Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1859-09-10

down three times, and the last time twisted his
finger into his hair to gouge him. when Dowst
gave him blow upon his arm which broke it,
and with another blow broke three of the bull
ly's ribs, who ii is said died of his wounds
Dowst, with his amazing strength, was remark
ably good natured and tender in his feelings,
and rather of an indolent habit; but when he
was reused to anger or to exertion, his efforts
were irresistible. He enoyed through life n
large share of health. For three months pre-
vious to his death he had been afflicted with
dropsy, but appeared to have considerably re-
covered and the last day of his life he walked
abroad the greater part of the day, according to
his usual habit but the next morning his wife
found him dead in his bed.
In the year lS36 there died in Virginia man
named Peter Francisco, whose strength was so
great as to win for him the title of the "Samp-
son of the Western Hemisphere" The news
papers Of the present week have brought ac-
counts of the death of his widow on the Sth of
June, at an advanced age, Francisco served
on the American side, in the Revolutionary war;
and many stories are told of the hair r-breadth
escapes achieved by means of his extraordinary
strength.
The following anecdote, exemplifying his
peaceful nature and his strength, is told of
| Francisco:
One day, while working in his garden, he was
accosted by stranger, who rode up to the fence
and inquired of him if he knew where a man
by the name of Francisco lived.
Raising himself from his work and eveing
his interrogation, who appeared to be one Of the
'half- horse half-alligator" breed of Kentuck-
ians, he replied
Well stranger, | don't know of any other
person by that name in these parts but myself"
"Well, reckon you amt the man | want.
/ ~ n ind fha E,.t,t
tell so much about They say the fellow can
"P can te yoa anS strage Aegeck to 9o9 Stu
that man. | don't know such a man." said
Francisco, resuming his work as a hint to the
other that the conference was ended. But the
kentuckan was not to be bluffed off, as he
would term it.
"Look ere, stranger" he said, after pause
what might your given name be?"
"My name is Peter Francisco, at your SER
vice"
"Ah,' returned the other "you're just the
man | want to fnd," at the same time riding
inside the fence, he dismounted and tied his
animal-a rough, ungainly Indian pony-to one
of the posts.
"My name is Big Bill Stokes, all the way
from Old kentuck. | am the Kentucky game
chicken, ! am. | can out-run, out-hop, out
jump, knock down, drag out and whip any man
in all them diggings So, as l heard tell of a
fellow down hereabouts who could whip all
creation, | thought Id saddle old Blossom and
just ride over and see what stuff he's made of,
and here | am. And now stranger, I'm most
starved for fight, and I'm bound to see who's
the best man before | go home. It's all in good
feeling you know, and if you lick me, why, I'm
satisfied, but"
"Stop minute, stranger" said Francisco,
''you've mistaken the man entirely; I'm no
fighting man at all, and il | was, I've nothing
to fight about against YOU
"Well, don't knows there any other Pc
ter Francisco in these parts ?"
mo, not that know Of"
"Well. then. you're the man, and YOU must
fight. I've come all the way from old Kentuck,
and amt going back without knowing which
is the best man."
"But won't fight. I've got nothing to fight
about, and tell you l icont .fgh."
"Darned if you shan't fight. stranger-Im
bound to lick you if | can--if don't YOU must
lick me-
BY this time Francisco had become angry at
the importantly of his visitor, and determined
to put an end to the scene. Selling his antag-
onist, therefore, by the seat of his buckskin
breeches and the collar of his hunting-shirt. he
threw him over the fence into the road then
walking leisurely to where his pony was tied,
he unfastened him, and taking him up by main
strength. Hreic him after his discomitted rider
The Kentuckan raised himself from the
ground perfectly dumfounded by such an exhi-
bition of strength, and mounted his pony, re-
marking
"Well, stranger, reckon you'll do. reck-
on it's about time for me to make tracks. II
anybody asks you about that great fight, YOU
can tell EN- you licked Bill Stokes most con-
foundedly."
Francisco was powerfully built man. stand
ing six feet and one inch in height, and weigh
ing two hundred and sixty pounds. His mus
cuar system was extraordinarily developed, and
he had been known to shoulder with ease can
non weighing eleven hundred pounds; and a
gentleman of undoubted veracity, who knew
him well. says, she could take me in his right
hand and pass the with n,S, t,lsy:aS
my head against the ceiling as though had
been doll baby. My weight was 1876 pounds. "
His wife, who was woman of good size and
fair proportions, he would take in his right hand,
and holding her out at arms length, would pass
around the room with her, and carry her up and
down stairs in that position. He would take q
barrel of cider by the chimes, and holding it to
his mouth, would drink from the bung a long
and hearty draught without any apparent exer-
tion.
Yet with all his strength he was a very peace
fuly disposed man, and never made use OF his
power, except in cases of necessity about his
usual vocatons, or in defence of the right. On
occasions of outbIaks at pubic gatherings he
was better at rushing in and preserving the
public peace than all the conservative authori-
ties on the ground. Although uneducated, he
was man of strong natural sense, and of a
kind, amiable disposition. He was withal a
companionable man, and his anecdotes and
stories of war, of which he possessed a rich
fund, rendered him a welcome guest in the first
families of the State. His industrious and tenl-
perate habits, together with his kind disposi-
tion, made him many friends, and through their
! influence he was appointed Sergeant-at arms Of
the Virginia House of Delegates, in which SER
vice he died in 1886, and was buried with mill
tary honors in the public burying ground a,
Richmond.
a II