Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-08-06
Giants.

references IN ancient ltC0IdtuIo W
the existence of giants and dwarfs are
by no means rare, and even in. the
records Of the sacred historians we find
it mentioned that "there were giants on
the EARTH" Henrion, a member of the
French Academy ofSciences. published
a work in 171S a large portion Of which
was devoted to the discussion of the
great decrease in the stature and gen
eral physical conformation Of the
human race which undoubtedly took
place between the creation and the
opening of the Christian era. In this
curious treatise the learned but some
what credulous author informs us that
Adam was 1913 feet 8 inches in height,
while. Ewes stature is asserted to have
been 11S feet 9 inches and 9 lines.
The exactitude Of the Academiclan's
calculations forms noticeable pCint..in
the recital, and his assertion of the in
expllcable degeneracy which the race
seems to have undergone ina compare
tivelv short period is no less remarka-
BILE. Noah, we are told, attained a
height of only 81 feet; Abraham was
barely 90 feet In stature, while Moses
is alleged to have measured only Ii
feet in height. Henrion takes care to
add that, in his opinion, the advent Of
the Christian era prevented the con-
tinuous decrease which had hitherto
prevailed, and records his thankfulness
that HUMANITY was not permitted to
degenerate into intinitesimal or micro
scopic specks. Io. q .sss.-t. .s.e.f a.'f.
The ancient and medieval accounts
,,,to 1ol
with much that is problematic,
and in some cases absolutely fabulous.
We are told that the height of Yunman,
Scotch giant who lived in the time of
Pope Eugenius H., was IL feet. This
pontiff died in the year S27, so that the
exaggerated .Scotchman must have
been in existence somewhere about the
opening of the ninth century. In 1909
there were discovered at Rouen the
remains of Chevalier Rincou, whose
skull was alleged to have been capable
of holding a bushel of wheat, while the
length of his shinbone is stated at 4
feet. Ii 1905 the skeleton of hero
named Bucart was. disinterred at
Valence, the remains measuring some
90 feet in length. These cases of huge
development may be very appropri
ately capped by the Sicllian story of
human skeleton which was gravely
maintained to have measured 800 feet,
while, with, the apparent object of CIV
ing additional veracity to the state
ment, the giants walking stick was
alleged tie. have been found buried be-
side him, the latter article, according
to all testimony, measuring 80 feet.
One fact is specially noticeable in re-
gard to these persons of abnormal d.
mensions, and that is that they are near
" all of the male sex. Giantesses, in
deed, are rarely mentioned among the
records that have been preserved of re-
markable tall human beings. Thus, in.
the reign Edward Ill, Long More or
Mores, an Irish..giant attained the height
of 6 feet 10a inches. Queen Elizabeth
had a porter who attained the height Of
feet inches. This, however was much
exceeded by John Middleton, or the
"Child of Hale" as he was called, who
who lived in 1873, and measured 9 feet
inches. G. Munster, a yoeman Of the
Hanoverian Guard, who died in 1876,
attained height of s feet 6 inches.
Cajanus, the Swedish giant, who was
exhibited In London in 1742, measured
9 feet in height. Among all these there
is no mention of a single giantess. The
most celebrated of living giants is the
famous Captain Bates of Kentucky.
This giant has beeen fortunate enough
to secure a mate of suitable proportions.
His wife, nee Swan, was born IN Nova
Scotia, and measures s feet In height.
Another giant of renown is the China
man Chang-wu-gou. This tall Celestial
measures feet 9 inches in stature.
The details of giant life exhibit
many curious features. Contrary to
expectation, and against the spirit Of
the old legends, our modern giants are
fcr the most part persons of singularly
mild disposition, and exhibit, as rule,
the most amiable conduct Nature in
this respect, indeed, seems to preserve
a wonderful and admirable balance of
power in imbuing persons of great
physical Development with an equable
temperament; while the dwarfs
of our race are usually inclined to ex-
hibit a disposition the reverse of past
days concerning whom details. Of a
thoroughly authentic character have
been preserved by Patrick Cotter, ALIAS
O'Brien, and Charles Byrne, both hail
ing from ireland. Cautiously enough,
is preserved in the Museum of Trinity
College, Dublin, the skeleton of third
Irishman, named Magrath, whose case
attained some notority in consequence
of the statement made by a physician
named Camhell, in work entitled a
Philosophical Surrey of Ireland. he as
serts that Magrath's exaggerated growth
was caused by Bishop BerkeIey's exper-
iments in feeding the lad. There exists
however, little or no foundation for this
statement. The story probably arose
from the fact that Magrath, having, at
the age of sixteen, attained height of
over feet and being poorly fed, pre-
scented fit case for the exercise OF. the
kindly bishops charity. He accord
ingly caused the boy to receive a liberal
diet for about a month, and this treat
ment restored him to health. At his
Morro IA ny, 90 C11rod Y foot e incl,