The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-09-22
SCULLING CHAMPIONS
 PAST AND PRESENT

rowed. The racing was general,
 keen, with exciting finishes, and wa.
 well supported by the public. Tn 1884
 out; Rush also retired, but Bill Beacf | was getting nearer to first-class honors 1 every race he rowed
 Hanlan, in the. meantime, had beater 1 Courtney, Teemer, Gaudaur, Ross and other Americans in matches and exhi- bition races. The champion then turn ed his face toward Australia with the hope of another race with his first great rival, Edward Trickett. He land 1 ed on St. Patrick's day, 1884. Trickett however, was no longer anxious to
 race The position was that the cham
 p1on was in Australia and must row 1 some one. Laycock had recovered from his accident and was able to close 1 with Hanlan for an exhibition row on the Nepean, the terms of which, it is l believed, were to be that Laycock was l to receive a certain sum in any event, which was to be doubled if he won, while Han1an also was to receive 8 large sum if he won. A great deal of
 money was dropped by some one The race carried the worlds championship
 ana ana 1t was rowed on May P. 1884 It
 was the first international match row
 ca Tn Australasia. and was the first
 pig event rowed on the still waters of the Nepean. which is considered one of the finest courses in the world.
 Hanlan won easily. He wanted more
 matches, preferred Trickett, but was open for any one. Beach was named, but the champion did not like the Par ramatta course. The men and their packers met and it was agreed to row for e1,000 and the title, on the Para matta. The next thing was the date. Hanlan, the light. brilliant sculler. wanted the tide under him; the chal- lenger, on the other hand, was the weighty stayer, and wanted an adverse tide.
 Cautiously enough, in fixing the day, neither the seullers nor any one pres ent mentioned the tide. It was how ever, the crux of the situation and was Automatically left in the shade. Han Ian gained his point, and the race was set down for August IS, 1884, a day when there was a strong ebb.
 Great crows were on the river; all was excitement. Hanlan was highly stung and excited, too.
 Hanlan was soon in front and after the first half-n1iIe led by fully two lengths The steamer Tonki moved across the course. TIanIan, rowing hard. cleared her easily, and added an- other couple of lengths. At the mile Hanlan had a, comfortable lead and the race looked all. over great, powerful strokes, with no sign of tiring. Passing Putney Gone and one- half miles) Hanlan still led. Across close past the gas works the challenger knew no bounds when Beach drew up- on even terms after one and three 1 IOuTLnS niles or the tourney haQ been covered. Han1an cliamed foul, but it was disallowed. Beach went on steadily, and Hanlan got to swin ging 1 again, but he was a beaten man, and he knew it. Beach won easily in 20 1 2s1A seconds.
 HanIan. though feeling his defeat l keen1y, took it well.
 An old rival of Beach. Thomas Cliff | ford, was anxious for fame, and on | February 28. 1885, met the new cham | pion on the Parramatta for e1,0oo, and | was easily defeated. Four weeks later | Beach again met Hanlan the stakes being 81, ,00O. The champion won cas- | fly. Hanlan finding it difficult to keep well in the hot weather. Soon after ward he returned to America, thor ough1y beaten. ScuIling now began | to boom in Australia. The next vic | tim was that brilliant sprinter, Neil |
 The prospects were not bright for the | champion at home, but eventually a sweepstake was arranged over the Kemp, Bubear, Lee, Teemer, and Wal lace Ross entering. In the final heat, Beach beat Teemer on September 1, lS86 his share being G1 334-odd The next aspirarit for the title was the Ca nadian, Jacob Gill Gaudaur The race was rowed few weeks later, and was ac s5nbe ztAed AfesE hos Hery ne ter having been badly distressed. He rad fAltered; his friends thought he was done; but summoning his courage. l race.
 
 Hanlan, however. was still active. He returned home, beat Gaudaur, Tee ner, and others. winning each time easily. His supporters gathered cour- age sent him to Sydney. and matched Jim to row Beach for the third time, put this time on the Nepean. The ace took place on November 26, 1887. Beach led, was close pressed time after i1ne. and finished clean rowed put ,ut he won Two days later he re- fred, and as Peter Kemp had priority if challenge the title passed to the rainer. Clifford had the preference or a match, and on February Il, 1888, vas~ beaten by Kemp (stakes s1,0OO). )n May 5 of the same year Han1an vas again beaten for the championship nd s1 ,OG0. Kemp beat him again for he championship and e1, 900 over the anne course onu September 28 in the anne year. Henry Ernest Sear1e began his ca ger on January 2, 1888, and after beat ng Wolff, Stanbury and Neilsen, met emp on October 27 of that year. and I ron easily. On September of the { year he rowed W. J, O,Con- or Sn tAs Thames fer the champ4on