The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-06-30
FREDERICKSBURG VA. SATURDAY, JUNE 80, 1900

| ing with the High SChnol ana raining
slightly behind Richmond College. The
tremendous enthusiasm Of Fredericks'
burg over the achievement OF It's High
School boys compensated for the defeat
Of the College crew.
Even more exciting was the individual
race. each man driving sinRly his own
little craft There entered two students
from the Hopkins, one from tho Oolum
bian, one from Richmond College and
two from fredericksburg College. These
two were Delrose and Chamberlain.
The race was to be from the lower rail
road bride, that OF the h. f. & p, to
the upper railroad bridge, that OF the
Seaboard Air Line, which spanned the
river where formerly the Chatham
bridge had stood and back sgain to the
starting point The race was even ia
the middle bridge Then Delrose be-
gan TO gain q little, and his friends be-
gan to shout. Half way between the
middle and the upper bridge Chamber
lain began to lose little. When Del
rose came first to the upper bridge and
turned his PROV swiftly down the river,
when the boats from abroad, on reaching
the upper bridge, drew out Of the contest,
and when Chamberlain turned his boat
also down the stream. but full fifty
Yards behind Delrose, the cries OF both
parties rent the air but when a few
moments passed, both men now doing
their utmost aud Chamberlain still gain
ing nothing, Delrose's friends went
wild with joy The shouts for Cham
betlain died away. Still there stood up in
his little boat, near the middle bridge,
young Bolivar, shouting with steady and
provoking courage, "The man from
from Maine is coming Both boats
we're cutting the water as with knife.
chamberlain was gaining. though slow
ly. When Delrose reached the middle
bridge Chamberlain was 10 yards oe'
hind. When Chamberlain passed from
under this bridge he was 40 yards be-
hind. Delrose. hearing only the uniVer'
sal cheering for himself, felt sure OF
victory. For an instant he was tempted
10 slacken his strain. The same instant
Bolivar came down the river side by
side with Delrose. shouting still, The
man from Maine is coming Delrose
looked over his shoulder to see Cham
berlain bending in q fury Of effort for q
last spurt Delrose nerved his tired
arms for this final struggle. lt was
magnificent The space between the
boats was 40 yards. with 200 between
Dslrose and the goal. Now the space is
s8 yards and 100. All the shouting has
ceased except Boliyar's THE man from
Maine is comiugr Delrose is within
100 yards Of tile goal. and Chamberlain
is 20 yards dehiud. Miss Meriyale, with
a party Of friends, has run on to the
lower bridge with a great wreath OF
flowers. Holding the wreath aloft, they
wave their banners Of green and red,
and the great multitude, rushing along
the banks aud surgiug toward the BRIDGE
are calling, "Delrose Pail. Del, pull "
And now other multitudes are calling
1.-THE man from Maine Is coming J"
Delrose is 80 yards from the goal, Cham
berlain SO Delrose is 30. chamberlain
30 Now the figures are 20 and ssi now
IS and Is; now l3 and 10; now 10 and
90. Again ell Is still. Not even Boil
vars voice is heard Now the figures
are 27 feet and q feet; now 20 and ~;
and now the roar begins anew. Cham
berlaln is ahead He lacks 10 feet and
Delrose 10. 1.-THE man from Maine Is
coming The man from Maine Is here ~
His PROV has touched the goal with
Delrose feet behind.
The triumph of Chamberlain was SO
great, aud attention was so absorbed
with the races and the visitors, that the
Monitors Council did not meet that
night. and the determination to prose-
cute him was not carried out but grad
ually the story Of his having stolen and
copied Miss Mason's paper spread among
the students. the most accepting H. pus
some doubling because Of B,livar's per-
sistent assertion of belief in Chamber
lain's innocence.
A few weeks after, Bolivar escorted
Annie Mason to the monthly lecture !;
for every month the College brought
distinguished scholar or artist before
the College community and Its intelii'
gent friends. On this occasion the
lecturer had for his theme, America
in China. " It was intensely interest
inc 10 hear how America bad reversed
her policy by becoming a protector In
stead Of a oonquero securing as re-
ward for herself free trade with the
protected countries Her greatest work
In the decade had been her saving OF
China from dismemberment and spOlia.
tion by European powers AS conse'
ouence Americas influence in China
was paramount. the Chinese were
rapidly accepting Christianity from
American missionaries, and otherwise
assimilating American civilization.
The climax Of interest came as the
lecturer described the great deed Of dar-
ing when Lieut. Bolivar of Fredericks.
burg, twho was an older brother Of our
young James Bolivar. acting captain
Of the Richmond after her captains
death the night before, laid his boat
across the narrow Chinese river, just
below the great city, and sigualled &c
the fleets Of Russia and Germany fur
l