Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-01-11
HOW EARL CADDOCK
BECAME WRESTLER
Anita, Ia, Farmer Boy Took Lessons
in Order to Get Revenge on
Fellow Hawkeye.
UP ALL AMATEURS
~ EDWARD w. SMITH


For years one OF the most popular
fables that could be written brought out
the country boy in the role OF hero
always defeating the city chap In ath-
letic contests and generally humiliating
the smart fellow who thought himself
superior TO the yokel because OF his city
surroundings.
In the wrestling game at least these
fables are no longer fables at all. but
stories OF hard facts. The worlds great
est wrestlers are farmer boys. at least
three of them today standing out AZ
wonderful men I'm the graphing game
They are Frank Gotch OF Humboldt, Ia.
Joe Stecher OF Dodge, Neb., and Earl
Caddock OF Anita. Ia.
This yarn has TO deal chiefly with Earl
Caddock. who got his start towards the
top OF the heap In a strange manner
Ben Reuben. himself one OF the great
est amateurs the world ever produced,
vouches that this fable isn't anything OF
the klnd-it is n real story OF facts. As
such we viii let you have II just as Ben
told II TO me.
II must claim the credit for the dis
eovery Of Earl Caddock," Ben began. rs
ne y great WTtHIleTf well, nefeE what
] think OF him. Inside OF n year he will
be the only man on this wide globe who
has chance of defeating the mighty
Stecher. IL that strong enough7
zone day while wrestling tournament
was in progress at tho Hebrew institute
I got call from a tall angular looking
young fellow with decidedly prominent
Jaw. He looked serious. He told me he
was Just In from Iowa. that he was
farmer named Caddock and that no
wanted 20 learn a little something about
wrestling. He had tackled fellow
named McPeath out in his country and
been beaten. lie wanted revenge. lie
wanted 60 make sure that when he
tackled McPeath again that he could
win. Would give him couple OF les
sons and work with him so he could get
the hang OF few holds?
Dumps Reuben Easily.
Il didn't pay much attention to him
after he got stripped other than to notice
he looked strong, but ungalnly. We took
holds and started tumbhng around In
about a minute l was flat on my back.
Scratch. said to myself as got to my
feet Again we went at Il and In less
than no time | was again flat
What Is this, anyways? l worried
rs again got up Resting a minute /
started to size the farmer up. Then |
noticed that he was built like a gorilla,
with arms nearly as big as his legs that
dang'ed almost down TO his knee.
Right there 1 made up my mind that
he was ringer, So I decided to try
come OF my own copyrighted holds on
him. put one on him that l knew nc
other wrestler used up to that time. lie
broke Il and about a minute after he tried
the very same hold on me and dumped
me again. That settled Il: l got up and
asked him &c he ever had used that hold
before. No, he said hut you just
used Il on me and l thought I'd try II
right back on you
That convinced me that he 8 the great
est natural wrestler / ever saw, and
really believe with another years ex
perience, he will defeat the mighty
Stecher.
Licks Ernest Kartye.
"Oh, yes. my story isn't finished yet
i discovered that 1 had a good thing, 81
] started TO sic hinA on to some OF IN,
other wrestlers. lie looked like such I
good thing. such soft mark. that the,
all fell for him Ia a hurry First on,
and then the other until finally he tackle,
Ernest KSrtye. who certainly is one o
the greatest.
We'll. he did to Ernie just what he ha,
f. done to all the rest OF US. But, min,
you, all the time he was Hopping u
around like we were kids. he kept worry
ing about whether he could trim Nc
Peath or not. He could beat some o
the greatest wrestlers I'm the bushes
here IN Chicago. but was worrying abou
whether he could beat some dub out 4
Iowa.
Certainly he threw him when he 40
back there. Why wouldn't he? Didn't h
flop stecher for one fall. the only fall Jo
ever had registered against him?'