Evening Star Newspaper, March 30, 1930, Page 95

Columbia Boat Club crew, winner of the gig and senior four races, Potomac regatta, September 10,-1885. Left to right: F. A. Nute (stroke), C. J. Kintner (No. 3, J. C. Kondrup (Ne. 2), Capt. William Howard Gibson (coxswain) and Dr. Arthur Snyder (Ne. 1). the event, and this is what he tald the public the nert day: “The Potomac River regatta yesterday afier- moon was a complete success. All the condi- tions were favorable, and the races were well contested. The races were all a mile“and a half straight away from a peint above Long bridge to a point above the Analostan boat- house. The time made was only fair, as both wind and tide were unfavorabie. “The first race, senior fours, for the cham- pionship of the river and Star and Post cups, was contested by the Columbias (Nute, K ner, EKondrup and Snyder) and Was < {Smithson, Baker, Ryan and, Sween;} The Potomac lightweights did not put in an appearance. The two crews started on nearly even terms, the Washingtons rowing 45 st to the minute and the Columbias 40 former soon dropped to 40 and the latter to 38 ‘The Columbias pulled in magnificent form. with the long swinging roke that Ward has taught them. The Washingtons put immense into their stroke, but could not leave rivals, who rowed well within themselves. Columbias hugged the Virginia shore, and a the mile he ht advamntage. At t the Was 1s made a desperate sy the Colur t out a link and crc s by two lengths in 9.32; Was THE next race‘at this regatta was for junier 4 crews, and was won by the Analostans, the Columbias losing through misfortune and acei- dent. Of this race, The Star gives the foliow- ing account: “In the Junior four for the Mason cup. the starters were: Analostans—Richard Somers, bow; J. J. McCloskey, 2; P. M. Hillyver, 3: O. G. Eckstein, stroke. Ariels, Baltimore— W. C. Protzman, bow: G. M. Muncks. 2; E. A. Slack, 3; W. S. Kahler, stroke. Potomacs— J. H. Doyle, bow; W. P. Wheeler. 2; H W. Elmore, 3: J. T. Sprague, stroke. Columbiac— R. C. Ballantyne, bow; J. C. Pedrick, 2; New- ton Simmons, 3; G. P. Green, stroke. “The Potomacs got off first, pulling 40: Ariels second, at 36; Analostans third, at 0. The Columbias’ stroke slipped his seat after the first few strokes and Jlost time in starting again. At the half the Potomacs were ieading, the Analostans and Ariels en even terms. At three-quarters the Analostans, rowing well, had passed the Ariels, who were in bad shape, and began crawling up on the Potomacs. On the last half mile the Potomacs made a desperate spurt to keep their lead but could net keep their boat straight. The Analostans, in good form, and keeping a good course, crossed the line winner in 10:40. The Columbias and Ariels fought for third place, but the former colliGed with a pleasure boat.” The sirgle-scull race, which fellowed, was contested by Kearney of the Potomacs and Smithson of the Washingtons, and, though the latter was the favorite, yet his strenuous work in the first race ‘so told en him that Kearney defeated him without serious difficulty, though ‘Smithson rowed pluckily to the end. The gig race which fellowed showed Colum- bias’ superiority and good training. The clubs and crews taking part were: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia—George W. Shetzell, bow; Walter Nagle, 2; Percy J. Wall, 3; J. Howard Beck, Streke, and Fred T. Agard, coxswain. Colum- bias—A. A. Snyder, bow; J. C. Kondrup, 2; C. J. Kintner, 3; A. Nute, stroke; W. H. Gib- son, coxswain., Unions, New York—W. E. Cody, bow; R. A. Jackson, 2; E. H. Patterson, 3; R. H. Bhile, stroke, and T. H. McIntyre, coxswain. The Star tells us: “The Columbias anA Unions dashed off at a terrific rate, soon leav- ing the Pennsylvanians, who had been confi- dent of victory. The leading two boats were side by side over nearly the whole course, thé advantage apparently being with the Unions. At Easbys point they were leading by half a fength, but the Columbias made a magnificent spurt at the finish, winning by half a length, in 9:22. Too much credit could not be givén the Columbia crew for racing two such races as it did yesterday, and club-mates were wild with delight. The Pennsylvanians were confi- dent of victory in the last race, ahd the Unions but little less so. The prizes were awarded at the Riggs House last evening by George B. Corkhill, who made an appropriate address.” ’I‘O THE writer research work is extremely attractive and interesting, though one thing has always appealed to him as hard to avoid, and that is getting interested in some- thing entirely foreign to what you are looking for, for thére are so many interesting things one comes across in eld newspapers and books and elsewhere that if one stopped to read them all, he would soon find himself get- ting nowhere. However, one item, foreign to his quest, was so interesting to him the other evening, in looking over The Star for boat races, that he could not help but read it over, and knowing that his many friends and the public in general would be interested with him in what he was reading, he decided to copy it. Here it is, taken from The Star of September 16, 1885: “ST. THOMAS, Ontario.