New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-18
&<s.:~ b @ )
POPULARITY OF WRESTLING.
ATHLETES TAKING TO 1T ALL OVER
THE COUNTRY.
INTEREST ESPECIALLY STRONG on THE PACIFIC
cOAsT-MUI.DOON AND THE TERRIBLE
ruRK-AMATEURs IN THIS CITY

rrRK-AMATEURs IN THIS CITY
vrss,,,no "a growing in favor with athletic clubs
all over the country Not only In New-York and
In other Eastern cities but as far West as san
Francisco anc away up In oregon washington
and British Columbia interest In this splendid all
round exercise has been increasing Of late years
Instructors have organized classes. and these
classes have grown rapidly. In the New-York Ath-
etic Club for instance. the wrestling class Is tne
largest class in the club larger even than the box
ing class. Six years ago there were not haii
dozen wrestlers In this club. while in the first SIX
months Of this year lis men have been coming TO
the wrestling room regularly two or three times a
week Some twenty OF these who have been In
town during the summer have been on hand
through the terribly hot spell
over at the Knckerbocker Athletic Club also
the men have been wrestling regularly. and there
will be a chance soon for some lively interclub
contests Under Billy Coop, OF the Schuylk1
Navy o LOT Of Philadelphia men have developed
themselves. and can put up thoroughly scientific
bout as several New York amateur wrestlers know
full well. There has been wrestling in Boston all
ways but most especially at Harvard. where Mr.
! Lathrop has developed the muscles Of some OF the
best tackles" OF the Varsity football teams by
making them wreste on the mats In Hemmenway
Gymnasium. In Chicago Stagg is heartily In favor
! OF wrestling and the University men are taking
hold OF one another scientifically to their recp-
rocal advantage. In New-orleans and throughout
the middle West wherever there are athletic clubs
the sport prospors.
George Meelng or Little Bibby," as he is called
has seventy a week in his classes In tho
| Olympic Athletic Club in San Francisco He IL q
frst-rate man. and is likely 70 win the Pacific
Coast championship for his club. The clubs In
Portland. Ore: Seattle and Tacoma, Wash; VIC
toria Vancouver and New Westmnster. British
Columbia and a few other towns in that distant
part OF the world have athletic league. and
there are exceedingly lively bouts every year for
the wrestling championship OF the Pacific North
west Recently Butte. Mont, has applied for per-
mission 10 Join IN. IA Butte has strong footOah
team which plays all over the West, from Omaha
to San Francisco. and wrestling is an excellent
preparation for that game giving as IL does. very
considerable guarantee against players injury
from rough usage. II is not strange that wrestling
should be coming into vogue in the WIG ana
woolly"' football centres. Already II Is notable
achievement 70 win a wrestling championship
The winner IS proud OF his title. Had ne not been
g. sound man he could not have won. and accord
! ,ngly he Is treated with consideration II Interest
In the sport continues 70 Increase Ak the present
rate the Western clubs will be sending challenges
East before long. and men on the Atlantic Coast
will have an opportunity 10 test the mete or thef
brothers from the other side OF the Rocky Noun
tans
Nudoon did a great ceal for wrestling-more
than any other man in this country, probably Mat
sada the pucky little japanese. and James Faux
ner d,d much also but these two are dead, ard
Muldoon has set up a sanitarium at White Plains
THE Solid Man" has withdrawn from public life.
Bowen Whistler Cr,stol and Miller are no longer
in evidence. With the disappearance OF these ex-
moments Of the art and science OF wrestling there
came a decided lul IN public interest. Evan Lewis
has been over to England and thrown the best
men there and Roeber has been going about win
various companies on the road doing excellent
work. hut this has been insufficient TO keep the
general public interested TO anything IKE the ex-
ten, that is shown In a Corbett-Fitzsimmons box
,ns contest" for instance The two fascos with the
Terrible Turk gave wrestling an unfortunate set
back in New-York. This was due to mismanase-
mont and 10 III luck. The Turk was a marvel
Never was there any like him In this country
he,ore and likely enough In the world no
weighed over three hundred pounds had very
long reach. muscled all over. and was wonder
fully ouick on his feet He was indeed away above
any "class" and no one could be found 70 put up
an even match against him. lie was as far from a
fake as could be- but his engagements here hzzled
t1e did not fail so badly In the Western States
While popular interest in wrestling mas faien ON
since Muldoon's time, amateur athletes nave tahen
20 II most kindly. It's great merit Is Its adaptapu-
i,y and then II Is interesting enough 10 oe '"o'
oush diversion II rests the mind, furnishes recrea-
,,or and strengthens the whole body. Almost all
Of the physicians belonging 10 the New-horK Atm
letic club have Joined the wrestling Glass; anu
their example has led others to DO hke"ise' Dc
ginners commence gently ana ard WSrh nv The in
s.rens.h nsaInsI over-exerton. In this the
sructot ~" 10 assoc,ated with wrestling In most
n.rsons minds Is avoided In some cases progress
Is slow at FIRST but 1t is sure always. ~ Is lMr 70
say that other exercise Drnss a.0 py nanpnr
No other exercise is more interesting 70 thoSe VINO
take part in IT, II aFree 70 mem mem who have little OPP
portunty to exercise out OF IL uo'I nrohahIv TO
rr.nv The holds. and year or two more to
get the experience that only comes rom meeting h
deal with their respective methods. But the WORK
is never dull There Is always I'M me wrest
Ter has health and is increasing IN strength uaiiy
II man can wrestle well he mas an aosoiut ne
B not OF Physisas has
good IA h fnsif 'sP 'sses
The catch-as IS atch-can style Of wrestling Is the
"a %cS the as the Lancashire style in Eng
land The collar -and elbow style is not Ia vogue
style furnishes the most sport because II Is tho
lvelest There are more different hods' aho'
u In it's opportunities for generalshp a wrestling
bout is like military campaign Success dspendns
upon strategy more than upon strength, though
other things being equal the stronger man WINS
With armies Of nearly equal adrssaTv v
attack He would try to discomfort him. TO de-
eve him to throw him OF his gS o and ab 30 haSs
strategy what he could not do by mere binse
bv Changing from one hold TO another and by false
attacks to gain coveted hold ana so 10 tnro" nv
Among the New-Yorkers who have gained promi'
nence In wrestling recently are Richard Stesens.
the famous tennis player who has won cham-
ponshp his class Dr. G. NJ Mamm ,p tres e,sysr
~ tie club who has developed with wonderiuI
rapidty George Bechte Of staten lsa no. cnS
in the Amateur Athletic Union tournament IN
Philadelphia last year, and according TO the ANA
faur Athletic Union rules entitled to the de-
eision, it is said; W. H. Page .jr.. who has , won
the Championship twice at 4 PgSna ehampion
ship Joseph KsppIsr Of PUCK S Mh9 DR. won Il:
STAFFORD who won in his class In 1895 and 1SI:
Charles Coster and Edward Wynock, the famous
bicycle rider, who won both the middle ana tne
heavy-weght championships In 1896