The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-08-01
4 SCHOONER CONTEST
Seven Hundred Mile Race For
Three Dollar Hat.
ALL FOR GLORY OF THE VICTORY.

the Fastest In the Great Fishing
FIeet--aIuch Interest Taken Ia the
Race.
Three Gloucester CAlass.) shippers
will race their fishing schooners 700
miles for glory and three dollar hat,
says Boston dispatch TO the New
York Herald. The course is from
Gloucester to Fox Bay, Cape Gaspe,
Quebec.
Captain Henry NJ. Atwood Of the
Fannie Belle Atwood, Captain William
Thomas Of the Elmer e. Gray and
Captain Henry Curtis Of the Mary f.
Curtis are the captains who have
agreed to try the speed Of their craft
in this novel race.
The schooners are the newest and
speediest craft Of their type afioat and
the question as TO which is the fastest
can only be determined by a long race
under equal conditions.
The competing boats are fast. but
within limits. Built to carry a goodly
cargo of fish they were designed with
an eye to speed. and many valuable
hour have they clipped off In their
runs home TO port with their loads Of
fish Older boats have been left be-
hind, and, although these schooners
were only launched in September, they
are already wei known throughout the
/ fishing region of the north Atlantic
Naturally the rivalry soon expressed
itself but it was friendly rivalry and
hurt no one. The captains all hail
from Gloucester, aud whenever the luck
| Of the game has allowed two Of the
three to meet there has been lively
discussion as to the merits of the boats
1t was only few days ago that the
three shippers mes al together Then
the question Of a race was talked over
in earnest and II took but short time
for the three to come to terms
what about a prize to the winner?
Deeds, not tokens, are the big things
In the lives Of these men. And 50
when it comes to a 100 mile race for the
championship Of the fishing fleet the
rivals decided that a three dollar hat
would be a sufficient reminder Of the
event
The course was easy to decide The
three vessels are in the habit Of going
to Fortune Bay, n. r., for their frozen
herring during the winter, while during
the summer they 90 for bait to the
Magdalen islands or Fox Bay, Cape
Gaspe
So it, was determined that the course
should be to Fox Bay, for thus the race
would be on a trip which they would
make in the way Of business.
Leaving Gloucester they will set a
course past cape Sable and along the
coast Of Nova Scotia. each taking adj
vantage Of every puff Of wind to reach
Cape Canso first
Then comes the passage Of the mar
row strait of Canso, between Nova
Scotia and Cape Breton island Out in
to the open again the schooners viii
ware of Cape Fast on the end Of
Prince Edward island. and then head
straight for Cape Gaspe, with the Mag
dalen islands on their starboard.
Rounding the cape they are all but in
Fox Bay, and at anchor at the fishing
line, Anticosta island
All three vessels are now at sea, but
they are expected back to port within
week. Before the captains return
they will make arrangements at the
Anticosta island for officials to decide
the finish Of their race That win not
take long, for II Is not to be expected
that il will be hard to pick the winner
It is hardly possible that the three
boats will finish within few minutes
Of each other. 1t is well within the
bounds of probability. however, that
the three win anchor at their destina
ton. within few hours Of each other
The only other officials viii be those
who superdntend the firing of the start
ing gun at Gloucester Measurers, Off
cial timekeep&rs and other familiar
terms to the yachting man will not be
heard of in connection with this race
Gloucester VIII turn out In force to see
the schooners weigh anchor and SCI
sail on their unique race But there
VIII not be many to view the finish
The Atwood, the Gray and the Curtis
were built az Essex Each Is Of ~
tons. estimated according to the new
government regulations The Fannie
Belle Atwood is named after the skip
per's wife, and is largely owned by Z
A. Rich & Co, Of wharf, Boston. Thu
Elmer +. Gray is named after one O
her principal owners The Mary Il
Curtis is named after the captains
, wife, and Is owaed by John Pew s
son Of Gloucester
: Those not acquainted with TIL
Gloucester fishermen hardly realize tina
the seamen are as fond Of q good racl
as is the most enthusiastic yaehtsman
The races for the Lawson prize in 100
showed what spottsmen the fishermen
can be- The trouble is that they sc
, few opportunities to indulge thei
fondness.
In the race FOR fne Lawson prize
: Boston boat, the Benjamin f. Phillips
beat out a Gloucester boat. the priscil
Ia Smith, by six minutes and fifty eigh
seconds That WIS close work, eyei
for the short course which the boat
took The interest which fishermen Q
= the I wharf colony took in the race