THE WORLD’S CHAMPION SCULLER—WHO IS HE?

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5278, 23 February 1878, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE WORLD’S CHAMPION SCULLER—WHO IS HE?

After some remarks concerning the .differences that exist between authorities in the sporting world as to who ia the champion,of; America, ’and who is entitled to wear! the proud title of champion of the aquatic world, ■ the New Yerle Sportsman of November 24 has; the following remarks 1 and-comments :—, ! We will deal with the championship of America first, and then take up the question of the world’s championship, and; we hope to be able to locate them both in one man,; and that man an American—vie., Edward Hanlon, of Toronto. As we said, before: wo shall have to go hack to the days of George Brown. ; He was undoubtedly champion, as he had defeated ail ; our best men—viz., John- Biglin, Evan Morris, and Billy Soharf. When he died the championship was in abeyance, and now comes a peculiar thing in connection with these; socalled championship meetings. Coulter and Morris come together, and row a match for the title, and the winner is dubbed champitm. Now what is there to prevent two inferior men from getting up a race for the championship, and the winner dubbing, himself champion? It was for the very purpose of arriving at something! tangible in this respect that; the proprietors of the Newcastle Chronicle gave a valuable trophy, which should rivet as it were the holder’s title. We have but to turn back to some of > the : numbers of the sporting papers of thus city to find out the interminable challenging and counter-challenging and bickering and wrangling, to show the want of some such trophy or emblem, and it was for this very purpose 1 that the National Association of Amateur Oarsmen gave a prize forthe! championship of America and the world./ In that contest we find the name of Evan Morris as a competitor. Now, Morris claimed that he was champion of America, and the very fact of his participating in 1 this race shows that he recognised the fact that it was for ,the cham-, pionship. Had he thought otherwise his’ 1 proper course would have been to hold aloof and challenge the victor, and , the very act of his starting shows that lie tacitly acknowledged that it was a; championship meeting, and yet, in the face of these facts, we 1 find that; the, Pittsburger still arrogates to himself , the title of champion. - Then there is- another thing that needs a little explanation, and that is, why has not Morris competed in some of the open events that purported to be for the solution of the question of championship ; there have been several, the most noticeable of which was the • one 1 given at Saratoga the past summer ; and, how is it that Evan Morris has never figured in any of these contests ? Surely there was enough money in them ;• that is, if the denizen of the smoky region was, fast enough to get in front of such men as Courtney, Riley, Plaisted, Hanlon, &e. From this showing it would appear that the title of American champion can more justly be claimed by Charles Courtney than by Evan Morris. But the title belongs really, and'will, belong, until he is defeated, to Hanlon, he having won it at the Centennial Regatta, land never having forfeited it since. Now that we have fully established this fact) we will leave the question of the American! championship)' and, proceed to analyse the championship/of the world claim. We find that this will carry ns to the Antipodes—Trickett, tho Australian, claiming that he defeated his opponent in a match for: that title. Well, let us:see what we find here. Trickett makes a match: with Joe Sadler for the championship. ! ! Now, Sadler, although holding the. championship, was/not considered the best man in England, as there wore several oarsmen ready to make, a match with him, and it was well known that his powers were on the wane ; ; so, at the very outset, we find a snarl; But even admitting that Sadler and Trickett had a right ’to make ‘ such a match,. we shall not proceed far before we encounter, several stumbling-blocks. After Trickett had met and defeated Sadler, he was challenged by several oarsmen, both .of. the Thames and Tyne, among them Higgins and Boyd ; but wo find him making a match oyer their heads with Lurnsden, who is no better than'a second-class man. ; Now,; we do not wish, to disparage 'the Australian in the least, but it does appear on the face of it that Trickett picked out the softest job when he made the match with Lunuden. Of the upshot of this match, and of his subsequent treatment, we have nothing’ to say. It is of his claim to the title of Cham-. pion of England in his encounter with S idler, that did not made him the conqueror of th'e world. There is a little spot called America, and some of its oarsmen can do considerable paddling. Just about the time that the'Australian was in England, the committee'of'the Centennial Regatta were completing .arrange-, meats for their aquatic carnival at Philadelphia, l and l the fact was well 1 known in tho English boating circles, and several pf/ the clubs were making active preparations to participate in that event. Nor was this all, for we bblibve.; a formal invitation was sent to the ‘Australian, ; and be could just as easily, have paid us a visit,, on . his return, journey; It would 1 not'have been much out of . its way, and if he pi-ored fast enough to win, the prize would have'been sufficient to have paid all his return expenses. Had: he come here and won the .Centanial 'prize, ho could have justly claimed’the' world’s championship but’ as ho; failed to meet) let alone defeat, any of our oarsmen, he cannot,, with any justness, put in the remotest claim to the title of 1 championship 1 of ' the world, and, our. verdict, must be, and ever shall be, that Edward Hanlon, of Toronto,.'Canada,' is The champion, not only of America,' but of the world, and will remain so until defeated. Whether his . conqueror will , bo Courtney, Trickett, Boyd, Higgins, or 'any other of The host of first-class scullers, we know not, and shall impatiently await the announcement of the, ratification of, a, bona fide match between; somo of tho above named. 1