14 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Jan, 26, 1888- 



CARTERET GUN CLUB.— The Governors of the Carteret Gun 

 Club have given a silver cup valued at ¥100, to be shot for under 

 the club's double handicap system, which not only increases the 

 "rise" acording to iho shooter's abilitv, but the boundary (dis- 

 tance in which the bird must be gathered) is reduced. The first 

 shoot took place Wednesday, Jan. 18, on the club's grounds at 

 Bergen Point, N..). The attendance was small, but under the 

 conditions that duplicate entries could be made, there were 13 

 entries by. 7 contestants. The conditions were to shoot at 10 birds 

 each, entrance $5 each, two misses out, ties to be shot "miss and 

 out," and the cup to be won twice before, it can become the per- 

 sonal property ot any one. .fudged by this shooting the contest 

 will not be a long one, for with a clean score of 10 bird sand 29yds. 

 rise and 21yds. boundary, Mr. W. C. Ployd-doiieo has already one 

 winniug claim out of the two. The birds were a good lot, and 

 aided by half a gale of wind that blew across the grounds from 

 left to right, it required good work to stop any of I he birds from 

 traps 4 aud 5 within the boundary of 21 and 35yds. The best scores 

 are as follows: Yds. Yds. 



Rise. Boundary. Killed. 



W C Floyd- Jones 29 21 10 



WH Sands 27 50 8 



H Brown 80 35 8 



Mr Gladwin 39 50 8 



NSSimpkins 20 35 7 



.Mr James 28 80 5 



EE Flint 29 21 1 



Time of shoot, lb. 16m, The birds were well gathered by the 

 dogs Ralph and Phil, the latter a son of the famous Dell, who 

 now enjoys pigeon shooting bv looking through the club house 

 windows. 



NEWARK, Jan. 20.— Oswald von Leugerke and Charles Heath 

 shot a lively 50-bird match at Erb's to-day, under Hurlingham 

 rules, 5 traps and 30yds. rise. The birds were good, aud made 

 difficult shooting ever the snow-covered field. Mr. Heath shot 

 unusually well, and lulled 13 birds. Mr. von Leugerke. killed 39 

 and had four fall dead out of bounds. An old pigeon shooter who 

 was present said that every bird that flew was hit. After the 

 match a dozen well-known trap-shooters indulged in sweeps. 

 Before they left the grounds Messrs. Von Leugerke and Heath 

 mado another match under the same conditions for $200. It will 

 take place within a fortnight — The Essex Gun Club will go to 

 Easton, Pa,, on the 25th, to shoot a friendly match with the Easton 

 Gun Club. A few friends will accompany them. 



TORONTO GUN CLUB.— The annual meeting of the West 

 Toronto Junction Gun Club was held on Friday evening, Jan. 20, 

 wnen the following were elected officer.- for the ensuing year: D. 

 Blca, President (re-elected;; H. f> ower, Vice- President! P. Wake- 

 field, Secretary: A. Lascelles, Treasurer (re-elected); II. Newman 

 and C. Hinton, Executive Committee. 



AN ASSOCIATION MEET. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Tho discussion initiated in the columns of the FOJUiST and 

 Stream by Mr. Will MacKendrick (more power to his paddle arm, 

 his tiller hand, and tho fingers which hold his pen; bears upon a 

 subject of so much importance to canoeists, and may result in 

 changes having such a lastiug influence upon the development of 

 the canoe, that it should at least be carried on in a suitable 

 manner. Anything more out of place iu such a controversy than 

 aspersions regarding motives it is impossible to conceive of, that 

 is unless canoeists are willing to admit that the old rule "no case, 

 blackguard the opposite attorney" should apply to their wordy 

 warfares. That it does, I would be very sorry to believe, for the 

 men who have felt, the influence of the sweet sincerity of the 

 canoe, should have passed far beyond the realms of that species of 

 argument. As I understand it, the question at issue is not the 

 object of the Association, nor whether Pecowsic and her brood are 

 cruising canoes, but whether the means adopted by the Associa- 

 tion are those best fitted to bring about the highest: good to canoe- 

 ing and the canoe. 



