The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-10-24
FAT MEN HAVE DAY
MANY STOUT GENTLEMEN ARE
SEEN ON THE STREETS,
DRUMMER MEETS LARGE ONES,
Party Standing in Front of the Butte
Leads to Observations on
Size-Race is
Suggested.

Il think this must be fat mems day in
Butte" observed Robert Hall. a St.
Louis travelling man, as he sat in the
lobby of the Butte hotel this morning,
conversing with a party of friends.
When the remark was made there
We're four men stalking in front of the
| hosiery. and it was evident that not
one of them would weigh less than 250
pounds.
DO you see those fellows out there 2"
continued the speaker. well. they are
| only sample of what have been meet
ing all the morning. Those men would
aggregate half a ton, easily and they
seem to have plenty of company on the
streets of Butte this forenoon.
When I started out early 10 visit
some customers l met an old man down
in front of the Thornton hotel who
would be right at home in the heavy
weight class.
More Fat Men.
In company with him was another
man who would not be called small in
any country. I tramped along, and on
Wyoming street beside the Finlen I en-
countered another fellow who made me
suspicious as he approached that /
would have to take to the street.
On Park street couple of men We're
putting along as If it were hard travel
ing. I wheeled around on Main street
and there again came in contact with
two or three people who wore coats
large enough to make a suit Of clothes
for me.
People must be we'll fed out in this
country. Either that, or am elected to
get on the street when the big ones are
/ taking a few minutes for stroll.
Do c.k 2o11 ii.
of the prosperity which is talked so
much about out here. At any rate, they
are a sign that they are doing pretty
well in some ways themselves.
Sport in Small Towns.
Il was just thinking of the sports I
have seen in some of the small towns in
the East when I happened to lay over
in one Of them on the Fourth Of July or
at the season of the county fair.
The people out in the country on
those holiday occasions would enjoy
themselves in part with sports. Among
the features scheduled would usually
be q fat mems race.
THE big fellows would attire them
selves in running suits and line up to
scratch to wait for the word to go. While
they were waiting for the signal to
start the crowd would make remarks
about the appearance of the sprinters
and have plenty of fun at the expense
of the large racers.
The dash would generally be about
eco yards. and if three out of a lunch of
a. dozen racers finished over the course
the race would he up to the average.
Usually We looked for more than half
of the fast men to wheel Off ia, track.
badly wnded. before they had covered
20 ThnSn WI In hllS I'D for n Mo
in the contest would have to fight fou
breath for 10 minutes after they puffed
up to the end of the course. Altogether,
there was always considerable amuse-
ment at the fat mems race.
Good Scheme For Butte.
1T just occurred to me that it would
be good scheme on this fine day in
Butte to measure off course extending
from Main and Broadway to Broadway
and Wyoming, and have fat mems
race here.
such track would lead by all the !
principal hotels, and consequently there !
would be a good opportunity for the
people who are temporarily in the city !,
to see the evidence of speed or he lack |
of speed in the fat men of the city.
Il am sure a good crowd could be got
ten into the race. / would be in favor !
of allowing no one to enter the contest |
Who tipped the scales at less than 225. !
''MaXimUm limit? Why, would have |
no limit at the top. Just let them come |
in, without reference to weight or age, |
if they could make good on the 225.
Il could go out on the street and in |
five minutes add a dozen to the crowd |
of four we have here in front of us.
Would not that make my statement
good about this being fat mems day in
Butte?'