Description
Martin “Farmer” Burns & Emil Klank Original Heyn Studio Photograph “Pulling Sticks” circa 1918 Omaha
February 15, 1861 – January 09, 1937
Martin Burns was born in a log cabin in Cedar County , Iowa , in 1861 and took up wrestling as a teenager. He traveled the Midwest, taking on all comers in carnivals and at impromptu athletic events. Eventually, he began earning money as people paid to watch him wrestle, and he became a professional wrestler. Burns is considered by many to be the father of American wrestling. Due to his rural background, he was called “Farmer Burns” and claimed the world title for many years. He once estimated he competed in over 6,000 matches, and claimed he lost just six. He discovered the great Frank Gotch and served as his trainer as Gotch became the greatest wrestler of his era. He also worked with other great wrestlers, including Earl Caddock and Jack Reynolds. Burns developed a national mail order wrestling business and then a highly successful wrestling school in Omaha. In 1921, he helped coach Cedar Rapids Washington to the very first Iowa high school state wrestling tournament title. He died in 1937.
The object of “Pulling Sticks” was to force your opponent to lose his grip, be pulled to a standing position or rolled off to the side. Burns had a standing challenge to take on anyone at the game. Burns was undefeated and earned thousand’s of dollars from betting on the game.
Emil Klank (June 19, 1876 – June 27, 1940) was a wrestler, trainer, and manager that flourished in the 1910s.
He was born on June 19, 1876, in Chicago Ill., and in 1918 was working as a policeman in Chicago. He was the trainer for brothers Silent Rowan and Mike Rowan, and later was wrestler Frank Gotch’s manager. He died on June 27, 1940, in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
