The Freshman Crew.

The freshman race with Columbia next June will be the ninth consecutive one. These races have resulted as follows:-

Harvard '83 won on the Thames in 1880.

Harvard '84 won on the Charles in 1881.

Columbia '85 won on the Harlem in 1882.

Harvard '86 won on the Thames in 1883.

Columbia '87 won on the Thames in 1884.

Harvard '88 won on the Thames in 1885.

Harvard '89 won on the Thames in 1886.

Columbia '90 won on the Thames in 1887.

This year's candidates are being watched with the usual interest, for their race is an intercollegiate affair, and the men who partake in it are among the material to be counted upon in our future races. Thus their work is an important one.

Picking out a freshman crew is a different sort of thing from that of an upper-class crew. The men are so often undeveloped, and entirely new to this kind of thing that, without knowing their strength and endurance, it is hard to tell what to do with them. Then, too, besides being ignorant of the physical capabilities of the men, the captain and coach are, as a rule, unacquainted with their dispositions and tendencies-qualities which are as essential to a good oar as are the physical ones. On the whole the best thing a new man can show is determination, interest and conscientious regular work. These are the most valuable qualities for a freshman candidate, for without them his physique will avail him nothing.

The men who are at present trying for the crew, which is to represent their college and class at New London, have been at work sixteen weeks. During these weeks long walks have been taken and sharp runs, together with work on the chest-weights, and an increased number of strokes on the rowing-weights. Of the forty men who started in, the sixteen who remain are in much improved condition, and as a crew have made a gain of from 3 to 4 pounds. The men are rather lighter than the average freshman candidates, but as weight is not the most important requisite, it does not necessarily effect their prospects either one way or the other. The coaching at present is being done by Storrow, the stroke of last year's University crew, and the men have shown some improvement of late.

The first crew, as a whole, are working pretty well, but still there is a lack of energy in their rowing. The men are apt not to make the most of the coaching, and do not study their faults enough. As a crew they row short. The recover is hurried and not smooth, and there is not enough life in the catch and heave. Most of the men fail to swing well from their hips, thereby getting a weak stroke and tiring themselves. The usual tendency to contract the stomach, instead of letting it take care of itself and hang naturally, is noticeable. This fault must be overcome if the men don't want to be used up in a short distance. The men must not hurry stroke. The crew is sitting up to its work better, and there appears to be strength enough if properly applied. The first eight row as follows: Stroke, H. R. Bishop (captain), 141 lbs.; 7, W. M. Randol, 146 lbs.; 6, A. J. Cumnock, 160 lbs.; 5, E. C. Hammond, 160 lbs.; 4, N. Longworth, 172 lbs.; 3, A. V. Woodworth, 152 lbs.; 2, W. Amory, 162 lbs.; bow, F. B. Winthrop, 150 lbs.

Stroke. Must follow out with arms quicker. Doesn't get enough life in the catch. Must get the recover smoother.

7. Hurries his recover and hangs at full reach. Is not quick enough on the catch. Doesn't keep it quite long enough. Chief trouble is in getting forward too quickly.

6. Must sit up to it better. Must work on those shoulders and get control of them. Doesn't get his arms straight. A certain looseness about his rowing.

5 Not life enough. Doesn't get enough body reach. Hurries his recover. His catch is weak and he bends his arms too soon.

4. Fails to get a good body reach. Does not row his shoulders back. Bends his arms too soon.

3. Fails to get a good catch, or heave with head and shoulders. Not enough reach forward. Bends his arms too soon and does too much work with them.

2. Doesn't get forward well and lets his shoulders slump on the full reach. Doesn't catch firmly or get a good heave. Jerks arms in at the finish.

Bow. Must work chiefly to get a swing from hips. Must get more forward reach and keep shoulders well down on full reach. More heave with arms straight.

The second crew has the same general faults as has the first, but they are rather more pronounced. There never was, however, a second crew yet but put men on the regular eight before the year was out. This is remarked to show the second freshman eight their importance, and to show them the value of the hardest kind of work. The men are as follows: Stroke, G. Winthrop, 159 lbs.; 7, F. Tudor, 145 lbs.; 6, P. M. Rhinelander, 151 lbs.; 5, Q. A. Shaw, 149 lbs.; 4, M. Williams, 155 lbs.; 3 Van Rensalaer, 151 lbs.; 2, F. R. Bangs, 161 lbs.; bow, Parker, 146 lbs. The average weight of all the candidates is 154 pounds-a slight loss compared with former years. Their height is a trifle over the average and their age just about the average.

W. J. Farquhar, weight 106 pounds, is the candidate for coxswain.