Daily Telegraph, Saint John

PARIS CREW

DESCRIPTION OF THE MEN.

Their Victories Recounted

New Brunswick’s far-famed quartette, the Paris Crew, take their departure for the banks of the Schuylkill on next Wednesday morning. Two months ago today they went into training on the Kennebecasis, for the great Centennial regatta at Philadelphia, taking up their quarters at the Claremont House, kept by Mr. James Watts, and almost daily, Sundays excepted, they have been in practice, visiting the city occasionally during their stop.

The Idea of Sending the World’s Champions to Philadelphia was first conceived by His Worship the Mayor and Dr. Thomas Walker, last winter, when it was first known that a regatta would occur during the progress of the Centennial exposition. It was very favorably met with on all hands, but knowing that good wishes alone would not pay the expenses of such an undertaking these two gentlemen went to work with a will, and when spring had advanced the matter assumed some tangible shape. Relying on St. John old-time generosity it was considered that no obstacle would be met with, in the shape of want of funds to meet the exigencies of the case.

On the 5^th of June a preliminary meeting for the appointment of a working committee was held, and at it three of the Paris Crew were present and expressed their willingness, as before, to row. Up to this time there had been a difficulty in securing leave of absence from the Customs Department of Price and Fulton, but leave of absence for three months was soon obtained. At this meeting it was estimated that it would require about $1,500 to send the crew in good shape, supplying them with all necessaries and it pay them $2 per diem for the time that they must of necessity, loose in making preparations for the contest.

On June 10^th another meeting to report progress was held, and a public meeting three days later at the Victoria. The men went into quarters on the 19^th of that month, and on Dominion Day they made their first really public appearance, rowing up and down the Kennebecasis at the Neptune Rowing Club regatta.

The Boats

A boat hall previously been ordered from Jewett in England, but it was damaged on the passage to Halifax, and on June 10^th the decision was arrived at to order one of Elliott’s best boats from New York From what was seen of the English boat, the crew felt that even had it crossed the ocean in safety, it would have been unsuited to their purpose. The boat from Elliott got here on the 1^st last, and, when tried, gave great satisfaction, as all of Elliott’s boats built for them have done. Unfortunately, while rowing on Thursday, the new boat, in which the crew were rowing, collided with Brayley’s, on the Kennebecasis, and cracked it at the water line, but not so badly but what it can be repaired in the satisfactory manner. No decision has been arrived at yet as to which boat will be used in the regatta, whether the old St. John or that lately obtained from Elliott. Which ever is used, however, it is to be name St. John.

Description of the Men

It has been nearly five years since the Paris crew took part in any contest of note, and that was on the never-to-be-forgotten day when James Renforth met his death of the Kennebecasis. Many have, doubtless, forgotten the victories and honor this quartette of rowers have met with it, and their repetition would be perused with interest.

Robert Fulton, the stroke oar, was born in St. John, and is about 32 years old. His first contest at the oar was when he was about 18 years old. He rowed in a boat called the Quickstep, at a Carleton picnic regatta, his associates being James Price, stroke, Elward Toole, No. 2, and Wm. Price, bow. The Quickstep was victorious, crossing the line then seconds ahead of another Carleton crew, over a course of three miles. On the same course, in the following summer, Fulton rowed as stroke in what was known as the "Green Boat", against a Portland (N.B.) crew, and put his boat in a length ahead of them. This was the first occasion of his taking the stroke oar. With the same companions in the Quickstep, the next year, he rowed against two other boats, both of which were badly defeated. Fulton’s next race was in the Harding. In September, 1865, on the occasion of a great Masonic picnic, when he stroked for a crew against one from Carleton, another from Indiantown, and one from Portland. The course was in the harbor, and was five miles in length. The Harding consisted of Fulton, stroke; Samuel Brittain, bow; Samuel Hutton, of the present crew, and Robert McLaren. George Price, the present bow in the Paris crew, sat at the race in a boat that was fourth, while Fulton and his men came in four seconds behind the winner. The stubbornness of the contest between the two leading boats led to a match later in the same month. The crew changed somewhat, McLaren taking the bow oar in place of Brittain, and Elijah Ross, at present No. 3, taking McLaren’s seat. The course was five miles, at Sand Point, Carleton, and the Harding won, with forty seconds to spare. The Thetis, the defeated boat, then made a match of $250 a side against the Harding, with the same crew. The course was a six mile one and the Thetis won, but the contest was keen to the last. Fulton next showed up at the Fourth of July regatta in Boston in 1866, with a crew; but his crew in the G. K. Wiggins were defeated by their old rivals (the Thetis crew) and another from New Brunswick. The prize was $250. In the same season Fulton is found in a boat with William Price, bow, Samuel Hutton, No. 2, and Elijah Ross, No. 3, rowing against the Neptune at Sand Point, Carleton, the latter being sadly defeated. A few weeks subsequent Fulton, with Robert McLaren as bow, and Ross and Hutton seated as before, gained a victory over a Green Head (St. John River) crew. In the month of September a $300 match was made for the Harding crew against their old opponents in the Thetis, the course one of six miles on the Kennebecasis. This time the crew was changed, George Price, the present bow, first becoming identified with the crew. He took No. 3 oar, Hutton No. 2, while McLaren acted as bow, and Fulton was stroke. The Harding won easily doing the course in 38 minutes and 50 seconds. With his last named associates Fulton went in the Harding to Springfield, where the old boat was rowed away from all competitors, including the Biglins of New York, two O’Leary crews of the same State, and a Worcester crew. The prize was $200, and the course three miles.

