The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-20
Am I Right !?

Am I Right
l4H OR the. fifth&stime Wisconsin crews
| n have journeyed east to compete
with the best oarsmen of the cas-
tern universities In the regatta at Pough-
keepsie, which will be rowed next Friday.
The badger representatives have never
made bad showing In this race. Twice
/! the varsity crew has finished second, and
twice third. Once 1t lost first place by an
accident. The freshman crew has won
f1rsts, but the varsity eight has never
quite succeeded in landing the honor.
This year less has been heard about the
prowess Of the badgers than formerly.
In the last three years Wisconsin has al
ways been conceded in advance as a
strong candidate for the honors, and more
than once has been picked as the win
ner. This time little has been said, and
the fact may be taken by the supersti-
tious as an omen of good portent for the
IWeSterners 49,
The Wisconsin crew has made a bet
ter showing at Ponghkeepsie than any
western athletic representatives have ever
made in competition with eastern col
| leges. 1t has long been the dream Of
those who have commended that the west
erners were as strong as their eastern
brethren, that the badgers might be the
] first to win from the east an athletic event
of such Importance as the Poughkeepsie
regatta. Repeated defeats have caused
interest in the annual trip Of the Wiscon-
sin oarsmen to flag, but their victory, if
| it comes to pass, will be none the less
heartily applauded by all western college
men.
1t must be borne in mind that every year
half dozen strong crews compete at
Poughkeepsie. To win from this number
lof opponents is something of q feat and
that the badgers have failed to get a
first does not detract from their excellence
of their past performances. Two seconds
| and two thirds In four successive years is
a sufficiently creditable record, especially
when it is remembered that the training
4 of the Wisconsin men is interrupted for
several days by the long Journey to the
east :$s&.,it
!. Whatever the fate Of the badgers this
year. however, no one cau2fait. to applaud
the spirits which leads Wisconsin to I'M
dertake the journey to Poughkeepsie. I'm
i like other college sports, rowing must be
supported entirely withoutaid from gate
!: receipts. The expense ofs training a crew
and sending it east :s heavy and that
Wisconsin students and alumni are able
and willing to contribute the large sum
| | fo,.
striking example of the spirit Of pure sport
for sports sake.
IT is a curious. fact that petty public
+ OFFICIALS usually l feel thelc import
: ances Of their positions more than
do the men. who hold really responsible
places. "A few days ago resident Of
this city asked E. F. Steele, boiler in
spector. who has Charge Of ;. the State
licenses for automobiles. for permission
to copy a list5of the owners who had tax
, en- out licenses, together with the num-
bers Of their machines. The request was
CURLY refused, Mr.. Steele saying that the
applicant had never done anything for
him, and he did not see why he should
do anything for the applicant. AS Mr..
Steele was not asked to make a copy of
the list, the applicant expressing his will
lingness to do the necessary work himself,
it is difficult to see just where the official
would have been inconHenienced.
y Whether Mr.. Steele realizes it or not.
the provision of the state law which pro-
,vides for the licensing and numbering of
autos was designed to- afford a means of
, Identification of careless chaufeurs in
case of accident The. numbers and
, names Of owners wereSevidently designed
to be public property. Mr.. Steele may
have had some legitimate reason for re-
fusing to comply with fthe reasonable re-
quest made of him, but he failed to state
) it, and gave the impression that he simply
, wished to assert his authority and inde-
: pendence. Such arrogant and important
: petty officials are the ones who are large
! ly responsible for most cases Of friction
between those who are supposed to com
ply with the laws, and those who have to
D do with their enforcement.
: A curious experime emit at Stanford uni
= versity California, will be watched with
d interest by football men this fall. Stan
e ford has just appointed as coach James
F. flanagan, who never played football
: in college, tho he was gridiron enthu-
: siast and followed the game closely. II
e has always been accepted as an axiom
:, that only man who had played an ath-
: letic game himself was competent tc
,, teach others its mysteries, and this fac
. makes the appointment of flanagan inter.
n esting. Thor
e ern team and many believe that,he had M
u peer in the country while heswas in col