Canoeing is not racing either under sail or paddle; it is not 

 cruising, nor is it monkeying, it is the art and science of using 

 the canoe. The official definition of a canoe is that it is a boat 

 sharp at both ends and capable of being efficiently propelled by 

 one man with a paddle, but she is far more than these words 

 apply; a canoe is, i r should be, the boat which most perfectly 

 unites the qualities of speed under either armor wind power, 

 strength, seaworthiness, comfort, handiness, safety and beauty, 

 in such small compass that she can be managed with pleasure in 

 rough water or smooth, in the rapid or on the beach, and at the port- 

 age by one num. It was because the original types of the canoe 

 possessed these qualities to a higher degree than any other small 

 craft, that canoeing became second only to yachting as an aquatic 

 sport, and if in the process of development any of these Qualities 

 are lost or unduly subordinated the one to the other, the craft 

 has deteriorated instead of improved. As long as the craft was 

 being developed under natural conditions, such as those 

 under which the Canadian canoe was evolved, there was no great 

 danger that it would lose its great charm of universality. When, 

 however, its future destinies passed into the keeping of an Asso- 

 ciation, not unaffected by the racing mania, the danger that it 

 would be ruined by being specialized arose. Of course trie Associa- 

 tion was organized to develop canoeing, not racing, and it at once 

 proceeded to guard against this danger by framing rules and to 

 :es. The net result of this system 

 the men who have won races or 

 i done so if it had not been— that they 

 certainly has not been so to the \ pry 

 who want a good deal more out of their 

 ■ either sail or paddle 

 that substantial 



increase it by encouraging 

 may have been satisfactory 

 were sure they would ha\ 

 did not get in first, but it 

 large number of da noeists 

 canoes than speed under 

 do not wish to den 



_ t'ogress has beeu 



made, that the canoe of '87 is not a faster sailer, and a more 

 finished aud ingenious craft Hum the canoe of 'HO; but 1 do not 

 believe that, leaving speed aside, the canoe of '87 was as much 

 superior to the canoe of '80, as she should have been. To such a 

 point has the specialization of the modern canoe been carried, 

 Chat two classes have been created and are generally recognized, 

 the cruiser and the racer, whereas there should be but oue class, 

 the canoe. Worse than all, the racer is the popular craft, the 

 spoiled child of the Association, for whom there are prizes, honors 

 and fame, and the cruisers are "disgruntled racers," forsooth, if 

 they are not content to keep silence. 



As an instance of the way this peculiar condition of affairs 

 affects canoes and through them canoeing, the history of the 

 development of the centerboard during the last few years is 

 invaluable. The centerboard is the greatest difficulty with which 

 the. designer of an all-round canoe has to deal. Not onl y must it be 

 simple, strong aud give a good weather grip, but unless the boat 

 is to be spoiled, it must take up as little of her midship space as 

 possible. 



A few years ago several folding boards, which interfered 

 but little with the internal arrangmeuts of a canoe, were 

 invented, and very generally adopted. They proved to be slow, 

 however, the racers introduced tne solid board, stuck well in the 

 center of the canoe, and now a canoe with a folding board has 

 net a shadow of a chance with a plate board in a race. 



How any one, by even the most tremendous stretch of the 

 imagination, can claim that a canoe with a big centerboard box 

 stucii just forward of her center, can be a cruiser, is more than I 

 can conceive of. You certainly cannot sleep in such a canoe, nor 

 take a passenger with any comfort, or even stow any decent 

 quantity of duffle forward. A short time ago the double board 

 system, which was perhaps the best, was very popular, but it is 

 now decidedly out of fashion. The men who, disregarding every 

 rule that canoeists had once been bound by, stuck a big single 

 plate board into the middle of a canoe, surely did not think they 

 were doing anything new, ingenious or wonderful. They were 

 simply spoiling th e canoe for everything else but racing, some- 

 thing which, live years ago, no person would have thought of. 

