In the West the rowing fell off more than in any other section, and Detroit alone, with the powerful Detroit Boat Club, kept an active in terest, while Chicago rowed to some extent. New York, Philadelphia, and Boston were the real centres of rowing, and Philadelphia was not quite in harmony with the National Association and did not send many entries. During this period, from 1885 on, the place of the National Regatta shows to some extent the location of the rowing interest. The list is as follows : 1886, Albany ; 1887, Jamestown, New York ; i888, Sunbury, Pennsylvania ; 1889, Pullman, Illinois ; 1890, Worcester, Massachusetts; 1891, Washing ton, District of Columbia ; 1892, Saratoga, New York ; 1893, Detroit, Michigan ; 1894, Saratoga, New York ; 1895, Saratoga, New York ; 1896, Saratoga, New York ; 1897, Philadelphia ; 1898, Philadelphia ; 1899, Boston; 190o, New York ; 1901, Philadelphia ; 1902, Worcester, Massachu setts ; 1903, Worcester, Massachusetts ; 1904, St. Louis.
Within the past five years the improvement in the character of the club oarsmen has been most noticeable, and where formerly the club-racing man could safely be assumed to be shady, now no such assumption is permissible, and though the best scullers have not been the true amateur types, — as Ten Eyck, Rumohr, and Titus, — yet the general average is good, and the sport is taking a better level ; the National Association is not as effective as it should be, and some of the men on the Executive Committee are still elected from classes who have not the ethical understanding of an amateur, yet there are some good men in power, and the outlook is hopeful.
A number of the amateur champions have tried for the Diamond Sculls at Henley ; C. G. Psotta, Cornell, champion in 1888, went over in the next year and lived as long as the finals, when he was defeated by Guy Nickalls, and in the next year met defeat in the first trial by G. E. B. Kennedy. J. J. Ryan of Toronto tried in 1894, but went out in the first heat. Dr. W. S. McDowell of the Delaware Boat Club, Chicago, was beaten in 1896 and again in 1897, when, curiously enough, there were three Americans entered,—E. H. Ten Eyck, B. H. Howell, and McDowell. The latter was beaten by Blackstaffe for the London Cup, who also beat Howell for the Wingfield Sculls.
The sculler of greatest prominence during this whole time, and perhaps the fastest amateur who has ever handled a scull, was Edward Hanlon Ten Eyck, the son of James Ten Eyck, the pro fessional. He was brought up in a boat by his father, a consummate oarsman, and won his Junior single at the New England Regatta in 1895, and then followed a series of races in which he proved himself to be the fastest man of the day ; and, although he did not enter for the senior singles at the National Regatta, he won the intermediate class easily in 1896. In 1897 he entered for the Diamond Sculls at Henley, row ing for the Wachusett Boat Club of Worcester, his home. At the time he was only eighteen
years old, but he won his heats easily, and then beat Blackstaffe in the finals by a length and a half in 8.35, — then a record for the course. Ten Eyck and his father did not fall into the ways of the Henley oarsmen, and rather conducted the training on the same lines as the professional oarsmen, and quite innocently fell foul of many of the customs. To complicate matters further, they allowed themselves to be dined by some of the older professionals, who were friends of the young champion's father. These things do not seem so great to us, but the Englishman is very jealous of Henley, and anxious to keep out all who do not conform to his idea of a gentle man. Thus in the next year, when Ten Eyck wished to defend the title, his entry was refused without the assignment of a reason. Follow ing his victory at Henley, Ten Eyck won the senior singles and the championship singles in the National Regattas whenever he chose to row for them ; he won the championship singles in 1899 and 1901, but defaulted in 'goo, having previously beaten the winner— John Rumohr. In doubles with C. H. Lewis, Ten Eyck won the championship 1898-19o1, and then stopped active rowing, without having been beaten, or, in fact, without having been really hard pushed. Ten Eyck's style was extremely smooth and his water manship perfect ; he derived much of his power from strong arms and shoulders, and was so well schooled that he could instantly master any con ditions of wind or water.
Most of the scullers of recent years have come out of New England ; William Caffrey, J. J. Whitehead, and Joseph Maguire are all from about Boston, while the present champion, Frank B. Greer, is also a New Englander, and is a pupil of the elder Ten Eyck — as were most of the others. John J. Ryan of Toronto held the ama teur championship for two years, and another Canadian — John Rumohr of Rat Portage—won, and later, being refused entry in the regattas of Canada, joined the Harlem Rowing Club and won the championship in 1900 on Ten Eyck's default ; his standing was more than questionable, and his methods were those of the previous decade, when amateurs had backers at whose will they won or lost. Constance S. Titus completes the list of the prominent scullers of the decade and a half ; he was not a natural oarsman, but possessed strength, and in New Orleans worked himself to the top ; then he entered in the National in 1898 for the first time, and was easily beaten, but he kept steadily onward, and in 1901, rowing for the Union Boat Club of New York, won the senior singles, and in 1902 the championship. Before the National Regatta of 1902 Titus rowed for the Diamond's and beat Lou Scholes, Don Rowing Club, Toronto, in the first heat, and W. W. Field, Oxford, in the second trial, but was outrowed in the final by F. S. Kelley, Balliol (Oxford), who finally won the trophy. The entry of Titus in i9o3 was refused.