Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1881-01-26
THE BIGGEST NAN IN THE
WORLD


vague .rumors have been cir.
cuated to the effect that Eu-
rope had giant that the Tritons
themselves might envy. If an Amer
lean, Australia, or Canadian giant was
produced, some scofling foreigner was
always ready with, "Call him a giant
You just ought TO see Chang. Chang
can swing his arm over this fellow s
head and not touch him."
Yesterday when the City of Berlin
reached her wharf the cabmen fell back
ih dismry at the apparition which
doomed up and picked his way care
fully down the gang plank. This was
Chang. He walked up to coach
with majestic tread aud, resting his
hand lightly on the seat which was
above an ordinary mans head, looked
down upon the driver and, smiling,
said in perfect English:
Can you drive my secretary and
myself to the Spanish Hotel at %
Grant Jones street ?"
'Can-can you get in the carriage p
stammered the hackman.
oh, yes, easily and the giant
crouched down until his knees nearly
reached the ground. and half slid,
have crammed himself into the vehi-
Gle
A Sun reporter called at the Spanish
Hotel in the afternoon and saw, sit
ting on an improvised seat of two
chairs with heavy boards laid across
presence which seemed to fill the
whole room. Chang is unquestiona-
bic the largest man in the world. He
is gigantic. AS he sat there smiling
and nodding his thoroughly Chinese
face looked fully as broad as an ordi-
nary mans shoulders, and as long, if
not longer than a -four barrel. His
cheek bones bulged out, and are as
large as a full-sized orange He is 33
years old, is the son of a wealthy silk
and tea merchant in Pekin, where he
was born, is well educated, speaks,
and writes English, German, French,
Italian and Spanish, and is thoroughly
courteous and gentlemenly. With
Chang is his secretary bustling,
busy, earnest little Frenchman named
Maud, who looks upon the giant with
admiration and delight
What kind of a trip did you make p
asked the reporter.
Extremely rough The majority
of the passengers were quite ILL.,
'Oh, but Monsieur Chang was not
one little bit sick Oh! no. no, no.
interrupted the little secretary we
had to have two staterooms made into
one, and berth eleven feet long built
expressly for him. He wasn't seasick
bit He sang Chinese song for the
passengers in a concert on the steamer
last Monday with immense success.
90, he's great fellowp
What is your exact height Chang?;
Il have never been measured, mon
sieur With our people it is super
stition which takes the form of a reli-
gious creed, that no man must be meas
ured until dead. would rather die
than allow myself to be measured In
fact. if were measured | would die at
once, ] fear | am, however, some
where in the neighborhood OF nine feet.
| will stand up and you can stand be-
side me and judge for yourself"
Chang rose, and. rising, it seemed
as though he would never stop The
Sun reporter stands feet 3 inches in
height He, at Chang's suggestion,
put on a high silk hat and walked un-
der the giants outstretched 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 crown of the
Chinaman's head was surely nine feet
from the floor His hands and feet are
comparatively small and very well
formed. He has exhibited before all
the crowned heads or Europe Australia,
and has been the pet of several sover-
eigns 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 a gold medal
given him by the Berlin Exhibition,
which asserts that he is the largest
man of recent times. He also has half
dozen immense diamond rings given
him by Rajahs in India, Mayors in
Australia, and potentates from all quar-
ters of the globe While talking to
the reporter he suddenly dived into his
vest pocket, which was large enough
to hold an ordinary mans head, and
brought forth a ring with the official
seal and monogram of Francis Joseph,
inscribed to Chang He also has a
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 Bar
mum firm, who give him $500 week
for one year-N y. Sun.