—Jumbo, the $300.- 000 elephant, was killed on the Grand Trunk airline tracks, half a mile east of here, last night. His keeper was leading him along the tracks, when a freight train came up behind unnoticed and ran him down. He was injured so badly that he died in 30 minutes. The trick elephant, Tom Thumb, also was injured, one leg being broken.” The following day a Buffalo dispatch tells us: “From advices received today through circus people who witnessed the killing of Barnum's elephant, Jumbo, it appears that the noble beast lost his life while trying to save the life of his favorite, the baby trick elephant, Tom Thumb. When Jumbo saw the impending danger, which was mot until the locomotive was almost upen him, he grasped his little friend in his trunk and hurled him far out of danger. The little beast struck against a bex car with sufficient force to break a leg * * *. Jumbo made an effort to save himself then, but it was too late and he was crushed. The en- gine and five box cars were forced from the tracks.” HE STAR, in referring to this accident, edi- torially, spoke of the goed moral it con- veyed, namely: “Not to oppose the spirit of the age.” Here is the editorial: “Jumbo is dead. The friend of youth, the admired of all, the boast and wonder of the age is no more, and what remains to us is to bear our less with resignation and to extract from the sad event its moral lessons. “Jumbo met his untimely, tragic death by getting in the way of a train of cars. He was walking along the tracks with his keeper when a freight train ran into him and crushed him to death. “The moral of this distressing accident is obvious. Jumbo is dead because, innocently, no doubt, he antagonized the course of events. He opposed the spirit of the age, and obstructed the progress of mankind.” Other big beasts have tried the same experiment with invariably the same result, and the conclusion may now be accepted as fully established that in ecolli- sions of this sart the course of events, spirit of the age or progress of mankind will always win. If any one could have succeeded Jumbo could, and Jumbo is dead. * * *” Indeed, never in the history of the world would this editorial fit in better than today, for there are ever so many people like poor Jumbo, who feel that they are perfectly justi- fled in butting an automobile out of the middle” of the street if they wish to do so. They little realize that they wusually have but the one chance coming to them, and only one funeral. Combating such forces as trains and automo- biles is indeed taking desperate chances ‘with one's precious life. Jumbo was a great elephant and came here first on May 1, 1882. He was an unusually large beast, his dimensions being: Circumfer- ence of fore lag, 5 feet 6 inches; around front foot, 5 feet 6 inches; twice around his foot was about his height—11 feet; length of trunk, 7 feet 4 inches; around his trunk, 1 foot 3% inches; length of foreleg, 6 feet. Jumbo meant a whale lot to the children of Washington and, of course, wherever he was ex- hibited, and there was genuine grief among the younger set when news of his death reached here. No doubt there are still living in the Dis- trict at least several thousand persons who re- member this mammoth elephant, - NOTHER news note that attracted the writer's attention was the great yacht race near New York, between the American boat Puritan and the British boat Genesta. This was in September, 1885, and after finding out that the American boat won, as it has con- tinued to do ever since, he unalterably decided to confine himself to the boat story he was writing, and this is what he found that The Star had to say about the Columbia’'s victory at the Staten Island regatta, September 1, 1890, which added another great victory to its list of winnings: “THE COLUMBIA'S VICTORY. “THEY WON THE EIGHT-OARED RACE AT STATEN ISLAND. “The Columbia Athletic Club’s senior eight- oared crew yesterday won the mile race at the Staten Island Athletic Club’s regatta, near New York. The Potomac crew finished third, and today the town is colored a deep shade by the Columbian adherents. The race was rowed in the afternoon, the start being made at 3 o'clock. The entries were the Columbias and Potomacs of this city, the Arthur Kulls of New Jersey, the Tritons of Newark, the New York Athletics of New York and the Staten Island Athletics. The Potomacs made a poor start owing to the suddenness of the word. The Columbias and Staten Island crew at once took the lead, the former a little bit ahead. “An accident to the steering apparatus of the New York Athletic shell caused the men to drop out after pulling about a dozen strakes. At the half-mile,- the Columbians led by a length with Staten Island second and Potomac third, two lengths behind Staten Island. The Potomacs soon made a spurt which nearly clesed the gap, but some unsteady werk in the boat caused her to lose her course and the gap was widened again. Columbia crossed the line a clean winner by a length, having never been headed, her time being 4:4015.” The crews were: “Columbia Athletics—J. M. Kenyon, 1; A. A. Snyder, 2; L. L. Harban, 3; Ed Ryan, 4; A. W, Johnson. 