Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-12-25
zbYSzkO'S Tells
HIS LIFE STORY
HISTORY OF THE GIANT WREsT-
LER READS LIKE A ROMANCE /
OF OLD.
Is A BORN ATHLETE
Started in the Graphing Game When
But Fifteen Years Of Aae--Has
Met Many Foreigners
on the Mat.

The life story OF Stanislaus zbyszko,
Dr. more properly speaking, Stanislaw
zbyszko Cyganiewicz, reads like a ro-
nance wherein a young Polish athlete
is the chief figure The giant who last
night mixed with George Turner, was
in a reminiscent mood yesterday aft
ernoon at the Ballingall hotel, and the
following history of his life was the
result:
my full name Is Stanislaw Zbyszko
Cyganiewicz. l was born in the small
town of Stanislawicz, located on the
north boundary of the province of Ga
lacia, on the banks of the Vistula river
which separates the province from
Russia. The town of my birth is about
1870 miles from Lembourg, the capital
Of Galicia.
1T was not until / was Ia years of
age and a student at the high school
that I had any idea Of being exception
4 ally strong and up to that time ! had
no idea of what physical culture
meant.
Zone day friend of mine who was
interested in gymnastics felt my arm
and persuaded me to Join the gymnas-
tic class In those days gymnastic ex-
ercises. handball and swimming were
The chief forms of sport, but since
hen football has become quite popular
in Austria.
when Is years of age | joined the
Cracow Solkol and soon was Tecog-
nized as the strongest athlete in the
club I was persuaded to take up
wrestling by Prof. Pytlasisinske, one
of the best professional wrestlers Of
Austria, who said | ought to make
good.
Has Met Many Foreigners.
After winning locally for some time
went to Vienna and one of my first
matches of Importance was with Raic-
evich the Italian wrestler, who is now
in Chicago was 20 years of age at
that time. We met at ,Graec Roman.
and Raicevich, who was a great deal
smaller than heis now, won. BY the
time 7 was "a had graduated from the
University of Vienna as a lawyer, but
SO far never have practiced, as | pre-.
ferred to travel around and see the
world. | served one year in the army,
being a lieutenant of infantry in regi-
ment Thirteen.
"Since then have wrestled in Rus
sia Turkey, France and England
meeting most of the leading European
heavvweights. ] met Padoubny the
Russian giant. in st. Petersburg, and
we wrestled two hours Graeco-Roman
style without either getting fall.
One year later met and defeated Pa
doubny at the London pavilion, Hack.
enschn'idt promised, to meet the win
ner but he never did. Twice defeated
Nouralah, thes big Turk, at ST. Peters.
burg. hut l do not think he, was as
good then as he had been when he
was Younger.
In 1903 l finished third in the
Graeco-Roman championship at Paris
and three years later won the worlds
champion ship there from a field OF
IS starters, among whom were Beck
Olson. Lureck, the Russian champion
and Beucairois. the French champion
Changes Style.
''Three wears ago took up the
catch-as-catch- can style and like II
much better than .Graeco-Roman
which is slow and uninteresting i
trained for the match with Hacken.
schmidt which never came off. I de.
feated Padouhny at catch-as- catch-can
after this.
koibSC W LhlS SCuuSl i HdVS
appeared in a number of handicap
matches. At Buffalo threw three men
one of whom was Yank Rogers, In
seven minutes, and at Montreal |
threw Carl Abes, the German wrestler
three times in eight minutes, two falls
being catch-as-catch-can and one
Graeco-Roman. At Rochester I threw
three opponents in fourteen minutes
but do not wish the public to Judge
me by these performances.
II am now % years, Of age and weigh
about 100 pounds. train regularly; us,
lng dumbbells, skipping the rope
plaving handball and taking long
walks. My height is feet 10 inches
never smoke nor drink and while
70 not diet myself strictly I avoid
loHns and other liquid foods, sticking
more to the solids When tell you
hat weighed over 220 pounds at Ia
Fears of age you will realize that only
ny training have kept my weight
fown to what 1t Is. If l had loafed |
might have been good for fat man in
museum"