 The whole centerboard question having been settled in this effect- 

 ive manner, we may expect, no farther improvements. The cruiser 

 must be content with his slow-going board, and the racer is no 

 doubt quite willing to curl himself around a centerboard box so 

 long as he can win races. In the same way the development of 

 reefing gear, of canoe jewelry, and of true canoe lines has been 

 checked. Who is going to fool round trying to design a sail that 

 wiU be flat as a board and at the same time can be reefed to a 

 third of its full area by a jerk at the downhuul, when he can win 

 races with a standing rig? 



There can be no question that the reason why the racers now 

 stand first instead of second as they should do, as specialists, is 

 because the meets have encouraged racing, and very little else. 

 There can be no question also that the meets have been an un- 

 broken series of succosscs, aud that it would be extremely difficult 

 if not impossible to devise anything else which would take their 

 place. If anything is to bo done therefore to prevent the special- 

 izing of the canoe, and to give the all-round boat a chance, it 

 must be done in connection with the meets, and no canoeist wants 



it to be done by a ny other organization than the A. C. A. if has 

 been pretty conclusively proved that nothing can be done by 

 racing rules to give the all-round canoe a chance, but something 

 might. I think, be done by changing the condition under which 

 races take place. Why should the Association not recognize the 

 fact that the craft that cannot carry her owner and the necessary 

 duffle for a three days' cruise is not a canoe? The scheme I would 

 suggest is to organize a committee to take charge of all arrange- 

 ments for an Association cruise, to last say three days, and to 

 wind up at the meet. Let a certain number of the meet races be 

 sailed or paddled on the cruise, the commodore thereof having 

 the power to decide, when, where and how these races are to come 

 off. 



Strike the ridiculous limited sail area race off the programme 

 and substitute therefor a cruising prize, to be awarded by the vote 

 of the cruisers to the best cruising canoe outfit and cruiser taking 

 part in the cruise; if they all cast their ballots for themselves dis- 

 franchise them, and make this one of the record events. The 

 cruise committee and the meet committee should be distinct 

 and yet a part of the general Executive Committee, and the com- 

 modore of the cruise should be an absolute autocrat as long as the 

 cruise lasts and then cease from troubling. 1 do not know much 

 about Lake George, but 1 think that such a cruise could be ar- 

 ranged for on its waters; and in future I he location of the meet 

 could be chosen with a view to providing pleasant and interest- 

 ing cruising routes. J am quite sure that the men who went into 

 camp and waited for the cruisers to arrive would feel like break- 

 ing up a ballasted canoe to drown themselves in when they heard 

 of the good time the cruisers had been having, and that the only 

 men who would not have a royal time on such a cruise would be 

 those who had specialized either themselves or their crafts. 



Such a cruise would make it entirely unnecessary to provide 

 all manner of rules to prevent men from goiug iu for either too 

 big or too little craft, and the canoe that came out ahead in the 

 cruise or the cruise races would be entitled to all the honors she 

 could gain thereby, Retaw. 



CLUBS IN THE A. C, A. 



hJilibn- Fxrctil and Stream: 



