WAUPACA POST

January 24, 1895

 

WINS THE PFISTER

S.S. Chandler’s Rink of Curlers Captures the Finest Prize at Milwaukee

H.W. Williams’ Rink Makes a Splendid Showing.

 

            The Waupaca curling club returned from the Milwaukee Curling bonspiel covered with glory.  The beautiful Pfister trophy, the only new first prize offered this year, and the prize for which every club at the bonspiel strained every effort, was won by Chandler’s rink, consisting of H.M. Lea first, A.W. Hollenbeck second, A.M. Chandler third and S.S. Chandler Jr. Skip.  With it were four solid gold medals for the individual members of the rink.  The same rink secured the special prize of four silver flasks for making the greatest number of points in any game in the Pfister contest, having defeated James Morgan’s rink, 35 to 2.

            H.W. Williams’ rink – T. Cook, M.B. Scott; J.H. McCullough and H.W. Williams, skip, also made a remarkable showing, though they didn’t win the first prize.  They won the first nine games they played, a record never before equaled by any rink at any bonspiel of the Northwestern Association, and won the third prize in both the Pfister and Jobbers Union trophies.  They played twelve games and with one exception the clubs they played were either in finals or semi-finals of the prize events.  The prizes they won were gold scarf pins.

            The Whipple and Knudsen rinks didn’t make the showing that was expected of them.  Each played six games and lost five, neither taking any prizes.  Each played George Hill’s rink, which won the Jobbers Union trophy, a very close game, Knudsen being beaten by two points and Whipple by one.  However, the boys needn’t feel badly, as of the forty-two rinks that were contesting for prizes, only fifteen rinks were successful.  All of them couldn’t win, and the fact that members of the Waupaca curling club brought home four of the eighteen prizes is glory enough for all.

A GREAT RECEPTION.

            The members of Chandler’s rink, accompanied by President E.B. Knapp, came home on the 3:58 train Saturday afternoon, and, through the effort of a few enthusiasts in the city, fully sixty men with brooms, and the Waupaca band, went over to the depot to meet them.  As the train pulled in the band played, and the men with brooms, drawn up in single file, cheered lustily for the successful curlers.  The honored guests were completely surprised and overcome by the reception.  A procession was formed, with the band in its band wagon in front; then came Yorkson’s mountain buckboard, with S.S. Chandler, A.M. Chandler, H.M. Lea, A.W. Hollenbeck, Pres. Knapp, H.W. Williams and T. Cook – the two latter being  members of the Williams rink, McCullough and Scott being with the band – on board, escorted on each side by three members from each Whipple’s and Knudsen’s rink; then the sixty men with brooms, under the command of Col. Ghoca, followed by a large number of carriages and boys.  The procession marched to the Hotel Florence, being greeted along the line with hearty cheers.  Every few moments some one would shout:  “What’s the matter with Chandler?” and the answer would come “He’s all right.”  Arriving at the Florence, there was a general handshaking and congratulations.

            The victory of the Chandler rink is the more glorious because of the fact that to win the prize it was not only necessary to defeat the Smith, Morgan and other weak rinks, but also the Williams rink, and in the final game, the Nettleton rink, of St. Paul, which won the Johnson trophy, and usually wins from three to four first prizes at every bonspiel it attends.  The Nettelton rink is one of the strongest in the United States, and yet Chandler’s boys laid them out 20 to 8.  “Hurrah for the Chandler rink.”

            The Waupaca curlers stopped at the Republican house in Milwaukee and were most hospitably treated, everything possible being done to make their stay pleasant.

            The Milwaukee papers feel sore at Waupaca’s winning the Pfister prize, for not a word of commendation has appeared in any of them, except the Evening Wisconsin, for the Waupaca curlers.  This city sent more rinks than any other city, outside of St. Paul and Chicago, and was a great help in making the bonspiel a success, but the Milwaukee papers are too jealous to admit the fact.

            The Pfister trophy is a full sized silver curling stone on an ebony base, mounted with miniature silver brooms.  It will be on exhibition in this city as soon as it is received from Milwaukee.  A few days delay are necessary that the names of the winning rink may be engraved on the trophy.  It is to be played for each year for six years, and to become the absolute property of the club winning it a majority of times in the six years.  If one club wins it four times it becomes the property of that club without further play.  In case of a tie one rink from each winning club shall play for it.

            The next bonspiel of the Northwestern Association will be held at Duluth next January, and it is expected that at least fifteen Waupaca rinks will be present.

            The Waupaca club should … an impetus from the record … made and it is hoped and expected that many new members will join.  A local bonspiel is to be arranged soon, the rinks to be made up so as to include every new player in the club, so as to give all opportunity to play.  Next year it is desired to build an additional rink, giving the club two sheets of covered ice, and to do this many new members are expected to join.  The officers of the club, anyone of whom will be glad to receive names, are as follows:  E.B. Knapp, president; M.B. Scott, vice president; Frank Whipple, treasurer; Jno. L. Sturtevant, sec.  Applications may also be made to any member of the club.

 

 

            The Milwaukee Sentinel is a great (?) newspaper.  Although it has hundreds of readers in Waupaca, Arlington, Portage, Poynette, Lodi, Baraboo and Mauston, not one word was said last week about the showing made by the rinks from these towns, merely the result of the games being given. When the Chandler rink won the Pfister trophy, the Sentinel simply stated the fact, and at the same time devoted quite a little space to the fact that Currie of Milwaukee beat Nelson of Winnipeg in the semi-final of the same event.  The Milwaukee Curling club deserves great credit for the success of the bonspiel; the members were very cordial, attentive and tried to make the visiting clubs feel that they were welcome; but the conduct of the Sentinel is absolutely without excuse.  If it hadn’t been for the Waupaca curlers, all the trophies would have gone to St. Paul or Winnipeg, and Milwaukee – except the Sentinel – is and should be proud of the fact that the elegant Pfister emblem is retained in the state.

 

 

            The Sentinel devoted three quarters of a column Wednesday to an illustrated article extolling the Robertson rink of Milwaukee for winning the Walker trophy from R. McConachie of Cambria. And yet when the Waupaca curlers won the Pfister trophy, the Sentinel gave five lines to that effect and that’s all.