Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 14, 1928 — page 94: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Origin of Wrestlin By W. O. McGEEHAN a Zh A fanciful account by the well-known sports writer of how the modern grappling bout got its start HE charge of being responsible for the origin of wrestling has been made against many coun- tries, but it seems after sifting the evi- dence that the ancient Greeks are guilty as charged, with the Romans accom- plices before and after the fact. It has been proved that the first wrestling is still known as Graeco-Roman wrestling. While the Greeks are perfectly willing to admit that they established the first chop houses they are a bit sensitive about being charged with wrestling. The sport originated in quite an ac- cidental fashion at Athens. Sappo, a young Greek said to be distantly related to the poetess Sappho, was rolling a barrel of Samian wine up the hill to the Acropolis. Sappo, being a chubby young fellow, had considerable difficul- ty in propelling the cask. As he neared the top his foot slipped and the barrel and the Greek rolled down the hill to- gether. “Sappo having been trained in Sparta where the youth were taught never to let go of anything, especially a coin, clung convulsively to the cask as it rolled down the hill. It happened that Themistocles and Aristides, two prom- inent sports of Athens, saw this epi- sode. “Pll bet ten drachma that the cask is on top of Sappo when they hit the bottom,” said Themistocles. “Tl take you,” said Aristides quick- ly, and they stopped to watch the cask and the Greek as they struggled down the incline. » They reached the bottom and the struggle ceased. ‘Pay me,” said Themistocles. “ The cask wins.” “No, no,” said Aristides: “ That is the Greek Sappo who is on top.” They proceeded to the foot of the hill and found that the match was a draw and that neither man nor cask had landed on top. Pondering over this strange occur- rence Themistocles asked of Sappo: “Ts there by any chance a man in Ath- ens who is as round as you and whose 232 COPMIELOOOKS (C@)