The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1882-08-10
CIRCUS OURIOSITIES.


manager said, referring to the giant,
who was gazing at the dwarf. 'He fol-
lows him all over in his travels At first
the dwarf was very coy; but the last
proof Of the giants affection softened
his heart. The giant followed him from
Liverpool, and after that the dwarf gave
him his friendship unreservedly. Since
then they are together nearly all the
time. Curiosities are not usually SO de-
voted. | only know two other eases OF
genuine devotion between curiosities.
Capt. and Mrs. Bates, the giants, are
most happily married. and Hannah
Battersby, the fat woman weighing 720
pounds. who married living skeleton.
is passionately fond of her husband and
he of her. The giants, as class, are
affectionate. They are like big mastiffs,
fond of being petted and kind to all
who are kind to them, but at the same
time ready to resent an insult. OF course
there is some rivalry. Size is very
delicate point with giants, and it hurts
the sensitiveness of a giant to see one
bigger than himself Then, again, some
giants are active and quick-tempeTed.
There was M. Bien, the French giant,
who died few years ago in Brooklyn.
He was quick, gallant, and passionate.
He once got into row with Goshen.
and they had a lively round or two, in
which the Frenchman got little the
worst of it.
''Do giants usually have the charac-
teristics of their countrymen?'
Gas rule they have. Of course they
I,- fr.ih 10 "
languages, and are consequently more or
less cosmopolitan. Still they retain
some national traits. Chang, the Chi
nese giant, for instance, like all his
countrymen, is cautious, cute, and thrifty
in his living. He is great reader,
especially of books in his own language.
His library forms a considerable part of
his luggage. Then he is continually re-
ceiving newspapers from China which
he peruses with great interest. He is
also close observer of men and things.
During off hours, when he is not read
ing, he takes carriage and has himself
driven all over town. When he gets a
chance of an evening he goes to the
theatre He made an arrangement with
Judge Hilton once, and spent an after
Curiosities are stared at so much dur
ing exhibition hours that, as rule, they
do not like to go in public during the
hours they have to themselves"
''What do Capt. and Mrs. Bates do
when they are not on show?"
"Their pursuits do not differ much
from those of ordinary persons. Capt.
Bates was born and brought up on a
farm in Kentucky. Being intelligent,
lie has acquired considerable education,
and has the frank, pleasant address of a
southern gentleman. His wife, who
was a Miss Swan, was born and brought
up on a farm in Nova Scotia. They
met in show in England. Both were
homesick, and, being from the same
continent, were naturally attracted to
one another. Sizes and dispositions be-
ing about equal, they concluded to get
married, and have never regretted their
conclusion. Both are very domestic in
their tastes. They are wealthy and spend
the greater part of their time in retire
ment on their farm in Ohio. During the
day he potters around out of doors, and
in the evening he sits in his large rock
ing-chair and tells stories on en- extend
ed scale.''
SIS storytelling on an extended scale
characteristic of giantsP
swell, | should say so. Bates once
kept me here from II o'clock at night
to / o'clock next morning telling me a
story that a man of ordinary size would
have told in ten minutes. But did you
ever hear Goshen tell stories-the story
of his life, for instancep This is the way
he starts off: i was born in Old Jerusa-
| lem. come from a family of giants,
and am one of fifteen giants. ] am the
| largest man ia the world, except my
| mother, and she is only half an inch
| larger. | am larger than all other giants
| Norwegians giants, Sou.hwegian giants,
and all the rest. I've writ a book.
! writ in it all l know, and what 1 don't
| know / didn't write AT this point some
one in the audience called out to him
| The book you didn't write must have
| been a big one.' He laughed like the
rest of us. He's the best-natured man
| ever met. His principal amusement
is to button-hole people, and tell then
| about his inventions. He once told Mr.
| Bunnell that he had invented the phon.
| ograph, and that Edison must have
| stolen it from him. He claimed to have
rugged one up, and to have had it in full
| operation in the barn on his farm in
New Jersey, and his theory is that Ed
son peeped through q crack and stole
| the idea. Shortly afterward he inform
ed me that he had of late been flying
around the country all night on flying
machine he had invented. He said he
few with it during the night because
he was afraid of frightening people by
| day, when they saw him descending to-
ward them from mid-air The machine
was only adapted to a man of his size
and power, but he hoped soon to finish
hisscalculations for making flying ma
chimes on a smaller scale for ordinary
persons He is also fond of telling his
adventures in the Crimean war. where
he claims to have won his title of colo
mel. / believe he has invented a circus
trick--riding and Juggling at the same
/ time-and instructs pupils on his farm
''How does he spend most of his
| time?'
''He likes to sit on chair and white
away at q stick, He is quite skillful a
NHltllll0, turning out WOOueu guns ant
pistols and the like. He is also great
ladies' man, being especially attentive
to small ladies. He has been married
several times, but one by one his wiye;
ran away from him. He is also q very
accomplished linguist, for there are few
living languages in which he cannot
| converse. / may add that he sleeps or
an extande,a' scale"
"Are fat bows and fai l. women at al
like giants in temperament"
They resemble giants in being usu.
ally good-natured; that's all. Their
chief amusement is to go to sleep. |
have known many of them to fall asleep
IN their chairs while hundreds were star
ing at them"
Hannah Battersby and her living
skeleton husband, 1 suppose, have fire.
quently showed together?f
Eyes. And a very interesting couple
they were. There was, you see, the
charm OF contrast and variety in this
couple. She used to carry him mn opd