Show HIS US FIRST WRESTLE FRANK GOTCH BATTLED ON STONES OF STREET small town awn ir r iowa owa the scene ana amo A champion mcleod his opponent good showing led him to take up the came when frank gotch the crack catch as catch cun can ur wrestler estler was in ton the other lay a friend asked him how ho came to take up the tho grappling gurno sas sa sai s the new now york sun stin 1 I butted by mire chance so to paid said gotch into tile th buil 1 nesa ness and the occa jov of or no us debut was anything but auspicious it ll took place about eight years ago in the little town of id la where the modern woodmen were holding a picnic there were all borts sorts of ath lotio letto games and one of or the men en against me in the shot put and other cv events ants was nas a wt chap whom bom the crowd kne ax dan nobody knew know just juit ho lie hailed bailed from ho ito had tho the reputation of being a fast runner but I 1 nian managed aged to put it all over although I 1 wa was not more than a kid at the timp time I 1 bent him in tho the 50 yard run and was naro 1 vie corlous st at throwing the hammer the defeats aldo dan a bit anso and he proposed all boatti u of to act even one uns a rest ling match although I 1 did lid not know no the tile arst thine thing about the game 1 I coos coi anted briteo more bemuse I 1 wa was blung aad and prided on my than anything else 1 someone furnished nip wi wll V a pil jul of at old arunia and when i aked dan abern wo we would breist wreath ila hi S ild rather 11 III nt ht in the mid dio dlo of the strict in the heart of the town n lad and be h hild wild it loud louil enough ho that mac man of my friend friendt T r and admirers should hear it 1 I protested that un on the street on the stones was as not tho the hind of a match I 1 had to engage in I 1 propos td 1 a hull hall but D din dit it kulil not hear bear of it UH got to be in tit the or id the street or nowhere at all he r replied you hao beaten beaters mr me cairl and squarely at running and alrow t ins ing tho hammer and at a fei ahe r things and I 1 would like its ret get ein tit n come now be a man ant nal loss m art aro strong nd hart and ought not nor to 0 o kick about ahr stones 4 so long 1 as its I 1 am eat I 1 a tied ht mi me witti ili I 1 yield ul d but I 1 was am an n in akin thinking lal asit the first dino ilin in lic would upset rot rut I 1 would bak ma m skull oa 01 against the tile hard hut but I 1 WBK was in for it and had hail it t muke make hit best of it well ao alsot 1 at it anti at it rood good head liend spin spins anti all sorts of things that boit ou seo re in a baz bl ball on a nire nice clot it V were in la in anu ants the crowd croil imael went wild bilth ith lugt just ini ins aglet what shape wo e w u rt r in ahn hen the bout ended and it la lasted cited just ono hour and forti five minute minutes I 1 was as thrown and rud thrown rood good 1 M I back sains din and anti face were ere scratched and anti bruised bruited and there were ere several bumps on the bark of iry head where 1 I came in contact ith tho the hard pvc mont antl din was as uthel up nunly aa as much a as myrtlf and anti bleeding from the nose after the bout he meby the band and shook it warn to yo ire tho the kid I 1 have ever met and you aint a bad ur wrestler estler hut but he be c con cn n united you isains int in my lay class 1 ve we were both or much to the bad so I 1 cot cod d not muster up enough bad blood to get a temper so I 1 let lot the tally mally go a by he the board I 1 told him my namu namo and asked him who be ho was he ito eald sald conn conie and see ime oft off and I 1 will yol who I 1 art I 1 I 1 accompanied him to tho the train and jua i as the cars pulled out bo he hand d re me a card which read dun me leod clampit catan ae as catch can wrestler wre etler of the world 1 I was dumbfounded vcr yer this in formation and despite r 7 pains and aches gathered myself together and fell felt rather important champion indeed I 1 thought I 1 laded lasted coo ciao hour and forty civo minute minutes on baro bare stones with him and I 1 might CP be abit u to beat him on a nico mat so I 1 reflected athy I 1 become a wrestler myself and I 1 did and I 1 have been at it ever since that time I 1 |