The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-02
HE'S A MAN FROM DIVIDE
And He Brought His Strong Right
Arm With Him to Butte.
ALL HE LACKS Is SCIENCE
He Had Little Test of Strength and
Came Out Second Best, but
There Is Going to Be
More of It.

young, big, good-natured and we'll
meaning citizen of Divide came to Butte
the other day to buy plowshare and a
set of hamestraps. He has read ac-
counts Of the achievements of Muldoon,
the wrestler, and other famous ath-
letes. Wag, they call him, has acquired
a large and well developed opinion of
his own prowess as a wrestler and he
thought that if he could only arrange
to go to Butte he might make a bit of
reputation for himself by throwing a
dozen or so athletes of the big mining
town.
Accordingly this man from Divide
overhauled his farming implements and
an inventory of them showed that the
plowshare was unfit for service and
that a pair of hamestraps was missing.
So he came to Butte to make the neces-
sary purchases. Say, pard, l feel Just
like tossing handful of you fellers
across the street" said he to the clerk
after he had paid for the hamestraps
Pm a wrestler, I am. I throw'd the
best Of 'em at Divide and none of 'em
worrt me a bit. I've studied pictures
of Muldoon and am on to all the tricks
of the profesh. Say, come out in the
alley and be throw'd. I won't hurt you,
sure. You're pretty husky looking
chap and | think that you'd give me
something to do
This particular clerk is something of
an athlete himself who enjoys an eX-
celent reputation gained in some of the
great regattas He is also one of the
crack football players of the champion
Butte team. But his pride does not
carry him off his feet And he has an
other excellent trait-he knows a josh
when he sees one. He listened to the
farmers gush and the more he heard
the fonder grew his hopes of a rafting
good time. MY friend,' he said in re-
ply Il am not very many, but if you
think you can toss all of me over the
ridge pole I'm your banana"
Others of the clerical force had now
ranged themselves in a circle and were
jinglng silver dollars in their pockets
as if to say tot the farmer, Put up or
return to the hay patch.' The young
rancher put up $40 and the party re-
paired to the basement, where a half
dozen mattresses were spread on the
floor and a huge canvas stretched over
all. The giants locked and in an in
slant the granger took strangle hold
| on his adversary. This, however, was
barred before the money went up. He
then made for a double shank lock, but
the city chap cleverly PARTED his right
the herculean ruralist and landed him
| on one shoulder before he could realize
| that he was not on the apex of mad
cows horns. He then rolled over on the
| farmer and pressed him to the canvas.
After the first fall the clerk continued
| his work at the canvas, but the farmer
| seemed to rather incline to the edges of
| the mat. The result of the match was
| the clerk threw the granger four times
| in succession.
You're the best man I ever run
| agin,' said Wag, as he was being as
sisted into his coat. But l still think
| can throw you. I went into this too full
of confidence. The next time l go agin
| you I'll play a different game. Don't
| tell any body. I'll wrestle you for S25
side Sunday night" The offer was
accepted right then and there and the
two men will meet tonight in the same
| basement.