The Washington herald., 1909-03-02
PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

No sport in recent years has received
more sudden revival than that OF pro-
fessional wrestling. Just at the time
when the game appeared TO have run its
last course. and 70 be under an in
era5icable staint, It came 10 life and
is now attracting more attention than at
any tine in tie past fifteen or twenty
years.
The greater part OF the credit for this
resurrection was due 70 the wonderful
stores sent out. from London about
Hackenschmidt, The Russian Lion.' who
was described BY the enthusiastic re-
porters as the most wonderful specimen
Of physical manhood and provess alive.
At once the question arose: IF this Rus
sian Is such q marvellous being. is there
no American who can beat him2
The attempts to answer that question
IN the positive resulted in the present
activities on the mat At that time Tom
Jenkins was the acknowledged American
heavyweight champion. and he net
Hsckenschmidt at Madison Square Gar
den Nay 4. 1905. IN this, his first Ameri-
can engagement. Hsckenschmidt more
than fulfilled expectations Although
some twenty or thirty pounds lighter than
jenkins, he handled the American with
the utmost ease, and defeated him IN
such short order that there was none OF
the usual talk Of q return match.
Subsequently, Frank Gotch. the Ameri-
can farmer from Humboldt, Iowa. who
was born April q, 1873. is FIVE feet eleven
and a half inches in height and weighs
10 pounds, defeated Jenkins and won the
American championship. Gotch's victory
was exceedingly popular, not only be-
cause OF his own pleasant personality. bis
square dealing and his failure TO demand
eXtortionate prices for his services, but
because the sporting element felt that a
man Of his marked ability, and IN the
height OF his career, was Just the wrest-
lar 70 bring back The laurels carried away
BY Hackenschnidt
These hopes were justified when Hack
enschmidt returned 70 the United States,
and after a short tour lost to Gotch at
Chicago on April 4. 1905 There was no
fall, but Hackenschmidt deliberately re-
signed after more than an hour OF rough
he claimed that the farmer boy had
used unfair tactics, and had gouged his
eyes with his fingers, but this excuse was
not accepted. Gotch recently returned
from London. where he went 10 arrange
another match. but Hacksnschmidt and
his English advisers demanded such IN
usual conditions that the American re-
turned il disgust.
Now the woods are fun Of wrestlers.
Almost every big city has its own local
favorites, besides importing men from
other places. One strange exception is
Philadelphia. The Quaker City has not
taken kindly 10 the "grapplers.' as
wrestlers are frequently called. for many
years Philadelphians do not patr0nize
the professionals, but give more or less
support 10 the amateurs. The game just
nov IS strongest in the Middle West
Nearly al the big matches in the pasi
few months have been held at the Chi
cagO Athletic Association This club has
become the Mecca for Yussif MahmOut
the Bulgarian: Rauol de Rouen. the
Frenchman; Seigfried. The German
Oak" and a small army OF other crap
piers from various countries who are
bound for the New World
II would surprise many 70 know OF the
large number OF wrestling enthusiasts II
Kansas CITY. which is bidding for thc
match between Gotch and MahmOut foi
the worlds championship by offering 2
purse OF $1,000. Toledo. Columbus, In
dianapolis. Cleveland. and many snallel
cities have numerous devotees OF th'
game Buffalo is another stronghold o.
- 1a-.~- ha---r r4=--
Montreal Is famous for supporting wrest
ling Annual tournaments lasting severa
days are held there.
Crookedness was responsible for th'
long eclipse Of wrestling. and seems oes
Tined 70 again cause Il 10 decline in popu
lar favor There IS no sport. unless II %
foot racing. in which II is easier 10 de
ceive an EXPERT. Even the most prac
Heed eve cannot tell with certainty
whether a man by his science or strength
broke a dangerous hold, or whether IN
other man deliberately allowed him &
ascspe. The .'grsfters' in the game be
came 50 well aware Of this that few hon
est matches were made among them. TIT
public was so often deceived that patron
age fell away TO nothing, and many o
the wrestlers had to do real work Wit
a pick and shovel.
This erookedness is as old as wrestling
tself. A familiar instance, but one sci
dom considered in that light. was th
match between Jacob and the angel. de
scribed in Genesis xxi. 24-29 The,
vrestled al night, and "on the level" "
infer. As man 70 man they struggled
But when the first streak of dawl
touched the east and II was necessary 70
the angel 70 be On his way, he bvoUgh
into play his supernatural power as op
posed 10 Jacobs mere human ability. II
touched the hollow Of jacobs thigh ant
the thigh went out OF joint. Then Jaco'
made q record for gameness that VIII las
forever. With this thigh out OF joint h
refused 10 quit. and finally made III
angel tell him what he wanted TO know
Had Hackenschmidts courage been a
gTeat as Jacobs he might have been th
worlds champion.
A curious historical record Of wTest
ling match that may have been cOntem
porary with Jacobs doughty contest wit
the angel was connected with a larg
stone which formerly stood on the sit
OF the present city OF Singapore, Msla,
Peninsula The stone was inscribed il
characters so archaic that students haa
little idea what they meant. but tradi
ton said It marked the spot where tw
famous champions wrestled 70 the deaf
for the chieftainship Of the surrounding
territory. The ancient monument wa
OF intense interest 70 srchaeologists an,
philolOgists. but a young English engi
neer. finding it in the way Of some i'm
provements he was making, blasted it {
pieces
An ancient device among orooke