5; W. E. Crist, 6; Charles Baker, 7; 8. J. Jannus, stroke, and W. A. Smith, coxswain. “Potomac Athletics—H. W. Elmore, 1; G. E. Sawyer, 2; W. T. Norton, 3; John Reinhart, 4; E. R. Reynolds, 5; C. C., Smithson, 6; L. A. Fischer, 7; 1. S. Dyer, stroke, and 'W. F. Roberts, coxswain.” The following year, on September 7, the Columbia Club showed its heels to the other crews both at Staten Island and at Boston, and again we find The Star saying: *“The Columbia Athletic Club’s crews yester- day won both of the races in which they were entered at West Brighton, Staten Island, and at Boston. The great race at West Brighton was for the Staten Island Challenge Cup, one mile, valued at $1,000. The following were the competing crews: “Columbia Athletic Club of Washington, D C.—1, L. L. Harban; 2, R. J. Brewster; 3, 8. J. Manus; 4, Edward Ryan; 5, A. Johnson; 6, W, E. Crist; 7, Charles Baker; stroke, I. Dyer; coxswain, H. S. Ward.” “In the eight-oared junior shell race there were four contestants. The Columbias of Washington rowed well within themselves and were not headed. The Crescents met with a slight mishap, which lost them some time, but they held second place, with the Union Club of New York third and the Riversides, who rowed a ragged stroke, last. Time of winner, 8:291, " 'HE Columbia Boat Club had its boathouse at the foot of Thirty-second street, and, according to the city directory of 1883, its officers were: President, Charles E. Coon, U. S. A.; vice president, J. C. Kintner; secre- tary, E. B. Olds; treasurer, A. T. Brice; cap- tain, W. Howard Gibson; first lieutenant, Charles D. Davis; second leutenant, A. B. Briggs; financial .sgcret,ary. H. C. Teowers; finance committee, J. F. Paret, 5. W. Stine- metz and T. L. Riggs. In 1884 S. W. Stinemetz became second Heu- tenant, and the finance committee was changed to R. C. Ballantyne, J. H. Gordon and F. D. Johns. In 1885 W. Howard Gibson had become vice president, H. L. Williams recording secretary, Fred Chapin corresponding secretary, Dorsey Brown treasurer, Arthur May assistant treas- urer, Samuel W. Stinemetz captain and Howard Perry third lieutenant. As the Columbia Athletic Club, its officers in 1894 were: President, Charles E. Coon; vice president, Alexander Grant; secretary, Alex- ander P. Shaw; treasurer, Gilman M. Fague: capiain, John T. Bivins; lieutenants, Wendell A. Smith and Thomas B. Nolan. By 1899 the officers had changed to: Presi- dent, James K. Redington; vice president, Joseph Shillington; secretary, Charles H. Bates; treasurer, William R. King; captain, S. W. Stinemetz, and lieutenants, Thomas B. Nolan and C. W. Hecock. Of course, you must not understand that the Columbia Boat Club was at all times the fere- most crew on the river, for indeed there were others, of which the writer hopes to tell you something next Sunday. IN the recent article on old Washington print- ers the writer realizes that he omitted any number of the craft, some dead and some still living, who could easily be included as veterans of the trade. But of course a magazine article should not be taken as a history, and then again there is another time coming, and maybe another story on the same subject —who knows? However, in referring to those who have worked in The Star's compesing room the name of George G. Seibold, a present employe, might well have been mentioned, particularly be- cause of his long and continued services as secretary of Columbia Typographical Union and because he was one of the pioneer machine operators of the city. It also occurs to the writer that George lost a promising son over= seas in the World War, and that Mrs. Seibold wears today the gold cross denoting the paren- tal sacrifice. Another old friend, who died some years ago and who might well have been mentioned in the Government Printing Office article of recent date, was Fletcher Bowden, who ren- dered faithful and efficient service to the Gov- ernment in a supervising position at the hig print shop when the World War was at its height. He was ane of thaose delightful men an acquaintance could never forget. Speaking .of printers, during the past week the writer received a nice letter from his old friend “Dick” Beresford—Mr. Richard Beresford —for years, and still, the New York manager of the Lansion Monotype Machine Co. Dick’s sister, Miss Elizabeth Beresford, has been keep- ing him posted on ‘Washington happenings by sending him clippings from The Star, and in this way she sent him the writer's story om “Old Carroll Institute Hall and Its Players.” “Dick,” himself a printer, and the son of the late Randolph Beresford, one of Washington's employing printers of more than 50 years ago— and, of course, later wrote to offer congratula- tions and say that Pritz Kimmel, who played the clarinet in Al Meran's Orchestra is in the employ of the Coast and Geodetic Survey and located at Baltimore, so he beliaves. It is, indeed, a great pleasure to hear from these old cronies of ¥ears 8% .« o ity -