Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1878-09-24
THERE BE GIANTS IN THESE
DAYS.
Aud Two of Them arc Chartered
at the Palmer iiOuSe-an I'm
teresting Chat With an
Eight-EOOt Man.

Fl, IN the Chicago Inter Ocean.
The main parlor Of the Palmer
House was yesterday the centre of Gu
riosity, for there were quartered in it
the biggest man and woman known
Oh earth. This is 10 idle talk, As any
one who called upon the pair had Ocu-
lar demonstration. Captain and Mira.
NJ. Y. Bates they are called, and each
lacks only half an inch of being eight
feet. They haveTeCently ARR we'd from
Europe, and are en route TO st. Louis.
W hen one first enters the room his
first impression is that the tales OF
Jack the Giant Killer and the adven-
lures of GulliveT quite possibly had
some more solid foundation than Int re
fancy, for before you stands two as for
midahle giants, physically; as were
ever drawn by tOry-tellers. ctthey
are as gentle, as aflable, As courteous,
and as intelligent couple as one
would care to meet. Captain Bates Is
native of Kentucky, is feet III
| inches high, weighs 49i pounds, meas
ares 90 inches around the chest. wears
a No hat, % inch collar, 10 boot,
and is 80 years of age. He dresses
neatly in Hack wears a massive gold
SAidlbt Hl-uShCN W W iAIA u - t-taiA ~
watch, present from Queen Wet ria,
! wears massive diamond in his shirt
bosom, and fashionable collar and
scarf has a ruddy, healthy complex
ion, a pleasant smile, ami is a ready
talker. Altogether he il, as the read
er can very well see, an extraordinary
giant. for your mammoth men are
generally sioveniy. dull, ignorant fell
RTr. To- # 10
Scotia. of Scot IN descent. Her height
is exactly the same as that of her
husband. Her weight is 45O pounds.
She is well formed. and can hold her
own in conversation. For the benefit
of the female reader it may be stated
that it takes sixty-five yards of goods
to make her q dress. The Inter Ocean
reporter found her arrayed in q fash
ionably-cut dress of green silk, and
fingers, ears and neck Ornamented
with diamonds in modest quantity.
In course of conversation the Cap
tain expressed his firm conviction
that the race was not degenerating
physically, bat men Oday were
more robust and taller than they were
several centuries ago. be had come
to this conclusion by observation
while abroad While in London he
visited the Tower, where the armor
of noted soldiers in English history is
kept. and he is confident that not one
in ten of the average men of to-day
could get inside of the war-covering
of those military heroes who figure
in song and story. The Captain while
in England devoted considerable time
te al investig ton of the legend of
English giants. Tie gigantic propor-
tons of Og, Cog and Magog the guar
dians OF the Tower centuries ago, are
matters of history. Og was the tallest
of the trio, and his suit of armor lies
in tat venerable and interesting pile.
Og is said to have been eight feet four
inch, high. yet Captain Bates tried
to get into the deceased giants fight
ing costume, but found it entirely too
short. 1t was wide enough, however.
The Captain upon investigation,
found that the system of measurement
had been changed years ago, and ten
and one. half inches being the foot OF
the period when Og flOurished, al
though he must have been a tremen-
dous fellow. could not have been more
than seven feet three inches, accord =
ing TO modern measurement Then
he visited the British Museum, where
the skeleton of Murphy hangs. He
was said to have been nine feet, but
by Capt. Bates calculation could not
have been over seven feet seven,-
Then Chang. the Chinese giant, who
was on exhibition at Manchester
while Potter Palmer's gigantic guest
was Ia England, was visited. Changes
vanity was taken down by the Cap
tain, who after divesting him of thick
soIed boots and a high headdress,
measured only seven feet eight inches.
Chang announces that he is nine feet
high. During the conversation the
Captain gave some interesting facts
CLEANED from his Investigations into
the history of giants and giantesses,
and exploded many Of the notions
popularity entertained regarding them.