New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-11
Courtney Spirit Still
SwayS Cornell CreWS

her oars. That time has never oetN
cquallcd. and has been threatened onIy
by the Cornell crew OF l9OS' whl'"
smashed down the course IN 1905.
Il would seem that July IS RECORD
breakino dav for Courtney. for eight
years after his varsity eight estaD-
Eshed its record the fire. Imam crew
and the varsity four made time which
has never been surpassed. In the re-
catta of 1909 the freshman went over
the two miles in 9 minutes II 80 sec
onds. and on the same day the TOUR
Dared crew rowed the same distance IN
10 minutes and / second. The junior
varsity race. inauguratcd in 1914, mas
twice been won by Cornell Fights. Last
year the race was rowed IN 10 minutes
is seconds. In 1914 Cornell won IN
1913 3-5.
So Cornell has dedicated June L.
1916. 20 the proposition that the active
career of Charles +. Courtney be
brought 20 close with perfect day
If il be M the power OF those two
dozen sunbrowned. oad-shouldered
men who will swing the sweeps IN that
gruelling race for the finish line Cor.
nell will once more sweep the river ana
three new records will be written on
the pages OF aquatic history.
Long Recital OF Victories.
The history Of Cornell rowing is one
long recital Of victory Since 1898
Courtney has sent ffty-nine crews TO
4 the line at Poughkeepsic and Saratoga
Lake. where the regatta was held IN
1898. and he has won thirty-nine races.
40 fewer than twenty-seyen of this
total were won by his eight-oared
crews. freshman and varsity. The var
sity crews have won fourteen races
out Of twenty-five. were second four
times. third four times and never
worse than third. The freshmen won
thirteen races, and only once did they
trail all the other crews home. That
was in 1907, when they rOwed last IN q
field Of five.
The varsity fours were despots
From 1900 until the four cared race
was dropped. after the regatta OF 1913.
they ruled with iron hang. Beaten IN
1900. they returned the following year
and won. Three more consecutive VIC
tories followed. hut IN 1905 they met
defeat In 1906 they won again.
The years Of 1907 and 1908 saw the
Cornell fours trail. but after that 1t
was one victory after another until at
last the race was dropped. IL was IN
1897 that Cornell rose TO her greatest
height. perhaps. for then, on June %,
she triumphed over the varsity eight
of Yale and Harvard in a fourmile
race, and one week later swept Colum-
hia and Pennsylvania down to defeat.
Cornell has been beaten in two consec-
utive years Just twice IN the history OF
the regatta Penn rowed 20 victory IN
1899 and 1900. with Wisconsin second
and Cornell third on each occasion. In
1913 Syracuse won. and in 1914 COlum-
bia scored its first victory since 1895.
1t would be more exact to say that
Cornell has been defeated on the Hud-
son River twice in two consecutive
wears. The intercollegiate race was
held on Saratoga Lake in 1898. and
there the Red and Blue clad oarsmen
of Pennsylvania won. So il happened
that for three years in succession the
Quakers downed Cornell, and they alone
hold that signal honor. To make up
for those defeats, however. Cornell has
made five sweeps and has won four
consecutive races, a record which no
other college has made in this blue
ribbon of American rowing. In 1909.
1910. 1911 and 1912 the boys from Lake
Cayrga won the VARSITY eigh.s.
Sweeps were scored in 1902, 1903,
1909, 1910 and 1912. On numerous
other occasions two Cornell crews won,
only to have the other beaten, but few
there were 10 find fault
Courtney Oldtime Oarsman.
Charles +. Courtney learned his craft
in the old days Of rowing. lie was a
profess ional and one of the greatest in
the world. He was a contemporary Of
the immortal Ned Hanlon. and the pair
engaged in several thrilling battles
with the oars. Hanlon was fortunate
in the majority OF these races. He
could beat Courtney, although the lat
ter has beaten the best time the mighty
Canadian ever made.
1t is said that Courtney saw only
one Cornell crew row. Then he bowed
TO the clamor Of the students. occu-
pied the seat Of honor ON the observa-
tiOn car and saw his crew returned a
winner. II was his custom to sit in the
back Of his quarters at Poughkeepsie,
away from the river, away from the
ciamor Of the eXulting boys. until the
race was over and the reports brought
TO him. He would sit whiting sticks
or playing checkers or anything else
that he could find to do, but he would
not see his crews row, and that was all
there was TO il.
Perhaps the real secret of the won
derful success OF Courtney at Cornell
was his absolute fearlessness and in
sistence that his word be final in mat
tiers of rowing. How he sacrificed his
chances Of winning at Poughkeepsie by
removing certain oarsmen from the
boat who endeavored to force their
ideas Of who and who not should be
rowed in the crew IS a matter of his
tory. How he made famous a couple of
~ hr,ao bC
cream in defiance Of his orders is his
tory, too. These are merely examples
Of how he handled the affairs
As he dominated the sport in the
past he will doubtless dominate it in
the future. His word always will be
taken as the final utterance on things
aquatic. and he doubtless will select his
own successor.
Giant Pair of Shoes Vacant.
There are numerous men who would
fain secure the position of coaching at
Cornell. These include coaches at
other colleges. In the desire to step in
where one man has made himself IA
nous they overlook the demands that
will be made. Courtney has made
marvellous success. The same success
will be demanded of his successor. and
should that success be not forthcoming
regardless Of the material at hand
some comparisons will be made
When the Old Man steps down he will
leave vacant a giant pair Of shoes, and
We know Of no man, save, perhaps. Jim
Rice, that Miracle Man of Columbia,
who might fiji them with any degree Of
success
Courtney is siXty-nine years of age,
and has been in charge Of Cornell row.
ing for the last twenty-odd years. Now
that he is TO lay aside the megaphone
for all time, the Cornell students are