The Kemp-Hanlan Match.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 208, 13 October 1888, Page 3

The Kemp-Hanlan Match.

HANLAN’S GLORY DEPARTED. [fbom oub ow CORRESPONDENT ] Sydney, Oct. 3. The Kemp-Hanlan match was a foregone conclusion, so much so that very little interest was shown in it. The smallness of the attendance may be partly explained, the date being fixed for Friday, instead of Satur* day. But this explanation won't cover the whole ground. The fact is that the glamour of Hanlan’s name has departed At One time ha was believed to possess strength and skill beyond the reach of ordinary mortals. All sorts of absurd hypotheses were resorted to in order to account for his phenomenal sue cess. Concealed springs, hidden machinery, a screw worked by the ac iou of the sliding seat —these were among the least of the marvels which were related for the benefit of the credulous. But one hears very little of them now. The idol has fa'len, and ia seen, after all, to be but common clay Every successive defeat has been more crush ing thin he last, and <he story has become so monotonous that even second and third class scullers—or at teas. scullers who twelve months ago were little removed from novices, make no boues about challenging the onceformidable ex-ch impioa. They have got so used to beating him that another victory is scarcely ta en into the account. The explanation probably is that the flower of physical vigor which is the prime requisite f >r a champion ath’ete, is one which, only blossoms once in unique perfection. A man may be able to hold his own with other men, so as take a respectable position in a crowd. But to be better than all other men, and to be always better than all other men, is not given to anyone for a long time together. If Hanlan had followed Beach’s example, and had retired before his laurels were wrested from him, his position in the minds of the people w uld be very different to-day. Perhaps it is he cannot bring himself to recognise the inevitable, or perhaps he wishes to work his reputation for all that it is worth as a source of pecuniary profit. Whatever the cause it is plain that he persists in rowing after his prowess has departed.

Immediately after the race, Peter Kemp was interviewed, and freely entered into a conversation about the race. He says he was perfectly confident from the first; he never had the slightest misgiving as to what the result of the event would be. Kemp said,

‘ Hanlan won the toss and chos e the southern shore, and as I said before, I was sure of winning although Hanlan bad the choice of sides. As soon as boats were turned we gripped the water pretty evenly together, and an exceedingly good start was effected. Be. tween three and four hundred yards from the start we got close together. Suddenly. Hanlan stopped and held up hra right hand ; seeing this, and thinking there must b B sojnethipg wrong I also stopped, and backed water with my right scull. Whilst ,-sc doing, to my astonishment Haniya again started off, and by this means he obtained an advantage of aboqt a quarter of a b >at’s length of me. You may be sure I was not long in going after him. and after a smart struggle I caught him at Uhr’s Foint, and won by about fifteen lengtns. On returning to the shed Kemp seemed quite indignant at Hanlan claiming a fuul at the finish, and was very pleased that the umpire disallowed the claim. ‘That’s just what he did -with me,’ interjected ex champion William Beach, whq was p esent in the shed. ’lf I could not win a race without a foul, J would not row at all. What is good of a race if it is not an honorable one ?’ said Kemp Being questioned as to whethe the stakes had influenced him at all during the contest, the champion replied with a decided ‘No I I rowed for the honor of keeping the championship in the colony. In reply to que« ies as to other oarsmen striving for the championship, Kemp said: ‘ Teemer is a good man u and if he is the man the newspaper accounts make of him, he should come here. In my opinion, I think there is a good deal of puff about him. Any time he likes to come here, I’m ready foj him ; but as to whether I »hal| go tq Amerion or not, I shall think of undertaking such a journey.’