The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-03-10
A Modern SAMPSON.

. = H.a r 1855 ! ~.
Stearn Carpenter was born il Wash.
ington County, New York. It is known
chat he has performed feats Of strength
unsurpassed by my man that has lived
in ancient or modern times. excepting,
of course, the Biblical Samson. His
occupation was that of farmer. Being
naturally Of a very quiet, peaceable
disposition, and a member Of the So
oiety Of Friends, he never did anything
for display to attract attention, but the
feats of strength that he performed
were done more to satisfy himself and
TO see how much he could lift than for
anything else. All of his lifting was
done by main strength, without har-
ness of any kind. One of his greatest
feat, was lifting box filed with iron
which weighed 1900 pounds, which is
equal to lifting $500, pounds in har-
ness. Ho lifted it with ease with his
hands by grasping rope or chain
which was bound around the box to
secure it. He did not know the weight
of the box of iron at the time, and was
afterward heard TO say that had he
known it weighed so near; a ton he
would have put on the other hundred
pounds and lifted the whole. At another
time he lifted cannon that weighed
1400 pounds and shouldere1 it. At
Oomstock's Landing, on the Champlain
Canal, near Whitehall, one day, while
waiting for load of merchandise, he
lifted barrel of white lead with ense,
The writer Of this article was an eye-
witness to this feat besides number of
others. His neighbors when killing
hogs, if Stearn happened to be around,
would ask him to guess the weight Of
hog just killed. II it happened to be
n big one weighing 400 or 500 pounds
he would stoop down and twist his fin
gers into the brstlos, and in that way
would lit the CARCASS clear from tho
ground and guess at it's weight. He
performed ono Of the greatest feats of
strength OH record after he had reached
the ago of rs years. He lifted two
twcnty.fou.foot iron rails by grasping
one i'll each hand, and walked of
with them. The rails were resting on
wooden horses, so he did not stoop
down to lift them. Ono day in haying
time he WAS going from tho field with
his men to the house for dinner. Thoy
were walking along tho road together,
when ono OF his men, for mischief,
oame up behind him and by IL skllful
trip threw Carpenter down. lie gath.
cred himself up and snd nothing about
it. He walked to tho house, and after
dinner, when returning to tho field with
his men, they came along to tho place
where the man gave him tho fall. He
suddenly turned upon tho man, aud,
grasping him by the shoulder and tho
seat Of his trousers, lifted him and
hurled him high in tho air above him
and ovor seven rail fence, by the side
of which they happened to bo walking.
The man came down in the meadow q
rod or moro from tho fence, considera-
bly, shaken up, but not badly hurt.
Mr.. Carpenter was not gigantic man
III sizo. lilo WAS about six feet tall
and appeared much less than that owing
to his massive build. There wns no
superfuous flesh upon him. but the
muscles Of his arms, shoulders and neck
seemed TO be piled upon him, 80 great
was their size. This gaYc hlm II s,oop-
ing appearance. III crowd casual
observer would not be likely to pick
him out for one Ct tho strongest men
that ever lived. His strength would
equal if not surpass that Of the great
Roman gladiator Milo.