Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-05-23
FARMER BURNS STILL
!. SEEKING MAT LAuRELS
Although Veteran Wrestler Is 81
Years Old, Ycarns to Tussle for
Premier HonorS.
HAS BEEN IN 4.5oo BOUTS
Started In Game at Age Of Eight,
and Won Side Bet of Fifteen
Gents and Later Won Champion
ship From Ed. Lewis.
III JAMES j. CoRBETsr.

Al tho age OF fitty-seven. when some
men are nearly in their dotage. Mar
till GARNER Burns. hero OF more than
1900 wrestling clashes, ycarns to tus-
sic for worlds championship.
The sporting world generally might
scoff at the def. hut no man who knows
Burns doubts his phenomenal ability.
Whether Burns could conquer the
giants who now dominate wrestling is
n question. But there isn't any doubt
tina; it Burns were thrown into the
same ring with any one OF the half
dozen topnotchcrS OF today he would
put up most remarkable battle.
Burns has been wrestling for nearly
fifty years. His first bout was at the
ag6 Of eight. He won il. and ~ side
then Burns has tackled every great
man that wrestling his produced and
only seven OF all that number sent
htpr down to defeat.
.SWon Heavyweight Championship.
Burns conquered Frank Gotch and
wAisht wrestling championship from
Eyan tStrangler) Lewis. Some time
;afterward Tom Jenkins wrostied the
Mcleod, Fred Beau and never was
beaten by any OF the great foreign
wIestlers that came 10 these shores.
And Burns, mind YOU never weighed
more than l7o at his best.
Hall Adali---"The Sultan's Lion
weighed 500, and was mountain Of
bone and muscle. He ranked as the
most powerful Of all European
wrestlers. He tossed all those who tried
conclusions with him except Burns.
Farmer stayed the stipulated ninety
minutes and won a big purse.
Burns. perhaps is the only man who
ever, submitted to hanging 20 prove
the strength of his neck muscles. 1t
happened nearly twenty years ago in
Iowa.
neck, and the rope was hung from a
cross-tree under n railroad trestle. The
box he was standing on was Kicked
from under him. drop of nearly
three feet followed.
= Hung Suspended in Moose.
AS the body OF Burns shot downward
anu the rope t'Ghtened around his neck
the crowd thought that Tie wrestlcrs
neck had been broken. But Burns. 10
tfik establishment of the crowd. began
to deliver a little lecture on clean liv-
ing while the rope pulled tighter and
ever tighter around his neck
The bet was that BURNS couldn't hang
for two minutes. He hung for nearly
four and talked all the time. Al last
when the box was slid back under him
and the rope taken off, Burns rubbed
THE neck skin which had been cashed
apd torn by the rope, and then grin
nfngly exclaimed: Pretty tough necl
I've got, ehs'
Burns is the greatest Snowman that
tks wrestling game ever produced. lie
has performed fcats spectacular 10 am
extreme and his various stunts during
his heydey years made him !. theatrical
attraction of the best kind. Burns
@1n psFnaps. The Pionser in the AL
one year lie was on tour with a theatri-
cal troup, offering $50 10 any man who
would STAY with him fifteen minutes
snd S2oo 10 any one who could gain
TALL in that time.
Our show gave fourteen perform
ances a week and | wrestlcd on an
average Of thirty men each week" de-
ciared Burns. Il never had 10 pay out
a forfeit, although some OF the fellows
who tackled me outwcighed me from
nifty TO 100 pounds"
Burns gained considerable fame due
80 his ability 10 break q rope merely
lions, tigers. bears and kangaroos, and
never lost n fan to any animal. IIc
had many narrow escapes in irving
conclusions with members of the feline
Tribe which sought 10 use 'foul
methode' by biting ard scratching.
burns has been given credit as the
front. twas the veteran Who saw
champion OF champions. Ana for soy
oral years he trained him and later
acted rs his adviser. Tho latest runiI
suuatcu Ny hurhS Is Marin Plcstina
Clnins PlcstInn Is Wonder
he is one OF the best men that ove-
stepped onto the mat. and If this pcs
una boy ever gets . chance at Zbyszi,o
Stecher, Craddock or Fredericks, who
.tas oeen wrestling under the name or
stranger Lewis he'll win withon,
taxing long breath" asserts Eurne
Asksd as 20 his recipe for long liy.
ing; Burns replied: ''
1.-TWO meals a day. no coffee or tea
plenty Of dcep breathing. ejgb, houra,
steep and fifteen minutes OF cxerc;s-
ms each day. that's aIl"-C,onvrir.h,
1919 by King Feature Syndicate, Inc >