, but it has recalled to some the fact
that e. J. Kerns deserved more credit
than he ever received, because he never
received a cent for coaching.
The feature of the contract which is
criticised is a clause which states that
Mr.. Ten Eyck can leave the crew at
any time in case he receives an offer
from any other institution. When the
contract was drawn Up and Mr.. Ten
Eyck wanted that clause inserted he
informed the boys that he had no eX-
pectations of any such contingency but
wished to be prepared. He is not
blamed for taking chat position, as II
is a business stand with him. The OBJ
lection is that the crew is laid open