Evening star., 1908-01-12
WHEN COURTNEY RoWED HERE
"REMINISCENCES OF HIS RACE
WITH HANLAN.

passed from the boards TIE greatest artist
that ever sat in shell. and though
know there are thousands who believe
that Charles Courtney was his superior /
for one echo the sentiment that appeared
in last Sundays Star. that when Hanlan
met Courtney the latter was a has
been," was the remark of Mr.. William
Mckinney, assistant chief of the bureau
of engraving and printing. to a represen-
tative of The Star the other day.
Charles Courtney was the greatest
sculler the amateur ranks of America ever
produced, but when he left that class and
started out as a professional he was at
that point where oansmen go stale, and
better had 1t been that he had never
entered the ranks Of the money chasers,
for his record would have been unsullied.
Hanlan came from the locality that
has given more finished scullers end oars
men to the world than all the sections
combined. Indeed, there seems to be some
thing = in the atmospheric conditions of
Toronto and vicinity that creates instead
of developing such athletes: and beyond
question Hahlan was the greatest of all.
Il was particularly amused at the notice
In some of the Philadelphia papers in
speaking of the five-mile race held here
on the Potomac river, nearly all of them
stating that the race was a fiasco on ac-
count of Courtney running into a SUBJ
LieI Seu "Ht, WHICH UafIldSeu AIS shell
and put him out of the race.
Now the truth about that race" said
Mr.. Mckinney. lit was a big advertise
ment OF concern of Rochester, each
contestant receiving so much money for
appearing, but the truth also is that the
Canadian phalanx, the gamest crowd of
sports that ever followed aquatics. came
down here andNbet every cent they pos
sessed that Hanlan would win, the New
York and Washington sports covering
/ dollar iph N
Union Springs man to win.
We'll do | remember that day." con-
tinued Mr.. Mckinney, .'and while I have
seen big crowds in Washington during
inauguration periods / can not recall any
hat came up to that which assembled on
the river banks from the Aqueduct to the
Long bridge. The two and half miles
OF water front was one vast grandstand.
raised seats extending from Easbys
point up to the Aqueduct bridge, while
below the point to the Long bridge were
hundreds of barges with circus tier seats
all arranged.
'Hanlan was quartered at the Analos-
tan boathouse under the especial patron
age OF that old local oarsman Ned Maun-
der. while Courtney was housed at the
Potomac boat house. where lot of us old
timers were catering to his wants, Court
ney being coached by the professional
Sculler, jim Lee
THE start of the race was up near the
Aquesluct bridge and the course was laid
out on stretch of two and a half miles
down stream and return, making 1t a
nve-mile race. At the start Hanlan jump
ed away from his big antagonist and in
the first two hundred yards had a lead of
two lengths, which he increased at al
most every stroke, and at the half mile,
or Just In front of the Potomac house,
ne deliberately stopped rowing, bent over
and dlshlng up some water threw 1t
tauntingly toward the club where Court
ney'S crowd was thickeSt
ON the Analostan house Hanlan was
leading by ten lengths. and the steamers
and tugs We're splitting the air with their
sirens and steam whistles. At this point
Courtney was seen to stop. hold his hands
to his head. turn half round and look to
see where Hanlan was, and then turned
his boat and sped back to the Potomac
house. Naturally CONSERVATION reigned
and the folks down stream could not ac-
count for the non-appearance Of the other
contestant, while the Potomac people
were frenzied with indignation.
"On arriving at the float Courtney said
the noise of the steam whistles gave him
the rattles and he lost his head, so did
some of the Potomacs, who wanted to
throw him bodily out of the house. Court
ney was up against a sculler who could
row rings around him. who was rowing
for honor and fame, who had gone into
the contest with only one purpose. to get
ahead, stay there and win at any hazard.
"All sorts of stories were published in
the press of the times, and 80 per cent of
the sporting writer's described it as the
greatest swindle on rowing that had ever
been pulled off in America, but l have
always maintained that Courtney as a
sculler for a stake was a has been and
that Hanlan was his superior in every de-
partment of the game, and while at mis-
best has never had an equal In the
sculling world"
While the Potomac Boat Club was
angry over Courtney's action and de-
nounced him roundly, yet that organiza-
ton claims the credit for Courtney's rise
as coach Of sweep oarsmen. Two years
after this race the Potomacs being In
good one. They secured him and for three
years he filled that position in the club,
they reaping more victories in those years
than they have ever done since. From
the Potomacs he went to Cornell Univer-
sity, where he at once made good and is
now the most successful coach in
America.