The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1876-02-17
A MICHIGAN GIANT.
fYrsilanti SENTINEL

Charley Freeman. along back III the
Thu ties, appeared for the first time among
gang Of laborers on the Flat Rock and
Gibraltar Canal. and he moved among
ordinary men like son Of inak. He
looked eight fee, high. At least. and three
feet across the shoulders. His arms
sprang from his chest as large Is any mid
die zed man S body, and tapered down
to hand three inches thick, and when
doubled into fist as big and hard as a
rail-splitter's maui. He gave his age as
seventeen, and he was growing. He hired
for the wages and work OF an ordinary
hand; but when he seized shovel il went
through the clay like breaking up plow,
| and the handle soon came of if the blade
held. An ordinary axe was but q feather
in his hand. II sank to the eye in the
wood, and the hclye splintered. lie dealt
out strength by the wholesale, and he
could not weight out his force in the inca
sure Of ordinary men.
When tie stood among gang Of lahr.
era the contrast made them look like
children. The strcll'ns INDIANS would
stare in amazement lev IN 'Ments, and
then with deep ''ngh!' get out Of sight
Of him as fast ., their dignity would let
them. He was put to do the work Of
three pairs Of oxen. That was removing
the trunks Of trees cut III ten or twelve
foot lengths GU, Of the way Of the dig
& rs: not htched to them like oxen to
snake them away, but with the right hand
under the end. raising il from the ground,
then balancing It across his left forearm.
he shot the saw logs Ear to one side with
all the ease that k,liful workman piles
his split cord wood. And thus, day after
day. the giant moved, unit, the canal was
not built any ,n.re.
lie appeared again OH the boats that
piled along the Huron river, Michigan.
lie was engine AMI tackle to handle heavy
freight. What others could not shove OF
roll. he would pick up and carry OF toss
When the heavily freisht.d boat stuck
or the ripplc> he just stel ped out af tbs
stern and boosted her over. Nobody
would have fet surprised il he had taken
the whole boat and cargo right under hi.
arms, as woman carries = douch-t-sy
and marched across by land. when they
came to long bend, in the river. Nobody
ever said he did this, because they never
wanted to exaggsrate his lcats, any ncr'
than We do now.
But navigation did not pay, and tina
stopped. too. Some Of the fancy
heard Of the uncel-brated giant, and tool
the notion that there was money in him
He was rs simple Is child Any ONT
could lead him. II never got through hi
, skull that he was remarkable. III,
>harpers meant to keep him SO, and spec
nlate on his prodigious power
They coaxed him OF east
ward. At Buffalo they sem
> him into . dock saloon with . six
teen hundred pound anchor under hi
left arm, just rs chopper carries his AZ
, to pawn it for drinks. He got the drinks
, and the keeper was glad to treat him fol
/ carrying it out again Thus he and hi.
: friends travelled on his muscle to the sea
coast, and across to England. They in
$ tended to get ssft thing on some Eng
$ fish champion. They had too much Of ,
+ good thing. A friendly sparring. Is n
4 experiment, with = professional boxer
: showed that . match with any livin1
pugiliss vas impossible. The giants fac
+ could not be effectually reached Blow
! on the body might - we'll have beel
: planted on sand-hag. When his m
!. skilled maui came down. It came with tn
]. force Of pile-driver, and no matter WIS
1 i net. the obstacle went % tAe eartA
~ The r1ss d repressatine hin - lnsg
Z 81 slroaG, but rreeA ahsy uno1e ]!
= tmntG& of ncfenen il r