Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-09-20
That firemen's Tournament.


| NultauO, oept 4.
To the Editor ofthe Free Press and Times.
| Yours readers. who have been deeply in
terested this week in the success of your
! representatives at the National Tournament,
have learned before now the essential fact
that the Barnes boys. from Ward 3, bave
beaten the crack companies o! the whole
country and. in the words of one OF their
monsyed hackers here, have ''carred off the
| whole works"
The contestants med a word Of descrip-
tion, The best known company in the con-
test was from La Porte, Ind. Thew had
beaten everything in this section of the
country and had fairly taken the honors
from the South Bend company, which was
Considered the next best in the West.
Some days before the beginning of the
tournament there appeared the Bates Com
pany, of Denver, Col, who took up their
residence at the hotel near the track
and DEVOTED themselves to assiduous
practice. They were the best heralded
and best advertised of all the competitors.
They had come a long way with their minds
iully made up to capture the prize, ANYHOW.
large sum of money had been contributed
for their expenses and they felt the couse-
quence OF their position immensely and an
nonnced that they were sure OF winning.
The other most prominent company was
your Barnes Hose, who came because thew
wanted to paid their own bills; made no
brags. and were not found in pool-rooms.
The speculators on the event didn't know
what to make Of them. They were lathy,
xiry, hard-lOoking kids and received
the titles of g Vermont wind-spli,ters,
"sinele-eutted Yankees" and Others equally
complimentary.
In the berting before the race, or
rather in the p0Ol-selling which went on
ousily, the Denver men were strong favor
ties at rates Of about $50 in pool of $50.
with La Porte second at SIS; South Bend
third at $l2; Barnes fourth, at s; and the
rest In the field. At these rates the pool
room keepers received about $50 900 in
wagers.
The arrangements for the races vera ex-
cellent A. regarded the track, and very bad
as regarded the management The run was
made from the head ut the home-srretcb
down to the finish under the stand used
by the judges in horse-raciny. A teleyraphic
wire was stretched over this distance and
and the starting Judges after tapping five
times Tor the company to get ready tapped
the bell three times more, the last signal be-
ing tor the start. a duplicate electric bell
sounded all these signals in the
set IN motion at the third stroke of the
gong. The companies ran in pairs. though
that had nothing to do with the result.
which depended solely on the time made
Each company had two trials and the aver
age OF these vas the ties. o! merit.
The Bates and La Porte companies drew
lots emitting them to the first trial and as
the former came upon the track, moving
towards the starting point. it WAS easy 20 see |
that they were hard company to boat.
They were led by mau with "a long red |
beard were mostly bare-ieggtd and bare
headed. and their only fault was their ex-
Cess ot weight. By some defect in giving /
the orders. the first trial could not be timed |
because the companies started on the fifth |
stroke OF the get ready bell, while the |
timers took the time three strokes later.
making difference OF at least five seconds |
in favor oi the companies This trial was
declared invalid
The fifth pair to run were your Vermont
ers and Dixon, OF Dixon. H., company.
The Nernontefs showed 631 seconds and
were not satisfied with j, thelns SELVES, be-
cause,ss they claimed, they we're accu stoned
to start at the drop OF hig and were
slow IN getting of at the sound of
a bell. They were ais, handicapped by
having 20 feet too much hos., the result Of
bringing 6O-.oot lengths instead # 5O-ioot
lengths.
The South Bend Company mad. the best
time on the hrst tria', 81 stcOnJ- After
some discussion, Denver and L. Porte
were allowed to stIt again snd the
Denver boys came To- the VII. 10 6a seconds
The WIdewakes ~ero Il sec and, behind.
1t MAS aiterward- discovered that as alleged
these two Companies had entered into an
agreement TO start at the second tap of the
Dell, giving them an advantage ut about
'wo seconds. Ii was also proved that they
nd not hnish their coupling properly, rs
vas testified to BY the Judges This dis
qualified the heat
The NermOnters, in coming out for their
ccond heat against Rescue OF Decatur ILL.,
announced that they would certainly i'm
'royo their time. and when they came shoot
ng down the track with Shea's blue hand
ierchlet well in front and the rope
ulIy taut 1t was clear that they were doing
III that was in them and the crowd eheeIed
hem most Justify. Their time WAS Oh ,
ecODds making an average OF ga seconds
Or both trials. Their only dangerous com
South Bend company who had
'eaten them on the first heat-iell off to 67t
econds on tie second heat and the prIz -
we're given where they isirly belonged, to
he "wind>plItter>" OF Vermont
Ii might be added that the Denver Com ,
ANY could have been disqualified iu any .
a>e. for having professional runners from
ther States IN ItI ranks. Ii turned out, I
Ir instance, that Manning. OF Cambridge
ort. Mass. champion balt-ml.e runner # ,
he country, was with the Company under ,
he name of Lincoln. After the race I.
aS over one OF the company owned ,
, the writer that halt OF the men or more :.
'ere from outside OF Denver-from Put-
10. GeOrgtt1wr, Fairplay, and other Col T.
RADIO cities.
can only add in conclusion that the con- !.
uct OF the Fermon.,rs was above suspicion :,
| their contests. and that they behaved y y
at all times while IN the city i
ke gentlemen. They should be grateful to n
heTIh Drew Tor his Constant watchfulness >;
Fer their interests They achieved grand =
recess IN taking away from the thIrty-hye =
cked companies %. tho country the cham = =
ION belt. the beautiful hose cart, and the - !"
Ibstantlal reward OF $500 in goli l. NJ. % %
lT looks now as il the Third C0nsres-
onal District OF Vermont would be repro ss
nred IN the ne1t Congress by that dl,re- Il
itable lobbyist. Barlow. At the second u
ectiOn Waterman will drop out, and the V,
emOcrats will take up BirlIw. That, at st
asst, WAS the programme agreed upon De- tt
Eecn the leading supporters of those two st
udidatrs On the second election piu- IN
lity elects. Vermont OuR Rht to 1T in sack te
OH and ashes, or rather hide like IL leper, br
ying out, ''Unclean, uncIean," II it al "a
ws such II man a. Barlow to represent il or
Congress- Chicdyo Journal to