New-York tribune., 1917-12-09
Jack Curley Might Read with
Profit About Match Between
Odysseus and Ajax
By Louis Lee Arm.

The spectator who goes to the Lex
ington Theatre to witness the inter-
national wrestling tournament may
find plenty of precedent to justify his
action. The wrestlers were hooking
'cm back in 5000 B. c., when Jack
Curley, Of Spain. promoted his first
championship match along the River
Nile.
Authorities areas authorities will
Inclined 10 differ whether wrestling
had its origin in Egypt or Asia. As
both places are of themselves virtual
ly defenceless, it is probably safe TO
blame il on either.
ut was Egypt" says Jack Curiey.
az remember that somebody put the
huzzer on Rameses II for his patent
cigarette lighter. You ought TO have
heard that baby roar"
Master of Facts
Such an impeccable authority as
Seror Curley is not TO be held lightly
And he is a master of facts.
Homer wrote space on the wrestlcrs
around Troy one dull winter and got
by with It. lie filled the twenty-third
book of the lliad with a graphic de-
scription of the match between
0dysseus and Ajax, and while he was
correct in the major details of that
match he missed many OF the finer
points, as the afternoon papers quickly
pointed out. You will observe that it
was the twenty-third volume which
Homer dedicated 10 wrestling.
Homer jotted down the fact that the
men wore only a girdle; that is, one
for each Of them, but he failed to in
clude the historic side light that Ajax
and Odysseus came to the mat with
their bodies bathcd in oil That was
IN the palmy, oilsome days before
John ID.
When Ajax saw the oil shining on
Odysseus's body he emitted terrific
roar.
Il withdraw" he said. "This is the
city of Troy, not the city OF Omega"
It was then that Odysseus's manager,
who was a wise fish himself, ascer-
tanned that Ajax also had massaged his
cuticle with crude petro leum. Az that
there were roars of derision from Ody's
followers.
It appears that Odysseus had run up
a board bill in Troy which he hoped 10
square with his end of the match. He
did not know at the time that Ajax was
on the nut to Nassau Street tailor
for a couple Of "grands."
Sand Rundown
There was a pretty fair house that
night, and the promoter suggested that
irasmuch as the men were mutually
guilty, or mutually oiled, that they sub
nit to be rubbed down with fine sand.
After the customary palaver both men
agreed, and they were sprayed from tip
TO toe with fine sand.
81 feel a little gritty" said Odysseu5,
who was one Of the town wits, IN add
tion to being its best wrestler and star
hobo. &,
This set a custom that was followed
for many years. A wrestler always was
rubbed with oil and sprayed with sand,
and one wonders that no one thought
Of touching a match to him.
In those days all holds were allowed
and, as Homer pointed out, "even
strangling, biting and kicking" Strang,,
ling and Kicking continue to be looked
upon with more or less favor, though
biting is rather frowned upon. Still'
lot Of the boys are confident that when
Tammany gets back on the job Jahu-
ary the old rules will be restored.
The simple folk OF Japan were visited
BIZ a wrestling epidemic In 70 Is. T.
You will observe that 1t was IN 20 Is. I.
Sukune was the victor. Sukune intro
cuced the departure Of wrestling IN
madras shirt. He had had the shirt
laundered by a Chinaman named sing
Lee. and Sing had put so much starch
in il that Sukune's opponents slashed
themselves to slivers trying TO get hold
of him. This ultimately led 20 the
game II iiu jitsu, which is Japans
greatest product.
y nea a jiu jitsu wrestler OF Japan
reeds modicum of pin money he
comes 10 America and begins challeng-
ing. Eventually he is rewarded with
match, and tho populace flock 10 It.
as many AS twenty people
being present.
A iiu jitsu wrestler now wears bur
lap bag 70 wrestlc in, as Sing Lee hAs
retired and won't launder any more
madras shirts. This burlap bag oteTs
the American wrestler an excellent
hold, and he quickly seires upon u. lie
picks the little son OF Nippon up by his
burlAp bag and throws him as FAR and
as hard as possible. Some OF our Amer
lean wrestlers are so well trained that
they can throw JhPdhfes hIcHNicl iH
a burlap bag from the stage door TO the
box Office. without knocking down more
than one or two pillars.
In the eighth century Emperor Shomu
OF Japan feared that the Festival Of
the Five Grains" was going 70 be 4 iiv-
yer, so ne ordered party Of wrestlers
10 put a little spice in the show. After
that they discontinued the FESTIVAL Of
the Five Grains"
Ere long q touring troupe Of wrestlers
visited Great Britain, and Immediately /
the SsXons and the Cel;s fell FOR IL. 4
They installed padded mats in all the 1
country clubs of England. Scotland and /
Ireland, and the male population eX-
pended valuable hours mastering the I
Intricscies of the half-Nelson and the /
wrist lock. Up 20 thst time they had /
H.. fft,I. r,,rc than NrOok their ei-