Dec. 1. 1887.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



37B 



ality for a small meet. It may be said that this can be done at 

 any time without the aid of the A. C. A.; but thus far it has not 

 been successfully accomplished, and it would seem that some 

 stronger union and some practice in the management of affairs of 

 this kind, both of which the A. C. A. gives, were necessary even 

 to the success of local meets. 



To go now further into the plan of the proposed division, the 

 present Central Division is the residue left after the setting off of 

 the Eastern and Northern Divisions, and comprises all the United 

 States outside of the former Division, the Eastern States. The 

 new Division would comprise the States of Pennsvlvania, Dela- 

 ware, New Jersey and Maryland, with that part of New York be- 

 low the Highlands of the Hudson. Political boundaries are of 

 little consequence in such a Division, but the leading waters form 

 a far better system of grouping. In this case they would be the 

 lower Hudson and New York Bay, the Passaic, Hackensack, Dela- 

 ware, Susquehanna, Potomac, Monongahela and Allegheny rivers 

 and Chesapeake Bay. The northern limit would be a line drawn 

 across New York and Pennsylvania through the upper corner of 

 New Jersey at Port Jervis; the eastern limit the lower Hudson 

 below Peek skill, the Atlantic coast from Sandy Hook to Cape 

 Charles, the Potomac on the southwest, and the western boundary 

 of the .State of Pennsylvania. This would leave in the actual 

 Central Division the State of New York and a part of Pennsyl- 

 vania. A look at the map will show that it would not be possible 

 to have a meet which would be in each different part in turn, but 

 the great bulk of the canoeists in this section would for the present 

 be east of the Susquehanna River, and the meets would naturally 

 be held up and down the coast between New York and Washing- 

 ton, and inland as far as possible. This, of course, would not be 

 quite fair to the canoeists of Warren and Pittsburgh, but it would 

 be better than at present, and the best that can be done until the 

 number of canoeists in that vicinity has increased. The waters 

 of Long Island, which would be included, the Delaware, Lake 

 Hopatcong, and Chesapeake Bay, would give fine sites for the 

 Division and the A. C. A. meet, and would afEord far greater 

 facilities for the men in this section than the A. C. A. has yet 

 been able to give. 



The A. C. A. book shows a membership of about 315 in the States 

 of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland, 

 including the District of Columbia, and the proposed division of 

 this area would leave about 135 memoere in the Central Division, 

 and about 180 men in the new division. How many actual canoe- 

 ists there are in the same territory is not definitely known, but by 

 the list of canoe clubs in the American Canoeist there are 32 clubs 

 within its boundaries, ranging in membership from 60 down to 4 

 or 5. In only 17 out of 32 clubs on the list is the membership given, 

 and this foots up a51 men, so that the club membership must make 

 a total of at least 500 canoeists. It is safe to add at least another 

 200 to this for the unattached canoeists, but we will assume that 

 the number of active canoeists within the new division will be but 

 500. With such a body of men it would be possible in a couple of 

 years to work up a strong and compact organization that would 

 exceed in numbers and power the original A. C. A. as it was for 

 the first five years of its existence. Instead of trying to draw men 

 to its meet from a distance of 500 miles or more, the greatest dis- 

 tance would not be more than 150 or 200 miles, and there should 

 be no difficulty in securing an attendance of 150 to 200 men at a 

 division meet, or as large a number as would be desirable. 



The expenses of the A. C. A. meet, as per report of the Secre- 

 tary-Treasurer, were within £250, and a division meet would cost 

 still less if properly conducted, or not over $200. It is probable 

 that m the future the A. C. A. meet each year will be combined 

 with one of the division meets in turn, the expenses being borne by 

 the division, so that no direct tax for the annual A. C. A. meet will 

 be needed. The full details of the plan are not yet perfected, but 

 all seems to be working in that direction, to establish a circle of 

 meetF, each solely under the control of a division, and to make 

 each in turn the official gathering of the A. C. A. for the year, the 

 Commodore being in command, the Trophy being raced" for, and 

 consequently the best sailors of the Association being present. 

 The expenses of such a meet will be no greater than an ordinary 

 division meet, so no part of the cost need fall ou the A. C. A. as a 

 body unless it be considered advisable to offer special prizes in the 

 name of the Association, instead of those usually provided by the 

 division. With a membership of 500 the expenses of the division 

 should be little greater than for a quarter of the number, the cost 

 of printing the necessary notices and programs is no more, the 

 race program is the same, and there will be a few more prizes 

 for 500 men than for 200, and the cost of wharf, officers quarters, 

 A. C. A. tent, in short all the furniture of the camp will be no 

 greater for a large number than for a meet of 150 men. The ex- 

 penses per man could be reduced even below the present sum of a 

 dollar, and with vei-y much better returns to each member. 



