








































































chef 
- ) Dae 
LARA TER 
i lt. 1 

THE 
moment a puff headed us. 
It must have been the sight of a life time to 
the crowd on the dock to see those great big 
Over-canvased cats and jib-and-mainsails fluttering 
and fighting to prevent capsize. One cat, the 
Roma, I saw rise on a sea, saw the mast snap 
off short at the deck, and the whole rig flop out 
flat on the water as her crew scrambled in to 
prevent. being thrown overboard to windward. 
To leeward two boats let everything go by the 
run; others all but capsized, but that was all I 
could see, for Rambler was going up river like 
a steamboat, and then down came a driving 
rain that shut out everything. 
My three-man crew were hatless and coatless, 
and how they did get soaked. The big fat fellow 
glistened like a porpoise just risen from the sea, 
his shirt front wide open and flapping, showing 
streams of water running down his bare chest, 
the others with hair over their eyes and clothes 
clinging fast to their wet bodies. Wet! oh my! but 
we were all wet. But who cared for that? We 
were leading the fleet; in fact, when it grew 
somewhat lighter, as it soon did—for those North 
River squalls though severe are generally of short 
duration—we saw but one boat about a mile 
astern, 
We were within a half mile of the first mark 
before it cleared up completely and the sun 
beamed down warm and bright again; but the 
wind was all but gone. Our stone ballast we 
stowed on the floor alongside the centerboard, 
afraid to throw it away as yet for fear we might 
again need it. Far astern we made out the fleet 
of slanting white shafts showing the racers were 
after us at last. We rounded the stone quarry 
mark boat, slacked off sheet, and with wind and 
tide glided along past Fort Lee, the fleet almost 
disappearing up the river. But every moment 
the wind grew lighter and lighter. We saw two 
or three of the big rigged flyers coming down 
wind wing and wing with jibs boomed out. Over- 
board went our rock ballast and with sheets 
trimmed in we stood slanting across the river 
close hauled. : 
Oh! if it would only blow up a little, what 
a glorious chance we had of beating all those 
The race was ours by two miles 
crack racers. 
a, 
Sof 
by 
KNOCKDOWN 
POREST-AND STREAM: 





AT THE START, 
now, but every minute the wind lightened until 
when half way home on this last leg it died out 
to a zephyr so faint the small sail on Rambler 
just barely held her from drifting backward down 
river on the tide. 
Two of our rivals, a catboat with a towering 
rig and jib-and-mainsail boat, rounded the second 
mark and stood after us. We sat there helpless, 
doing our best, it is true, by sitting to leeward, 
etc., but with deep chagrin we saw these two 
boats cutting open and dumping their ton or 
more of sand ballast over the side as fast as they 
could rip open the bags. It was a tantalizing 
time for us, and to make it worse every face 
on our rivals wore a broad grin of satisfaction 
as they passed us. 
Three or four boats beat us home and I felt 
deeply grieved, after coming so near winning, to 


lose in the end. But now, years after, I have 
learned by experience to grin and bear defeat. 
C. G. Davis. 
e ” 
Canoeing. 

Eastern Division Meet. 
THE magnificent pine grove just south of 
the Fish Brook, situated on a bluff some thirty 
feet above the surface of the Merrimack River 
and about midway between Lowell and 
Lawrence, Mass., was the spot chosen by Vice- 
Commodore Bodwell, Purser Houston and their 
associates of the Lawrence C. C. as the site of 
the American Canoe Association, Eastern 
Division, meet of 1907. 
As many as could came prepared to handle 
their own mess, and as the twilight faded into 
darkness, the glow of the cooking fires could 
be seen in every direction among the pines, 
from whose trunks the dead branches projected, 
dry as fire-wood need be despite the rain which 
had fallen, furnishing fuel for cooking and the 
cheery camp-fire with a minimum of effort in 
the gathering. This was, to a considerable ex- 
tent, a camping meet, and those who messed 
for themselves were the most contented ones 
in camp, apparently taking great pleasure in 





