Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-08-15
"FARMER" BURNS WAS HERE.
Grand Old Man OF the Wrestling Mat
Appeared at the Star Friday.

hDDedreu tnc Staf Frluay.
Martin Burns, the famous wrest-
Ter, known all over the country as
Farmer" Burns, was DEBORAH
visitor 'ast Friday and appeared at
the Star theatre in a wrestling exhi-
bition with Marin Plestina, young
Slav giant, who has been in this
country for the past IL years. Pies
tina offered to wrestle any man in
the audience and would give 500 to
the one who stayed with him Is min
utes.
Oscar Berg, husky young farmer
made try for the hundred dollars,
but if our timepiece was running cor
rectly we don't believe Oscar stayed
the Is minute limit. He was game
enough to wrestle the young giant
anyway, and gave the audience run
for their money. Plestina and Ole
Marsh put on a good exhibition, and
also Burns AID Marsh. The Star was
packed and all were glad to see the
old stars of the wrestling game in ac-
ton again. The Farmer gave a
good talk on physical culture Among
some of the things he said was: Il
don't drink liquor" l don't smoke"
II don't chew tobacco" Il don't
drink tea or coffee" Il don't swear"
Well we guess the Farmer" is al
right on that stuff, for he is sc years
old and seems in just as good physi-
cal condition today as he was %
years ago when he first appeared in
DEBORAH. He was born in log ca
bin on a farm in Springfield town
ship, Cedar County, Iowa. From the
age of II to 10 years he spent his
time blowing corn, and in the eve
nings he would wrest,e all corners. At
the age Of 10 he met the first profess
sional wrestler at Dennison, Iowa
The bout lasted . hours and 10 min
utes and was decided a draw
The Farmer" first came into the
limelight in DEBORAH in 1898, twen-
ty-four years ago when he came here
and posed as man on his uppers,
looking for a job of wood saving.
Well he got the job and incidentally
a wrestling match with Pete Rem
men, a we'll known farmer of this
county, who was considered the best
back hold" wrestler in this section
those days. A great crowd gathered
at Steyer's hall the night of the match
and a big wad of money was bet.
Burns looked and acted the part of
"rube" and when the men met for
the first. round Burns let Remmen
throw him, the round lasting eleven
minutes. Excitement began to run
high until the next "act" when Burns
caught Remmen's wrist, turned,
STOPPING and lurched forward and the
latter's body was lifted and spun in
circle over Burns head and des-
cended with crushing thud on the
mat, and that round was over in ten
seconds. The next round went the
same way and Burns won it in 13
seconds. Then the light began to
dawn on Remmen and the big crowd
that they were up against profess
sio1al and a good one.
The farmer has been wrestling
most of the time since, having met
more than 5000 men on the mat, and
he has come through undefeated. He
made Frank Gotch the champion of
the world, and developed many an
other good wrestler.
Mr. Burns is an Irishman and is
married and has two. daughters and
two sons. The sons have both enlist
ed, and one of his daughters is mar
ried to a young doctor and he too has
enlisted in the war. The Burns home
at present is in Omaha.
On Labor Day Plestina, whom
Burns is managing, will meet
Stecher for the championship of the
world at Omaha, and we predict that
Plestina will win, which will mean
another feather in the cap of the willy