Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-25
STILL HARD TO PICK WINNER
ONE BACKING ITS FAvoRITE.
Unusual Uncertainty Shown on the
Eve Of the Big intercollegiate
Race at Poughkeepsie.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

| varsity race Is only one day or, and as
| the men are in prime condition, the only
thing that will be looked after now will
| be to keep them from worrying. There Is
| always great amount Of anxiety and fret
ting In training camp just prior to any
big event for which men have trained. The
| Georgetown lads have been plugging away
at the racing game since early in January.
and the coach and coxswain have to be ex-
tremely careful owing to the peevishness
| which results from the long and tedious
| training.
Torrid heat has struck the town. The
nights. fortunately for the lads. are not so
hot. thus anording the squad a chance to
sleep.
There Is no other crew here subject to the
dimcuities that the men from Washington
have encountered. The Capital city lads
are in the heart of the little New York
town, right on the main street. Trolley
| cars are passing in front of their hotel
every few minutes. which has q tendency to
| irritate the men. but as the food here is so
excellent 1t was deemed very unwise to
make any change. Columbia. Cornell.
Pennsylvania and the midshipmen are on
the west side Of the river. away from tur-
MOL. and Syracuse and Wisconsin are not
near the noise of the town.
Never on the eve of. regatta was there
i SO much doubt as to the winner. The towns
people here. who always back the men from
ithaca. are not so ready this year. owing
| to the presence of the men from Annapolis.
Columbia has a better crew than has rep
resented the Blue and White In years, and
Coach Rice Is teaching a long stroke in
stead Of the short, snappy stroke that was
used previously.
Pennsylvania's form. although not so
good. has won many admirers. Syracuse has
several of last years men in the boat and
Wisconsin has the prestige Of having de-
feated the men from up the state All Of
these crews have large following. and
there Is no reason to place one crew before
another. In the opinion Of the real racing
sharps here Cornell. wonderful progress re-
Gently having been shown, Is picked as the
likely winner. Georgetown and Columbia
there is no backing as yet. The naval men
are the only people here showing any real
money. The men from Annapolis are located
at Crum Elbow. where last year the Column
bia squad stayed. They have used the upper
course very largely and have not given the
critics chance to see -any of the real In
side work. The eight will have a banquet
the night OF the race: after the big event,
and as many Of the big men of the Navy
Department will be here the houseboat now
used by the middies will be taxed to the
| limit. A three days furlough will be al
go down to New York. The banquet viii l be
served on the hOuseboat. which has been
loaned to the sailors by Col. Thompson. II
Is eiaborately fitted up and serves the pur-
pose well. That the Secretary of the Navy
Will be there seems a pretty we'll assured
fact, but no definite announcement as vet
has been given out. Three cars will be at
servation train. Admiral Goodrich and a
party will come up the river In one of the
government boats and will watch the crews
fight at the finish.
yesterday. said that his crew would be well
up at the finish OF the race. and he pins
much of his hopes on Chris Cox the Wash
ington boy who Is now strokfng the big
lob a.,
the Capital ctty.-and as soon as he went to
Cornell made the freshman crew. strokine
the boat. He was afterward in the varsity
eight. and when Greyhound" Foote was
graduated last year Courtney picked the
former Washington High School lad for the
coveted seat
Poolrooms Put Under the Ban.
The town Ia decked out In its annual re-
gatta dress to receive the thousands of coll |
lege men. rowing fans and sport-lovinE pub
lie. who are arriving by every train to wit
ness what gives promise Of being the great
est intercollegiate rowing contest ever held |
In this country, both from a standpoint of
interest and of numbers.
The poolroOms that heretofore ran wide
open on the night before the race have been |
placed under the ban of the law and II /
the police carry out the letter Of the law
there Is little chance OF the 'bookies' ex- |
listing this year. Mayor Sague was elected !
I-sI
fice the lid has been on good and tight |
Last June the pools were run openly in a |
small shop on Market street, opposite |
the Nelson house. The mayor has in
strhcted the chief of police to prohibit all |
public gambling. 1t seems foolish that the |
"bOokies' should have gone to Mayor Saeue
and asked permission to run a pool, thereby
requiring him. IL he answered In the AFFIRM
ative to openly sanction a violation Of the |
law. 1t has been reported. however, that |
the gambling will be carried on In some in |
nocent-looking place. out Of range of the |
public vision. |
The college boys are passing the wink" |
and tonight will doubtlessly find them wend- |
ing their way with money bags to some Sc |
cluded spot on the outskirts Of the town. I
Under the new administration the saloons |
have been closed up promptly at midnight, |
and IL the law Ia carried out as rigidly as II |
has been to date regatta night is likely to |
be marked with less rough house" than |
has been rampant In other years. when |
they have been kept open until morning.
Georgetown Has Light Work.
Georgetown's work today was the highest /
this year. and the men seemed satisfied be- /
cause the weather was OF the torrid kind.
Hugging the eastern side Of the Hudson /
the men padded easily until Fitzgerald's
slide became cranky. and 1t was found ex-
pedfent to delay while a bolt was adjusted
After this the eight got away well again.
and vf.,nw nlFAw ~. - ~I-lA