The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-11-16
KARL LfHT0 TELLS TIE
STORY OF HIS CAREER
WELL KNOWN YOUNG FINNISH
WRESTLER HAS FAITH IN
HIS ABILITY.

The following story or the career of
Karl Lehto. the well-known Finnish
wrestler, by Lehto himself, appears in
the Duluth Herald:
i was born in Finland, in 1887, and
therefore, am at the present time in
my twenty third year. Since a boy In
my native country, / have always TAX
on the greatest interest in the wrest-
ling game. 1t is a sort of national
sport in our country, and in my early
boyhood days, even before / was old
enough or strong enough to wrestle
with the local champions, | took a
deep interest in the game.
Wrestling has always been popular
in Finland, and when Hackenschmidt
and some OF the other great Europeans
visited Finland, l watched their
matches with the belief that some day
would be a professional wrestler.
/ wrestled in the public schools and
later met the local champions. / have
net and defeated the best wrestlers in
Finland, and it was then that | decid-
ed to some to the United States, where
81 many VI tOuliNi illtll ItSlut.
This city was the first place that l
really stopped at. The first match |
ever wrestled in the United states,
was with man named Peterson. The
match took place in Eveleth and I
won. Before that time 1 had wrestled
Finland. for, like the other countries
OF Europe, the champions are decided
in tournaments. | always won first
or second prizes in these big contests
] was only IL years of age when
took part in the first big tournament
have always been ambitious to make
a name for myself on the mat. and for
that reason have always taken the
best of care of my health and have
always trained hard.
Before / met Mr.. Zbyszko in the
Copper country / was little known
outside of my friends in the Copper
country and some Finnish people on
the ranges in this state. When l sue
ceeded in remaining on the mat an
hour without being thrown l had in
a measure attained my childhood am
bition of being a great wrestler.
Then came the second meeting with
Mr.. Zbyszko. He won the second
match. securing the first fall in an
hour and nineteen minutes. after one
of the most gruelling matches that I
have ever wrestled. Mr.. Zbyszko shook
my hand after the match and told me
was one of the strongest men he
had ever wrestled.
AS to my proposed match with Chris
Person, who was in this city last WIN
ter, want to say to the people of Du-
luth, and also to my many country
men here and in the Copper country
that If there was any agreement, / had
nothing to do with it. was ignorant of
it, and was ready to go on the mat and
wrestle.
1t has been my ambition to meet
both DIR. Roller and Henry Ordemann.
Since the match with Zbyszko ii has
been a great ambition of mine to meet
Mr.. Gotch, who unquestionably is the
greatest wrestler the world has ever
known.
If 1 make a good showing against
some of the great wrestlers whom
desire to meet, and Mr.. Gotch should
come out of retirement, even for a
short time, hope that he will give me
finish match.
When 1 was n young man in Fin
land, Hackenschmidt was considered
the greatest wrestler the world had
ever known. You can imagine how
surprised the people of Europe were
when they heard of his defeat at the
hands of the great American cham
pion.
DR.. Roller is considered great
wrestler one of the greatest in the
world. If l make a good showing
against him in my match here, / hope
to be able to meet some of the best
men i'm the world. feel that my mat
career has just started, and that some
day / will be fighting with the two
or three great wrestlers now at the
top. for the highest honors in the
wrestling game.
I have never dissipated and have
always led clean life. | attribute
my strength to this and also to the
fact that | have worked hard at ath
letic games since boyhood. Hard
physical work and clean life will
make any man strong.
The Finnish wrestlers are perhaps
the greatest bridgers i'm the world. The
fact that was able to bridge and hold
OF hn
many times in my match with Zbysz-
ko. have held up seven men by rails
ing myself on my neck and legs, so
YOU can see that 1t Is very difficult
for wrestler to break me out of a
bridge.
/ hope to defeat DR.. Roller though
realize that he is one of the clever
est wrestiers in the world.