Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-27

to throw her upon scrap heap. love
her because upon lker my hopes are
conferred. / want tn lat cup to go back
from where it camel from, and in Or
der to meet the requ erements of the de-
tenders had to b lid her-good-f for
nothing, beautiful CT Nature that she is.
But if she wins the cup will cherish
her for the glory tt lat was hers. Yet
in this case never twill her type race
again for the Americas cup, unless it
again leaves it natih,e shores for the
United States"
Sir Thomas has Law ish praise for the
craftsmanship and hospitality of
America. OF this hte says:
Il wish to go on ! A ecord as saying
one thing, and that fiss that the Ameri-
can people, Ameri kaM. sportsmen, are
the kindest people On earth. Ny an
antagonists are fai I Fighters, and the
people whom I me BIT everywhere, are
SO cordial and hospl Id BILE that this has
often embarrassed NE and nv associ.
ates."
Despite his conde tnnation of yacht
ing, as it is, Sir TIL lomas says it is a
serious, sober Absorb ling task that con-
fronts all who are Engaged in the eff
fort to lift the cup.
Story of His Eireat Effort.
"Just when l first "A esired to win the
Americas cup I ,can,Hot positively say.
The germ Of that ambition entered
my mind as far back sls the time when
the Genesta was ba Atling for the
trophy. But my firsa overt act, if
may use the term, vas just sixteen
years ago" Then he tells of an eff
fort to build an all-Ir.jsh boat, design
ed by an Irishman, rt,anned by an
Irish crew, and com handed by an
Irish skipper; then ct, his discovery
that an all-Irish boat twas out of the
question, as there twas neither an
Irish yacht designer nor skipper of
that class of boat at the time. He
did not give up the Ambition to win
the bit of silver, but d,l termined that
sooner or later he wouAi lift the cup
and that the credit should rebound to
old Ireland.
A Shamrock viii Soml, Day Win.
After telling of the frat two Sham
rocks and their families, he says:
Hundreds of letters haMs come to
me, fairly begging me to give the
challenger another name, Arguing that
as that name has gone doys n in defeat
on two occasions there must be
something unlucky about ia.
Some day. if live,' wrote one
gentleman, a Shamrock wilE prove the
better boat, and then you va IL be one
of the first to say that the q anne was
a lucky one"
Sir Thomas then tells of lis third
effort to win the cup; how NE came
over with an organization Of twenty
five boats and nearly 200 men, all en-
gagged in the business of trying. to win
the cup. Sir Thomas says that every
thing is under the control of Wn,. Fife,
the designer.
Racing Shippers in His Crew.
That the crew of the s'ham.
rock is made up toy a great
extent of men who are rae
Ing shippers at home is one pieee of
news in Sir Thomas article. He says
the skipper-sailors who have shi b ped
as mere members of the crew area in.
valuable.
"They came with us, in these posi-
tons" writes Sir Thomas, "becaRIse
they wish the prestige of having sa q ed
on the challenger, and because they
would move heaven and earth to brit lg
about victory by all fair means.''
Sir Thomas denounces gambling q n
the yacht races, and says: "Frequertt-
ly have been asked II bet on my OWN
boat. Unreservedly say l never wae,
cred farthing. / do not believe i1t
betting. have never bet on horse
race or on any sport. i have gone intoi
ship pools while crossing, but more fort
the reason of not seeking to hold my,
self aloof from others than for any 9TH
er purpose.
Gambling cheapens Sport.
"But when 1t comes to wagering
sums of money on such sport as
yachting, would like to say that II
heartily disapproYe of it, and would