[JuLty 6, 1907. 
the preparation as well as the disposal of each 
and every meal. ; 
Saturday evening the Lawrence C. C. invited 
the assembled canoeists to repair to the Fish 
Brook club house. where refreshments were 
served. The veranda of the house having been 
converted into a stage with footlights com- 
plete, several numbers of a vaudeville enter- 
tainment were presented, after which the camp- 
fires were again lighted, while the pipes were 
smoked before turning in. 
When the word was passed for the business 
meeting a goodly number assembled about head- 
quarters tent, and the following delegates were 
named as a nominating committee: 
Medford Boat Club—J. B. Howard‘and B. F. 
Jacobs, Jr. 
Dedham Boat Club 
Brodbeck. 
Wawbewawa Canoe Assn.—D. S. Pratt, Jr. 
Innitou Canoe Club—E. F. Wyer and W. W. 
F. W. Notman and F. 

Crosby. 
Swastika Canoe Club—W. A. Heath and E. 
J. Proffitt. 
Narragansett Boat Club—R. G. E. Hicks. 
Cygnet Boat Club—E. B. Stearns and F. S. 
Chase. 
Lawrence Canoe Club—B. E. Horne and A. 
Ritchie. 
Winchester Boat Club—W. J. Ladd. 
After a conference, this committee presented 
the following nominations: 
Vice-Commodore—Fred E. Leathe, No. 4057, 
Innitou C. C. 
Rear-Commodore—John_  B. No. 
3710, Medford B. C. 
Members of Executive Committee—Daniel S. 
Pratt, Jr., No. 3417, Wawbewawa C. A.; F. S: 
Chase, No. 4507. Cygnet B. C., and F. Brod- 
beck, No. 4480, Dedham B. C. 
The committee also nominated Wm. W. 
Crosby, No. 2806, Innitou C. C., for Commo- 
dore of the Association for 1908, but Mr. Crosby 
being unable to definitely accept the nomination 
at this time, it was voted that the vice-commo- 
dore appoint a committee of three to wait upon 
him at a later date and report his answer to 
the nominating committee, which is to present 
a nomination to the executive committee at 
the National meet. Vice-Commodore Bodwell 
appointed D. S. Pratt, Jr., F. S. @hase and Bs 
Ey Jacobsi ir: 
The officers named by the nominating com- 
mittee were unanimously elected, the election 
of a purser being passed at this time, and it 
was voted to communicate to the executive 
committee the intention of the Eastern Divisiom 
to take the National meet in 1908. 
The races were called at 10:30 A. M. Monday 
and resulted as follows: 
War canoes, nine men, one mile.—First, Med- 
ford B. C.; second. Dedham B. C.: third, Waw- 
bewawa C. A:; fourth, Lawrence C. C. 
Single, single blade, half mile—First, A. G. 
Mather; second, F. J. Kenney; third, F. Brod- 
beck: fourth, J. W. Farley, fifth, B. E. Horne. 
Time, 4m. ITI 4-5s. 
Single, double blade, half mile—First, J. B- 
Howard; second, W. E. Stamwood; third, B. E. 
Horne; fourth, A. Ritchie; fifth, F. Notman >; 
sixth, H. M. S. Aiken. Time, 4m. .1 4-5s. 
Tandem, single blade, half mile—First, Med- 
ford B. C., Wm. Howard and E. A. Friedrich 
Second, Dedham B. C., Fred Brodbeck and G. 
C. Cheney; third, Wawbewawa C. A. J. W. 
Farley and W. E. Stanwood. Time, 4m. 4 2-5s. 
Tandem. double blades, half mile—First. Med- 
ford B. C., J. B. Howard and A. G. Mather; 
second, Wawbewawa C. A., J. W. Farley and W. 
E. Stanwood: third, Lawrence C. C., A. Ritchie 
and W. M. Platt. 
Fours, single blades, half mile—First. Med- 
ford B. C., No. 1: second. Medford B. C., .No. 
2; third, Dedham B. C. Time, 3m. 22s. 
Howard, 

Fours. double blades, half mile—First, Ded- 
ham B. C.; second, Lawrence C. C.; third, Med- 
ford Bac; 
The race officials were as follows: Judges,. 
Lovis S. Drake, Wawbewawa; Herman  D. 
Murphy, Winchester: Ratcliffe G. E. Hicks, 
Swastika: Starter, Wm. W. Crosby. Innitou> 
Timer, Com. George P. Douglass, New York. 
UNAMIS. 





