Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-12-17
Can you drive my secretary and my
eli to the Spanish Hotel at % Great Jones
~ ,tD3,

Gan you drive my secretary and my
self to the Spanish Hotel at % Great Jones
str et?"
"Can-can you get in the carriage?''
stammere1 the hackmsn.
"Oh, yes. easily" and the giant crouch
ed down until tls knees nearly reached the
ground, and half slid, half crammed him
self into the vehicle.
| The "Sun' reporter called at the Span
ish Hotel in the afternoon and saw, sitting
| on an improvised seat of two chairs with
heavy boards laid across, presence which
seemed to fill the whole room. Chang is
nnquestionably the largest man in the
world. He is gigantic. AS he sat there
smiling and nodding, his thoroughly Chi
nese face looked fully as broad as an ordi-
nary mans shoulders, and as long, if not
longer than a -four barrel. His cheek
bones bulge out. and are as large as full
sized orange. He is IS years old, is the
son of wealthy silk and tea merchant in
Pekin, where he was born, is we'll educa-
ted, speaks. reads, and writes English,
German, French, italian, and Spanish,
and is thoroughly courteous and gentle
manly. With Chang is his secretary,
busting, busy, earnest little Frenchman
named Neaud. who looks upon the giant
with admiration and delight.
''What kind Of trip did you makeup
asked the reporter.
Extremely rough. The majority Of the
passengers were quite ILL"
"Oh, but Monsieur Chang was not one
little bit sick. Obi no, no, no." interrupt
ed the little secretary. eve had to have
two state rooms made into one, and
berth eleven feet long built expressly for
him. He WASH t seasick bit. He sang
Chinese song for the passengers IN con-
cert on the steamer last Monday with inn
mense success. Oh, he's great fellowl''
"What is your exact height, Chang?''
II have never been measured, Monsieur.
With our people it Is superstition which
takes the form Of religious creed, that
no man must be measured until dead I
would rather die than allow myself to be
measured. In fact, if I were measured 1
would die at once, fear. am, however
in the neighborhood of nine feet. T will
stand up and you can stand beside me and
judge for YOURSELF
Chang rose, and, rising, it seemed as
though he would never stop. The "Sun"
reporter stands 6 feet inches in height
He, at Changes suggestion, put on a high
silk hat and walked under the giants out
stretched arm, near the shoulder, without
coming within two inches of his Sleeve
Then fixing the height of his head about
half way between the giants waist and
neck, the reporter checked off three feet
at guess and found that the Chinaman's
head was surely nine feet from the floor.
His hands and feet are comparatively
small and very we'll formed. He has ex-
hibited before all the crowned heads of Eu-
rope and Australia, and has been the pet
Of several sovereigns. He wears a solitaire
diamond ring. given him by the Emperor
Of Russia, which is valued at 81, 400. At
tached to his chain is gold medal given
him by the Berlin Exhibition, which as
serts that he is the largest man of recent
times. He also has half dozen immense
diamond rings given him by Rajahs in In
dia, Mayors in Australia, and potentates
from all quarters Of the globe. While
talking to the reporter he suddenly dived
into bis vest pocket which was large enough
to hold an ordinary mans head, and
brought forth ring with the official sea
and monogram of Francis Joseph, inscrib-
ed to "Chang." he also has watch,
given him by Queen Victoria, which
weighs two pounds and half, and has
chain nine feet long, which barely reaches
around his neck and down to his vest
pocket.
Chang was brought over by Barnum,
Bailey and Hutchinson, the new Barnum
firm, who give him $500 week for one
year..