Attention has been drawn lately to the desirability of Inducing 

 all the canoe clubs in North America to join the A. C. A. No one, 

 I think, can question the desirability; the only thing to be dis- 

 cussed is the means by which that end can be attained. It is, and 

 I think always will be, an impossibility to get every member of a 

 club to contribute even $1 per annum, and I will even go so far as 

 to say that I think it is unreasonable to expect this. Take my 

 own club, for iuslance. The Ottawa C. C. has some fifty odd 

 members. Now, the adoption of the above rule would mean that 

 in round numbers the O. C. C, is to be taxed $50 per annum. In 

 other words, $50 would be diverted from the club treasury. The 

 main reason why my club has had so few representatives at the 

 A. C. A. meets is, that most of our members prefer cruising to 

 racing. Few can spare more than a couple of weeks' holiday in 

 summer, and (his is spent in exploring new waters. What is true 

 of my club is, I have no doubt, true ot many others. To assist i he 

 A. C. A. is to assist canoeing, and 1 am quite sure the cruisers 

 fully recognize this fact; most of them, too, will, I think, agree 

 that it is very di flicult, if not impossible, for the A. C. A. to give 

 much direct assistance to the cruisers. A prize could be offered 

 for the best cruising outfit, a certain number of points on the 

 record could lie given to those members who would cruise a cer- 

 tain distance on their way or before coming to the meet. An 

 Association cruise might also be held at each of the meets, and a 

 prize might be given to the member sending the best practical 

 account of a cruise to the A. C. A. secretary (in this way a valu- 

 able canoeing literature might become the property of the Asso- 

 ciation, the prize essays being printed and sold for the benefit of 

 the Association). 



But still the cruisers must rely upon themselves and the fascina- 

 tion of their branch of the sport for its promotion. I think, how- 

 ever, that most, if not all the cruisers would be willing to give 

 the A. C. A. what assistance they could, but they would not be 

 prepared to do this to the extent of intrenching upon the resources 

 of their own local clubs. 1 think we might look to the many 

 benevolent and other societies that exist in America and see how 

 they manage their affairs. One society that I belong to has its 

 local lodges. These lodges are governed by the grand lodge of the 

 district, and these grand lodges in turn by a supreme grand lodge. 

 The grand lodges are supported by a per capita tax of 25 cents per 

 annum. Now, this amount, it seems to me, is the maximum 

 amount that should be demanded lrom the local clubs. Anything 

 that the A. C. A. requires beyond this sbould be collected from 

 the members who reap the main profit from the meet, viz., those 

 who attend them. That amount should be ample to meet all 

 ordinary expenses of the Association, viz., those apart from the 

 meets. 



I have no doubt, too, that the amount derivable under a per 

 capita tax of 25 cents would soon largely exceed the revenue de- 

 rived from the present system of charging a dollar. Taking the 

 list of canoe clubs in the October Canoeist, and estimating those 

 clubs whose members are not given at eight each, we ha ve over 

 two thousand canoeists v which at 25 cents a head would give the 

 A. C. A. a revenue of $a00 per annum. By furnishing rho club 

 secretaries with printed forms for making their returns upon, and 

 by sending each club a certain number of the lists of membership 

 arid any other circulars that might be issued, instead of sending 

 them to each member, the clerical labor of the A. C. A. officers 

 would be reduced to a very small amount, and the cost of the 

 printing and postage need not be largely increased. If any mem- 

 ber or 'club wished to have extra copies of lists, etc., let them be 

 supplied to them at cost price, or even at a small advance. Let 

 each division defray the expenses of its own meet, allowing, if 

 necessary, an additional amount from the central treasury to the 

 division where the main meet takes place. If any change is to be 

 made in the present system it should only be done after the most 

 careful consideration and the fullest discussion, and 1 only offer 

 the. above remarks as a suggestion to those who have been think- 

 ing over this important matter. Asthjoc. 



Ottawa, Jan. 14. 



THE 75FT. LIIV1IT RACE. 



Editor FWe«l wad Stream: 