The. call for a meeting is made to all canoeists interested in the 

 formation of a new division on the plan roughly outlined §bove, 

 but the movement for such a division can only come from men at 

 present in the A. C. A. There are many details connected with 

 the work of organizing a new division, but the object of the meet- 

 ing is to discuss the best method of work with a view to bring in 

 as many canoeists as possible and to make the A. C. A. and the 

 division indispensable to each. With this end in view we would 

 call the attention of canoeists who are not members to the con- 

 stitution of the Association and to the reports of its meets and 

 business proceedings as reported in the Forest and Stream in 

 order that they may familiarize themselves with its methods and 

 aims and decide whether it is worth their while to join the work. 



It is surprising, considering how much has been said and writ- 

 ten about the A. C. A. that canoeists should still be in the dark in 

 regard to it, but the correspondence that comes to us from men 

 outside of the Association, often in connection with some hostile 

 criticism, shows an entire ignorance of the essential and promi- 

 nent features, and we venture to say that those who have been 

 most forward in finding fault have never visited a meet, never 

 read carefully the laws and rules, and are in no way conversant 

 with the practical advantages or defects of the A. C. A. 



That it is not a failure is already proved, that it has done much 

 both for canoeing in general and for individual canoeists is ad- 

 mitted, and its friends are now trying to do still more. Is it then 

 to the advantage of each canoeist to try and avail himself of the 

 present benefits it offers and to lend his aid toward increasing 

 them, or to stand aloof and criticise all that does not fall in with 

 his individual crotchets? The A. C. A. will go on, with or without 

 the aid of outside canoeists, but it is the wish of its leaders to 

 make it truly a National Association, and as such to enlist every 

 American canoeist in its service and to give him such a return 

 that he will feel well repaid. Such is the object of the present 

 movement in the Middle States, and we trust that canoeists will 

 at least study the subject with the care and attention which it 

 certainly deserves from every friend of canoeing. Before going 

 into the details of the oganization it is desirable to have as full 

 information as possible concerning the number of clubs and can- 

 oeists, and we shall be glad to have any expressions of opinion, 

 pro or con, as well as the names both of clubs and canoeists, both 

 club members and unattached, within the proposed territorv, in 

 time for the meeting on Dec. 9. 



OTTAWA C. C. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I am afraid your readers must have thought the Ottawa C. C. 

 was defunct, but quite the contrary is the fact, we have all been 

 so busy with the paddle that we have forgotten the pen. Now 

 Dame Winter forces us to give up the former, so we naturally re- 

 sume the latter. I send you as a first instalment a table of our 

 fortnightly paddling races. These races were paddled over a 

 course a measured half mile. All our paddling races, with the 

 exception of a seven mile race in the regatta, were a mile long 

 with a turn, and great care was taken to have the time taken ac- 

 curately, two taking it independently and one checking the other. 

 There were six races, the time is given in minutes and seconds. 

 The time was not taken for the first race: 



12 3 4 5 6 



A. 0. Wheeler 2d 13 13 U 40 9 19 11 35 10 55 



W. H. Cronk 5th 32 30 U 53 9 17 10 55 10 40 



C. G. Rogers 1st .... 12 09 9 18 11 25 .. .. 



R. W.Baldwin. Broke paddle. 12 38 12 10 9 15 



F. H. Gisborne 12 25 11 58 9 25 11 47 .. .. 



H. Roy 3d 



J. S, Brongh 4th 



J. St. C . McQuiLkin 12 35 



L. C. Labelle 9 45 '. . . 



The result was that Mr. Wheeler carried off the cup. The cup 

 was held once each by Messrs. Rogers and Baldwin, and twice 

 each by Messrs. Cronk and Wheeler, but Mr. Wheeler's place in 

 the other races was slightly the best, his lowest place having been 

 fourth, while Mr. Cronk was in the first race fifth. The fourth 

 race of the series was also one of the regatta races, as the time 

 shows it was very closely contested. It was won by Mr. Baldwin, 

 who was in a 14J^ft.x25m.xl0in. canoe, which was bought especially 

 for the race, as Mr. Baldwin was previously handicapped with a 

 heavy decked canoe. The other canoes were considerable larger, 

 the one in which I paddled, 15ft,x28in.xllin., being the nearest to 

 it in size. Francis H. Gisborne, Secretary Ottawa C. C. 