Here the crew underwent a change, being then made the same as now: Fulton, stroke; Price, bow; Hutton, No. 2, and Ross, No. 3.

Here we will leave Fulton (as a member of a four-oared crew), and take up his record in single sculls.

His first match was at the St. John exhibition regatta of 1867, on the Kennebecasis, over a three mile course, against James Lord, for a prize of $30, Fulton winning handly. In the following year he rowed a match for $100 against Elijah Ross, and won it, the course being five miles. In 1869 Fulton, Hutton, and Price rowed a triangular match, each putting in $50, making a purse of $150, which was captured by Hutton. Fulton next appeared in a match for $1400 against Hugh Morris of this place. The course was one of four miles on the Kennebecasis, and victory rested with the great stroke of the Paris crew. In July, 1872, a match was made with George Brown of Halifax by Fulton, who was then considered the champion sculler of New Brunswick. Fulton, being unable to procure a suitable boat, had to row in an indifferent one, and the result was a defeat. During 1872, in the early part of August, there was a regatta in St. John harbor in honor of the Govenor General’s visit. Fulton won the single scull race, defeating Alexander Brayley, James Belyea and T.F. Doyle, the latter of Boston. A regatta was held on the Kennebecasis on Sept. 13, 1872, at which Fulton won the single scullers’ race, coming in ahead of John A. Biglin, Alexander Brayley, George Lovett (Halifax) and T.F. Doyle (Boston), they coming in as named. In August 1874, the subject of this sketch went to St. Stephen where he took part in a race with the Brayley of Portland and Landers of Salem. Brayley took the race while Fulton was a bad third. This was his last. Fulton’s height is six feet, and he is well known under the sobriquet "Long Bob." His rowing weight is 161. His appearance denotes his wonderful powers of endurance. He is taciturn, without being morose, seldom smiles, or says anything unless to the point, and is a great favorite.

George Price, the bow oar in the St. John boat is taken by George Price, who is also the oldest member, his age being about 38. His first contest occurred when he was 20 years of age, on the Kennebecasis, when he sat in a boat with John Holland, James McCaffery and John McDade, they rowing against eight other crews. Price and his associates crossed the line third. In the following year he rowed in the Experiment against two other crews from Carleton and Reed’s Point. The scene of the contest was Spruce Lake, and the length of the course three miles. The Carleton boat won and the Experiment was second. He rowed next in the Amphitrite as No. 2, the other members of the crew being Ed. Woodworth (stroke), William Price (bow), and Ed. McAuley, No. 3. These men were defeated. Price, with the same crew as above, next went with the Thetis to Boston on the 8^th day of July, 1866, and won the race which Fulton and his associates lost. He appeared next in a single scull race in the harbor against Hutton and Hugh Morris, and came in about six feet behind Hutton, who won. His only other single scull performance was that on the occasion of the race between Fulton, Hutton, and himself, at the time of the visit of Prince Alfred, which Hutton won. Price is 5 feet 10 inches high, and his training weight is 148 lbs., though he was heavier at the commencement of training by ten or twelve lbs. He is always solemn and grave, and is very resolute in all he undertakes. He has, it is said by many well up in aquatics, to have no superior as a bow oarsmen.

Samuel Hutton, No. 2 oar of the Paris crew, is a native of Coleraine, Ireland, and came to New Brunswick when only three years old. He is now in his 32^nd year. When but 18 he rowed his first match in the Alert, of Carleton, being No. 3, with William Brittain, stroke, Samuel Brittain, bow, and William Perkins, No. 2. The other boat was manned by a Carleton crew, and the course was the usual one in the harbor. The stakes were but nominal, and were take by Hutton and his friends. On the Queen’s birthday of the following year, Hutton pulled the same oar in the Alert, with Joseph Cotam, stroke, Frank Nice, bow, and Samuel Brittain, No. 2, against another Carleton crew, the latter getting the best of the contest. This race took place in the harbor, which was exceedingly rough. Hutton is next found rowing the same oar in the Harding, in 1865, with Wm. Brittain, stroke, S. Brittain, bow, and R. McLaren, No. 2, against the Thetis, of Indiantown, that being the first contest in which those famous boats opposed each other. The prize was $100, and was secured by the Thetis, after a very gamey struggle. Sand Cove course was the scene of the contest. Hutton, Fulton, McLaren, and one of the Brittains next rowed the Harding against crew in the McLellan, Thetis, and Amphtrite at a Masonic picnic, as before stated, the Harding came in second. Hutton’s single-scull performance with Fulton and Price is the only one in which he has participated, and the result was favorable to him. He is 5 feet 10 inches in height, and can reduce himself down to 155 pounds with hard training.

