Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-02
NEW WRESTLING KING.
Frank Gotch of Iowa Beat Jenkins and
is Only 20 Years Old.

A farm near Humboldt. Iowa, has con-
tributed the new champion wrestler OF the
United States, Frank Gotch. BY defeating
Jenkins of Cleveland. heretofore premier on
the mat, Gotch has attained the undisputed
pre-eminence.
Two years ago at Sioux City. on the oc-
cason of Gotch's first match after Begin
ming his professional career in Alaska,
Farmer Burns, Gotch's devoted teacher.
announced:
There's nobody in Iowa tonight this man
here can't throw. He is open to challenge.
Within two years he will throw Jenkins.
Just remember that, you people.
This was in February, 1902 One night in
January, 1904, at Bellingham. Wash. with
the two years lacking two weeks up, Gotch
met Jenkins. Once before they had met,
when Gotch claimed he was robbed OF the
match This time Gotch actually out
classed his opponent winning two straight
falls and showing the crowd of 5000 people
that the man who had been champion six
years was helpless in his grip.
Farmer Burns prophecy was fulfilled.
Gotch is his discovery. The farmer saw
the marvellous physical endowment of the
boy, and made him his protege. Gotch was
built just right for wrestler. Sheaths or
muscles shield his neck. which is scarcely
less large than his head. The muscles OF
his body are firmly knit as oak, and
there is no effeminate waist line. His legs
are Just ike piIlaTS anu HIS are TIC
mendously powerful. That he is all muscle
and no fat is evidenced by the fact that for
four years he has weighed in at almost eX-
actly 100 pounds.
twenty -six-Gotch has more than fulfilled
Burns expectations. The muscles he found
as a Flooding farm hand have crushed the
proudest of athletes. In an exhibition of
the power of his muscles he once lay on a
mat and Farmer Burns sought to throw
him over Burns pecked away at him.
lifting first one end of him and then the
other and at the end of the time allow
ance Gotch. every muscle drawn taut, was
occupying the same place on the mat
Il tell you. boys. he's got the right idee,
as his skill is formidable. You can do any
thing you like unless you want to wrastle
But if you're going to make good wrastler
you've got to live temperate. l hain't never
took chew of terbaccer nor a drink. Now,
you can thump my stomach till you're
tired. and I'll never feel it. That's what
comes from treatin' your body right, and
that's why Gotch is the best man alive to-
day"
If Gotch hadn't gone on a jaunt to Alaska
three years ago, 1t is hard to tell whether
his prowess as a wrestler would have come
to light He came back in six months with
$50 0G0 but he didn't take it out of placer
mine.
Working under the name of Frank Ken
needy, he took a place on the claim of
James Brown, up the creek from Dawson
In friendly scuffie a few weeks later he
easily downed a man with some reputation
as wrestler. Next day he was challenged
by Billy Murdoch. few nights later they
met on the hard floor of a saloon. In four
minutes Gotch had his man on his back
and had pocketed 500. Then he went back
to shaking gold dust.
Two lightweight wrestlers near DawEon
heard about the newcomer. and when they
put up $500 and offered the receipts to the
winner Gotch made a date. He agreed to
throw them both in an hour, and he left
ms W II Wi
the money in his pocket Next he took UP
a challenge from White, next to the bes- in
Alaska. and met him at Dawson. Big
money was UP on White, but. to the aston
ishment of all, Gotch won three fails in
eighteen minutes and cleared 5000 in
purse, side bets and gate receipts.
Since Gotch had defeated all others, Silas
Archer, champion of Alaska, became inter-
ested in the boy miner and put up 5000
for match. The winner was to get a sin
gle fall. Archer WAS not alone champion of
Alaska. but an old resident. and local pride
backed him. Miners from all over the
Klondike came to the match and brought
their dust along. Standing room was
fought for at $40. Values run high in the
klondike. and the next day the Dawson
papers said more money was up on the
match than on any of the kind ever held in
the world. Gotch assumed the aggressive
and In eighteen and one-half minutes push
ed Archers shoulder b1sd es to the mat The
total winnings were $1S.640.
After wrestling against time for a few
weeks Gotch came back to the United
States and took up wrestling in earnest He
met all the state celebrities of Iowa and
Nebraska, and then set himself to best
jenkins. This has been his aim for two
years, backed by Burns. believing implicitly
in his ability to down the Cleveland man
Gotchs work on the mat Is characterized
by deliberateness. He works calmly. but
when opportunity presents he manifes.s
startling speed. His leg work is most bar
fling to his opponents, and in this respect
Ia f- IL
using nearly all holds with impa rtiaIity, but
when put to the test resorts to his legs His
phenomenal rise, his youth his evident SUI
periority, justify expectation that the
United States will at last have a defender
against the Turks.