Ottawa, Nov. 16. 



CIVIS AMERICAN US SUM. 



AT the dinner in Albany on the occasion of the Executive Com- 

 mittee meeting, Vice-Cora. Stanton presented to Com. Gibson 

 a large American flag, with the wish that it might wave over the 

 Commodore's tent at the next meet. In accepting it, Com. Gibson 

 said that if anything were needed to persuade him to become an 

 American in name the gift would be sufficient, but that he had 

 long since decided to do so. The following legal document shows 

 that he has acted in accordance with his speech; and we are glad 

 to welcome him as an American, citizen as well as an honored 

 member of that circle of good fellowship which knows no politi- 

 cal boundaries: 



&itjf (tmvt at gUtey. 



State of New York, City and County of New York, 88.: 



Be it known, That on the 21st day of November, in the year of our 

 Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty-seven, Robert W. 

 Gibson, formerly of England but now of the city of Albany, ap- 

 peared in the City Court of Albany (the said Court being a 

 Court of Record, having Common Law Jurisdiction, and a Clerk 

 and Seal) and applied to the said Court to be admitted to become 



A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 

 pursuant to the Acts of Congress of the United States of America 

 in relation to naturalization. 



And the said Robert W. Gibson having thereupon produced to 

 the Court such evidence, made such declaration and renunci- 

 ation, and taken such oaths as are by the said act required. 



Thereupon, It is ordered by the said Court that the said Robert 

 W. Gibson be admitted, and he is accordingly admitted by the 

 Court, a Citizen of the United States of America. 



Witness: T. F. Wilkinson, John W. Walsh and Frank- 

 lin M. Danaher, Justices of said Court. 



I)i testimony whereof, the seal of the said 

 Court is hereunto affixed, this 21st day of 

 November, 1887, in the 112th year of the 

 Independence of the United States. 

 By the Court. 



Jno. W. Walsh, Clerk. 



Seal of the 

 City Court of 

 Albany. 



CRUISING BOATS ON LAKE ERIE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Seeing in your issue of Nov. 8 the drawings of cruising boats 

 similar to those in use on the west end of Lake Erie for several 

 years, it occurred to me that some particulars of the latter might 

 be of interest to your readers. A boat similar to the smaller was 

 first designed about 1879 for Mr. T. D. Cone, of Toledo, by Messrs. 



20in., lapstreak build, %in. planking, ribs spaced 8iu. The 



boat is catrigged, but the board was omitted as taking up too 

 much room, and a Sin. keel substituted. She was so successf ul 

 that she became the favorite boat around the islands, being 

 duplicated many times by the builders. These boats were so sea- 

 worthy that they were run between the islands in water that 

 would have swamped an opeu rowboat. In the fall of 1884, the 

 writer with a friend made a trip to Grand Lake, off Lake Huron, 

 and on our return we were compelled to make the run down the 

 latter lake, 25 miles, to Alpina to catch the steamer, in a blow 

 from which vessels and barges were seeking shelter. We had on 

 board two men, one of 1451bs. and one of 1551bs., two guns with 

 ammunition, one tent with poles, blankets enough for fall crui - 

 ing, cooking utensils, provisions, axe, two green deer pelts, two 

 sets of antlers, fishing tackle, etc. The wind being fair and the 

 little boat sitting well in the water with her large cargo, though 

 the immense green rollers towering higher than her mast seemed 

 ready to swamp her, she rode them like a bird, and as she lifted 

 from between them up to the crest and down on the other side, 

 she seemed more like a live thing than an inanimate object. We 

 again disembarked from the steamer at Port Huron and cruised 

 home. In crossing Lake Erie we were caught in an easterly 

 breeze that stirred up old Erie to a threatening degree, and though 

 we were compelled to travel in the trough of the sea in keeping 

 our course, yet we did not ship a drop of water. 



