Columbia-Oxford. In our last issue lack of space prevented us from commenting on the letter from Cambridge, Mass., to a New York daily quoted in this column. The correspondent from Cambridge entirely misunderstood Captain Bancroft when he wrote that "Harvard feels badly because Oxford has not challenged her rather than Columbia." We wish to correct this statement, which places us in a false position. No such feeling prevails at Harvard either among the men of the crew or among the students.
Cambridge-Oxford. Nothing definite has yet been done in regard to picking out the men for the University Race; new men are constantly trying. In spite of all the changes in the boats, the rowing is said to be very good at both universities. Mr. Beaumont, last year's coxswain for Oxford, will steer them again this year.
PEDESTRIANISM.As one means of increasing the athletic interest here, which is at present so far below what it can and ought to be, we suggest to the Athletic Association the plan of instituting Challenge Cups. The offer of two really handsome and valuable cups, one for walking and one for running, would, we think, meet with immediate favor. Any one winning the cup should have his name engraved upon it, each time he won, and, after being won three successive times by the same man, it should become his private property. The distance in each case should be such as to equalize, as much as possible, the chances of the sprinter and the long-distance man. A Hundred-Yard Challenge Cup would prove very popular, as comparatively little training would be required for it.
If the idea of Handicaps were carried out and made a fact instead of an idea, it would serve as a great stimulant to athletics. Such races held, say biweekly on Friday afternoons, when there is nothing going on, and for cups of moderate value, would command a large entry, and men who contested each time would soon run themselves into first-class condition, and render the time made at the Spring and Fall Meetings creditable to themselves and to the College. As matters now stand, one or two men are regarded as invincible, simply because they train somewhat, and have speed enough to beat their utterly untrained opponents in a canter. By handicapping these men the chances would be equalized, and others induced to train really hard, while the invincible few would have to work all the harder; thus speed, time, and men would all improve.
BASE BALL.The New York World commenting on the book, "Harvard and Its Surroundings," says: "The mention of Jarvis Field forms a pretext for inserting three pages of base-ball records, in the course of which the implication is made that the game of July 24, 1868, which Harvard won over Yale, was the first contest of the sort between the two colleges. As a matter of fact, the Yale nine of '69 had before that date twice defeated the corresponding class-nine of Harvard; once as Freshmen in 1866 and once as Sophomores in 1867." The carelessness with which the World has treated this subject is remarkable. The Guide-book speaks exclusively of University matches, the first of which between Harvard and Yale took place July 24, 1868. The games referred to by the World are class-matches, and are not mentioned by the Guide-book, as a matter of course.
THE following is the definite order of events of the H. A. A.: -
Saturday, March 9. 1. Vaulting one hand. 2. Heavy-weight sparring. 3. Light-weight wrestling. 4. Broad-sword exercise. 5. Middle-weight wrestling.
Saturday, March 16. 1. Horizontal bar. 2. Indian-club. 3. Tug of war. 4. Vaulting two hands. 5. Light-weight sparring. 6. Unfinished bouts of previous meeting.
Saturday, March 23. 1. Standing high jump. 2. Middle-weight sparring. 3. Heavy-weight wrestling. 4. Fencing. 5. Unfinished bouts of previous meetings.
N. B. The entry-book will positively be closed at 5 P.M. on the day preceding each meeting, to facilitate printing programmes with the names of the contest ants.