Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-07
SCULLER ELLIOTT BACON
CLASSES VERY HIGH
Harvard's Coach Believes He
Can Beat Any Man in the
World With Teaching.

BOSTON, Mass, August 6.-There is at
Harvard University young man who. as
single sculler, would compare favorably
with the leading Professionalism a
little notwithstanding to excellent au-
thorities. Jim Wray, the Harvard row.
ing coach, thinks he could beat any man
in the world after proper coaching and a
little racing experience. The young man
Robert Bacon, United States ambassador
to France, and No. 5 in this years Grim
son she'll The Harvard coach is not
much of talker as a rule, but he open
ed up recently when approached on the
subject of young Bacon and single scull-
ing.
Bacon" said. Wray. SIS strapping
youth, who STANDS feet inch and
weighs $50 pounds. He did all his pre-
liminary work in a single scull, and can
drive a boat through the water about
as fast as any man 1 ever saw. If this
youngster had the ambition to become
a worlds champion professional oars
man L believe he could give them all a
stiff battle.
There is no reason in the world why
a man who has been proficient in one
branch of sport cannot attain perfection
in another. For example. take Withing-
toms case. He is considered one Of the
greatest foot ball players ever developed
at Harvard. and. he certainly made good
in the Harvard varsity eight.
- ''Then take the case Of the New Zea-
lander, Arnst, the professional single
scull champion of the world. He was a
bicycle rider before he turned his at
tention to rowing"
Rafo RI ia nf
sional rowing in America, Wray said
it was attributable to the tendency to
fix races.
I'VE never have any trouble of that
kind in Australia, although single scull
races for $4,000 side stakes are Of fire.
quent occurrence in the antipodes. Aus
tralian oarsmen are evidently too smart
to kill the goose that lays the golden
egg. Thy realize that it pays better to
be on the square. I've seen a crowd of
Sydney harbor They handicap the oars
men over there just as you handicap
horses in this country. The best man
must carry extra weight in his boat. I've
won races with 100 pounds of sand bal
last in my shell. Some oarsmen prefer
to carry shot ballast. They weigh in
after a contest. just as your jockeys
weigh In after a horse race.
1.-THE last American oarsman to visit
Australia was Eddie Durham of Toronto.
He proved easy picking for second
rater in Kangarooland. William Beach.
the former champion of the world, refereed
the race, and said that there were at
least a dozen Australian oarsmen who
could beat Durham. You can form an
idea from this statement how many good
scullers they have in the antipodes.
IT think Howard Searle, who succeeded
Beach as the champion, was the greatest
single sculler that ever sat in boat.
He rowed rings around Beach in Aus
Il L.
Ian and Jake Gaudaur. Then Searle went
to England and rowed William OConnor
on the Thames. O'Connor was the best
man England ever produced, and Searle's
Australian hackers had no trouble betting
$4,000 on their man. Searle died few
months after this race. Searle was sue
ceeded as champion by James Stansbury,
another Australian.
Gamblers spoiled professional rowing In
England. just as they did in this country.
1.-THE future OF rowing in America and
England is In the hands of the colleges
and amateur rowing organizations. In
this country the National Amateur Row
ing Association has managed to keep the
sport alive with little or no help from
former college oarsmen.
zone would naturally think that college
oarsmen would maintain their interest in
the sport after they left college and join
the amateur rowing clubs scattered
around the country. but they don't. for
Club of New York is trying to interest
former Harvard. Yale and Cornell gradu-
ates in the sport. and has had some sue
cess. The Union Boat Club of Boston Is
also trying to increase its membership
from among graduates of the big colleges
IF we could get the class of men who
keep the sport alive in the big varsities
to take an active hand in building up
rowing among the amateur clubs 1t
would help the sport tremendously. The
trouble seems to be that most college
oarsmen lose interest after they leave
college. and If they retain any interest
in aquatic sports 1T generally runs to
yachting and motor boating"