The larger boat was designed for another gentlemrn of this city 

 about the year '82. Her dimensions were: Over all, 18ft.; l.w.]., 

 16ft.; beam, 5ft. 6in.; depth, bow, 2ft. 3in.; mid, 1ft. 4in.; stern, 2ft.; 

 fitted with the ordinary centerboard and t wo sails of common fore 

 and aft style. She was also lapstreak, planking J^in., ribs HjX%, 

 spaced Sin. She, too, became a favorite, being equally seaworthy 

 with the smaller boat and having greater carrying capacity, and 

 she was rapidly duplicated, as the other boat" had been. These 

 boats would go out with full sail when the yachts had turned in 

 reefs, and though they did not carry a pouud of ballast, still they 

 seemed as much at home in a stiff breeze as in light weather. A 

 favorite diversion of the young sailors at Middle Bass was in half 

 a gale, with three or four on the windward rail, to see how much 

 the spars would stand, they having been dismasted several times 

 under such circumstances. 



The only difference between the Lake Erie models and those 

 given in the Forest and Stream seem to be a little more sheer, 

 flatter floor, and slight 1 y hollow waterliue in the former. 



No. 10, W. C. A. 



AN AMATEUR'S EXPERIENCE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



I am a canoeist of whom you have probably never heard because 

 I come from Mud Bank, Way Back county (Passaic River), N. J. 

 My object in writing this letter is to give my experience, which I 

 hope will tend to encourage young amateurs to do likewise. 



In the summer of '84, when 16 years old, I was Beized with a 

 slight attack of canoe fever. One afternoon about 2 o'clock 1 

 started to build a canoe, and the next morning I launched it. Its 

 dimensions were 33ft. long by 12in. beam, built of three I2in. pine 

 boards, 14m. thick, with the sides straight up. As it floated like 

 a feather on the water— it Btartled one in its resemblance to a 

 coffin, and such it came near proving to me. As I put my foot in 

 it I noticed it was a little "cranky," so I thought it better to dis- 

 robe and prepare for a swim. I have heard of getting in one side 

 of a canoe simultaneously with getting out the other, hut in un- 

 case I could not find either side. 



I took it home and drove some crosspieces from the middle 

 toward the ends, thereby flaring the sides, and tried it again, 

 which by repeating several times, proved a complete success. The 

 canoe weighed about 301bs. and paddled very' easily. It was not 

 constructed on scientific principles, however, and by an accident 

 fell apart quicker than it was put together, which was doing re- 

 markably well. 



The next spring I espied a large roll of tin that had been origin- 

 ally on a roof, laid up in the top of the barn, so with my big 

 brother's aid, ideas, etc. (he doing most of the work), as far as I 

 can learn, I built the first tin canoe in the world. 



We hammered and pounded the best part of a dav trying to get 

 the thing into shape, but it did seem as if for every kink we 

 pounded out two and sometimes three would take its place. We 

 at last launched Oina in the duck pond on our place as a paddling 

 canoe 14ft.X.30in. 



That year I got a taste of sailing in my brother's canoe, the Idle- 

 mere, and consequently the following year I had sails on the 

 Oina, which proved a success. The following spring, the present 

 year, I built her entirely over, adding 6in. in length, two plate 

 centerbords with tin trunks, which were very easily put in, and 

 making a new rig with SSsq.ft. and gave her the more appropriate 

 name of Old Ironsides. 



I took her to Dundee Lake on the occasion of the Passaic River 

 canoe meet, and much to my surprise won two races, the amateur 

 built sailing and the standing paddling. 



I arrived at camp about 10 P. M. all tired out after a hard pad- 

 dle against tide part of the way, so one of the Paterson boys said 

 I might sleep in his canoe, the Wanda. It was a damp night, so I 

 turned my canoe upside down on the bank, which, if possible, 

 gave it a less prepossessing view to a beholder than if in the 

 water. As I lay awake that night because the Radix centerboard 

 handle bad made its impression in the small nf mv back, even 

 through my cork mattress, I heard the following" short, but 

 truthful dialogue as the moon shed her rayes on the canoe: 



Humph, what a tub!" Then the answer: '"Never you mind, 

 she can get there just the same." As a natural consequence of I 



bearing such an historic name I often hear very funnv remarks 

 about it while out sailing. I remember a few. "Why I thought 

 she was dead and buried long ago." "Constitution forever." 

 "She's painted to look like iron, isn't she?" "Let her go tinsides, 

 ironsides is dead," etc. 



By trusting to luck and good management, I have won a good 

 many races. I do not say this egotistically, but simply to show 

 that perseverance is sure to be rewarded. 



