CHAMPION PIE-EATERS. Small Boys With Remarkable Appetites.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 243, 25 February 1888, Page 3

CHAMPION PIE -EATERS. Small Boys With Remarkable Appetites.

"Fishbali, " Burke, a small boy with a gigantic mouth and frowsy hair, who has a record of eating two kegs of pie-crus& while holding his breath, was the winner of a pie-eating contest given under tho auspices of Apollo Senate at tho lodge-room, Broail-ohioet and Columbia Avenue, one night roc-nlly. Tho contest was advertised, to take pl.ico at 2 o'clock, but at that hour Jfishbuii << leading opponent, who was none Other than William Sutler, the winner of the six-clays-go-as-you-please pie-eating contest, which took place in Delaware recently, complained of indisposition and begged tor two hours' grace mt order % to get himself in condition. There was a vast amount of dissent among the several hundred spectators at this proposition, but it did no good, in the face of the unanimous agreement among tho contestants that the ethics of professional courtesy demanded such a concession, and the referee of the match ordered all hands to their quarters until midnight in order that tho Delaware champion might have no just ground to claim that he was handicapped in a matter that was publicly announced to be for the inter-state championship. " Fishball " Burke was especially anxious that his Delaware rival should be given every opportunity, and in order to show his contempt for Sutler's alleged abilities, he spent the intervening two hours in a neighbouring house, where ho is reported to have disposed of two vory fine large oyster pies, merely to pass away the time, as he informed several interested friends who viewed with some consternation this preliminary display, and moodily predicted thab. Burke was ruining his chances. " Fishball," who is scarcely 15 years of age, received their protests with good-natured indifference, and told his backers thafe they need not feel tho slightest concern, that bis digestive appetite was never in better fix, and as a matter of fact oyster pie served aa an admirable appetiser for the more serious work to follow. Besides Sutler, the following contestantswere entered to dispute "Fishball" Burkes claim to the pie-eating supromacy : Slob* Hecker, Martin Carroll, William Hadley, John Massey, Lewis Harris, John Fogy and Sam Maker, small boys with big appetites. Their records aro unique. Headly is an erudite young gentleman who won the fish-pie contest at Squaw Beach. He had ardent hopes of one day becoming «*■ variety star, and last night unburdened himself of a number of select "gags, 1 * which, he said, "were no grey chin whiskers." None of the would-bo champions looked to be over 15 years old, and Slobs Hecker, the youngest of the party, who took a sound nap between the hours announced for the opening of the contest and the actual call of time, celebrated hia tenth birthday on thanksgiving by getting away with a three - quarter section of turkey. It was not quite 12 o'clock^ when the boys were takon into the spacious lodgeroom, and Referee Gideon March, cashier of the Keystone National Bank, called time. "Call dab a pie?" exclaimed Burke scornfully, pointing to a huge circular compound of crust and misery. 11 W'y dat ain't nuffin, only a bite ; watch me." Then he gave it a toss into the air, caught it gracefully and rapidly, and then forced ife down his throat. He ate six pies and was declared the winner. John Foley, a youth with a loud voice, was a close second. He got away with five. Sutler, the sick champion' of Delaware, who oaused the delay in the starting of the match, gave but a sorry exhibition, and winner Burke was loud in his expressions of contempt Sutler did rapid work with his first two pies but after that the pace became evidently too fast for him and he made no eflort to keep up with Burkes prodigious performances. Ho said afterward thab he was, not in condition for the match, and it was only at the continued urging of his Delaware backers thab he consented to enter the contest.