Evening star., 1933-02-19


Of fright at seeing a cross-eyed cat in
-HE little town of Burlington Wis,
center of the now widely known ma
tional liars contest for prevaricators
of more than 70 years of age, has
just about recuperated from the dig
lying effects of something like 1900
first-class whoppers which poured into the
contest headquarters at the police station just
before New Year day.
with the eyent-wtich has earned Burhng-
ton It's own peculiar place in the sun-a thing
Of the past, proud residents are now taking
stock of the unusual food OF entries received
in the contest recently closed, and are at the
same time considering breaking down the BAR
riers and putting the national liars crown up
for international competition this year.
It seems that all the world loves nar-if
he's a darned good one-and Burlington has
no wish to be selfish in the matter. No. indeed.
why should a too-intense patriotism stand in
the way Of, say, Germanys developing another
Baron Munchausen to stand In line with the
immortals?
An entry received from Toronto, Canada,
may influence Chief of Police Frank Beller, 73,
charter member and past president OF the Bur
lington Liars Club, and his associates to ex-
tend the boundaries and make the contest
International in 1893. It was swell lie, this
entry according to the chief, and the man who
submitted it shows great promise.
NJ course, if this contest ever develops into
~ Q worldwide affair, there should be
rigid set of rules to govern the thing.
H il questionable, for instance, whether It
wculd be desirable for diplomats to enter.
great many people who are able to recognize
lie by looking it in the face would want to
bar them the grounds of professionalism
After ALL when ambassadors and pIenipotenti-
aries get together around the table to do a bit
Of suave chiseng, all is not truth that Is ut
tered. and it is feared that these gentlemen
with the impressive eountenances have had a
txifie too much experience.
number of sturdy yarns sent in by re-
putedly aged contestants, and vying for honors
with the winning whopper sent in by Phil Nc
Oarthy Of Denver, Colo, are to be kept on file
at the Burlington police station to serve as
yarslstiek to measure the quality Of future con-
tests,
Mccarthy, after being officially notified that
he was the champion liar of the United States,
Vas forwarded the medal worn last year by
Grin Butts of Bay City, Mich
Here are few OF the outstanding whoppers
that had residents Of Burlington standing on
their ears on New Year eve when the contest
was decided-and quite without the aid OF the
usual holiday cheer that is poured from bottles:
Fred Henningfield, Wild Rose, Wis. was one
Of the runner-ups with story which he Stoutly
maintains he heard 40 years ago while clerking
In store in Burlington, where he formerly
resided ct seems that being born, or having
lived. in Burlington sort of gets one oil to q
running start Maybe it's the c1inate)
Anyway, according to Mr. Henningf1eld,
man named Pete BetZg, an old timer in the
town. went out along Honey Greek one day to
chop wood. The thermometer was at mod
est 30 below, and to keep warm he worked
80 fast that his ak got hot and wouldn't hold
It's edge.
So he went bac,, to the house and got him
another az. Then by ehopping hole in the
ice on the creek he was able to continue his
work by cooling one AK while he swung with
the other.
"At noon. however" deposes Mr.. Henning-
field, che had to quit Yes, sir, he had to
Quit. In the first place, the river had got so
hot from him dipping his d-hot axes in it that
steam was rising from it and it wouldn't cool
the blades any longer. And in the second
place by that time the chips were beginning to
fall down out OF the sky and it was no longer
safe for him to stay in the woods"
Police Chief Beller regards this pretty
fair example of what smart man can do when
he keeps his mind on his work. And the chief,
boy and man, probably has told. heard and
read as many canards as whole county full
Of ordinary folks.
THEN there was the entry submitted by W.
II w. Chambles, one of the many liars en-
tered from Austin, Tex. He wrote to the
judges about hog he had bought in 1896. 1t
was. he vowed, an unusual bit Of pork, stand
ing 14R hands high, measuring IL feet A
inches from snout to ham, and yet weighing
only IA pounds
A truly remarkable looking animal. There
was something Of the greyhound about him.
Little children were inclined to run away from