Omaha daily bee., 1908-09-06
PACIFIC COLLEGE ROWING
Something About the Crews on the
Coast.
WASHINGTON IS THE LEADER
Chances that Coast Univeraities VIII
Go 60 POuEhkeepsie Draws At
tention of Eastern sports
to Them.

Conibear. coach OF the University OF Wash
ington crews. left this section Of the country.
soon after the intercolle gate boat races at
New London and Poughkeepsie. he made
the statement that q college eight from the
Pacific coast certainly would be seen in
action mere in 1893 II the stewards OF the
rowing association invited the westerners.
As there is small question that such an in
v~itstion will be forthcoming for next years
regatta. those who follow college rowing
will have a chance to watch a boat from
either Washington, California or Stanford
trying its merit against the best OF the
east. The invitation to be sent will be
directed to the Pacific Coast intercollegiate
Rowing association to send the winning
eight on here.
For the last two seasons Conibear's eight
Dared crews have been victorious over the
others. Through some mistaken spprehen-
sion on the occasion Of both victories the
Washington men regarded themselves as
entitled at once to make the trip east. They
had the idea that all that was needed was
that they should forward an entry to the
stewards. II is, however, necessary that
an invitation be received. The stewards
have followed a policy Of attempting 10
insure themselves hat a university or as
ISOLATION once invited will continue to send
crews each season thereafter. regardless Of
the racing success. After two seasons they
are convinced that the Pacific coast col
legians are in earnest. Furthermore, they
have received assurances from westerners
who came here last Tune that a crew would
come each year following.
New sport on the Coast.
Rowing on the Pacific coast among the
colleges is comparatively a new thing. II is
Washington. because they began rowing in
these places in 1898. Washington did not
take II up until some years afterward. It
was not until 1907 that rowing in eight
Dared shells was commenced in any Of the
coast colleges. Before that they had been
rowing in fours. California is really the
pioneer and has done most to support the
game steadily. When rowing was started
in 1893 E. NJ. Garnett Harvard, 49, acted
as coach. The year following there were
800 members Of the California Boat club
and a fine boat house. This was burned the
next year, but the Berkeley men got to-
gether and put up a new house on Sausallto
Basin.
The rowing interest at Stanford. which
was started with an attempt to send a
crew to Chicago for a race with other col
leges at the Worlds fair, lasted only a brief
time. Senator Stanford subscribed the
money for a shell and a boat house was
built at Lagunits. The men did not realize
what was before them. They went to work
earnestly. but soon found that shell-rowing
is not an easy thing to learn. The diff
cultles %punctured their enthusiasm and they
. gave up the trip, Stanford did not respond
to the urgings of California to get back
) into the rowing game for many years.
EaIfNnrmaasa Er,rIAa.t E--.R--
In the meantime California was making
trips up 10 the north and rowing against
/, clubs in Oregon and Washington as well
as with local clubs in San Francisco. These
latter didn't give much practice. In 1sO
4 California bought a four Dared she'll from
Cornell. Goodwin, a Yale oar coached the
/. crews. President Wheeler. himself enthusi.
= astically helped out rowing at that time
> For three years thereafter interest was very
keen. About that time President Wheeler
4 was in the east at one OF the intercollegiate
I regsttas on the Hudson. and made the
\ statement that soon a California crew
n would come east. This did not come t.
r pass. but judged from later happenings Il
e is not impossible. as was thought then tC
n be the case.
$ Rowing at Stanford owes its real star
e to Prof. A. w. Smith, an old Cornell oar
g 1t may be seen that although the coaches
y al the coast colleges are not Cornell men
: at least the greatest impetus comes from
o the Ithaca institution. In 1903 Prof. Smith
I started up affairs. He gave money out o.
his own pocket and a barge was bought
Prof. Smith helped to coach the oarsmen
A freshman four was started and ProfA. c
& d.. Marx and w. F. Durand helped out Il
g the extent OF indorsing notes which enableC
~ at,.R - 49, $500 U-.-a.
; ally there were races with California
g The Berkeley men knew more about tn,
game and won.
Washington by 1904 was we'll in the row
ing game and the crews up there wer,
q getting much needed practice with the row
ing clubs about. However a race in 100
with California and stanford was woI
by California by eight lengths. The Call
fornis crew rowed two miles in 10 minutes
II 20 seconds. an excellent performance 70
q ~coxsvan fours. The California and Stanton,
q crews were prevented by the earthquake,
y disaster from rowing in 1905, although tn,
men had been in training ard Stanford wa
showing good results. Stanford owed mucl
u to the work OF Robert Gather, an under
graduate, who offered his services a
coach. In the three cornered freshman rae
OF 1906 Stanford won by ten lengths from
California, with Washington a quarter o
a mile back. The freshman and varsit,
Fights both had TO use one borrowed oar
as the last spare oar snapped as the fresh
man crew was going TO the lire.
Warrington Unde COnIbear.
Dan Murphy became the coach Of IN
Stanford crews and Hiram Conibear too
\, charge Of Washington. California CONTINUES
TO be coached by Garrett. Las year Stan
ford beat out California and then race
M with Washington, which won handily 4
2 minutes 8 seconds. a good performanc
on lake water. Again this spring Washing
ton was the winner. and after that victor
the Washington coach and one OF hi
oarsmen. b. C. Beck. came on to the cas-
to look over the field.
Apparently Washington is the most prom
Using of the three colleges. Before eight
Dared shell rowing was entered into tn
. others did better work. But I'm 1911 IN
Washingtonians got rather the jump o
y the others. having their shell before tn
y others. Stanford did not get a boat unit
i very late in the rowing season and al tina
e eNeellcd California. Tbs reason wss al
louad 70 he that the Berkeley men ha