The Washington times., 1938-06-27

Americas youth will wage their
ding dong battle from Krum Ell
bow to a mile below the Bridge.
The Poughkeepsie Regatt a
brings the calendar of summer
sports 70 a Tesplendent climax.
Too bad that Yale and Harvard
do not abandon their policy of
cold aloofnesS and send their
navies to the Hudson. If Har-
ward beat the Huskies of Wash
ington, the Golden Bears of Cali
fornia and the Big Red crew of
Cornell it would be recognized
as the national champion.
Best in Land
Regardless of Harvard'S pre-
tensions and contentious, the
crew that hurls the glistening
prov of its golden brown craft
first over the line this evening
will be recognized as the best
eight in the land, with the eX-
ception of the Thames. And per
hapS some of the New England
diehardS will be willing to ad-
nit that the winner at Pough-
keepSie was also pretty good.
Regatta season is Poughkeep-
sizes own. For 10 months of the
year it is an important if slow
moving city in the valley of the
lordly Hudson. The Nelson
House is Just another fine
countryside hostelry. Its meals
are good and its rooms are clean
and there's an air of Conserva-
tive respectability that gives it
personality.
But with the coming of tile
first college eight to establish
quarters in those shacks that
nestle under the west bank Of
the Hudson. Poughkeepsie
changes character. Old grads
mock to the city to watch the
present-day crews. They sit in
the Nelson House and tell of
the days when they manned the
sweeps, and how old Pop"
Courtney made Cornell the En-
press of the Waters.
They live again the famous
berry crate race; the year that
Penn crew, smashing forward
to certain victory, ran afoul of
a floating crate and fHundered.
They live again the glories of
Columbia's oarsmen behind the
mastery stroking Of Mccarthy.
Salute to Yesterday
Once again the tale is told
OF the Golden Bears of Califor-
MIA, who came and saw and con-
Quered, but in the midst of their
glory, found themselves without
visible means Of support. and
without funds to return to
Berkeley and their beloved estu-
ary on San Francisco Bay.
Their plight became known
and William o. Mcclellan, one
Of the all-time greats among
sports writer's. Californian
bred and born, quietly raised
the necessary funds by a brief
telephone canvas of his readers.
Men wearing the flaring wv"
of Washington flock to the Mel
son House and revive the glories
of the HuSkieS when Al Ulbrick-
son sat in the stern slide and
Stroked the crew to victory over
the best in the land.
PoughkeepSie is transformed
today into an abode of the Vik-
tngs, of men who bent on the
galley oar when all the world
was young, lad, and every tree
was green.
And through the sounds of
revelry borne upon seraph's
wings, there comes the scene
that to these eyes typified
Poughkeepsie. In the pageantry
of the day it might have been
called the Passing of Dad Vail"
Dads FareweU
The observation train came to
q jolting stop before the WiScon-
sin boat house below the bridge.
Next to the press car was Wis
consin car, dressed with the ban
ners of the Badgers. AS we came
to a halt. the band stood up and
played "On Wisconsin"
AS if it had been timed, old
Dad Vail, loved by every student
Of rowing, walked down the run
way to the float and boarded
the Wisconsin launch. Wracked
by i'll health, he made slow prog
reSs.
Into the mists of the over
cast evening the launch backed
the propeller kicking up its tiny
wash
ON Wisconsin -" the root
e:s in the car sang with all the
fervor of their hearts.
Old Dad raised his megaphone
in what was to be his last
salute to the waters of the Hud-
son; his last good-by to all this
life and all the glory of this
scene.
Without a cheer leader the
Wisconsin men arose and tore
the evening shadows with a
mighty cheer for the grand old
coach.
With head bowed upon his
chest, Dad stood there. Not a