The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-12-28
Giants.

Capt. w. w. Bates, of Ohio, who
lacks only half an inch of being eight
feet high, was found yesterday in his
rooms, sitting in front of the stove, chat
ting with his wife, the Nova Scotia
giantess. The Captain is grave gen
tleman, who takes life seriously. In
his boyhood he enjoyed good common
school education, which he has since
supplemented with wide reading, es-
pecially on the subject of physical de-
velopment. His pet theory is that men
tai development leads to growth of body
and physical development to growth of
mind, always provided that the develop
ment is normal.
The Captain is satisfied that the race
is not degenerating physically, and that
bigger men are produced nowadays
than ever before. Goliath, he says, is
described as six cubits and q span in
stature, but who knows certainly how
much cubit or span was? Besides,
the Jews were small people, and
would have regarded with wonder man
who, among taller race, might have at
tracted no special notice. So of the big
Greek and Roman heroes; in the alb
sence of definite information as to their
inches, the Captain waves them aside.
When he visited England, in 1871, the
year of his marriage, he devoted consid-
cradle time to an investigation OF the
legends OF English giants.
First" he said, 81 went to the
Tower OF London, where 1 found the
suits of armor of the three giants, Og,
Cog, and Magog. They relieved each
other, you know, in guarding the gate
of the Tower, and were the Captains of
the guard that attended at State execu-
tons. The largest of the three suits is
that of Og. 1t is composed of steel
bands linked together to give opportun-
ity for motion. It is all in one piece,
and is buckled together at the back. L
was accompanied by DR.. auckland, sur
geon in Her Majesty's Life Guards. The
armor of Og was taken down from it's
brackets and handed to me. thrust my
legs into their proper places in the suit,
and put my head into the helmet.
Then l inserted my arms into the
sleeves and tried to straighten my body,
but I could not 90 it. The armor was
too short for me. But thehelmet and
the foot pieces were a little too large.
The giant must have been monstrous
fellow in breadth and weight, but not
more than seven feet three or four
inches in height.
81 next went to the British Museum,
where hangs the skeleton of Murphy,
the Irish giant. It is suspended by
wire inserted in the top of the skull.
had taken measuring tape with me. L
did not measure the skeleton from the
top of the head to the bottom of the
feet because the vertebrse of the spine,
separated in life by layers of cartilage,
in the skeleton were wired closely to-
gether. But / took the length of the |
various parts of the body, ana especially |
OF the legs, measuring them from the |
ankle joint to the hip joint. [ have for
gotten the exact number of feet and |
inches, but when [ compared them with |
measurements of the corresponding parts
of my own body, found that / was the |
bigger man OF the two. Murphy was
only about seven feet seven inches high, |
though the stories make him nine feet
high. Either the system OF measure
ment must have been changed, or else |
there was humbugging, aswell as giants,
in those days.
81 next visited Warwick Castle, and
examined the armor worn by Guy, Earl
of Warwick. Guy is said TO have been
nine feet three inches ill height On
measurement of the armor, however, 1
found that its wearer was all of five
inches shorter than l am. was shown
the Earls porridge pot with capacity
of forty gallons, his sword five feet long,
his tilting-pole twelve feet long and
twelve inches in circumference, and his
two-tined iron fork with handle as
large as a crowbar."
The Captain has noticed that the chill
dren born in this country, of emigrants
from Europe, grow up into larger men
and women than their parents. The
cause he finds III the climate, and the
more general spread of intelligence.
The children learn how to take care of
"In Spain and other countries where
/ have Travelled" said Mrs. Bates, Z" in
which there is great ignorance among
the people, the average stature is low"
The Captain instances Wall. street
brokers, successful professional gam
blers, and Mr.. Bunnell, the proprietor
Of the New American Museum, as peo-
pie who had reached a fine physical de-
velopment in consequence OF mental ac-
tivity. He is opposed to the use of
strong drink, but is not a teetotaler.
Mrs. Bates SAID that she had never
known the taste of tea or coffee, or airy
liquid except water or milk, up to her
both year. She is now % years old and
seven feet eleven and half inches in
height, being just as tall as her hus-
band. The Captain is broad-shoul-
Tered, fnely-developed man 81 years of
lge. He was born in Whitesburg,
KY, but was brought up near Cleve- 4
and, o., where he rolled logs in winter.
BE is of English parentage; his wife is