Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-02-17
WRESTLER WINS
BEER KEG POLKA
CARRIED GALLONS OF BEER TO
TOP OF BIG BUTTE AND
BACK IN 1885
Made Trip From Centennial Brewery
And Required Only As Minutes Going
Up and 40 Returning; Offered 10
Repeat Before Putting Keg Down.

Rolling out the barrel, IS the
popular Beer Barrel Polka" has
been urging all hands to do since
last summer, would have been
chiid's play for Leo Hechtnger, q
wrestler who lived In Butte IN 1895.
Hechinger not only could "roII out
the barreI'-but he could, and did,
carry 8 keg Of beer from the old
Centennial brewery, on the bank
Of Silver Bow creek, TO the top OF
Big Butte.
Here's the story as cleaned from
Butte newspaper files of the period:
quite a number of persons were at
the Centennial brewery Sunday after
noon to witness the novel feat Of Leo
Hechinger, who, on a wager OF $lOO,
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, ehouldered his
t-gallon keg, Weighing l01 pounds,
and accompanied by several parties,
started on his journey. Before start
ing 1t was agreed by the other parties
to the bet that If he succeeded In
reaching the top, and was willing,
without resting, to carry the same keg
back again, it would be equivalent to
the second trip. This he did In good
shape, making the journey up IN 40
minutes and down In 40 minutes. Upon
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
Offered to back him for 81 600 TO carry
a key of beer against any man In the
territory In trial Of endurance"
The stunt of May 10, 1885, was but
one OF several beer-carrying feats In
which young Hechinger demonstrated
his staying qualities. The newspaper
files OF Jan. 81, 1885, contain story OF
his carrying a i0-gallon keg of beer
from the Centennial brewery to the
Alice mill In Walkerville. Evan Nor
gan acted as referee for Hechinger and
Paul Davis acted for Chris Rocker,
who was ON the other side Of the
wager, which was for SIS.
The contest began at s p. m. We
read: THE heaviest keg filled with
beer was selected. Hechinger started
out followed by q crowd out to Mon
tana street, up the grade to Broad
water, then to Main, thence straight
up the mountain to Walkerville where
be deposited the load at the Alice
mill"
Hechinger weighed only $50 pounds
The beer and keg weighed lis pounds.
THE distance Travelled, "a miles, the
steepness Of the mountain, the icy
condition of the roads and sidewalks,
he time In which the task was accom-
Dlished, less than one hour, places
Hechinger among the finest Of our
young athletes" Is the tribute
II the press.
Under the conditions OF the wager If I
dechinger had slipped AMI fallen or
stopped even for an instant he would /
lave lost. Instead Of stopping, slipping 4
" slowing UP the account says that I
at every level place, like Broadway or /
through Centerville, he actually ran"
The Centennial brewery referred TO /
n the story was located below the /
B. A. e. p. tracks. IT was destroyed by /
! fire about 20 years ago.