ROWING.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2097, 25 January 1908, Page 2 (Supplement)

ROWING.

NED HANLAN DEAD. “THE GREATEST ARTIST IN A WAGER. BOAT I EVER SAW.” VIEWS OF i.VUiSTR ALLY'S UNBEATEN CHAMPION.

(Specially written for the Sydney “Referee" by “Bill” Beach.)

So poor Nod Hanlan has gone! T am sorry to hear of it. It was a blow to me, for although we have been rivals, we were always friends, and I am sorry to hoar of a good sport going under. Why, it. was only ■a few _ weeks back that l heard ho was thinking of having a trip,to Australia, and I naturally thought lie was in good 'health. M y word, he was a good sculler. I look back to our first race, and remember that it was only my condition that boat him. He was

THE BETTER SCULLER of tlio two then, though. The first time I mot Hanlan- was when became out to row Triekett, and- I saw what a champion Lv was. Then a match was arranged between, hint and Laycock on the Nepean, which lie won. Then Hanlan and I were fooling about for -a match for a good, while. He wanted a go for £SOO aside, but I did not have it. Eventually, aftor some difficulty, 1 got a backing, and wo were matched for .(.‘SOO aside and tho championship of the world. I always think he had an idea he had to meet SOMETHING PRETTY TOUGH for during my race with Triekett about that -time Hanlan saw me put on a spurt. That was to got out of tlio way of the steamers' following the race, and I think it always stuck in Hainan's mind. Our match was made for August 1(5, 1881. During the time we were training wo often had a bit of a brush-up, but, of course, neither of us know whether the other was all out. 1 remember him one morning coining to mv training shed, and asking me if 1 'll-.id any objection to his looking at my gear, boat, sculls, etc. I said “No, you can’t learn anything from me, though I might learn something from you with your years of experience.” He had a good' look at everything, but didn’t say anything about what he saw. On leaving he invited me over to his. shod, but 1 never went. He saw Jack 1 feeble, who was supposed to be my backer, as lie was going away, and said be reckoned I was pretty fair, but lie

WOULD BEAT ME PRETTY EASY

Well, we.got to the mark, and that little singlet, incident occurred. When Hanlan saw me take my singlet off ho chipped’ me about wanting it later on, but I told him I’d make him take his off before I finished with him. Then there was another incident very few know about. As we were on the mark he said to me: “Beach, I’ll bet you £IOO 1 beat you.” “No,” said I: “I haven’t got tho £100.” “Bet von £SO, then.” “Mo.” “Well, my boat against yours.” “No,” I said; “I might want my boat to race somebody else; but I’ll give you as good a race as I can.” And I did. I got ahead l after half the course had been done, and I won. He put down his defeat to the wash of the steamer Toinki, but I think it affected me most, as HANLAN WAS A BETTER. WATERMAN, though ho did not take the amount of care lie should have taken. The next time we met I got back on him over the side bot. I was the lion this time, and lie the .lamb: " “Bet you £100,” said 1. “Mo.” “Fifty, then.” "Mo.” “Well, I’ll give you tlio EARNEST HIDING YOU EVER HAD in your life!” And I fancy I did give him a .pretty good doing, as he was never ahead from start" to finish. I improved wonderfully between the first and second races, thqjngli. In a trial spin over a 1( mile course I was 40 seconds faster than, in my ■first race with him, and'l was very confident about the second. He rowed Clifford, a race, and I was at the start in my boat. As soon as they had gone a fair distance I set after them, and got to Putney 40 seconds quicker than either of them. Later he challenged me to row on the Thames for the championship and £SOO aside, and stated that he had deposited £IOO with tlio “Sportniair” in London to pull him, but when I got to the “iSpqrtman” office I found he

HAD NOT PUT UP ANY CASH

They referred me to Mr W. -J. linies, of the “Referee.” There was none there. Then Air limes, who was the father of rowing in England, got up an international sculling race, with a prize of £I2OO. 1 won this, and then raced and beat Gaudaur and Ross.

