The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-07-28
Another difficulty with rowing here is that

Another difficulty with rowing here is that
,nere Is no crack college organization to at
tract rooters." Washington University,
which is expected to do SO much for anna
teur athletics, when it is settled in its new
home, started crew on the river this sum-
mer under the guidance Of the Western
when, unfortunately, the shell was wrecked
In an encounter with an East st. Louis
ayks it is hoped that they VIII
among the local schools. Christian Brothers
and st. Louis University should be able to
select good crews with the number Of men
would prove the most attractive athletic
pie If properly carried through.
Another movement. which promises we'll
Tor the sport. is on foot to organize club
to be composed Of former college oarsmen.
at present residing in the city. OF these there
rowed on the winning Harvard crew OF 1899.
and Atkinson, who made the freshman eight
at Yale. These men have all had great ex-
Ing and eaupmen ee tht CO Could id be es
and If they take up the game there will be
a big boom in rowing. and st. Louisans will
have an opportunity to witness some grand
sport MT. Evans. who is very much inter-
ested in the project. says:
While st. Louis has no course by any
means comparable with those at New Lon.
could be obtained, even with the limited OPP
portunities. Men who have been rowing in
the East recently do not desire to give up
the exercise, and II a club can be organ
lied we hope to do something against the
big Eastern crews. II the scheme Is a sue
cess the boathouse will be centrally located.
so that members can readily reach 1t in the
afternoons after business hours"
Kind of Men Required.
While the lack Of suitable facilities and
clubs is the greatest drawback to the game.
many ST. Louis lads. are kept away from
kind of rpOl1trpd in them Thu general
idea Is that large, heavy men. with regular
blacksmith muscles. are the only winning
neither weight nor size. but skill and kind
of smooth, steady quickness that count. A
tall man. with good reach. is. Of course.
toned lad. who win devote a bit Of his
time to steady training. can develop into a
fair oarsman. and even though he may not
a wonderfully interesting, manly sport. The
game are Of the tall. race-horse build, with
and limbs. To show that weight plays no
Westerns winning crew averaged but about
tipped the beam at only IA.
among the laity. is that rowing is Injurious
gard to this. it may be said that in row
ing. as in every other kind Of athletics. II
it Is carried to excess or Y proper precau-
suits. The chief danger lies In giving up
rowing suddenly after some years have been
spent In pursuit. Of the sport. II this is done
the hyper-developed muscles and organs Of
the body. no longer being called upon to do
as much as formerly naturally partly cease
action and are likely to sufrer in conse-
9uenee: For example. the capacity of the
by the deer, breathing, and when the de-
mand upon them is removed the newly de-
veloped portion, being left unused, is liable
to decay and lead to pulmonary troubles
The plain remedy for this is to cease tho
exercise by degrees, thus enabling the high
" developed parts to gradually resume their
normal state: A series Of experiments re-
Gently carried out at Harvard on the col
lege oarsreo showed these results, and also
proved that the sport was no more injurious
than any other.
In view Of these facts. 1t certainly appears
desirable to awaken some sort Of interest
so that she will no longer be the only large
city in the country without resular annual
rowing events Of recognized Importance
that will attract oarsmen from all over the
land. l. r. w.