AFTER THE BIG RACE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 132, 27 February 1908, Page 7

AFTER THE BIG RACE.

>A DULL EVENING IN WANGANUI.'

THE NEXT CONTEST.

AN INTERVIEW WITH AIiNST.. (I'HOII OUll 61'F.CIA.L COItRESrOXDENT 0 Wanganui did not 'jubilate with a madly glad heart oil Tuesday evening—it had evidently learned something: from .tho .-ridicule it received from tho whole of tho Dominion when it lost its balance so completely on tlio night of the Webb-Towns race, or it is getting used to-\ winning 'world's, championships, and custom is subduing the exubernuco of-its Webb-madness. There wns no " lift". about tho town, no' direct evidence of a proper buoyancy of spirits; there were no songs of victory; nobody made a spcech on behalf of anybody or anything; and no bands played Yes, there was one: tlio • oalvntioii Army played outside Tuck's Hotel. Iho night s before there had been a capital display of fireworks in Cook's' Gardens, 'but nothing of the kind was in evidence to point that _v\nnganui' had .been 'seriously'-chair' - , longed, but through Webb's, pluck,and pace had retained the world's championship. A Dominion representative asked .Mr. Tuck;' what had becoinp of.' Wcbbl; 1 " He's- at homo playing with 1 his kiddies —he's a domestic man, bless you! 'V .was thp r.eoly.' This is;' typical of tho man. Ho. is 1 ! retiring and modest to a : degree.ln;his , everyclay , you would pass him a dozen .times and never .'.' (Ironin that ho- was tho champion oarsman of'the world. ' But ; seo him iii - his shell, and one experiences a desire to raise money on i 'pile's only shirt-link to put it'on him. Ho • is tho'Sandrnv inaiij' to' whom every- action . is _ exercise—even,' to'; tho handshake. Tho writer bade him.; good-bye at 1 the Wan- .• ganui at 'nocin .yesterday j nidrc care 'willi be - oxercised in', the' future with' champion oarsmen.. Mrs. Webb -wife also on tho platform fnrewelling.-' friends.'.-''.She looked 7 flushed' and liappy, and ,-' is 50011 to movo into her nowhouse. tlinvn where tho Wan- ' - ganui flows at Arambhb. • : To return to criticism. Wanganpi fell short'' in its plain duty to Webb. There should liavo been some! dignified function presided over by , tho Mayor, and-, attended-by. the M.P. anilleading functionaries, who should have hailed ; tlio champion as a world's' champion should, be hailed. Instead 'of that, the purso was to bo handed over during an interval iiy a travel- • ling' picture show. Wanganui has lost sight : of the proper fitness .of things, and almos? • deserves. to'lose "thechampionship.' WHAT DiD WEBB WIN BY? . v. Tliero was a wide divergence of ; opinion ao " to tho space which-'''separated the prows of tlio two boats at the-iinish of Tuesday's race.The judge- (Mr.', T. D,' ■ 'man'.; whoso!, word. goes—sass that-, including tha: . length of \S : ebb's. boat, there was a !space of 2| lengths between them—i.e., 1-J lengths of - daylight.:. Whilo,making that decision; tho ■ judge complains of haying-'been''perched high up 011 tho - bank instead of down at tho lovol ' of tho water. Others who were stationed at the linish givo the distance between .tho)boats , as four' lengths'; tho Wanganui "Herald''; Y 'gavo it as. fivo len»ths. : . . .Wit-h.these confuseil;reports.ringing iiumy , ear, I' resolved to coiis.ult 0110 other mail ! whom I knew was at tlio finish. "Do you know what?." ho said, with • awful . secrecy. "iWebb ;was between, six',and , seven' lengthy ahead at' the' finish. iFact! " ' EXPERTS DISAGREE. Another point 011 jvliich even tho'experts .varied was .the 'number; of strokes tho oarsi men, pulled to .the.niiriutoiat tho " .take-off."'!; Haying counted tho strokes' on tlio catch whilo they 'were'. " clocked;"- T can swear to Webb's 30; and,a rowing- nian next 1110 .-. counted 32 to Tres'idder. Others are equally omphatiq that 1 tho strokes - were more or less, 1 and ■ Daii'i;. (Tresidder's traiiier) assorted that • his'man started off at 40 to the minute, an obvious absurdity, as all on board the umpire's boat remarked 011. the " steadiness " of both, men's; strokes at tlio start. . Besides, , a crack oarsman pulling'4o to tlio minutei. •. would bo expected to. cover tho first rnilo ill undor 6mini Iset;! : ■ -' "

A CHAT WITH ARNST. v -Dick' 'Ariist;'was ' ismii ■: by. mo, yesterday: .morning. Ho lincl recently visitor! iv side- ■ show in AVanganui, and lie. showed 1110 tho card; which told : him his weight, which v a-". .machino .had.registered.''lt:was 14st: 131b. V"I row.'atvl3st.,". said -Arnst, . "and Iniusfi. gct.'.to'')vbrlf|at : 'once;" ; v. , '.. i ''.:'..- "Aro you going to train in AYanganui?" "Yes, I think so—either-: lioro or in Nelson.' .Nothing, is but;l think I'll get into' camp .up tho river." V "Who do you row for—Now Zealand l or.: Australia?'' /■"' "It all depends—there's any. amount, to i put up tho, money; but they all want to make money;' and . I'm not going '. to row' for i the a championship for moneyhear!the scullers. • are only getting, half tho boit money here. • That', nienris,'' that if the- boats, were worth . £500, only £250 would,be cut up between ■' the 'scullers—it's liot good; enough.''--'.:. '; j. | :"You'll-'got/going.-right away?'.'n . "Yes,' but I'll want a'.full' three months fc get ready. I'd soouer not row at all than row unprepared." :• '■' . /■ ; '.; ' "What'did you think, of, the race?",:. . .

"Best man. won—Tresidder. lias-got age, and it. fold: ';is ( , ijo bettor : than I thought him.' If ho and Fogwoll were to row. to-morrow, and I knew as much about AYcbb as I do now, I wouldn't "back '-'either man." • ■ In view of , what 'Arnst' says, , Ircmombered that he: has; beaten ; Fogwell, .when £ho latter received a; handicap, so it must be- argued, that, if ho a good match for AYebb,'lie.must think tliat ho. has a good chanco of defeating AYebb; Time will tell. . ..