If it were announced now that at the next A. C. A. meet one of 

 the important events should be a 35ft. limit race, and that only 

 those canoes which should come in well to the front in this race 

 would be entitled to compete in, say, the international contest or 

 the cup race, what style of a canoe would you look for at Lake 

 George next summer as a result of such an announcement? What 

 sort of a canoe would you advise one to build to have a fair 

 chance of wiunig this race? A Boreas or a Pecowsic? Suppose 

 some good sailor were to build a well-modeled, perfectly smooth 

 canoe, so long in proportion to her beam that for her 35sq. ft. of 

 canvas would be a maximum sail area for ordinary light winds, a 

 canoe perfectly fitted with the most aoproved styles of center- 

 board, rudder, sails, etc., what do you think her chances would be 

 against a Pearl or Nautilus in the 35ft. limit race? Or in charge 

 of Commodore Gibson, how far in the proposed race would she 

 come in behind Peeowsie? Now tell me what, iqyour opinion, 

 would be the particular style of canoe encouraged by such a limit 

 race? Having considered these questions, you will probably be 

 able to arrive at some conclusion as to what style of canoe is 

 especially encouraged by the 75ft, limit race. Granting that this 

 latter cauoe is not a "racing machine," ought it to be singled out 

 for special encouragement when all the othergood canoes are left 

 to derive what encouragement they can from the. unlimited sail- 

 ing race? I hold, Mr. Editor, that it ought not; and, unconvinced 

 oven by such strong arguments as "growler," "kicker," "dis- 

 gruntled racer," "anti-racing man," "cruiser in big pot-bellied 

 boat," etc., I take my stand with those who ask that the 75ft. limit 

 race be struck off the list at future A. C. A. regattas. 



The controversy iu your columns over the "cruising canoe" and 

 the "racing machine" has been to me so far very interesting. Not 

 the least interesting portion of it was the contribution from the 

 self-appointed champion of the Pecowsic, that Puritanical hater 

 of pot-bellied cruisers, for, although some may think his ill- 

 natured insinuations unjust, reminding one of the oft-quoted 

 brief, "No case; abuse the plaintiff's attorney," yet the facts 

 brought out by "Paddle" were very strong. How grateful the 

 Messrs. Barney must be for such defense. 



The valuable suggestion brought out early in tho controversy, 

 that, embodied in the phrase, "One man, one canoe, one rig," has 

 not, it seums to me, attracted tho attention duo to it. To me it 

 appears to be the natural complement of the old "one man, one 

 canoe" rule. I hope the regatta committee will consider it care- 

 fully and recommend its adoption if no valid objections can be 

 urged against it. Colin Fkaser, 



Tokohto, Jan. 12. 



[We had intendod to end this discussion last week, but Mr. 

 Fraser's letter arrived too late for insertion. The hypothetical 

 case he presents is an impossible one and proves nothing. There 

 is no special weight attached to the 75f t, limit race, as there is to 

 the unlimited: it is only one of a series and there is not sufficient 

 at stake to induce a man to build a useless maenine for one race 



per year. It is not possible to conceive such a reduction as 35ft.; 

 a boat that would be able to carry only this amount of sail would 

 either be too small in all ways to compete at all, or she would he 

 spun out to such a length, say 20ft. with under 2ft. beam, that 

 even within tho limits of size she could never sail over the wind- 

 ward leg of the course in reasonable time. For r ironing or reach- 

 ing such a boat might be built, if the rules permitted it, but all 

 A. C. A. courses are triangular. We should advise any moderate 

 canoe, of good model, not necessarily a Pecowsic. to beat Boreas, 

 Pearl or Nautilus.] 



