Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-09-14
WRESTLING IN THE OLD DAYS.
Charles II. Burt, a Native Of Vermont,
Was Champion Of New England IL

Charles n. Burt, a Native Of Vermont,
Was Champion Of New England IL
Years.
viii wrestling as popular sport, be
revived?
NO" said Charles II. Burt OF Lynn
who held the championship OF the Md
die and New England states IL years.
They are not growing wrestlers nova
days The young men. Of the present dag.
who are physically competent are turning
their attention TO those lines of sport re-
curing less skill and training; such as
base ball. golf and tennis, or the more
brutal lines Of the prize ring or the grid
iron"
He continues: II was born in Frank
lin, VT, in 1885, and at three years of
age was bound to a farmer, but left him
at Is TO hustle for myself. In my school
days the favorite sports were wrestling.
running and jumping, at all OF which /
was good, but / can hardly remember
the time when 1 wouldn't rather tackle a
fellow collar and elbow than to eat
when i was about IS l was employed
as porter at the Massassoit House,
Springfield. At fair time a match was
arranged with Bandy Ainsworth of
Springfield, who was a teacher OF ath-
letics. ] beat him two to one and got
the championship. Several matches fol-
lowed In which was victorious.
When the war came on l was in the
South selling books for the Hartford
Bible company, and was given three days
in which to take the oath of allegiance to
the confederacy or leave the country.
needed a little more time 10 settle up
and make my collections and a Virginia
planter vouched for me and / was given
an extension. j came North and enlisted
In the 18th National Vermont regiment.
Uncle Sam got the best there was in
ETsNv- ~ u
pion, and that was pretty good for one
family. When the war was over 1 en-
gagged IN several pursuits, but carpenter
ing was my trade.
Il gained a notoriety as a collar-and- ell
bow wrestler and as a consequence chal-
lenges came in and l loved the sport so
well IL was dificult to refuse, and so 1
always accommodated all corners, IL II
was to be square match and the best
man win.'
During the IS or 40 years / wrestled
in public 1 took on 80 matches and lost
only three Of them. l lost TO Reed Of
Westfield, VT, and to II. NJ Duffer 1t
was Duffer who captured the champion
ship from me. l tried every scheme to
| get another match with him but he would
not meet me. In after years when the
sport declined he acknowledged that /
was his superior. The third time I played
losing game was to Frank Fish. / lost
loose.
want TO tell you about the toughest
! proposition / ever tackled. 1t was down
in Maine-in Phillips, Me. A big over
grown country boy by the name OF Mas
ton wanted a trial and / accommodated
him. The match was a draw. He was
"a and over 40. / weighed 165 to his
$50. We tried again at Lewiston and /
won, but not easy. He had strength and
was quick, and / want to say, II he had
matched me In science he would have
made a mop OF me.
John Mcmahon was the best all-round
wrestler Of my day. perhaps, and the
prettiest worker. We pulled Off a tie.
| ana was never able 10 arrange an
other meet with him. He had won two
matches from Mcdonald and from that
prince OF sports. Mclaughlin and my
friends thought ought to be satisfied
with a tie.
1.-THE funniest experience had was in
New York. / had been 10 Nebraska and
had got back to New York dead broke.
was all in. Hadn't sou. had heard
OF Harry Hin, and so took a cab to find
his place. told Harry that was a
wrestler. and It 50 happened that ne was
looking for some one to do a Brooklyn
boy, who had been bantering everybody
for tussle. Harry paid the cabbie and
| put me on the free list. and began to lay
the ropes for a match. He had some
local chap put me to the test, ana was
more than pleased with my work. He
| found IL an easy road to an agreement,
for Bennett-that was the boys name
had put everybody In sight out Of BUSH
ness. and was itching for new blood.
When the afternoon OF the match came !
was loafing around Hills place when the
| Brooklyn gang blew In. / heard their
talk about another victory that was going
to be won and wondering II they could