New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-24


supporting athletic branches. rowing receiving
the largest share. The remaining funds coma
from voluntary subscriptions from alumni ana
undergraduates Cornell has a peculiar sourc.
OF revenue from bodybuilding department.
Ithaca shells being in great demand.
For one reason or another Columbia Crews
have not been winning in the last few years
This means a great falling off in subscriptions
by students and alumni There is always plentv
Of support for winning crew, but a college
man is not nearly so interested in a fOrlOrn bona
The football team has been under unusual ex-
pense the last few years, and is endeavorins n
acquire permanent home field, so there has
been little football money which could be turned
over to the crew. The financial problem doomed
up dark and forbiddins this year
Then Mr.. Gould came along with gfft m
start endowment fund and the situation
cleared somewhat. The interest on $4,000 will
not go very far toward the support of a college
navy, but it helps great deal. assuring the
early expenses, before the interest OF under
graduates and alumni has been aroused to the
point where they will go into their pockets As
matter of fact. the expense budget for CoIum-
bia crews this year is $1,000 just the amount
Of the endowment fund. 1t is possible that the
crews may get through for less. though the So
How do the crews manage to spend so muchr.
is question often asked by those who have
not been in close touch with rowing
The first expense is the salary Of the rowing
coach. In the past Columbia has had the SER
vices of a professional This year there has
been a change to alumni coaching. Jasper T.
Goodwin, '76 has accepted the responsibility
and from now until June will give most Of his
time to the work But the alumni coach must
be paid. so the expense stands.
Another large item is the rent and mainten-
ance of spring rowing quarters on the Har-
lem. Columbia has the finest college boathouse
in the country. 1t is on the Hudson. at the foot
Of West e-hundred-and- ffteenth-st and was
presented to the college by Edwin Gould at a
cost of 10000 The Hudson, however. is too
rough in the spring to make regular training
possible. Early in April. Therefore the various
shells are removed to q rented boathouse some
where along the more placid Harlem. This
bOathOuse requires 4 caretaker, which increases
it's cost.
AS soon as the crews take TO the water the
steam launch Columbia must be put in commits
sion. The coach follows the crews in her and
directs their operations with megaphOne
A month or six weeks before the P0ugh-
keepsie regatta 4 training table is established
at which all Of the crew men who have not
been eliminated in the early practice must eat
There are the crews Of two varsity Fights. a
freshman eight q varsity four and substitutes
nearly forty men in all. Although the men
pay portion Of their board the additional ex-
pense is considerable.
week before the regatta the crews. with
their shells and other paraphernalia, are moved
to Poughkeepsie. All are boarded at the best
hotel the regatta town affords and another
boathouse must be rented.
When the crews are finally picked they are
provided with jerseys, rowing trunks and sweat
ers- Some manage even furnish straw hats
to keep the crews from being painfully sun
burned.
Besides there thousand and one small
items which aggregate considerable sum. II
takes most conservative management to get
through the rowing season on $4,000.
No man earns his varsity "C'' or class nu-
merals at quite so great a cost as the men who
pull the shells. Those who wear football mole
skins are more strenuous while they are at Il
but the season is comparatively short-from the
middle Of September until Thanksgiving. There
are crew men who have been at work practically
every day since last October and they must
keep It up until the final finish gun boorns at
Poughkeepsie. 4 week after college closes.
Freshman crew candidates are put to work
shortly after college opens in the fan They
begin with rowing machines in the university
gymnasium, and. II it is IN them, master tia