Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-14
FAMOUS AS 0ARSMEN THE
WORLD OVER
Three Generations Of Living Rowing
Cracks Testify to Their
Skill and Strength
Of Arm
special tn Tho Herald.

young fellow, even though he has
passed four-score; James A., sr., son
of the. Peekskill waterman, and himself
one ot the greatest professional row.
ing coaches in the country, and the two
sons of the paid coach, Edward Han
Ian, the winner of England's celebrated
diamond sculls and coach at the Uni
versity of Wisconsin, and James A. jr.,
the infant" oarsman of the family,
who gives rare promise of becoming a
fast sculler.
All the rowing member of the gener-
ations are professionals with the ex-
ception of young Jim, who Is q student
of Syracuse university and member
of the Wachusetts Boat club of Wor-
cester, Mass.
They say about the Ten Eyck family
that there never was one of the blood,
for five generations back, at least but
who could pull boat. and pull it we'll.
Even the women who have identified
themselves with the name have been
known to go out into Whitehall boat.
and with well developed muscle and
ready oar, put in their wake some of
the local youths who imagined that it
required masculine brawn to win boat
races.
Henry Hudson Spies Ten Eycks
A hardy set of rowing machines have
been the Ten Eycks, and it is pleas
antry among the friends of the family
that Henry Hudson. when he sailed up
the river which bears his name, saw
his first signs of American life in red
skinned Ten Eyck rowing series of
races.
This, of course. is laying it on a lit
tie heavy, but the fact is that the Ten
Eycks have handed down their row.
Ing proclivities and efficiency through
many years of American history.
There used to be a question in the
village schools about the middle Hud-
son that ran something like this:
who rowed George Washington
across the Hudson?"
And the answer was:
20, one of the Ten Eycks. They have
been rowing since the days of Noah"
The records show that the father of
the professional coach of Syracuse
and the grandfather of Edward and
young Jim spent his early days in the
ferrying business in the vicinity of
Peekskill.
In those days the ferry business con-
sisted of a hardbottomed working
boat and pair of never tiring human
arms. The steam revolved paddle be-
ing expensive, was considered by those
who wished to pass from one side of
the Hudson to the other to be decidedly
dangerous.
In the minds of these pioneer pale
faced navigators of the river the only
safe and sure way Of being ferried
across was by means of skiff or some
other type of small boat, and IL the
pilot, engineer and the whole crew of
the ferryboat happened to be a Ten
Eyck 1t mattered naught how rough
the water was, or how fast the wind
scurried over the hilltops
The Ten Eycks,sas a ferry proposi-
ton, had the reputation for transport
ing and without apparent danger.
University Coach
1t was among these surroundings and
with pair Of SOULS in his hands, fig
uratlVely speaking, that the present
coach of Syracuse university was born.
From the time that he was knee high
to grasshopper the father of Edward
and young Jim spent hours at a time
inside the gunwales of a working boat
on the river in the vicinity of his
home.
When he reached his teens he could
beat with pair Of oars any fully de-
veloped youth for miles around He
improved so fast that after a while his
1ather, Captain James B., used to din
down into the starboard pocket of his
trousers, close his brawny fist upon
something and presently yank out a
Wad of greenbacks big enough to satis-
fy even a stage villain.
And the elder Ten Eyck always sup
plemented this exhibition of his loose
money with the remark:
Anybody who imagines that he can
WHIP my boy in any old kind of a
pulllng boat can have this here money I"
Many tried in the usual course of
events. but it is matter Of record that
as youth the coach of Syracuse was
never beaten by any human agency in
poat race. Later he was, but that is
another story.
instructor of aquatics at Syracuse was
rafting good oarsman In his sculline
days, as he proved himself to be an All
trainer and coach since.
Some have been known not to inherit
single valuable trait of their illus
trious parents, but both Ned and young
Jim have done so, in measure. though
many question that either will become
as marked a rowing success as was
their father.
The Syracuse coach has never spared
the feelings of his boys when ii came
to the matter of trying to impart solid
rowing sense in them. He never minced
words when he found them slow at a
quick trot. "Be not self-conscious. II
has undone many good men," he has
told them repeatedly.
No reflection upon the two rowing
famed sons of this man Is intended
when 1T is said that neither possesses
many of the sterling qualities of their
distinguished parent.
They are like him in that they will
fight to the finish in a rowing contest.
They have his faculty for passing un-
favorable comment unnoticed. But
they lack the ambition OF their father
and they have not the keen now-it-is-
your-move e.'es.
Father and Son
Ned may make something great OF
the aquatic forces of Wisconsin uni
Versity, but If he ever beats his daddy
at the coaching game 1t will surprise
many who claim to know the two men
we'll.
Yet the paid mentor of the upstate
university would like to see his Oldest
son do we'll at Poughkeepsie with the
Madison crew, even at his expense.
But fearing his offspring at the row.
ing game Is remote from Jim Ten
w. mt u.