Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-22

H1 HE biggest rowing regatta ever
held. in the west will be pulled off
a during the forenoon of Thanks
giving day at Naples, between four OF
the best rowing crews in the state or
California. The event will mark new
era in the sporting circles of the west
in that 1t will be the first time call
fornians will have an opportunity to
witness a sport that has been made
famous by years of practice in many
of the leading colleges and universities
of the world.
Experts have declared the sport will
never die out; it is fascinating to
watch and is the best developer of the
physical and moral man that Is known
1t is an art that requires as much
and as constant training as would be
demanded from an orator VINO would
hold the attention of crowds or the
singer who would charm an audience
The requisites for an oarsman are:
First, courage; second, stamina, and
third, character. 1t is a well known
fact that the men who make the var
city crews of the big eastern unlversi-
ties are men of the first water and their
morals are unassailable.
The favorite in the Thanksgiving re
gatta is the Los Angeles Athletic club
crew, which at present holds the cham
pionship title of California. The mem
bers of the crew are picked from about
500 members of the Los Angeles Atm
letic club by Coach Al Treloar, Tor
mer member of the Harvard university
eight-oar crew and later coach for
the freshman eight of the same uni
verSity. Treloar used excellent Judg-
ment in picking his men, and the fact
that he has kept the same crew Tor
two seasons proves the best men OF
the club will defend the championship
title next Thursday morning.
James Routzhan has been the stroke
for the crew since it's organization and
can be depended upon to keep the boat
going at the swiftest attainable speed
during three heats of as fast boat rae
ing as was ever seen in the waters or
the Pacific.
Lewis at No. needs no introduce
ton to the local followers of the boat
ing game. He could easily be the star
of any of the competitive crews, We're
they lucky enough to have MIN pulllhs
in their shell.
Derby at No. has been handicapped
during the training season; he never
wishes to quit rowing. No matter now
hard the spin or stern the criticism OF
the coach Derby has been hred WIN
that indomitable something which al
ways designates the fighter from the
gutter; the man who "gets there" from
the man who cannot.
Isaacs at bow is captain and II is
largely due to his untiring efforts the
public has the opportunity to witness
the big race. Isaacs undoubtedly Is
the most experienced oarsman In the
shell and has been identified with
many of the best crews in Canada
Isaacs also is a member of the Ma
tional Association of Amateur oars
men, a body composed of the best
scullers and crew men in the country.
Joe Loeb probably will steer the
boat Thanksgiving day and his ex-
perience in the race with san Diego
last year when the clubs crew won
the championship title, entities him
10 first consideration for the position
Loeb has the heart of the real cox
swain and the discernment of gem
eral In the boat he talks to the tlred
roWers as a. father to chlld. ne
understands" and a volume of mean
ing is concentrated in the word as ne
watches the faces of his proteges.
With expressionless eyes they ask:
"How much farther have we to goE
A response, perhaps unfeeling, yet the
only one for the occasion, is, Give her
ten" and Thursday 1t will be the ten
that wins the race for the crew rep
resenting the Los Angeles Athletlc
club.
position.
1le NlldlS Ol lllG NlCNS hCNCFSNs
the best coach that ever struck Cali
fornia-Al Treloar. Al is offering no
excuses for the condition of his crew
If they lose, which he is practically
certain they will not. no man will hear
the big coach offering any excuses and
only a few men will be able to read
deeply enough into the soul of the man
who, for many weeks. has watched over
his crew like father over his children;
who knows his men as only man can
know another after he has slept with
him, ate with him, argued, coaxed and
commanded him; it will be few who
will correctly read the deep disappoint-
ment that will hide behind the iron
countenance of one of the biggest
hearted men who ever coached a crew.
If they win no one will be happier than
Al.
1t is one of Ars failings that he al
ways tries to put the glory somewhere
else. He is a man among many. He
strives for principle; the object at
tanned. he turns his attention to other
matters. That he is respected, in turn
by the members of the crew is we'll
known about the club rooms he has
imbued them with his spirit and per-
sonality The word close" is foreign