OUR SPORTING COLUMN.

JUST at present rowing in this College seems to be at a very low ebb, and it is greatly to be feared that unless immediate steps are taken to revive the interest in the sport it will die an easy death. It has been too often shown that the average undergraduate mind thirsts for novelty, and is attracted for the time by anything new, just as younger children are fascinated by some new toy. Class races and club races having now palled upon his appetite, might not an entire change of diet tempt his palate? And with this end in view would it not be possible to use eight-oared shells for the fall races? We believe that there are now some five or six such shells on the rests at the boat-house, which might be made available in such a race. There is room enough in the Basin for a two-mile straightaway race, or for a three-mile race with a turn, and if these elements of novelty were introduced, the fall races might be made a success. The same craft could be used for the scratch races, making these a mile or more in distance and using the Charles River course.

ATHLETICS.Manhattan Athletic Club. - A curious series of errors occurred at the sports of this club, on September 21. For a one-mile handicap walk, over a one-fifth-mile track, thirty-nine men started, and when the race was over, W. Purdy, 35 sec., was placed first, and his time was found to be 6 min. 15 sec. It was also found, on reckoning up, that the three first men had all beaten 6 min. 30 sec. An error somewhere was evident, and it finally turned out that the lap-taker was from one to three laps short on every man in the race. An endless wrangle immediately arose as to who had really won, every man of the thirty-nine insisting that he was the individual, and the race was finally declared void. In the same way arose an error by which Mr. T. H. Armstrong was credited, as we noticed in our last issue, with a "best-on-record" for three miles of 21 min., 17 sec, whereas we are now told that an error of 25 sec. was made, the true time being 21 min. 42 sec., or six seconds slower than the best.

Jarvis Field at list is handed over to the H. A. A., and it is to be hoped that no time will be lost in laying out a track there, and a fifth-mile track will probably be the size selected. This size of track has many advantages over any other: it is less expensive to make; is more interesting for the spectators; is large enough for bicycle races; the back-stretch is just the length to run 100-yard dashes and hurdle races on, and should be made of extra width with this end in view. Stones should be sunk in the earth to mark the start and finish of the 100-yards; the 220-yards; 120-yards hurdles, with stones to mark the position of each hurdle, quarter-mile, etc. We would also suggest to the Executive Committee that this year they ring a bell in all the longer races when the men enter on the last lap. A cinder path is, of course, impossible this year, but a very fair track, like the old one, can be made by taking up the sod, and watering and rolling the earth beneath. We hope to see a large contingent from the Freshman class, if from no other, taking strong work upon the path, when it is laid out, every day.

Tug-of-War. - An excellent article on this sport appeared in the Athletic Column of the Spirit of the Times of September 28, and it well repays reading, as does an article on "Time Handicapping."

Constitution. - We hope that the first step of the Executive Committee of the H. A. A. will be to provide a Constitution, By-Laws, etc., and a set of rules for every sport which they patronize. All these, when drawn up, submitted, and approved, should be printed in cheap form, and sold to the members at cost price. That an institution of such importance should have been suffered to exist so long without such essential articles is only another instance of the proverbial Harvard indifference.

BICYCLING.In view of the number of bicycles now owned in College, it would seem that some very interesting races might be arranged for this fall. If one or two men are regarded as invincible in an even-start race, a system of handicaps should be introduced to equalize the chances, and induce more men to enter. In this connection we will say that we offer a cup for a handicap race to come off whenever the track on Jarvis is ready, and to be a distance of two-mile heats, best 2 in 3, with a proviso that seven or more enter and start.

OFFICERS of the Harvard Rifle Corps for the first half-year: President, H. C. Mulligan, '79; Secretary, C. A. Hobbs, '80; Treasurer, T. P. Ivy, '81; Major, C. W. Bradley, '80; Adjutant, C. Guild, 81; Quartermaster, G. T. Dexter, '81; Sergeant Major, B. S. Turpin, '80; Quartermaster Sergeant, W. A. Pew, '80.

OFFICERS of the Base-Ball Club for 1879: President, Harold C. Ernst; Captain, James A. Wright, Jr.; Secretary, Herman S. Le Roy; Manager, - ; Scorer, Herman S. Le Roy.