SPRINGFIELD C. C— The annual meeting of the Springfield 



C. C. was held on Jan. 17, and the following officers for 1888 were 

 elected: Captain, O, M. Shedd; Lieutenant, Dr. H. E. Rioe; Pur- 

 ser, Nathan I). Kill; Secretary, H. D. Marsh. Executive Com- 

 mittee-C. M. Shedd, N. D. Bill, H. E. Rice, H. H. Marsh, Frank 



D. Foot. Regatta Committee— Geo. M. Barney, F. A. Nickerson, 

 C. M. Shedd. The club voted to have their annual dinner some 

 time m February, and F. D. Foot, C. M. Shedd aud H. D. Marsh 

 were appointed to make arrangements for the dinner. It was 

 voted to hold regattas once each week to sail and paddle for club 

 badges, races to begin in May and end Nov. 1. The membership 

 is the largest since the club was organized -sixty-three members 

 now and more coming. The season of 1887 was a very prosperous 

 one for the club, some thirty-live new members were elected and 

 three new club canoes purchased, making five club canoes in all 

 the club now own, besides their floating canoe house, four houses 

 down at Calla Shasta, with a prospect of one more being built in 

 the spring. The present floating house, 05ft. long by 30ft. wiae. not 

 being large enough for the club, a new one will be buiJt on shore 

 early in the spring. 20ft. wide by 40ft. long, with a piazza on the 

 river side 7ft. wide, 20ft. long. The new house wiil consist of 

 three rooms, one for holding meetings, another for dressing room 

 and lockers, and another for shower bath and closet. The lockers 

 in floating house to he toro out to make room for new canoes now 

 being built by Rugglos, Spencer nud Rushton. The season of 1888 

 promises to be very prosperous for us, and we hope to have in 

 camp next August at Lake George some twenty-five men.— 

 GlROFLK. 



SOUTH BOSTON C. C.-The third annual election of officers of 

 I he South Boston 0. C. was held Dec. 31. 1887, aud the following 

 officers elected; Com., Charles W. Hird; Vice-Com., James Cracf- 

 dock; Sec'y, John ■>. Martin; Treas., Joseph A. Frizzeli; a house 

 committee was appointed, consisting of J. A. Frizzeli, John J, 

 Martin and Allan Hird; James Craddock, Mel v in Atherton and 

 .1. Connor were chosen as regatta committee. The club now 

 numbers twenty members and Is about to enter on the third year 

 of its existence, having been organized January, 1886, with six 

 members. Its location, at the foot of K street, offers excellent 

 facilities for canoeing, being removed from the yachting portion 

 of City Point, while the broad reach of Dorchester Bay allows a 

 clear triangular course of three miles, which greatly' favors 

 racing. The club held two series of races in the past season, 

 which developed a keen interest in that branch of the sport, and 

 the coming season promises to be the most active one of all, as the 

 regatta committee propose to make ample preparations for a 

 number of club races, including several challenge trophies, while 

 there will be open races for outside canoeists, for which suitable 

 prizes will be given. The cruising element is quite strong, and 

 proposed cruises for the coming summer are already being dis- 

 cussed with the enthusiasm which is peculiar to the true canoeist. 

 The club's present quarters are insufficient for the increasing 

 membership, and steps will be taken to erect a new club house 

 with ample accommodations for all. The club is fast, gaining 

 popularity among the canoeists of the East. 



HARTFORD G. C— The annual meeting was held on Jan. 17, 

 the officers elected being Dr. Geo. L. Parmele, Pres.: W. B. David- 

 son, Treas.; John D. Parker, Sec'y; L. Q. Jones, Com.; and Wm. 

 G. Abbott, member of executive committee. Some plans for the 

 further improvement of the club house, and better facilities for 

 handling boats aud canoes, were discussed and referred to the 

 executive committee. A number of new canoes have been han- 

 dled by the club, Pres. Parmele having purchased a new Rushton 

 Princess with all tho latest wrinkles. She is a beauty in form 

 and finish, and has already made cue of I he longest cruises under- 

 taken dining the summer by any canoeist. Mr. Abbott has a 

 choice paddling canoe which is au ornament to the fleet, while 

 Com. Jones has secured a fine Joyuer, which he has parted with 

 only to fill its place with a naph tha launch, which has been a source 

 of pleasure to all the club. The outlook for the year promises 

 every chaue» for pleasure and recreation to the uresent mem- 

 bers. 



A REAL HELP TO AMATEURS. — A subscriber in Maine 

 rritcs as follows concerning "Canoe and Boat Building for Amur 

 terns": "I built last year a row boat, having "Canoe and Boat 

 Building" for a guide, and I was an amateur iu the fullest sense of 

 the word, for I had never seen a craft of the kind iu my life. 

 Howevor, I did quite a creditable job. 1 have been thinking that 

 I should like to have you seo what it was like and have the model 

 and plan of it. It is not an elaborate one of course, but still you 

 might tell something by it. Pardon me for taking so much of 

 your time by writing so much, but I feel as though I was writing 

 Co an old friend." 