I am sorry to say that on our river the racing is mostly left for 

 older heads, who have professional built canoes. The younger 

 canoeists seem to be afraid of going in races, because they say, 

 "What can I do against so and soV" forgetting that to come in 

 anywhere but last Is an honor, and not a disgrace. No matter 

 how good a sailor one may be, it is impossible to do as well in your 

 first race as it is in your second, or your second as your third, &c. 

 "Practice makes perfect," therefore 1 would always go in a sail- 

 ing race, for practice if nothing else. 



I think that everything possible should be done to encourage 

 young canoeists, and not let them think that because some one 

 else is older and has a better canoe, there is no hope for them. I 

 think that Mr. Edgar, of Newburgh, has shown pretty clearly 

 what one can do, and has earned a very enviable reputation; also 

 Mr. Stewart has given the old salts a pretty good lesson on the 

 other side of the Pond. 



I suppose probably the youngest canoe club is the Amateur, of 

 Passaic, which consists principally of canoeists about ton or 

 twelve years old, who have canoes they built themselves. They 

 turned out in full force at the meet, but did not do any racing, 

 however, they have made a good beginning and are probably 

 doomed to do greater things, possibly in a few years we shall hear 

 ol one of them either being President of the United States or 

 Commodore of the A. C. A. Old Ironsides, Ianthe C. C. 



[Our correspondent is in error as to the first tin canoe, there 

 were two at Lake George in 1880, built by amateurs, Messrs. Pal- 

 mer and Frothingham, of Albany.] 



THE TORONTO CANOE SAIL. 



Editor Forest and St ream: 



The sail shown in inclosed sketch has been used in the Toronto 

 C. C. for a season, and has been found to answer very well. The 

 canoes of the Toronto, Gait and Ubique clubs were thus rigged at 

 the. Northern Division meet last summer, and were very success- 

 ful in the races. Mr. Fraser's open canoe Una won the sailing 

 medal from all canoes, open and decked; while the open and 

 decked sailing trophies of the T. C C. have fallen to canoes simi- 

 larly rigged. The advantages claimed for the sail are a low center 



-4- 



of effort, a short mast, as racing masts go, and a few lines, with 

 no downhaul. While being a fair to cloudy racing sail, it is at the 

 same time a good all-around cruising sail, that can be reefed and 

 lowered at will. The dimensions are: 



Mast, deck to head 10ft. 



at deck, 2%in at head, liu. 



Boom 10ft. 3in. 



Gaff 5ft. 



Luff 7ft. 6in. 



Leech 12ft. 9in. 



Area 69sq.ft. 



The sail is hoisted by a single halliard :md lowers freely without 

 a downhaul. The line B is made fast to the fore end of gaff, the 

 other end being lashed to a brass ring around the mast, a thimble 

 being also spliced into the end. The halliard A is fast to the gaff, 

 then leads through the thimble to block at maHt head, then down 

 and through a block at stem head, serving esa forestay. In prac- 

 tice the sail hoists until the luff is taut, and any extra strain that 

 is put on pulls directly on the leech. If the halliard be of cable- 

 laid line it will not stretch, and the gaff when hoisted will hold iu 

 the same plane as the boom. After trying several elaborate 

 methods of attaching the sail to the mast, with but poor success, 

 I was glad to copy Com. Gibson's method, described iu the Forest 

 and Stream., which is so simple as to recommend itself at first 

 sight. The reefiines arc passed in and out through grommets in 

 the sail, spaced about 4in. apart, which makes a very neat reef. 

 The boom and gaff are of bamboo, the mast of spruce, the battens 

 of flat pine, lxJ4in. with edges beveled. The boom may be made a 

 foot or 18in. shorter by cutting the sail down straight from the 

 end of the first batten, but a 10ft. boom has not proved too much, 

 provided it is well topped up. The total weight of sail, spars and 

 rigging is lllbs. W. G. MacKkndrjck. Toronto C. C. 



A NEW DEVICE FOR REEF LINES. 



MR. O. F. COE, of Jersey City, sends the accompaning sketch 

 of a new device of his for reef lines. The riugs are replaced 

 by vertical pockets large enough to allow the lines to run freely. 



The pockets are of wide tape, stitched to the sail iu the usual 

 manner. The two or three reef lines run through them, so that 

 they cannot foul or tangle, while the reefs are taken in very 

 neatly and snugly. * 



THE DATE OF THE NEXT A. C. A. MEET.— The date of the 

 next meet should have been given as Aug. 10 to 24, Friday to Fri- 

 day, instead of Aug. 12 to 26, as first printed. 1 



