Evening star., 1941-07-06

Bp John CIaeeH Proctor.

By John ClaeeH Proctor.
One of the real delights of the more
mature person is to reminesce about the
things and events of his childhood days
the things that then impressed him
most, the things OF the distant past that
he still dearly loves to recall. And so,
as, the writer prefaces this story, his
mind Wanders back to the days OF his
youth, and to an event that occurred
IN the spring of 1880, when what was
scheduled to be one of the greatest
boat races on the Potomac River or,
indeed, anywhere, ended in one OF the
greatest fzzleS in sports. This was
what was to be-the Hanlan-Courtney
boat race.
For months before and even for
months after, this so-called boat race.
Washington, and indeed the whole
country for that matter, was clean Han
lan-Courtney crazy. and no discussion
started that did not end with review
of the abilities of these two men-un-
doubtedly two of the best single scullers
who ever stepped into boat or who
ever handled an oar.
When this great event took place the
writer was youth, even to such an
extent that he still enjoyed toys and
playthings, and his boyish heart was
greatly gladdened when one Of his un-
cles made for him two little Sailboats
which were made to revolve with the
wind when placed upon a pole. He
recalls he named one "Hanlan" and the
other Courtney" and that for several
years afterward. whenever the wind
blew, these two miniature boats raced
around and around in his back yard,
much TO his childish delight.
More Than Local.
It was an international race, this
Eanlan and Courtney affair, and that
Is the reason why it attracted more than
local interest. Edward Hanlan hailed
from Toronto Canada, and Charles E.
Courtney's home was in Union Springs,
N Y. Courtney was a big fellow, about
6 feet / inch in height, and with broad
shoulders, produced no doubt from row.
ing, in which he had indulged since
childhood, and in American boating
circles he had been a prominent char
acter for years. Born in 1849, he be-
came the acknowledged champion of
America.
He was carpenter and ran a planning
mill at his home town, Union Springs.
He was popular because he was obliging,
and especially was he admired by the
~ Wi
versity for the assistance he had given
Its crews in their intercollegiate races.
Hanlan was not so large a man as
Courtney, but he was unusually strong
and muscular. He was not born until
1855, and was therefore six years younger
than his rival. He began to row at so
early an age that 1t is said he was al
most born in a boat. Indeed, at the
age of 31s years he rowed across To-
ronto Bay, said to be good trip for
boy of 13 or IA years. and before COM
ing to Washington had defeated some
of the worlds best single scullers, both
amateur and professional, in the IS or
more races in which he had partici-
pated, including Handon and Elliott, the
latter at that time England's champion
sculler. He was a native of Canada,
and his occupation in 1880 was the keep
ing of public house opposite Toronto,
his name alone drawing big business,
especially from those interested in boat
racing and associated aquatics.
Both Phenomenal.
One can easily see the reason for
rivalry between these two men, one a
Canadian, the other an American; one
living in New York State and the other
Just across the border to the north,
and both regarded as phenomenal oars
men. Naturally it was inevitable that
these men should be brought together
to determine which was the better OF
the two, and somehow or other-es-
pecially in the great events-something
always seemed to happen to throw a
cloud over the races in which these
men took part, like the one rowed on the
Potomac.
When they first roWed at Montreal
Canada, over the Lachine course, it was
as beautiful a race as any one would
care to witness. 1t was nip and tuck
all the way to the very finish, Hanlan