BAYONNE C. C— At the annual meeting on Jan. 5, the follow- 

 ing officers were elected: Com., Robert H. Peebles; Vice-Com., 

 Albert Fleming; Sec'y, Robert T. Vrooui; Treas., Fred B. Collins; 

 Trustees, Edwin R. Smith, Theo. F. Taylor, FredB. Collins. Louis 

 F. Burke. Articles of incorporation were signed by tne newly 

 elected officers and file club became incorporated under the New 

 Jersey State law. The club is now contemplating the purchase 

 of property fronting on Newark Bay, on which to erect a large 

 and commodious club house for tho use of its members and their 

 friends. 



PURITAN C.C.— A canoe club by this name was lately organized 

 in Boston with headquarters at Oily Point. The officers are". 

 Com., F. J. Baxter: Vice-Com., C. F. Dodge; Rear-Corn., Lathrop 

 Hedge: Sec'y, A. C. Chamberlain; Treas., F. B, Wheaton: Meas., 

 J, R. Robertson; Board of Directors, S. A. Brown and J. E, Hill. 



A. C. A. MEMBERSHIP. — The follo wing gentlemen have ap- 

 plied for membership in the A. C. A., Centra! Di vision: H. Lansing 

 i >iiiek, Yonkers, N. Y.;F. W. Kitehel, R. H. Barnes, Louis Farroat, 

 W. R, Tobias, Perth Amboy.N. .!.; Renin 0. Morse, Peoria, HI. 

 Eastern Division: R. B. Potter, Cambridge, Mass. 



"THE MODEL YACHTSMAN AND OANOEiST."-This bright 

 little monthly comes to us in an enhi rged form, with twenty pages. 

 It is doing a good work for canoeing in Great Britain, aud we hope 

 that with its added canvas it may saU still more speedily toward 

 prosperity. 



l ANTHE C. C— A concert by the Columbia College Glee Club 

 was lately given by the lanthe C. C. for the building fund. 



SHATTEMUC C. C— Officers, 188S: Com., Frank Brandrcth; 

 Oapt., F. M. Fisher; Purser, If. M. Carpenter. 



Inditing. 



TEN MONTHS OR SIX MONTHS NOTICE. 



THE plea that is put forward in defense of the lengthening of 

 the notice of chaUenge from six to ten months is that the 

 latter is little enough time in which to build a yacht to meet the 

 challenger, aud the hurry with which Volunteer was put together 

 is given as an instance. This excuse has served to mislead many 

 into the idea that the change was a fair and just one, but when 

 the original deed of gift is examined and a little ancient history 

 is brought in, tho fallacy of the plea is made plain. The first and 

 only deed of gift made by the five gentlemen who owned and gave 

 the Cup, and without the aid or suggestion of any committee, 

 reads as follows: "The parties desiring to sail for the Cup may 

 mahe any ma tch with the yacht club in possession of the same 

 that may be determined upon by mutual consent; but in case of 

 disagreement as to terms the match shaft be sailed over the, usual 

 course for the annual regatta of the yacht club in possession of 

 the Cup, and subject to its rules and regulations, the challenging 

 party being bound to give six months' notice in writing, fixing the 

 day they wish to start." By this provision such a letter as that 

 of the Royal Clyde Y. C. of Sept. 21, 1881, would have been perfectly 

 proper, the first step toward such a friendly arrangement of tne 

 terms of the match as the original deed evidently contemplated. 

 Had tho negotiations failed, the challenger could then claim as a 

 right a race under certain conditions, one of them being that six 

 months' notice at least should be given. 



It was obviously to the advantage of both parties to make the 

 agreement as early as possible, the challenger, in order that he 

 might secure better terms through an agreement than he could 

 demand under the latter part of the clause quoted; the defender, 

 in order that he might know in good season what he had to meet, 

 and could prepare accordingly. There was so little chance for the 

 challenger should he claim a race, that he was certain to agree to 

 almost any restrictions of the holder rather than take his one 

 race over the New York course, perhaps against the fleet. A 



