The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-17
POUGHKEEPSIE WAKING UP.
The Town Ready TO Welcome College
visitors for the Boat races.

The Town Ready 10 Welcome College
visitors for the Boat Races.
PoUoHREEPsIE, June 1e.-Regatta time
Is q week of. The college boat races will
not be held till next Saturday. but the town
Is already beginning to awake and dress
itself up in accustomed race time fnery.
For a good part Of zach year Poughkeepsie
Is a Rip Van Wrinkle among Hudson River
towns, but just before each boat race it
slowly wakes, gapes. ruhs its eyes, and then
with a sudden start begins to prepare for
the event.
The shops set forth goods designed to
attract the college crowd. The hotels,
entrances impartially with the flags Of the
six oontesting colleges. Everywhere there
is an underourrent Of interest in the annual
struggle.
Tho stranger here might suppose that
there are more girls in this place than in any
other town Of it's size in the United States,
perhaps in tho whole world. And be sure
OF IL, they do their share toward making
the place interesting and attra otive for the
o~ollegians here for the races.
were here before, and they see the girls,
walking along Main street Of an evening,
Just as they did when here last. Acquain-
tances broken oil the rear before are re-
newed, and sometimes new ones are formed.
quite informally. II needs little to strike
'Oh, I hope Columbia will win this year!'
says one girl Of a pair, passing a couple Of
youths whose white cap with light blu
trimmings proclaim their college afilia-
tions.
This remark Is made In just loud enough
tones for her companion to hear, but in
some way 1t reaches the ears Of the Column
bta men.
DO youl' say one Of them. "Thatt
awfully nice Of you
thing about being fresh But they are
a good hearted lot, these ~Poughkeep-
sic giris, and they cannot long be angry.
They are Modified at q suggestion Of ice-
cream soda. and q new friendship is estab-
The shops display, as a matter OF course,
all the flags and banners that can be de-
pended upon to find a ready sale each year.
Most OF them play no favorites. 1t lie a
fact, however, that the shopEeePer is more
be thinks that the college whose particular
flag he has just sold is going to win the
race and that 1t 10 his choice.
Il keep the other flags because there
is call for them. that's all, he adds,
III u uUtlo NuLo How ult btIbttb Will 10
full OF collegians with their shirt sleeves
rolled to the elbows, for Popghkeephe at
boat race time belongs to them more or
less. They walk the streets in pairs for
preference looking at people and things,
singing snatohes OF college songs and taking
trolley rides occasionally.
The Dutch Tavern, opposite the post
office, 10 the place where the early odds
in the boat race are posted and where the
pools are made and sold. The colegian
is not much Of a public bettor and indeed
not much Of a private one. The men who
make the money on the betting proposition
are the professionals from New York, who
after a hasty study Of the crews .oier at
traotive bets that turn out not to be 30 at
~traotive after the race is over.
Regatta day itself is something to be re-
membered.. ALI the previous evening the
late trains have been disgorRing oollegiRns
bearing suit cases and seeking lodgings.
for the night. ACCOMMODATIONS are scarce,
but there is profit in IL for sofne one. They
are strangers n we take them in the
PoNghkaapainna may we'll aaY.