The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1876-06-15
A Michigan Giant.

CHARLEY FREEMAN, along back in IL.
thirties, appeared for the first time ano s,.o
a gang Of laborers on the Flat Rock
Gibraltar Canal, and he moved among -
binary men like son of Anak u
looked eight feet high, at least, and thr.o
feet across the shoulders. His arm snrans
from his chest as large as any midas
sized mans body and tapered down to
hand three inches thick and, when douhlaS
into fist, as big and hard as rail.anl;t
ter's maui. He gave his age at sevenieer
and he was growing. He hired for H.
wages and work of an ordinary hand hns
when he seized shovel it went thron.S
the clay like breaking-up pillow, and II
handle soon came off if the blade hel5
An ordinary ak was but feather in III
hand. 1t sank to the eye in the wood and
the helve splintered He dealt out strenc.
by the wholesale, and he could not we;eht
out his force in the measure of ordinsrv
men.
When he stood among gang of laho.
ers the contrast made them look like chill.
dren. The strolling Indians would starr
in amazement, q few moments, and then
with deep Ugh" get out OF sight Il
him as fast as their dignity would let
them. He was put to do the work az
three pairs of oxen. That was remoying
the trunks of treec cut in ten or twelye
foot lengths, out of the way of the dir.
gers; not hitched to them like oxen e
snake them away, but, with his right hand
under the end, raising it from the ground.
then balancing it across his left forearm
! he shot the logs far to one side, with All
the ease that skillful workman piles his
| split cord wood. And thus, day after day.
! the giant moved until the canal was moi
built any more.
| He appeared again on the boats that
piled along the Huron River, Michigan.
He was engine and tackle to handle heavy
| freight. What others could not shove Of
roll he would pick up and carry or toss.
When the heavily -freighted boat stuck on
the ripples he just stepped out Of the stern
! and boosted her over. Nobody would have
felt surprised if he had taken the whole
boat and cargo right under his arms, as
woman carries dough- tray, and marched
across by land when they came to long
bends in the river. Nobody ever said he
did this, because they never wanted to ex.
aggerate his feats, any more than we do
now.
| But navigation did not pay and that
stopped too Some of the fancyn heard
of the uncelebrated giant and took the
notion that there was money in him. BE
was as simple as child. Anyone could
lead him. 1t never got through his skull
that he was remarkable. The sharpers
meant to keep him so and speculate On
his prodigious power. They coaxed him
off eastward. At Buffalo they sent him
into dock saloon with a 1,600-round
anchor under his left arm, just as chop.
per carries his ak, to pawn it for drinks.
He got the drinks, and the keeper wa
glad to treat him for carrying it out again
Thus he and his friends Travelled on his
muscle to the sea coast and across Il
England They intended to get . so6
thing on some English champion. TheJ
had too much of a good thing. A friend
ly sparring as an experiment, with a pro
fessional boxer, showed that match viii
any living pugilist was impossible. Tn
giants face could not be effectualll
reached. Blows on the body might as vel
have Leen planted on a sand-bag. Whel
his unskilled maui came down it cam
with the force of pile-driver, and n
matter what it met the obstacle went Il
the earth. BY the ruse OF representa-
him as large and strong, but green, the,
made match of science and skill agains
power, with noted pugilist. The partie
came on the ground, but at the first sigh
of him his opponent turned away, saying
81 came to fight with large man, nc
with mountain" Seconds, referees an
all hands declared the match fairly of.
Finding nothing could be made out .
him, his sharp attendants deserted him
From Michigan to Liverpool the rout
J had been one of continued dissipation. an
he had contracted the seeds of disease
Deserted in strange land, he was NJ
cared for; an object of awe and curiosity
useless to anybody else and helpless :
; care for himself, he soon died OF c0nsumI
ton and was buried in pauper's grave.
When Heenan and Sayers were raisin
such an excitement few years ago thef
was some talk of the sporting fraternit
intending to erect him monument. iBu
they never did.
Thus persisted perhaps tine most inal
Z ni6cent specimen of physical manhoo
' that the United States ever produced II
! never learned letter; he Dever felt n
5 filming influence; he never had ret
friend. His rapid growth, great we an
) immense strength prevented all possibl
5 parental molding or influence. 1t wa
2 fortunate for others that he was not y
, cious. twas unfortunate for himself tn
9 his birth was in place and at q tint
where and when, necessity, we may g!
e forced him to run to waste.-lpsa1an
(Nich.) Sentinel.