The Press., 1916-09-07
The Stroke Oar By WILLARD BRAKEMAN

number of young men, mostly col legians, were sitting in group on the forward deck of North river steam CT. They were going up to Pough- keepsie to boat race of college crews on the Hudson. An elderly man sat near them listening to their talk and enjoying the exuberance of youth which came bubbling out of them Presently he drew his chair near them and said: ..#
 Your talk takes me back good many years. l pulled in the race of 1S6- between Harvard and Yale, race never to be forgotten by me on account of a curious culmination con- nected with it."
 What was that, sir?'
 The man hesitated. Presently he said: "I'll give 1t to you, but under stand that l don't put any interpreta- ton on 1t.
 q was at Harvard the year I have mentioned. Yale had Eeaten us for several years. We had lost several consecutive races, and th!s year we were especially anxious to break up the run of i'll success and get some en- couragement into our supporters by winning a race. Those who could go back in college affairs said that there had been no success sincc Wilkins had been captain of tho crew and stroke at the same time. We hadn't the coaches in those days you boys have now and were more dependent upon some single member of the crew.
 q was captain of that crew of 1SG- and made 1t up myself. I expected to give the stroke, but couple of months before the regatta I wasstaken ill and when the race was about to come off had not sufficiently recovered to row at all. I had a hard time to find man to take my place in the crew, and as for getting one who could give the stroke and carry the crew to a possible success-it was impossible.
 "The evening before the regatta I was sitting in my room at the - House alone and feeling very blue when there came tap at my door. I said, Come in!' and q young man en- tered who was one of the most strik. ing fellows in appearance I ever saw. He was very thinly dressed, and the muscles stood out all over him. The only thing against him for strength was that he was very pale.
 "'Going to get licked tOmorrowY he said.
 "I suppose so. Who are youY
 "I'm a Harvard man. I reckon I'll have to help you out. Can you use meY
 T asked him a lot of questions about what class he was in, what course he was taking, when he had entered, when he would graduate, and could get nothing definite out of him. He said that he was an expert oarsman and if I would put him on the crew and any one after the race attempted to prove that he had no right to be there it would be time enough to be more explicit. The college needed a victory, and after a victory it would pluck up.
 'T fully agreed with him as to the necessity of a victory and arranged | with him to be at the boathouse as the boat was about to be put into the water. He was there, all right, and | when in rowing togs his frame was a sight to behold. I've never seen better biceps in my life. When the crew en- tered the boat he took the stroke. "What sweep he gave that oar of his! It seemed a feather in his hands. And his stroke was so perfect that, | though there was not a man behind him who had ever been in a boat with | him before, there was no difficulty in l all of them keeping perfect time with | him.
 | "The boat shot out into the middle of the river, where the faces of the crew were not very plain to those on shore, and I was glad of 1t, for I had my doubts about my strokes right to be there. The boats lined up and made a start at the first signal to go. ''There was noticeable difference between the work of the two crews. Now and again some Yale man would send up the spray, but not man in the Harvard boat struck cupful of water on the recover. It was all in the leadership of the stroke.
 "Our fellows took the lead from the first and kept 1t around the stake boat and won the race by:a good hundred | yards. It was the prettiest won race l I ever saw When I got to the boat house the men had carried in the boat. looked around for my stroke, but didn't see him. One of the crew said he had just gone up the bank. I fol lowed, but he was nowhere to be seen. Ut would take a lot of time to tell you what was said about the intro duction at the last moment of a new and unknown man. There was much | adverse criticism, and it fell principal ly on me- One thing I heard startled me. Several persons who had known Wilkins when he was ill college de- clared that my stroke was he. I won- dered if he had come back and goI into the crew without letting me or any one know that he was doing what he had no right to do. I learned where Wilkins lived and wrote line to him asking if he would kindly tell me where he was on the day of the regat ta. What do you suppose was the re- ply? His father wrote me that he had been very i'll for some time and died the evening before the race.
 Now. young gentlemen, don't wish any comments on my story. have none to make myself. I have simply given it to you as, according to my senses, it occurred. may have dream ed it."