New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-07
Jim Rice Working Hard to
Develop Winning Crew
for Big Regatta.
DEARTH OF BIG MEN
HIS CHIEF HANDICAP
CAPTAIN BrattOn Proves an Ideal
Choice for Position of
Stroke Oar.

Under the shadow of the grim. gray
Palisades Jim Rice is coaching his Co
lumbia crews for the Intercollegiate
Rowing Regatta at Poughkeepsie in the
closing week of June.
Rice hopes to send an eight TO the
line which will have the speed and
stamina to lead the boats of Cornell,
his dearest rival, Pennsylvania and
Syracuse across the line, but without
casting the slightest dlscredlt upon ms
bows il must be said that dIhcult
task confronts him. Performing lust
such tasks. however, is little peculi-
arity Of Jim's. and in him, perhaps
rather than in the crew. confidence
runs high at Columbia.
There were sixteen broad-shSul-
dered. deep-chested Young men VINO re-
snonded 10 the call Get the sticks
opti" from Captain Norman Bratton
Yesterday afternoon. Jim looked the
bovs over and counted them carefully
IN see that no one had escaped. Then
tho shells were launched and the crews
Got under way. They were larry
husky youngsters, these oarsmen VINO
will wear the pale Blue and WHITE at
/ Pouqbkeepsie. but they were not DUN
along the same rangy lines as the SIan-
ford oarsmen who fought so nooly last
year.
Gosh" said Rice. 81 wish ! could ge1
about 900 fellows out here some sPrlhg,
/ two hundred real big men VINO nave
rowing in their backs and hearts a.
vol as in their minds. Here am w
40 boats. and at some of the other
/ ooIIeges they have four or five. guess
( Voyr York CITY is not the place LOT
,o,,,;ro ANYWAY. The boys have 100
,o,,cb 70 distract them. But these boys
Tho are out there are trying with an
/ their hearts. and you bet they ma"e
/ tbat old boat pump along
/ linn was right. The old boat oi1 pump
/ along, and in streaks II ran WIN g, ~
as much speed as the coachlhg .au ~
: 1900. which is fairly meet poa., ~, .ho
Editions and it would take crew
botb swift and strong to lead Columola
~ ebort race. The intercollegiate re-
natts however. will be rowed over 2
four-roile course, and there IS Where
~ oiement of doubt comes IN. klce
hos a Young crew, and more OF less
nTeen crew. which may lack the STAN,
r. IN row four miles at any klnu VI
speed. u. = CoIunnhia
Memory fails TO suggest CoIunlpig
crou, that has not rowed smoothly ana
according TO the letter OF rowing ioi ~
s;,ce rice assumed command, ana Inis
cars eight will be 10 exception ~.
mon row the typical Rice stroke WIN
tremendous catch, a smashing nesN'
,,,;tb the body and snap at the nm
;sb sunnlemented with leg drive INA
mixes The boat leap through the wafer
A ouick turn Of the wrists shoots Iht
blade clear Of the knees on tne TeeoS
erv and a perfect control OF the sllu'
allows the she'll TO run freely peV"eei
During the practice spin YESTERDAY
NJ some seven miles or more, de'o'et
IN racing starts and long, sustain n
sDrints The crew rowed remarkably
we'll CAPTAIN Bratton got the stroh'
nm 10 forty-two TO the minute IN ON
of the brushes with the second crew
vet the varsity boat was Kept on az
even keel and there was remark.s,oo.l'
lack of splashing. For all the rspiu''S
of stroke. the BOYS got their Dachs o.
and pulled the blades right throue'
until they cleared the water.
Never firing.
CAPTAIN Bratton is an oarsman OF I'M
r;obt TYNE. He is the sort of man wh'
could row on all day, apparently an'
never tire. His chest IS deep and ms
shoulders broad. His torso Iorms tn'
y,adpe which marks the perfectly bull'
man and is covered by muscles tha'
are tough as steel cables, yet supple
as q whip lash. His hands are big anC
bonv. and take hold OF the handle OF
the sweep with a grip that nothlne
could loosen. Bratton worked IN the
! mines in Alaska for two years.
Bra.ton is the ideal choice for the
strokes position. He is tirelesS, know:
every move in rowing. and has keer
racing brain. Moreover, he is an IN
spring leader and never overlooks the
opportunity TO urge his followers on tC
do their best.
Leys, the present incumbent OF No: Z
is lust the sort of man 20 follow ms
leader. lie sets the pace for the star
board side of the boat nicely. and pulls
a strong oar Dropping back TOWARD
the waist of the boat. however, Rice
will find some Of his problems.
Pencil. a lithely built boy, but one
who is tough as hickory, is inclined &c
be bit slow in shooting his hand;
away on the finish, and this, of course
II not corrected would destroy the
| rhythm of the whole boat. But Rice