Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-12-27
Closing the Discussion on
The Hose Coupling Contest
Randolph. Me, Dec. %, 1921

Randolph. Me, Dec. %, 1921.
Sporting Editor,
kennebec Journal:
In looking over today's issue of
the kennebec Journal, find under
| the heading of Sports a letter ad-
dressed to YOU from Robert Cos
grove of Gardiner, asking you to
pass your judgment on the hose
coupling contest held at City hall in
Hallowell on December Is, 1921.
Now, Mr.. Editor, l don't think
this letter received by YOU fairly ex-
plains the circumstances of the con-
test so that YOU would be able to
give the public the favorable de-
cision of fair play as requested 10y
the writer of the letter, and as a
| foreman of one of the teams in the
contest l am going to try and as
| sist you to understand the circum-
stances of the contest, which / think
should be done in justice TO the
management of the entertainments,
the judges and also the contestants.
and to yourself, before YOU pass
| judgment upon the matter.
| The foremen of the Marston &
Brooks Co. of Hallowell arranged,
through Mr.. Cahoon, foreman of
that plant, to put on this hose
coupling contest at one of their en-
tertainments and dances and he
made arrangements for Hallowell
Hose ., Combination 1 of Gardiner
and the Hecla Engine of Randolph
to compete. On the eve of the con-
! test Mr.. Cahoon gathered the mem
bers of the three teams together in
the Board of Assessors Office and
each team had its vote in making
the rules of the contest. ard selected
its own judge for the contest.
| Hallowell selected a young man.
whose name 1 have forgotten, but a
square, honest fellow in his judy
ments and decisions; Gardiner Sc
| lected Chief Engineer J. w. Jones
of Gardiner. Hecla Engine Company
chose Charles c. Marks as their
| Judges and it was mutually agreed
that Mr.. Cahoon act as starter and
| timer.
All teams returned to the hall and
| the contest started. The Hecla Com
| pany ran first. making the hitch in
| 1917 seconds. Hallowell Hose > ran
second, with i'm seconds. and as
| Mr.. CosgroNe states, put Randolph
out of the game up to this time.
Gardiner ran and through some err
ror on the part of the timer or watch
the stop watch ceased working aft
| err six seconds-then the entire meet
| was at a standstill and severa! argu-
ments and suggestions ensued as to
what to do to decide the matter.
| Well then Mr.. Jones of the
| judges called UP the foreman of each
organization and asked them to de-
| eide what they wanted to do to set
| tie the matter. Mr.. Donovan. fore
man of the Gardiner team. did sug-
gest that Gardiner run over again,
, to which Hallowell's foreman OBJ
jected
Mr.. Donovan, after considerab bic
arguments had passed, suggested
that Gardiner run again and If they
did not beat Hallowell all teams
would run over again-and 1 want
to say here that between the two
suggestions that it had been ccm-
monty talked by all that all teams
run over to give each team an equal
chance in the matter and also to
make things all pleasant between
the teams and the management,
which was willing to allow the teams
to settle the dispute.
After that the foreman of the
Hallowell team turned to the fore
man of the Randolph team and
asked him to agree with him to
have all teams run the match over
again, which naturally YOU can see
would he the only way to settle the
disputed time and give all concerned
a satisfactory settlement. and the
Gardiner foreman agreed readily to
the proposition.
Then the judges announced the
settlement to the audience and each
foreman retired from the floor to
get his team together and as Ran
dolph was taking their positions to
compete in the second try, the fore
man of Hallowcll's team came for
ward and announced that his men
were unwilling to try the match
over.
Then the judges decided that aft
err each team had been represented
in the settlement by their foreman
that IL they did not compete. they
would lose their chance for the prize,
which was in my Judgment fair
and square proposition.
You will note in Mr.. Cosgrove's
letter that the judges decided that
the teams should try over. which is
entirely wrong. as it was settled be-
tween the foremen of each team.
Then Randolph ran the contest In
II seconds and Gardiner ran i'll 16&
seconds, but by mishap one of their
couplings came apart and they lost
out to Randolph. consequently the
Judges unanimously agreed that
Randolph had won the prize and
Mr.. Cahoon presented their treasur
err with S25 in gold.
Mr.. Editor, you will note in COM
paring my letter with that of Mr..
Cosgroee that there are several vari-