How O'Toole was Fooled.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3116, 30 January 1889, Page 2

How O'Toole was Fooled.

The New York World has been . publishing experiences by .leading . i rowing men, and among.otbe'r stories the following by George Rosmeris' 1 given George H. Hosmer says■ One of the funniest races in which I. ever took part was hi the country near Lancaster, Mass, wliera I,wag. rusticating. This was, I think, in July 18ijl.. Just to " kill time I attended a picnic'on Lake Washegan, or some such name; and found there ', a rowing match in progress. TJjo ' principal contestants were .two strap- ' ' . ping young fellows, .'/named O'loole and Seavitt, and I afterwards found ■ out that it was customary for O'Toole C,i '• to take tho first prize and'Beavitt the second, There; was no one ...at"v the gathering who knew, me, except ■ a young' man named Gleason, froi», • Boston, I put him on : his ' and then announced myself asV' candidate for rowinghonors. O'Toole looked at ; me compassionately, and

r said I didn't look Btrong enough to 1 pull those heavy boats, and wanted 1 to .know if I Mover, rowed one., [ " No," I replied, " but I have done [ some rowing in a Bhell.'' " Well, i never mind," said- O'Toole, who disi liked Seavitt, " I'll take the lend, but i I won't go too far ahead.. I'll stay near and coach you to see if I can. i bring you >in second," I s agreed to [ this, and we prepared for the njatch. ■ : I did not dare 'roll up my shirt ' , i sleeves and display my«na V by'the suu, aß' that wpOTWiave been . a give away. I simply took'off my • coat, and got into. the boat in my •. . sliirt sleeves. As he said ho would, . O'Toolo immediately took the lead, - I took second place, ■atid -he stayed ,' • near me, eneouragirig me and giving' mo direotiona how to hold my arras. ' I pretended to hi tired out and 'let . • him lead until we turned for home,Y Then I shot away and came in iullyWbk 800 yards ahead. The race only for .a mile. To say that O'Toole r < • ra petrified would be putting it mildly. When he reached the shore < he neither looked to the right nor to the -left, but came straight at me, ' and after looking mo all over, Broke • out," Say, who are you, anyhow ?" When I told him that I was George ' Hosmor jbu should ■ h'ave. seen his face. It was a study. He remained perfectly quiet a moment, and then gasped, " And I offered to coach yon," Fo/three or four weeks after I took hinj out in a. boat every day '• and put him through his paces. Ha :' • now lives in . Worcester, and is one of the best scullers in the locality,