The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-12
BURNS PICKED GOTCH
TO THROW JENKINS
Story of iowa Farm Hand Who
Is Now Worlds Champion
Wrestler.

HUMBOLDT, Iowa, Feb. ia farm
near here has contributed the new
champion wrestler of the United States.
By defeating Jenkins, of Cleveland,
heretofore premier on the mat, Frank
Gotch has attained undisputed pre-emi-
nence.
In February, 1902, at Sioux City, on
the occasion of Gotch's first match,
after beginning his professional career
in Alaska, Farmer Burns, Gotch's de-
voted teacher, announced: There's no.
body in Iowa this man cannot throw.
He is open to challenge. Within two
years he will throw Jenkins. Just re-
member that, you people"
On the night of Jan. %, 1904, at Bel
bingham, Wash, with the two years all
but two weeks up, Gotch met Jenkins.
Once before the two had met, when
Gotch claimed he had been robbed of
the match. This time Gotch actually
outclassed 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 grips.
Farmer Burns prophecy was fulfilled,
~NAAN D0A AAo was SCd1CCIy less udDDY
than if he himself had recovered the
e-eminence he lost to Jenkins six
years ago.
Gotch is Burns discovery. Burns
saw the marvellous physical endowment
of the boy, and made him his protege.
Gotch was built just right for a wrest-
Ier SheathS of muscles shield his neck.
Which is scarcely less large than his
head. The muscles of his BODY are as
hrmly knit as oak, and there is no eff
terminate waist line. His legs are like
great pillars and his arms are tremen-
dously powerful. That he is all muscle
ana no fat is evidenced by the fact that
Tor Tour years he has weighed in at al
most exactly 100 pounds.
Gotch, under the name of Frank Ken
nedy, took a place on the claim of
James Brown, up the creek from Daw-
son. In friendly scuffle a few weeks
later he easily doWned a man with
some reputation as a wrestler. Next
Gay ne was challenged by Billy Muir
dock, best man on the hill A few
nights later they met on the hard floor
o! a saloon In four minutes Gotch had
ms man on his back and had pocketed
$500. Then he went back to shaking
gold dust .
Two lightweight wrestIers near
Dawson heard about the newcomer.
and when they put up $2,5OO and Of
1ered the gate receipts to the winner
Gotch made date. He agreed to
throw them both in an hour. and he
lett thirty minutes before the time was
up with the money in his poket. Next
Gotch took UP challenge from White.
next to the best in Alaska, and met
MIN at Dawson for a bet of $4,000. Big
money was up on White, but to the as
constituent Of all Gotch won three
Ialls in eighteen minutes and cleared
$4,000 IN purse, side bets and the gate
receipts
Since Gotch had defeated all others.
Sllas Archer. champion of Alaska, be-
came interested in the boy miner and
put up $4,000 for a match. The win
ner was to get single fall. Archer
was not alone champion of Alaska. but
an old resident, and local pride backed
hl1n Miners from all over the KIon-
dlke came to the match and brought
their dust along. Standing room was
hard to get at SO. Values run high in
the Klondike, and next day the Daw-
son papers said more was I'D on the
match than any of the kind ever held
In the world. Gotch took the agrees
slve, and in eighteen and one-haIf
minutes pushed Archer's shoulder
blades to the mat. His total winnings
were $18,640.
After wrestling against time for a
rev weeks Gotch came back to the
united States and took up wrestling
IN earnest. He met all the state ce-
1ebrities 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.