The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-23
The Stroke Oar
BY WILLARD BRAKEMAN


er. They We're going up TO POUCH
keepsie to boat race Of college crews
on the Hudson. An elderly man sal
near them listening to their talk and
enjoying the exuberance Of youth
which came bubbling out of them
Presently he drew his chair near then
and said:
Your talk takes me back a good
many years. l pulled in the race OF
1856 between Harvard and Yale a
race never to be forgotten by me on
account of curious elimination con.
nected with it"
What was that, sir?"
The man hesitated Presently lie
said: I'll give 1t to you, but rslder.
stand that | don't put any interIsreta.
ton on 1t.
i was at Harvard the year l have
mentioned. Yale had beaten us for
several years. We had lost several
consecutive races. and this year we
were especially anxious TO break up
the run of Ill success and get some en-
enlargement Into our supporters by
winning race. Those who could 20
back in college affairs said that there
had been no success since wilkins had
been captain of the crew and stroke
at the sane time. We hadn't the
coaches In those days you boys have
now and were more dependent upon
some single member Of the crew.
Il was captain of that crew of 1885,
and made 1t sp myself. / expected to
give the stroke, but couple of months
before the regatta | was taken I'll and
when the race was about to come off
had not sufficiently recovered to row
at all. | 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
was sitting in my room at the -
House alone and feeling very blue
when there came a tap at my door.
said, Come I'M and young man en-
tered who was one of the most strik-
Ing fellows in appearance | ever saw.
de 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 tomorrow he
said.
suppose so. Who are YOU?
I'm Harvard man. | reckon III
have to help you out Can you use
me-?
Il 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 l 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
victory, and after a victory it would
pluck up.
Il fully agreed with him as to the
necessity of a victory and arranged
with him to be ut the boathouse MS
the boat was about to be put into the
water. He was there. all right, and
when III rowing togs lis frame was
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 rnat oar of |
his! 1t seemed feather in his hands. |
And his stroke was so perfect TINT
though there was not a man behind |
MIN who had ever been in a boat with
him before, there was no difficulty in
all of them keeping perfect time with
him.
Inc boat shot out into the middle of
the river, where the faces of the crew
were not very plain to those on shore.
and was glad of it, for had nv
doubts about my strokes right to be
there. The boats lined up and made a
start at the first signal to go.
There was a 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 a cupful of
water on the recover. 1t was all In
the leadership of the stroke.
Our fellows took the lead from the
nrst and kept 1t around the stake boat
and won the race by a good hundred
yards. 1t was the prettiest won race
ever saw. When l got to the boat.
house the men had carried In the boat.
looked around for my stroke, but
1idnt see him. One of the crew said
ne mad just gone up the bank. l fol-
owed, but he was nowhere to be seen.
1t would take a lot of time to tell
you what was said about the intro
iuction at the last moment of a new
md unknown man. There was much
diverse criticism, and 1t fell principal.
on me. One thing l heard startled
ne. Several persons who had known
wilkins when he was in college de.
dared that my stroke was he. / won.
Tered II he had come back and gor
INTO the crew without letting me or |
my one know that he was doing what
lie had no right to do. learned where
Wilkins lived and wrote line to him
skiing If he would kindly tell me
where he was on the day of the regat-
a. What do you suppose was the re- ,
ly7 His father wrose me that he had
'een very Ill for some time and died !,
he evening before the race. !,
Now, young gentlemen, don't wish q
ny comments on my story. have
one to make myself l have simply
iven it to you as, according to my r
enses, it occurred. may have dream Il
d it" +
ANY NOTABLE CHANGES ID,