The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-07-10
4 LITTLE BIT OF
IRELAND OFF JERSEY
1t Is Sir Thomas Upton and His
"Navy"--Six Craft Strong
Awaiting the Races Lat
er This Month

er This Month.
New York, July l0.-There's a lit
tie bit of Ireland floating off the Jer-
sey coast and its ruler is familiar
figure in yachting fannels and cap. It's
Sir Thomas Upton and his navy
six craft strong invading the United
States to capture the Americas cup
in yachtsmen's battle off Sandy Hook
| this month.
The man TO whom large patch of
water is an alien sight thinks of the
cup races as few impromptu jousts
between couple of sailing sloops
which cost a mite more than the aver
| age man can afford. He does not re-
alize that these yachts and their crews
have to 60 through period of training
as long as that of any football team
and thousand times more costly.
| BY purchase or charter Sir Thomas
has amassed his feet. In addition to
the challenge, Shamrock w., and the
trial horse, the 23-meter Shamrock,
there is the steam yacht Victoria, the
flagship of the feet, on which the vet
eran yachtsman lives, anchored each
| night in the Hudson.
Then there is the houseboat KilIar-
| ney, tucked snugly away in the shelter
| Of the Hook. On the Killarney reside
the crews of the two racing craft,
But this does not complete the feet.
There is the tug Governor Smith to
tow the sloops to the starting line and
snappy speed boat to run errands.
Numberless smaller launched and din
gys don't count in the yachting ar
mada.
The Irish baronet has his daily sched-
ule-enjoyable enough, but just at
present a business to which he ad-
heres as closely as the broker daily
watches his ticker
Each day he steams down to the
Hook from New York to watch the
challenger-his sweetheart, the elder.
ly bachelor calls her match her
speed against the trial horse.
Each day, as dusk approaches, he
holds. conference with his band of
yachting experts, suggesting little
changes here, little changes there,
smoothing out ripple in clubtopsail
which to the land -lubber fits exactly
or clipping few inches from top
mast with which, to the unintiated,
there seems nothing wrong.
And each day he continues to deal
out dollars to the $50 members of his
armada. For it is an expensive sport,
this quest of a hundred guinea cup
and victor or loser, Sir Thomas will
have paid out more than a million dol
lars for this years races alone.
At o'clock, except in most dis
tressing weather, raising of Sir Thorn
as personal fag-a green shamrock
on field OF gold--betokens that the
vice commodore of the Royal Ulster
Yacht club is aboard, awake and ready
to receive guests. These invariably in
clude a corps of newspapermen Most
of them come from breakfast, stay for
lunch and linger for dinner, and as sea
air breeds an appetite, the yachts lar
der receives a blow which would make
the ordinary housewife culver in these
days of high prices.
Then the Victoria weighs anchor
Recognized by all harbor craft, she re-
ceives salutes from sootiest tug TO
most majestic battleship.
Sir Thomas stands on the bridge
the familiar, blue jaeketed. befannelled
figure, who for years, has crossed the !
Atlantic to win the trophy on which |
he has set his heart. He strokes his |
gray goatee and his face wrinkles into a |
rogliish grin as he swaps yarn for yarn
with his innumerable guests.
For Sir Thomas must have his
joke.
One of which he Is particularly fond |
concerns visit once paid him at |
Cowles by former Mayor John Fitz-
gerald of Boston.
The baronet was entertaining a
group of Americans when suddenly il |
was reported to him that the royal
launch was headed for his craft.
The king and queen" cried Sir
Thomas and at once began drilling his
guests in court etiquette.
But the royal launch, which rarely |
carries any but royalty, arrived with a
lone Yankee.
II seems that Mr.. Fitzgerald, wishing
to pay visit to his friend, the Irish |
yachtsmsn, had been unable TO find a
natty 10 bring him alongside. But find
ing the royal launch at the royal land
ing stage, he pronounced il "a decent
enough boat" and ordered it to the
Upton yacht.
Meanwhile the king and queen.
reaching the stage, beheld in amaze
ment their launch dashing away from