Carlisle Sentinal article about McLain games

[Tearlach]

Festival
•continued from Al

"One thing 1would like to seemore is the history of Carlisle and the county and the Scotch-Irish who came here;' Qualls said. He sug­ gested future McLain festi­ vals include brief talks tell- ing visitors of the cultural heritage of the early settlers of central Pennsylvania .
"They were a tough breed of people:• Gilmour said of the pioneers ."Hard work was something they were used to. They were farmers, cattle herders and crafts­ men. They loved these hills and thought of home?'
Some had no choice but to settle in the New World, Gilniour added, Many who came over were bonded serfs that were displaced from their homeland.
Nearby Chas Wagner, 19, of Mechanicsburg prepared himself for the caber toss. A Shippensburg University student, Wagner grew up watching his father com- pete across the conntry in the highland games. Prior to Saturday, his only perience with the ancient sport involved the use of a practice pole to learn technique.
Chas Wagner from Mechanicsburg throws the heavy weight toss (56 pounds) twenty two feet and a half inch•

The McLain festiva l was the first time Wagner ever tried to balance on his shoulder a small tree measuring 13 ft. long and weighing 110 pol.Inds. He had to flip the log end - over-end using a combination of skill, luck and up­ per body strength. Chuck Wagner looked on proudly as his son's first attempt at a competitive caber toss resulted in a near-perfect score for the former Trinity High school football player.
"It is cool Ican do the
same stuff that my ances­tors used to do 'Chas Wag­ner said. "It has not died off. It stays alive.'' Hisfa­ ther has been the coordina­ tor of highland games at the McLain festival for 12 yea.rs. "This is one of the nicest games in the area;• Chuck Wagner said. "It is a small, very intimate setting. It is a high level of competition with athletes from all over
the East Coast.''