Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-07-31
WRESTLER
WON $500 BET
CARRIED 8 GALLONS OF BEER TO
TOP OF BIG BUTTE AND
BACK IN 1885
Made Trip From Old Centennial Brew
cry, IS Minutes Going Up and 40
Returning and Offered to Repeat
Before Unshouldering Load.

MOntanans Of the pre-pr0hibition
period prided themselves on their
ability to "carry their liquor" with
ease but few II any ever achieved
the feat credited to Leo Hechinger.
Mr.. Hechinger's feat Is described In
the following paragraph:
Quite q number OF persons were
at the Centennial brewery Sunday
afternoon, to witness the novel feat
Of Leo Hechinger, who, on . wager
of 500, agreed to carry two kegs Of
beer from the brewery to the top Of
the Big Butte.
"At the appointed hour. Leo, who Is
a slim built young man, shouldered his
eight gallon key, weighing LOT pounds.
and accompanied by several parties.
started on his journey. Before start
Ing 1t was agreed by the other parties
to the bet that II he succeeded In
reaching the top. and was willing,
without resting. to carry the same keg
back again, 1t would be equivalent to
the second trip. This he did in rood
shape, making the journey up In As
minutes and down in 40 minutes. Up
on reaching the brewery on his return
trip, Hechinger. without removing his
burden, offered to bet 500 that he
could make the journey over again,
but there were no takers. The task
Is surely not an easy one, but the
young man appears to be used to
handling kegs, and Messrs. Schmidt
and Gamer offer to back him for 81 900
to carry q keg OF beer against any man
in the territory In a trial Of endurance"
Not Recent Count
This report need cause no alarm to
the prohibition authorities. 1t Is not
a recent happening, but Is culled from
the files Of the Butte newspapers OF
May is, 1885, when men were men
and beer was beer"
The stunt Of May 10, 1885, previously
quoted was but one of several beer
carrying feats In which young Hech-
niger demonstrated his staying quail
ties. The newspaper files of Jan. 81,
1885, contain q story of his carrying
a 10-gallon key OF beer from the Gen.
tennial brewery to the Alice mill In
Walkerville. Evan Morgan acted as
referee for Hechinger and Paul Davis
acted for Chris Rocker, who was on the
other side of the wager, which was
for $25.
The contest began at 6 p. m. We
read: THE heaviest keo filled with
beer was selected. Hechinger started
out followed by a crowd out to Mon
tana street, up the grade to Broad
way, thence to Main, thence straight
up the mountain to VAUDEVILLE where
he deposited the load at the Alice MILL
Marvellous Feat
Hechinger weighed only 100 pounds
The beer and keg weighed lis pounds
THE distance Travelled, two and one
half miles, the steepneSs Of the noun
tain, the icy condition of the roads and
sidewalks, the time in which the task
was accomplished, less than n hour
Places Hechinger among the finest OF
our muscular young athletes is the
tribute Of the press.
Under the conditions of the wager il
Hechinger had slipped and fallen OF
stopped even for an instant he woulC
have lost. Instead of stopping, slip
ping or slowing up the account says
that "at every level place. like Broad
way or through Centerville, he actu-
ally ran"
The Centennial brewery referred tt
in the story was located below the B
A. g. P. tracks. Used by the Nevin-
Frank company as a bOttling works
1t was destroyed by a fire recently.