Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 February 1895 — Skill and Grace in Rowing. [ARTICLE]

Skill and Grace in Rowing.

Nothing looks easier than to see a practiced oarsman sweeping along in his .shell, while his oar blades, a J.the recovery send up showers of beautiful feathers, but while this is actually easy, the occupant of the shell has not only to balance himself’ in his cranky craft, but must observe the laws of physics in many other ways. He must pull steadily, with equal power on each 68T. How many green hands dan do this? Look at the party yonder iu the skiff with his ‘ best girl.” He seizes the heavy, badly matched oars, digs deep into the inoffensive water, makes a.semi-circular motion with his arms and one oar flies out of the rowlock, while the other is dragged through the water and the boat leisurely goes about. He flushes and readjusts the obstinate oar and after a few ineffectual efforts Starts off, with his oars playing alternately in the water and the sunlight with a rotary motion like thepaddles of a sidewheel steamer, while a few strokes suffice to put him in a profuse prespiration. . This is because he violates the laws of natural philosophy and converts the easiest and most graceful of all sports into a wild, disconnected struggle. He soon finds th-t the _ arm that he is most accustomed to using controls the direction of his boat and in spite of his struggle forces the bow around in an opposite direction.— Kansas City Referee.