The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-02-14

Referring 10 the recent death o.
Ahner &. McDrath, a pioneer citizen
Of Cleveland, Ohio, the Leader oil
thai city SAWS:
Mr.. McDrath. in many respects,
was an extraordinary man, ph,sic
ally speaking. He IA a giant IN
~, hu aid. A. i,r aa- six ioet SIX aud
a half Inches ia height and his v
eragexeiglt wd> about 264 pounds.
As AN athlete he probably did not
have a superior in the country, GER
tainly not since he days of that
great muscular man of Northern
New York. oeCall. In addition to
his athletic characteristics he was a
great fox hunter, and many are the
stories told of incidents connected
with his chase after reynard. de
was gifted with tremendous long
wind. and the story has been told
that be would frequently chase after
fox on foot and run it down. In
spite of bis great weight, large bones
and apparently ungainly size, he
was a remarkably quick as well as
m~arvelously athletic a he once
lifted with his hands from the
ground an iron shaft weighing l.lUo
pounds. which would be equal TO
lifting double that weight were he
barnessed with straps to weights and
allowed to lift underline best advan-
tanye. Two men would hold astring
two inches above his head and he
would step back two or three steps
and lump over il without touching
it. making the leap about six feet
niue inches in height. He has been
known. rather than 10 lead his
horses t. the other Side of the barn,
To put hi- long arms under a horse
and lift il up To the tloor OF the
barn, which happened to be three or
four feet above the ground. Some
forty years ago a gang OF rowdy
sailors. a dozen ia number, went out
10 "ab. McDrath's tavern" on pur-
pose To have IA muss with him.
Uncle Alb was a most peaceful sort
of man, and wouldsubmit TO a great
deal of abuse before resorting Ia the
last argument, but on this occasion
his ire was exceedingly excited at the
preposterous idea that a dozen ordi-
nary men could run I'VE hIm in his
own doinicile. The result Was, he
went among them, and IN spite oi
their all piling upon him. he took
them one by one and threw each
some distance out of the door into
the snow. The sailors thereupon
retreated. the mostdisgusted of Jack
Tars at being whipped 10y a solitary
man. He tod the writer that dur
ing the "scuifie," as he called IT, he
did not dare doubled his fist and strike
for fear of killing.
He had a very good opportunity
la 1899. when he was twenty seven
years of age. of testing his athletic
ability. which proved very conclu-
s:velv that at that time he was prob
ably the strongest man perhaps III
the world. He met Ia Buffalo Char
lie Freeman, who was then a sailor.
and was known as the American
giant, he being a0out seven feet IN
height. These two giants had a
wrestle TO find out which was the
"smartest man" The Cuyabogs
giant was too much for Freeman, FOL
he threw him with ease.
Three wears afterward Freeman
went TO England as the champion Of
America and engaged in aprize fight
with the champian of England
known as the Upton Slasher," and
easily defeated him.
These facts will give a good idea
Of "Uncle Abs" great muscular
strength and activity. Like Joe
Call, he literally never met with his
match and never double his fist on q
man for fear of killing him. Any
one who had ever seen his tremen'
dously long, heavy boned arms, en-.
cased in muscles of iron with bis
sledge hammer like fists, realized
perfectly that a blow from him par
took of the nature Of q kick from q
horse, and it is not at all surprising
that McDrath never doubled his fist
on a human being. On one oeca.
sion, after having hauled a load o.
barrels to town, he was on his re
turn, when he stopped at Doan's
tavern to water his horses. A couple
of conceited young bloods from the
city had Just got into their buggy
and as they drove by "Ab" they
thought il would be fun to give hin
a cut with their whip, which they
did, and then drove off as fast a.
they could away toward the town
"Ab," not relishing that kind o
treatment, his Quaker like DISPOSE
ton yielded, and he gave chase oil
foot after the young bucks. For
while the frightened fellows manag
ed to keep just SO far ahead of him
but their horse commenced giving
cut. and they o~vertaken. "Ab
got into the buggy, took the rein
and whip out of their hands. ant
drove back to the corners, where b
gave these foolish fellows a Thorough
Aogging with their own whip, in III
presence of a crowd, and then lie
them 90.