The sun., 1909-02-14
WITHTHE COLLEGE ATHLETES
DOINGS IN THE FIELD or SPORT
IN EAST AND WEST.
rs.y Men Now at Their Machine Work
Columbia and Pennsylvania In Dif-
ncultlcs because OF Apathy Yale
TO Row Penn as Well as Harvard.


TO Row Penn ss Wen as Harvard.
college rowing generally appears to
hsye started up in earnest for the season,
a. most of the institutions have their
men at work on the machines. At Colum-
bis and Pennsylvania there In good deal
Of dissatisfaction because Of the sack OF
material. but the situations are not ex-
,c,ly alike. At Columbia James c. Rice.
who has proved himself in the last two
,easons TO be a topnotcher as a coach,
had TO announce ;hat he would Withdraw
from his contract II more men did not
present themselves for the two divisions.
varsity and freshmen crews Rice said
he did not want to take money for doing
40 little work
It ia just that way ordinarily in the
wears when there is too much veteran
varsity material at college, Most OF
the men are likely TO get the impression
that places are as good "a settled and
they, especially the new men. lose the am
bition to try for seats which apparently
are already filed
Rice made il clear from the very start
that although a new man was needed at
bow and another at No. 7, after all any
one ot the seats was open to any man who
could get the place. As usual, he de-
cided 10 pick his crews on merit alone.
Rice iusugurated this system two years
ago at Columbia. when he took hold
and dsregarded all fraternity and social
equations when selecting his boat. The
result seemed to be that the new method
had its decided advantages because, as
those who follow college rowing know,
Columbia was the rInnerup both years
and was beaten in 1907 by Cornell Iuat
one yard in 7,0iO. and by Syracuse last
year five yards in q like distance Ii Ia
too bad that Columbia. which really
is one Of the leading rowing colleges of
the country and always has supported
the sport in good style, should fall into
straits like this just whep il looks a. if a
winning crew was assured.
Through every sort Of discouragement
and disappointment Columbia men have
plugged along since 1895 in a game en-
deavor. which proved fruitless. to carry
on the honors in the intercollegiate re-
gatta, Columbia certainly has done
much for college rowing ard has been
chiefly responsible for the great develop
ment OF the regatta on the Hudson.
Therefore it is doubly disappointing
to Columbia men to feel that this year,
the third OF Rices administration, should
open so discouragingly.
DEBT THE FIRST HINDRAScg.
II was bad enough at the very beginning.
when the tremendous debt hanging over
the crew made fall rowing for the varsity
absolutely impossible. That set the crew
back two months at least--two months
that are highly important even to veteran
material. When at length the money
matters were adjusted and permission
was obtained to start rowing work on
the machines it was expected that the
pent up enthusiasm Of the fall term would
show itself in a great turnout OF candi-
dates for the crews.
But the men came out in slothful style.
snd those who were involved in other
sports did not seem to think IL necessary
TO do any work even though they had
missed the valuable fall rowing. As
time went on this condition became worse
and worse. II was not until Rice issued
his ultimatum. in which he was backed
up by the directors Of tho rowing club.
that something like the ordinary squad
Of men turned out for the boats.
At Pennsylvania. although the grad
yates seem to be very strong for Ellis
Ward that same spirit does not appear
to have taken very firm hold on the under
graduates and the undergraduates are
after all the men who make up the crews. !
Ellis Wards prestige was gained by three |
remarkable crews in 1893. 1899 and 1900 |
They were exc 'ptional men who rowed
for Pennsylvania at that time, and given |
eight such men almost any one could have |
made crew OF them.
In any event it was Ellis Wards good
fortune to have these eight men in his
college and not at Wisconsin or Cornell |
However, since then Pennsylvania has |
been unfortunate in its crews. They have
failed to show anything like the style this
wonderful collection Of eight men did. and |
the result has been that the Pennsyl-
Vsna undergraduates have become dis
couraged. II the condition cannot be |
blamed on Ward 1t certainly must be the |
fault OF the students. and last years |
Pennsylvania crew was the best Of veteran
material, four Of the men having rowed |
three years and the other four having
rowed two years. 1t was q crew not un-
like that famous collection that Ward
once had and it was thought because Of
THIS resemblance that Pennsylvania
might do well; but those who watched the
pennsylvania crews at work say they
we're rowing a stroke which was not the
sort OF thing on which to 60 four miles.
1t was half stroke
The men swung back far enough. but
did not put the oars in the water at the full
point Of the reach. They carried their
oars through the air and then dropped
them and did not pull all the way through.
as they should have DONE When some
body commented on this to Mr.. Ward
he said. Il guess l know my business
The event proved that his thirty odd
years Of rowing experience did not nee
essariy mean that a crew rowing an i'm
Possible stroke taught by him could win
races. Pennsylvania finished some dis
'ance behind all but Wisconsin.
bTAMEs THE STUDENTS.
II tis"nbray. a member Of the Penn
'yNana rowing committee and former
'iaer oarsman of-no- inean ability,
Vr,'" a lrtter the other day to the Penn
ll"h IN which he put the blame
.''ay on the undergraduates. -The
=, \ 'i 1890 he wrote. when | entered
b q i |