The committee said that we were perfectly right in not being willing to occupy our old quarters again, and promised to consider the plans and specifications then laid before them. There the whole matter rested. Repeated efforts were made to induce the committee to take initiatory steps in the matter, but nothing was done, notwithstanding that the committee retained possession of the plans till they were called for after the race of 1880.

As the time for the race came near, and when it became too late to construct new quarters, Captain Trimble requested the local committee to enlarge the old quarters. Nothing whatever was done in the matter, and in 1880 Harvard was again compelled to occupy her old quarters.

The challenge was not sent at the usual time this year for the reason that Harvard was unwilling to challenge Yale to row at New London, unless proper quarters could be had. When the challenge was sent it was accompanied by a note calling attention to the fact that Harvard had not named New London as the place for the race, and stating that Harvard would not go to New London, unless she could get suitable quarters in time for this year's Crew. Yale accepted the challenge, fully aware that it was but conditional. If she could not accept it, conditional as it was, the proper thing was to tell Harvard so, and then Harvard would have had the choice of sending a challenge unincumbered by conditions, or none at all.

That Harvard was justified in the position that she took is admitted by Professor Wheeler, of Yale, the umpire of last year's race. "It would be improper," said he, "for either college to insist upon the other going to any place where good quarters could not be obtained, and if the Harvard quarters are such as represented, New London is out of the question."

Both Captain Collins and Mr. Bigelow agreed that the quarters occupied by Harvard last year were such as they would be unwilling to use themselves. They were also willing to admit that there was nothing unfair in the position taken by Harvard, in being unwilling to go to New London unless good quarters could be obtained.

Few men, besides those who have rowed a college race, can appreciate how depressing are the discomforts of poor quarters to a training man. The Crew were perfectly right in being unwilling, after making the great sacrifices that they do, to risk the chances of winning their races, by going into bad quarters. The Executive Committee and the Crew fully appreciate the generous steps taken by the College towards solving the whole problem so satisfactorily.

It is to be regretted that Yale, after agreeing with Harvard through her representatives that the whole affair ought to be kept out of the news-papers, allowed her letter to Harvard to be published, and that, too, before it was received by Harvard. Extracts from correspondence that was supposed to be private were published without the consent of the writer.

Probably this whole excitement will result beneficially both to the Crew and to the College. The Crew are likely to get their quarters, which they would not have got for several years if they had quietly consented to take their old quarters.

The College will in the future realize the fact that it is their duty to be more alive to rowing matters. Heretofore, every thing has been left for the Executive Committee to do. If any thing of particular importance came up before that committee, it used to be referred to the Boat Club, until these meetings came to be so poorly attended that the holding of a meeting was a mere farce. Harvard indifference, so called, is a dangerous trait in the Harvard student, and the sooner he appreciates this the better for his college. What a marked contrast was the attendance of the meeting of Tuesday evening with that called for such an important matter as the consideration of a challenge to Columbia! At the last-named meeting, there were barely a dozen men present besides the Crew.