Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-13

CeflleTeO. we tok CEalr ana went dlu
sat round the fire to have our talk.
There was something to gaze at in the
intervals of conversation; there We're
"reminiscences conjured up by that fire.
light. and when left alone it was possible
to weave little romances and remember
many of the stories inspired simply by
the pictures of the fire. a man knew
called 1t the king of the Crate" and
when he was alone 1t was his album OF
the Past.
But now We polked round that fire.
mostly sport. OF course. the approach OF
Christmas came up and what there was
to amuSe us or Keep us mt during the ap-
approaching short days. Golf seemed the
faliback. skating a pleasant anticipation.
Then there were the regrets at the emo
Of the base ball season and the admis-
sion that the mild excitement over foot
ball was an unsatisfactory substitute
Even that will have closed down in
very short time.
1t was Inevitable to repeat what We had
heard and read about coming INDOOR
events, boxing in particular, and wonder
whether the time could be spared 70 see
projected contests in New York and else
where.
We can't all go to Palm Beach or other
southern resorts, where the days are all
too short for those who enter into the
spirit of the business. Besides, there IS
work to be thought Of, but how to fill in
those leisure hours apart from theaters.
food III bright surroundings. and driving!
There is talk of wrestling and big fell
lows on the mat Well, that will be bet
tel than nothing, SO long as we nave a
few square deals and some men who can
really teach by their skill. Pans mas In
many winters amused itself for weeks
with an International big-man tourna-
ment. What mattered all the whispers
that IL was troupe business 1t served
its turn.
There was genuine meeting in Lon
don about three years ago at circus
building. %The promoters got together
about $50 wrestlerS of different weights,
and there were serious sportsmen who
went every night.
The men who proved the greatest at
traction were the unknowns. The man.
agement took several men in after the
tournament had started, and the major
ity Of these had come without managers
or expenses being paid. but had found
their own way to the arena to take
their chance
1t was quite permissible and defensibie
to put them on a wage. But for that
tournament they never would have been
known. They learned one or two things.
that they had better go back to some &C.
cupation other than that they had aspira-
to develop a bit to have chance against
better men than they had met
wish to empha size the point that mon
were discovered who were unknown
to any one in the wrestling world.
Now here IS a chance for promoters to
give us all something to amuse us. 1t
would be necessary. 1t must be assumed.
to engage many well-known men, but
shut out no one Eliminating contests
would soon weed out the non-eXperts. and
they would provide any amount of fun.
tell you there are wreStlerS in our
midst we little dream Of. Why. in the
tourney ! am abiding to I saw a waiter
in the arena from a restaurant I used
to visit. He had served my coffee for
months in most unobtrusive way and
was the last mat merchant I should have
dreamed of.
Another instance A friend Of mine
with me, now In Chicago, had a boy in
the Office of the daily paper he was at
tached to. That boy was uneasy one
evening about o'clock. AT last 1t came
out-the cause. Could he be excused for
two hours? Why? Wanted to 90 to
Hengler's." He was let off and a little
later when we were all waiting for the
sport in marched that tall youth with the
other 80 gladiators to the music of the
march of that name. Such show! One
would not have missed it for worlds
That boy went all the way. but only
beat mot mucher. The next evening
he was glad he had the job at the news
paper Office. His ambitions were di-
verified