Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-07-15
The Story OF Hercules.
BY THE "FAT CONTRIBUTOR"

=
BY THE "FAT CONTRIBUTOR"
HERCULES was the son of Jupiter and
Alemepa, and the strongest man of his
time. The Germans cali him Herr Cules,
and claim him for a Dutchman Alemena,
his mother, being daughter of Earth,
Juno (Mrs. Jupiter) was naturally hostile
to her offspring. She declared war against
Hercules from his birth. She sent two
Iserperts to destroy him as he lay in his
cradle, but deLeriun1 treneRs not being
known in those days, Hercules stood in
no fear of snakes" 80 instead of dosing
himself with whisky and velirian to drive
them away he just strangled them. That
was his style. Their stuffed hides may
! be found in any well-regulated museum
| to this day. He was, however, by the
arts of Juno, rendered subject to Eurys.
theus, proprietor of q combined circus
and managerie, and compelled to perform
all his commands. Eurystheus enjoined
upon him a succession of desperate ad-
| ventures, which were called the twelve
Labors of Hercules" The first was a
! fight with the Nemean lion. In handling
wild animals Herr Cules could beat Herr
Dresbach. He strangled the lion with
his own hands, none of the other "hands"
\
returned carrying the dead lion on his
shoulders, but Eurystheus was so fright
/ ened at the sight of it, and at this proof
of the prodigious strength of Hercules,
that he ordered him to send accounts of
his exploits by telegraph in future.
His next labor was carving the hydra,
monster that ravaged the country of
Argos, and dwelt in q swamp near the
well of Anymore. The hydra used to go
! to the well for the water to put with his
gin Che lived on hy1rG-gtn Mostly, and 1T
was here that Hercules met him clandes-
timely. The hydra had nine heads, of
which the middle one was immortal. Her
cules struck of its head with his club, but
in the place of the one knocked off two
new ones appeared, heads winning every
toss, At length he burned away the heads
with caustic, and buried the ninth or i'm
mortal one under huge rock, with Ma.
sonic honors.
His next step in the labor movement
was the cleaning of the Augean stables.
Augeas, King of Elias, had herd of 5000
| oxen whose stalls had not been cleansed
for 30 years. The smell was so bad that
Deli, Miami and Storrs townships held
Indignation meetings and threatened to
tear the stables down. Hercules brought
them thoroughly in one day, though the
hydrant water tasted a little queerish for
week or more.
His next labor was of more delicate
nature. Admets, the daughter of Eurys-
theus (who rode a very good one-horse
act), lOnged to obtain the girdle of Hip
polyta, queen of the Amazons, to wear in
the circus. She thought it would lay
over any champion belt in the country.
Eurystheus ordered Hercules to go and
. get 1t. The Amazons were q nation of
women, very Warlike, and addicted TO
breeches and ballot. 1t was their custom
| to bring up only the female children, the
boys either being put to death or forced
! to work on newspapers which killed them
| off in little while anyhow. After vari-
Gus adventures he reached the country
of the AmaZons, on the Amazon river
! Hippolyta received him and his comrades
| kindly, and they gave three cheers and a
hip hip for Hippolyta. Hercules made
known his errand, and the queen consent
ed to give up the champion belt (subject
to the rules of the English prize rlng),
but Juno, assuming the attire of Mrs. DR..
/ Walker, went and persuaded the other
advocates of women's rights that the
strangers were carrying off their queen
They Instantly armed, and came down to
the o'clock mail boat, on which the men
had embarked, in great numbers. Her
cules and Hippolyta were taking a part.
| ing drink in the captains room. Seeing
| the crowd of AmaZons ON the landing
and hearing the tumult, Hercules thought
! Hippolyta had acted treacherously, so he
slew her, and taking her girdle, sailed
homeward, the boat leaving precisely or
time.
Then Eurystheus sent him to bring the
oxen of Geryon, a monster with three
bodies and very little soul. He lived il
the far west, and when Hercules, il
searching him, arrived at the frontiers O.
Lydia and Europe, he rent mountain il
twain, and left half on each side, forming
the Straits of Gibraltar. If I should rem
\ mountain, l am afraid l should find my
self in as great straits as Hercules did
unless rents were very low. These two
mountains are called the Pillars of Her
cules" What became of the mattress anC
the rest of his bedding, 1 am unable t.
state. The oxen were guarded by tht
giant Eurytion and his tWo-headed dog
but Hercules killed the giant, knocked
the dog on his respective heads, anC
brought the oxen in safety to Eurystheus
He took the first premium on them at the
next county fair. They were good thins
to have, for if Eurystheus got broke in
goipg against the "bank," he could raisC
u steak ON one OF them any time.
| The most difficult labor of all was get
ting the golden apples of Hesperides, fol
Hercules did not know where to fine
them. They were choice variety of ap
les" golden sweets, perhaps-whicl
Juno had received at her wedding from
ha do ~ hn aNth nd oh Oh,
had inTusted to the keeping of the
daughters of Hesperis, ably assisted by 1
watchtul dragon. After various adven
lures, Hercules arrived at Mount Atlas iI
Autobiography and atlas had botI
been introduced into Africa even at tha
early day. Atlas was one of the Titoni
who got tight on one day and endeavoreC
TO "clean out" the gods. But these
ttoht'uns got the worst of the fight, anC
Atlas was condemned to bear on hi
shoulders the weight of the heavens
Jupiter hcetiously called it the "healtf
lilt," and said il would do him good
Atlas was the father Of Hesperides, anC
just the one to find the apples and bring
them to him.
Atlas consented to go, if Hercule'
woald bear up the heavens while he wa
gone, which he did, having borne W
under almost everything under the heaV
ems. Atlas found Hesperides on an isle o
brightness and glory, floating in q west
ern sky. Their home was ON the settin
sun He got the apples, pretending tina
he wanted to exhibit them at the Pomo
logical fair, and brought them to Her
cules. Theu he resumed his exercise Will
the health.iift, and Hercules returned
with the apples TO Eurystheus, who ex
hibited them in one OF his side-shows.
Another exploit Of his was 70 yanquisl