Norwich bulletin., 1912-01-13
City Championship Won By Sevens
How Nolan Trained the Greenevie Fnemen to Beat the
West Siders-A Chapter Out of Local History of the
Volunteer Fire Companies Keenan's Grit Settled It.

Twenty years ago if you wanted to
start anything at fever heat in the
sporting line in Norwich, it was only
necessary to get two of the rival VOL
unteer fire companies interested on
opposite sides. The red shirted boys
backed their champions to the limit
and many q Norwich resident of the
present day can recall without Difficult
ty the races and other forms Of sport
In which the local companies partici-
pated. The following "reminiscences
by John Nolan, the well. known Taft
vile runner, viii prove a memory
stimulator of the time he trained the
Shetucket Steam Fire Engine COM
pany, No. {. to win the championship
Of the city. Mr.. Nolan tells the story
SIS follows:
When announcement was made in
July, 1894, of Il half-mile race for
Norwich fire engine companies, to be
run In September, IA men to a com
pany, four companies entered and
great interest was taken in the prep
arations for the race. Each company
was to pull a carriage of a specified
weight and the prizes were TO be $3.50,
s125, $75 aud $50
The entries were the Shetuckets of
Greeneville. better known as the Sew
ems, the Niagaras of the city, known
as the Twos, the Neptunes OF the
West Side, and the William M. Will
Jams Of the Falls.
sevsns Were Acknowledged Cham
pionS
The Ssvens had won a similar race
few years before and were the ac-
knowledged champions. but on that
occasion they were trained and led by
Ed McMahon, who, as well as George
Gadle, were now members Of the
Twos, and were both anxious to see
the Greeneville boys defeated.
Invited to Join tho Sevens.
On invitation Of Foreman John De-
laney of the Shetuckets, Frank Murtha
and one or two other prominent mem
bers of the Sevens. l had just be-
come member Of that company in the
hope of getting a race with Gadle. NV
Joining the company was unknown to
the general public, but when my back
ers tried to talk race with Gables
representatives, they cautiously named
their man from meeting. Dan McCor-
mick was representing the Gadle back
ers.
Neptunes the Dangerous Rivals.
For the coming fire company race,
the Neptunes of the West Side were
regarded asc the most dangerous OPP
pOnents for the Sevens. and numbered
among them several fast men. chief
among whom were Billy O'Brien, with
O record Of 2 min. 4 sec. for the half
mile, and my old opponent. Charles E.
Hazlehurst. Much money was wa
gered on the event as the day ap-
preached for the race and the train
ing of the teams was watched with
interest.
The Sevens selected the bicycle track
as their training quarters and there
I worked hard with the boys, on one
occasion running six consecutive half
miles with different candidates, in
2.29, 2.33. 2.S5, 2.S4, 2.86, and 2.37. max
Ing three miles in Is min. "A sec.
NoIan's Flame Raised a Storm.
When my name appeared in the list
Of runners forming the teams, there
was a protest at once that had been
rung in" but Murtha and Delaney
produced the record book where l had
become member before the race had
been announced by the Agricultural
society and the protests were not en-
tertained. The men were all in fine
condition and confident Of the re-
suit. when an incident occurred on the
day before the race that threw the
entire camp into CONSERVATION. On
that day, while passing through Water
street, l met Phil Burns, a we'll known
sporting man, and while we were talk
ing Charles r. Hazelhurst came along
and Joined IN.
Stopping To speak to me, Hazelhurst
said: 1T was dead wrong to ring you
in, as they did; but we are going to
beat them If they had all the Nolans
in the town on their team"
Suspected Of Receiving a Bride.
AS Burns and 1 laughed at this
remark, Hazelhurst joining in, prom
inent member of the SeVens passing
on the opposite side of the street, and
seeing US on such apparent good
terms, at once carried the news to
Greeneyille, where the tale soon spread
that l had been bribed by these two