Elijah Ross, No. 3 oar in the boat, has achieved quite a reputation in the making of the oars, and has constructed single sculls for Alex Brayley in which the latter has won three races. Ross is a native of Harrsboro, N.S., and is in his 31^st year. When he was only 17 he pulled his first race in the Known, have as associates George Nice, bow, Robert McLaren, No. 2, Edward Woodworth, No. 3. The occasion was a picnic at Sand Cove, Carleton, and the boat in which he was seated came in second. His other performances up to the time he joined the Paris crew are detailed, necessarily in the other accounts. Ross at first sight would be taken for the lightest man in the crew, but this is not so, for he weights the finest at 159 pounds, and is 5 feet 11 inches high.

George McLaren, the Spare Man has also achieved a good reputation, as a member for four-oared crews, and like the others, he has been in active training on the Kennebecasis. Previous to 1873 he had been in several local contests. In August, of that year, he rowed with his brothers, James, William, and Robert, at a picnic at Sand Point, this being their first appearance together, and they won it. In September following this crew rowed in the International regatta on the Kennebecasis, against the Paris Crew, Longshores, of Portland, Maine, and an Indiantown crew. The McLarens were a good third. There was talk of a race before this with the Logans, whom they defeated, but nothing resulted.

The successes of the Paris Crew have traced the course of each of the four men up to the time they became members of the Paris Crew, their record from that date will be given. They occupied the same seats as now: Fulton, stroke; Price, bow; Hutton, No. 2, and Ross, No. 3. Taking the Harding with them, they went to the great Seine regatta in 1867. They first rowed an in-rigged or barge race over a course four and a half miles in length. The crews engaged against them included the Gestings of France, and representative crews from England and Germany. On the same day they rowed their boat in a contest with a picked crew of Oxford University, a fine four from the London Rowing Club, and several other crews- English, French and German. They were victorious. At these races a new method of steering, whereby a coxswain was done away with and the bow had absolute control over the boat, was used by the crew with great success. From this juncture great interest began to be felt in the Paris crew, for by that name they were henceforth known, having adopted it in memory of their victories in Paris. With the exception of Price, this crew rowed at the St. John exhibition regatta, in the following October, on the Kennebecasis, a distance of four miles, have three others to contend with. The closest race ever witnessed here was held between the Harding (the Paris crew’s boat) and the M.D. Austin. The latter arrived outside the judges’ boat about even with the Harding, but the race was decided against the Austin by reason of not been steered correctly. At the Bay Shore Carleton, the Paris crew competed successfully a short time after with a Reed’s Point crew, and in the next summer a match was made with the Austin crew. The contest took place in the harbor, and victory again rested with the Harding’s occupants. About this time the Ward Brothers of the United States proclaimed themselves the champion four of the world, and the attention of the St. John oarsmen and their friends was drawn to this. The result was a match for $1500 a mile, over a six mile course at Springfield, and the race came off on the 21^st of Oct., 1868, and result in a defeat for the United States oarsmen. On their return home the St. John crew were feted and presented with life freedoms of the city by the Common Council, and a purse of $500 each was made up by the citizens. The Paris crew were then solicited by the Lachine Boating Club to participate in a match with the Tyne crew at Lachine. It was arranged, and the race occurred on Sept. 15, 1870, with the result adverse to St. John. That did not satisfy the backers of the Paris quartette, and late in that year negotiations were opened for a return race in 1871. This did not result in anything effectual until the ensuing spring, when it was decided upon and the race announced for Aug. 23. Any one who is at all aquianted with aquatic events for five years back knows that in that race Renforth, stroke of the Tyne four, rowed his last, and the Paris crew obtained the race. Their last achievement was in the 18^th of September, 1873, at an international regatta held on the Kennebecasis. The first prize was $1000, second $500, and third $250. The competing crews came in as follows: Paris, first; Longshore, of Portland, Me., second; McLaren, Carleton, third; Indiantown, fourth.

Such is the list of victories, with but one defeat to mar them, that the Paris crew have gained, and in the face of this fact it can hardly be wondered at that that there is a desire on the part of boat men to have St. John represented, as it will be fitly by these gentlemen.