El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-05-19
No Man Who Does Not Look
Fit Should Try for Place
in Regatta.

nv Charles E. Courtney. fomous row.
ing coach Of Cornell College,.
ithaca. \. Y. May 20.-It was only
a few davs before the big Poughkeep-
sie regatta Cornell had an ordinarily
good crew squad, but there was one OF
The men who I did not believe was IN
condition for his race. Calling the
medical examiner aside, / said
4Doctor. there is something wrong
with that man I don't believe ne Is
in condition
1T consider him perfectly fit to go
into the race" said the doctor
have examined him carefully and there
is nothing the matter with him.
4 few days later the man roWed IN
+be four-oared race At the end OF the
first mile he collapsed. and the crew
did not finish OF the five hundred
and more undergraduates who have
rowed in intercollegiate races since,
have been connected with the Cornen
navy, this was the only man VINO ever
showed signs of collapse in a Cornell
beat Never before or since have l al
lowed a man to compete against my
own Judgment.
There are unmistakable signs Ihat
always appear early in the training OF
a man who is out of condition. and
row. whether the stethoscope shows
him TO have a weak heart or not Just
what these conditions are, cannot
explain. 1t may be that while row.
ing or the machines. the lips get lit
tie white. or the face flushes pecu-
liarly
Many Are Dropped.
Every year at Cornell scores Of men
who register for the<navy are dropped
early in the training. not because they
might not make good men for the
crew. but because the light winter
work on the machines shows that hard
rowing would be dangerous to their
own health The elimination takes
place long before training can have
any injurious effects and there Is al
most no possibility Of an unfit man
getting into a Cornell race
For the young man in condition
there is no more beneficial exercise
than rowing. It not only develops him
physically and gives him stronger
constitution. but it counts in his men
tai and moral growth as we'll
Each year some $50 Cornell under
graduates register for the crew. The
elimination process extends over Pc
Rod of five months. This number must
be cut to % men-three Fights and a
four. for the actual races, and the
doctrine Of the survival OF the fit
test" applies.
Brains Essential.
In the final selection. brains are
more essential than Drawn. and hon
esty is to be considered before ability.
An ignoramus may make a successful
pugilist. but he can never be an oars
man. The rythmica1 manipulations OF
the sweep and sliding seats requires a
technical appreciation found only IN
the man with the we'll developed brain
The stroke must be worked out with
as much precision as problem in
geometry. It's mastery is science
Therefore, I have found by experience
that the best students make the best
oarsmen.
In picking q crew man from the
physical point OF view. look for the
perfectly developed al1-round man.
The fellow with some parts abnormal
ly developed at the expense of others
the muscular monstrosity-has no
place in rowing. His presence In a
boat is the weak spot when the ma
chine is put to the final test. Every
muscle has its function, and that func-
ton must be well performed 10 have an
evenly balanced crew
Honesty Is ylequIred.
But ahead Of physical perfection and
even ahead of brain power, would
place honesty as an essential requisite
for the oarsman. I have no place in a
Cornell boat for a man who would crib
in an examination. For he who will
cheat, even in little things. cannot
be trusted in the crucial moment OF a