The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-04-02
ENCLAND'S EYES ARE
ON COLLEGE CREWS
Oxford and Cambridge Make
Ready for Their Historic
Race
Special Cable to The Globe

Special Cable to The Globe
LONDON, April With but a few re-
manning days for practice. the doings of
the university crews are attracting pub
care TO admit it, "wetbobs''' have a GER
tain amount of superstition in their ma
lures, like most other people. t''usta.-
u is very rarely that a crew gets
through the long and trying practice
commencing almost directly the New
Year comes in. and continuing up to the
some Ill luck. Last year both Oxford and
Cambridge were badly treated by for
tune after they had reached Putney. as
neither president could row. This year
the light blues have had the misfortune
to lose the services of ID. =. Wormald
a young Etonian freshman, who had been
s. NJ Bruce, who filled that thwart in
the 1904 boat, is available, Wormald's
loss is much regretted.
Still, the CantabS have little reason to
complain, seeing that they have four
old blues in the boat. For three year.
they have rowed the race in the same
This craft has been left at the Leander
club at Putney and has every chance of
being used again.
oxford has five of the eight men who
been strengthened by last years Elton
stroke, H. c. Bucknall. and they also
have heavyweight at No VINO scales
the utility OF very big men in a boat.
but Oxonians favor their exclusion II
possible, and they have been represented
by some very heavy men at times.
The dark blues are lively lot in their
showings over the home waters, and the
watch Is said to have shown some good
trials. Many people profess to have lit
tie faith In rows against time, as the
conditions vary so much that it is difficult
TO obtain an accurate comparison. Still,
clever coach draws his own deductions.
and Mr.. Fletcher leaves nothing out OF
his calculations.
The Oxford coach rather likes having a
time trial all to himself. In 1899 he
coached the Cambridge crew that broke
the spell of nine successive defeats
That year, in the intermediate practice
on the Bourne end and Cookham reaches
of the Thames he sent his crew the long
course-about 81 milestone morning be-
fore the critics arrived on the scene
They were very fine crew, and they
did a record performance, but the time
was kept dead secret. except from the
dark blue coach and president, who were
informed because the Oxonians were
practicing on the same waters.
But Mr.. Fletcher did a much neater
thing in that line some few years ago at
Putney All attention was devoted TO
they were expected to row Il full course
trial on the ebb tide. About a m. the
Oxford boat was rowed TO Barnes by
Waterman and housed at Tom Green's
boathouse Later on the coxswain was
taken over the course in the launch
about high water, in the usual way. to
note the run OF the Tue, anu crew anu
coach went to Barnes by land. -r ~
Thus the oarsmen We're able to embark
and paddle to Northlake without excit-
ing much attention. They were swung
round and prepared for full course row.
rs there anyone about that you
know?' asked the coach of the land
trainer. who had accompanied the cox
swain up the river in the launch -s.s7F
"Only a bookmaker,' was the reply.
Has he got a stopwatch2' e,-srts
81 should think So.
well. never mind; he can get the
time If he can" said Mr.. Fletcher. Get
ready. Are you ready? Col" and the
Oxford crew rowed the full course, pass
ing their rivals who were on their way
upstream to try a similar performance,
attended by the usual steam launches,
The incident caused quite commotiOn
at the time. and even today one can hear
the tale told on the water side. How
Fletcher slipped a trial. The book
maker got the time also by run over
Barnes common, but he kept the secret
as well as Mr.. Fletcher-perhaps TO his
profit.