Hanlan arrived in England 1 in time to see me beat Ross, and lie challenged me to row for £SOOO. I told him I would not pull him, as I was going back to Australia. I wouldn’t stop there, and pull in cold weather. I asked why lie made a fool of me over the previous challenge, and told him I would not pull him unless lie came to Australia. He said he wouldn’t unless I allowed- him £IOO, .and pull' him on the Nepean. I did not agree to this until I got back to Melbourne, where Joe Thompson, the bookmaker, asked me if I would row Hanlan. The outcome of our conversation was that he put up £SOO for me, and cabled Hanlan £IOO, so that Hanlan had his expenses before lie left London. YVe pulled on the Nepean over a 3-} miles course. This was the bestrace Hanlan ever gave me, and it was done in lOmin Soscc, a record. Hanlan rowed me

A VERY HARD RACE, and we were both pretty tireiVat the finish. Hanlan didn't offer to make any side wager on this rice. AVe had an equal go for the first half-mile. Then I got in front, anil Hanlan Was .in my wash up to the finish. After the race, when T went over to shake hands with him. he said: “You had no business to wash me.” But that- wis lrs own fault, he should have got out of my wash. That didn't make any difference to our friendship, however, as after the race I went to Brown’s, where Hanlan put up. with Beta - Kemp, my trainer, and .Jack Thompson, and had a jolly half-hour with H uilan and his party. Then we all went to the theatre in the evening, and all thought of rivalry was gone. After that race I retired, and handed the championship to Peter Kemp. Kemp then continued his training, anil one day I went on the river to see him. He chaffed me a hit, and said: “Hanlan wants to row you again.” I told him I had left off. and didn’t want to pull any more, lint Kemp said I WAS AFRAID, or else I would pul l '. Hanlan. “Pull him!” said I; “why. I’d null him and you too." Then Kemp bet me a bottle of champagne about it. and I told H.mlan’s trainer when 1 met him that I would like to see Hanlan about a match. Next day I met Hanlan, and asked him if he told Kemp lie wanted to pull me again. “Yes,” said Ned; “I guess I would like to give you another race.” I tr.'.d him I was willing, if lie would put up £IOO anil race me in six weeks for £SOO, not including the championship.

Ho said ho couldn’t get £SOO very conveniently; but wouldn’t I row him for anything less. It was the boot on tlio other foot this time, and so 1 told him lie would not row me lor anything less when he came to Sydney. , . Anyhow, the match was arranged, and when it on mo off it was as good a race as was ever witnessed on tho Parramatta over li mile. Wo rowed practically level lor that distance. Then HE BROKE UP BADLY. and was novel- any trouble afterwards. ... Wo wore always pretty good mends. When ho was going away to America 1 wont on board tho steamer and shook hands with him and wished him jolly good luck. That was tho last 1 slur of him, though 1 had hoped to see him if lie had come out hero shortly, as T understood ho intended to do. A very groat deal of tlio art rowers have since learned of fitting themselves u]i in their boats so as to use tlieiir strength at the proper time is to lie credited to Hanlan. Ho knew that before he came hero, and wo did not. At least I didn’t, and I knoiv it nindo a big difference to me. Ho knew' the right,length of sculls, right spread, right length of stretcher to use for his slide,- and he used his slide to tlio very best advantage. I consider him THE GREATEST ARTIST IN A WAGER BOAT. 1 ever saw in my life. Money was easier to get then. Tho second time Hanlan and 1 pulled wo had £I3OO steamer money to divide, and w'o charged as much ns. £lO a ticket. Ten reserved seats were sold at £lO apiece. Now people won’t give £1 to see a race. Then ou tho Nepean w-o got £BOO from trains. Wo hired eight trains and got £I.OO out of each. The Nepean never saw- such a sight as that. It rained cats and dogs, and the people got anything they could for covering. There seemed to ho millions of umbrellas, yet there wore not enough; the people got oilcloth and bags and cut. holes in them, and put their heads through. Wo pulled through the rain, hut the water was calm as a pond ; not a bit of wind or tide. A

