Summary

When the freshman crew returned to Washington, they were sluggish and disorganized. Bolles threatened to rebuild the entire team from scratch for the Poughkeepsie Regatta in June, a threat that Joe in particular found disheartening. Interestingly, when the weather turned sour again, the crew picked up its speed and productivity, which baffled Bolles. Why couldn’t they row with such finesse on placid seas? Bolles stopped threatening to switch up the team and simply prepared the boys for their big race. A few weeks later, they excitedly boarded the cross-country train that would take them to New York. For most of the boys, it was their first journey outside of Washington, and for most, Joe included, their first journey on a train. With pride, Joe pulled his guitar out of the case and began playing the happy songs his family had sung...