Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-10-01
There be Giants in These DAYS.
AND TWO OF THEM ARE CHARTERED AT
THE PALMER HOUSE-AN INTEREST
ING CHAT WITH AN EIGHT-FOOT MAN.
From the tnter-Ocean, Chicago

From the Inter- Ocean, Chicago.1
The main parlor of the Palmer House
was yesterday the centre of curiosity,
for there were quartered in it the big
gest man and woman known on earth.
This is no idle talk, as any one who call
ed upon the pair had ocular demonstra-
ton. Captain and Mrs. M. V. Bates
they are called, and each lacks only half
an inch of being eight feet. They have
recently arrived from Europe, and are
en- route to St. Louis. When one first
enters the room his first impression is
that the tales of Jack the Giant Killer
and the adventures of CULVER quite pos
sib1y had some more solid foundation
than mere fancy, for before you stands
two as formidable giants, physically, as
were ever drawn by story.tellers. Yet
they are as gentle, as affable, as courte-
Gus, and as intelligent couple as one
would care to meet. Capt. BATES is a
native of Kentucky, is feet ll5 inches
high, weighs 1876 pounds, measures 65
inches around the chest, wears No. 8
hat, a &c inch collar, Is boot, and is 80
years of age. He dresses neatly in black,
wears a massive gold chain, attached to
which is a gigantic watch, q present
from queen Victoria, wears q massive
diamond in his shirt bosom, and a fash
ionable collar and scarf; has ruddy,
healthy complexion, a pleasant smile,
and is a ready taIker. Altogether he is,
as the reader can very we'll see, an ex-
traordinary giant, for your mammoth
men are generally slovenly, dull, igno-
rant fellows. Mrs. Bates is a native of
Nova Scotia, of Scotch decent. Her
height is exactly the same as that of her
husband, Her weight is $50 pounds.
She is well formed, and can hold her
own in conversation. For the benefit
of the female reader it may be stated
that 1t takes sixty-ftve yards of goods to
make her a dress. The Inter Ocean
reporter found her arrayed in fashiona-
bly-cut dress Of green silk, and fingers,
ears and neck ornamented with dia-
monds in modest quantity.
sIn the course of conversation the Cap
tain expressed his firm conviction that
the race was not degenerating physical
ly, but men to-day were more robust
and taller than they were several GEN.
turtles ago. He had come to this conclu-
sion by observation while abroad. While
in London he visited the Tower. where
the armor of noted soldiers in English
history ia kept, and he is confident that
not one In ten of the average men Of to-
day could get inside the war-coverine
ofthose military heroes who figure in
song and story. The Captain while in
England devoted considerable time tt
an Investigation of the legend of En-
glish giants. The gigantic proportion;
of Og, Cog and Magog, the guardians o
} the Tower centuries ago, are matters O
history. Og was the tallest of the trio
| cnd hic ct1if Of q Iioc in fhof q.
, rable and interesting pile. Ogis said tt
have been eight feet four inches high
, yet Capt. Bates tried to get into the de-
ceased giants fighting costume, but
found it entirely too short. 1t was wide
!! enough, however. The captain, upon in
vestigation, found that the system 0
measurement had been changed year
T ago, and ten and one-half inches being
the foot of the period when Og flourish
ed, although he must have been a tire
. mendous fellow, could not have beer
r more than seven feet, three inches, &C
cording to modern measurement. Their
: he visited the British Museum, wher
: the skeleton of Murphy hangs. He wa
l said to have been nine feet, but by Capt
l Bates calculation could not have ,beel
: over seven feet seven. Then Chang
Y the Chinese giant. who was on exhibi
: ton at Manchester while Potter Pal
mer's gigantic guest was in England
was visited. Changes vanity was takel
| down by the Captain, who after divest
ing him of thicksoled boots and higl
r head dress, measured only seven fee
r eight inches. Chang announces tina
t he is nine feet high. During the con
r versation the Captain gave some int
: resting facts CLEANED from his investiga
tions into the history of giants and gi
f antesses. and exploded many of the nc
tons popularity entertained regardin
t them.