The San Francisco call., 1910-05-15
HOW FRANK WILLIAMS SETTLED THE JUNIOR REGATTA
ny ARTHuR MORGAN LANGwoRTHY.


Importantly one morning early in
, June after reading over a letter just re-
ceived
Here's a letter from Joe Fisher in
this city saying that I've been elected
master of ceremonies to conduct the
first annual regatta Of the Junior motor
boat club"
THAT is ar honor. didn't even
know you were memberr cried his
father pretending to be greatly aston
ished at this selection of mon
resident" But Mr.. williams was not
really much surprised, considering
Franks city record. Those who have
followed his career for the last year
will remember his many adventures and
campaigns in which he guided his city
cousin, Joe Fisher. and his gang" to
victory, mostly against their great
juvenile enemy, Ben Jordan.
Unfortunately a big chance presented
itself for Ben Jordan to make trouble.
The Junior motor boat club was a
grammar school organization, made up
of boys from the manual training de-
partment, and this fact alone enabled
Ben to become member, as he went to
the same public school as Joe Fisher and
his friends. The members had worked
for several months at their school car
penter benches building the model
motor boats, and the regatta was to be
the supreme test of superiority.
A mother of one of the contestants
offered silver cup as the grand speed
prize. This was to be raced for over a
measured course of so feet in the yacht
pond,' small lagoon reserved espe-
cial1y for juvenile water craft in the
city park.
Regatta day could not have been
more perfect, nor could you find pret-
tier scene than the glittering oval of
the yacht pond in it's green setting of
park foliage.
The so foot course lay from bank to
bank of the oval near one end where it
narrowed to that width. AS a cement
walk extended all around this extrem-
fty of the oval, two red flags about 20
feet apart marked the finish. Each racer
must strike the finishing bank at some
point between these two flags or it was
no race. so considerable depended on
properly adjusted steering gear.
AT o'clock sharp Frank blew his
whistle for the opening race. Joe Fish
er's Arrow sped to the front and easily
carried off the honors in class A; an
electric boat the Dart. won class b; the
Fried Egg, another electric vessel, won
class c, and in class d Ben Jordans
Ki-Yi, which sported a fine toy alcohol
engine, carried off the honors.
Frank now lined up the four winners
in their respective classes to make the
final dash that would determine the
winner of the cup.
AS Joe Fishers % inch Arrow was the
smallest Frank gave 1T a three second
handicap over Ben Jordan's 40 inch XII
vi, that being the difference in time
between the two boats as measured by
their two previous races The other
boats got two and a half and six sec
ond handicaps. Franks hS<1dicapping
was received with lot of grumbling
by Ben and his crowd, and Ben made
some ugly remarks, but Frank Kept his
temper and finally Ben .sulkily obeyed
the ruling.
Frank as referee held a split second
stop watch, so he knew the exact time
to start the four racers. The cap pis-
tol was "ten shooter" anu when the
first Bang" rang out the Fried Egg
took the water; the second report
started Joe's Arrow; then came the
Dart, and two and half seconds after
that the Ki-Yi was to start But Ben
tried to take unfair advantage and
started his motor before the signal. AS
this was q distinct violation of the
rules the start was spoiled Frank de-
clareL it mo race"
Ben fumed and argued, but the other
three boats were brought back and the
start made over again. The second start
was perfect, and the boys who had en-
tered the four racers all ran around
the end of the oval at top speed to be
in at the finish.
Probably what Immediately followed
would never have occurred If the Ki-Yi
had behaved properly, but it was Ben's
own fault, for his rudder had doubtless
been correctly adjusted In the beginning
when he tried 10 be unfair at the first
start. Anyway. just as his boat was
making up some Of her handicap she
swerveI and then turned completely
about in a graceful curve and started
back to where she came from.
BY this time the four boys had run
around to the finish. On sped the
three other motor boats. the Arrow
gradually widening the distance as she
dashed for the bank straight between