1925 Lake George — Pie eating champion

Some cried foul when challenger (Reginald) “Reg” Sullivan continued eating after all-time Champion Louis Boulia was declared the winter and had already left the home of Harvey Bowen.

Pie eating was a much-documented winter sport at Lake George a century ago, when the village boasted of the caliber of its Pie Eating Club.

“It is thought that Champion Boulia left early on account of indigestion or some other reason, because of the fact that he soon left the meeting,” The Glens Falls Times reported on Feb. 12, 1925.

Boulia had eaten six pieces of pie, each piece a fourth of a whole pie, to win the evening’s contest, of which 20 club members attended.

Lee Schermerhorn had eaten five pieces and Sullivan four.

“After the meeting, several members of the club, including Sullivan, stayed to help clear up after the battle. There were two pies left, and as it was necessary for them to be eaten, ‘Hank’ Smith ate one and ‘Reg’ the other.”

This brought Sullivan’s total to eight pieces, once the overtime eating was factored in.

“Not only does Sullivan feel that he should have the crown at once, but he is willing to battle Boulia at any date,” the Times reported. “It is hoped that these two will meet at an early date.”

Sullivan, in a letter to the editor of The Post-Star on February 16, disputed much of the Times reporting.

The post office worker said he did not contest Boulia’s victory that evening.

“It is true that I ate another pie after Mr. Boulia had left the party, but did that without any idea of claiming the championship, as I realize that had Mr. Boulia been there, he could not only have eaten one more pie, but two or three of them without any exertion on his part as his stomach seems to be made of India rubber, and he has an unlimited capacity.”

It was not the only pie eating contest Boulia had won that winter.

“By hard work Louis Boulia managed to keep the laurels as champion pie eater of the village at the contest Wednesday evening at the home of ‘Doc’ George Caldwell where the club held another meeting and contest,” The Post-Star reported on Jan. 16.

In this interest, Boulia shared the championship honor.

“Boulia had as his chief opponent Leon Schermerhorn, but when they finished, each had had eaten two pies and a quart of ice cream. Robert Caldwell was third, with one pie and a pint of ice cream.”

In other 1925 Lake George news collected from historic newspapers of the region:

• It was a sign of spring at Lake George.

“A large number of cars passed through this village yesterday,” the Lake George correspondent reported in The Glens Falls Times on March 23. “This was the first large traffic of the season in this village, and it is expected that the traffic will continue to grow from now on.”

• Railroad infrastructure work was commencing at Lake George a century ago.

“The Delaware and Hudson Railroad Company is rushing to complete its balloon track at Lake George which will replace the old-time turntable,” The Glens Falls Times reported on Feb. 20, 1925. “The work team and a gang of men were sent to Lake George today. The company expects have the track laid so that it may be used as soon as the frost is out of the ground.”