New-York tribune., 1921-10-22
Perfect Weather Prom
ised for Fishing Boat
Race at Halifax To-day
Speoio, D4spatcn to The Tribune

HALIFAX N. s., Oct. 21-To-nght
finds Halifax tied into excited knots
of individuals who can talk of moth
ing but the big schooner race to-mor-
row. Conversation in this busy town
for the last week has revolved in
always widening circles about the re-
spectivc chances of the contesting
boats, the Bluenose and the Elsie,
and to night there is no other topic.
1t seems as though nothing can up
set the plans which have been per-
fected for the contest, which starts at
9 o'clock tomorrow morning, for the
trophy offered by "The Halifax Herald"
as the blue ribbon of the North Atlantic
fishing fleet. Even the weather is
right. The forecast for tomorrow is
wind and plenty of it, westerly and
southwesterly, with sunshine.
Tonight the last rope was coiled on
both the challenger and the defender
"The Elsie couldn't be BETTER was the
final verdict Of both Captain Marty
Welch and Russell Smith, of Gloucester,
sociation, under whose auspices the
Elsie competes.
"The Bluenose is right" said Skip
per Angie Walters, of Lunenburg.
No Prediction by Shippers
rival shippers agreed, but when they
were asked which boat would win they
scanned the sky with sudden and
possibly insincere interest in the
weather prospects. 1t is 81 rcmarka-
bic feature Of this joust that neither
skipper has allowed himself to utter
the iust-before- the battle prediction of
certain victory which accompanies most
contests of major Importance.
The Elsie rigged new maintopmast
to-day. Last night Captain Welch fig
ured he couldn't get the spar that he
wanted to replace the stick his good
ship had started Wednesday, when
sudden squall carried away back
stay, but this morning the stick was
found for him, and at this after
noon a picked crew with Mickey Hall,
the sneediest in the American fishing
feet, in command, went aloft and made
the shift.
The Elsie will carry her full racing
crew, without restriction. The Blue
Nose will have slightly larger crew,
ment is that the Blue Noses greater
size demands extra hands to handle
her. "Have hundred if you feet ltee
it," was the Gloucester skipper's COM
mnt on this suggestion. The Elsie Will
ship twenty-five or twentysix men and
the Blue Nose about thirty.
On the Elsie will be Captain Welch
in command, Captain Tom Benham as
mate, Henry Christensen, George
Young, Michael Hall, Stephen Whitley,
James Mcdonald, BEN amin Stanley and
Ray Mckenzie, all Of whom sailed on
the Esperanto in last years races and
were on the famous cup boat when she
went down off Sable Island. The new
comers to the crew are John Powers
Thomas Hall, Aubrey Hardy. Charles
Peart, Arthur Frazer, James Essler,
John Francis, Albert Hudder, Charles
Perry, Frank Connolly, ODE Winliff,
Ralph Foley, Charles Goodwin, Charles
Goodick and Yelma Johnson, the cook.
Trial Spin for Elsie
/ Captain John Matheson will be the
official American observer on board the
Blue Nose, and R. C. s. Kaulbach, Of
Luenburg, will represent the Canadians
on the American entry.
The Elsie had a trial run over the
course this morning with her racing
crew aboard.
1t was Captain Wallers's idea to haul
out the Blue Nose for q final groom
ing, but low tide prevented this action,
and the Canadian boat also beat it sea-
ward for a spin on her own account.
The U. s. S. Bushnell steamed into
pOrt Inls morning WIN ll1rleu w.
Lufkin, Collector Of the Port of Boston,
and official representative of President
Harding on board, with eighty other dis
tinEuished guests from the United States.
Captain Charles II. Peoples came on
the Bushnell a the official representa-
tive of the Comm onwealth of Massa-
chusetts, and Mayor Percy w. Wheeler,
Of Gloucester, came a representative
of the famous fishing center. Members
of the American Race Committee were
also on board.