New-York tribune., 1909-06-27
THEH4RT1RD-TALE RACE
Crezcs in Good Condition and Re
suIt a Matter of Doubt.

'sVerftas~ reads the craven motto on thH
shield which protects the Harvard Club IN
West 44th street; Lux et Feritas.' says the
Yale shield almost across the way, and yet II
one stood on the dead line between the two
clubs and cried with loud voice Which cre"
will win this YEAR" simultaneously from each
side of the street would come the deafening cry
I'VE ,yfU,r This. however. from sense OF
Ic.1-aI conviction rather than from a disregard
for the truth. and each side sanSu.neiy believes
that its crew viii win the great race Of July
and will continue so to believe until the s-Ltt
pull is at least well under way. The opinion N
the sporting fraternity in general where per
souaI bias does not lend color 20 ideas, is that
the two crews are closely matched The prac-
tice rowing that is now being done seems TO
average up well on each side, while in physical
condition the crews seem well balanced
The adherents of the Crimson complain that
the Els all say they Will win, but that they
want odds when they bet. and then IN h'tred
enthusiasm they tell you how and Why Harvard
will win Harvard got away from Columbia
this year. and Pennsylvania beat Yale, which
gives some grounds for comparative reckoning
according to the enthusiast Then last fall. tHe
Harvard crew was in better shape than it ~as
earlier in the year. when IT beat Yale, and
moreover. this good trim has been kept Up
through winter and spring Again, Yale has
number Of green men in her crew. which does
not augur well. especially when the other ere"
is composed almost entirely Of veteran oarsn1en,
all of which appeals to a mans reason while ne
is listening to the Harvard devotee-
But why shouldn't We try 10 get al the odds
we can when we're betting?'' queries the Yale
supporter when confronted with his neighbors
contention Then he proceeds TO show you 'fl''
Yale cannot fail to win The matter ef com
parative reckoning he valves as too insigniii-
cant for his attention but the we'll trained con-
dition of his schools antagonists he discusses
vehementIy Men trained so long and Kept too
well get overtrained he argues. and then, 20
prove his argument ne cites the changes which
have been made recently in the other crew IN
order to try out new men Better green timber
in a crew than vvorn-out material. he says. amt
then numbering or his finger ends he tells az
cases he recalls where crews and teams and
mines and eIeveus have failed because their
men were overtrdined
In the mean time, at Gales Fiery and at t-e.
Top bare backed and b-ouZed. the rival crews
are daily strokiuE off the miles II order t' SeI
into the pink Of condition before tLe great day
comes. The freshman and f1ur-1lr crews are
with them and are pacinE them or IN their short
runs. while scoottu+ UP and do-.n the stream
in launches are the two coaches. yelling direc-
tions, considering changes, noting this thins and
that and telling it TO them" when they get
together in the lighthouses along the bank
And withaI it looks if the chances We're
about even. for each days reports from head
quarters give the times made IS about the same
Support will not be lacking for either side as
all except Il few Of the tickets for obser'1t'"
trains have been already sold and hundreds ''
natural grslndstand spots ana private -t'N'-'
have been ccrnered for the adherents % ""'I
institutions. The upstream tug Will give an
added zest to this years race and if the weather
stays clear the contest bids fair 70 be one az
the best ever rowed between these noted rivals