FAIR AND SQUARE GO. that was. Our first and second races oil tho Parramatta brought the biggest crowds ever seen there. And tho people went mad. Two or three jumped overboard, or were pushed over in tho excitement., while many who had climbed into trees to got a look at us were flopped into tho water through branches breaking: I couldnt’ hear ftnythiiig but a continual “Hooray 1” Hanlan’s backers here were Mr. T. M. Alcock and Mr. R. Watson, of tho Paragon Hotel, and they must have dropped a lot of money. He w r as trained for his first race by George Bret, amateur champion of New South Wales, and I think Brett trained him for his second. He allways put at Glade.svillc shed for his races on the Parramatta, but when wo wore going to race on tlio Nepean ho had a house supplied by Mr. Ewan, a well-known man in the district, who also gave me one. I don’t think poor old Ned Hanlan was satisfied that I was the better man until after 1 had beaten him the fourth time. After our last .race, when wo shook hands, lie said: “Well, Beach, it’s no use, yon are the better man. and I have to acknowledge it.” He was tho same build of man as myself, only about a stone ‘lighter. And ho knew how to pull. It was just his all-round knowledge of the game, and particularly his 'knowledge of HOW TO USE HIS STENGTH. at tho right moment, that made him tho imin lie was. 1 learned a great deal from him, and I think a lot of that 40 seconds improvement was dub to what I picked up from him. Hanlan was always satisfied with our waters, especially the Nepean River. AVlien lie sat on his boat you could hardly see any of at; he used to take tho washboards off, and had nothing there but tho riggers of the boat. He was always well satisfied with his treatment, too, and used to remark about tlio good sports to bo met around in Sydney. And. he was game as they are made.

Everybody swore he had some

MACHINERY IN HIS BOAT

when ho beat Triekett and others in England. That was bosh, for there was never anything put into a wa-ger-boat that would improve it. A boat is to frail to take any macliiney in tho the hope of making it faster. If you put anything in it it .increases tho weight, and weight is everything. Why, I had to defend au action in tho Supreme Court over tho samo sort of thing. Some fellow accused mo of using a patent of his in my first race with Hanlan. I did try this machinery ono day, but it knocked the stuffing out of mo. It was two guttapercha ropes going alongside the boat, and they were supposed to assist you in pulling tho scu'lls through tho water. They had to bo pushed out first, however. I missed the water once, and the sculls flew back, and the handles got- mo an awful smack in the stomach, and

KNOCKED THE WIND OUT OF ME

So I condemned them after that. I have always had an idea, though that tho Court action was brought about by someone who egged the fellow on for a joke. Anyhorv, I won it. Hanlan was always A GOOD SPORT. and woro the best of friends. Of course, we might have a slight argument now and again, but that didn’t make any difference to our friendship from first to last. It isn’t nice to criticise a man after lie’s gone, but I can’t help thinkingitlhat- Hanlan wasn’t quite fair to himself as a sculler. I always thing that .if ho had paid more attention to tlio sty'le of training necessary for the work he had in front of him, 1 might have found him even a harder nut to crack than ho was. In conclusion, I must say I feel sure I voice the views of all sportsmen in Australia in expressing regret at tlio comparatively early death of the world’s ex-champion.

It is to be . regretted that more interest is not taken in Gisborne in sending crews to the Napier regatta. Tho gooil which would accrue to the clubs is bard to determine; but that a visit to such a regatta would repay the money spent on it is without doubt. The chief benefit is the educational value. If two fours were sent from a. shed, eight men would return with a widened knowledge of rowing and would be available for strokes (luring the next season. At present young men without any experience are sent out to stroke crews, and they are unable to teach their crews anything, the result being that many good roiyers are ilost to the club for lack of training; blit if the clubs had a certain number of men in their ranks with regatta exper--ience. their knowledge would gradually be spread over all members by reason of their acting as strokes. The Gisborne club is having some difficulty in picking a junior crew far Napier. The first-picked crew (Dustin, Bayly. Gumming. Kershaw), was about the be ;t the club could get together, but owing to r.ne r«is : nn and another the. crew could not promise to be ali'e to get away. It is possib'e that .the club could not away as good a crew, but every effort should be made to send away the best available.

Rowers will regret to hear that Kershaw is at present- unable to row owing to indisposition. This him made him forfeit bis place in the Napier crew', and his chance in the liimcke Sculls, which was considered rosy, he having made great strides in sculling recently. The Poverty Bay Club have nine crews picked for the President’s (Mr E. P. Joyce’s) trophies, and there are several good crews among them. The racing should be of an unusually interesting character and at the present time the winners are well concealed, although at present Nicholas’ ermv look to bo well! in it. 1 believe there was some very heated discussion at tlio last committee meeting in connection with sending crews to compete tit Napier, and eventually it was left ill tho hands ol tin' selection committeo to deal w’itli : although for my own part I think it was ah surd to think of sending a crew from tho mimes sulniiitte.il for selection.

It is intended to hold a big social at. Easter to start a building fund if possible, and a very strong and good working committee has been selected to work the affair up, and it promises to be a very successful entertainment.