The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-01-19
AN OHIO GIANT.
Some OF Ills Wonderful Feats of Strength
IErorn tho ClaxaIand Harald

Ine late ADner ". mcllratn was III
many respects an extraordinary man,
physically speaking. He was giant
in his build, as he was six feet six and
half inches in height, and his average
weight was about 264 pounds. AS an
athlete he probably did not have a SUI
perior in the country, certainly not
since the days of that great muscular
man of Northern New York, Joe Call.
In addition to his athletic characters
ties he was great fox hunter, and
many are the stories told of incidents
connected with his chase after reynard.
He was gifted with tremendous long
wind, and the story has been told that
he would frequently chase after fox
on foot and run it down. In spite OF
of his great weight, large bones, and APP
parently ungainly size, he was remark
ably quick as well as marvelously ath
letic man. He once lifted with his
hands from the ground an iron shaft
weighing LOO pounds, which would be
equal to lifting double that weight
were he harnessed with straps to
weights and allowed to lift under the
best advantage. Two men would hold
string two inches above his head and
he would step back two or three steps
and jump over it without touching it,
making the leap about six feet nine
inches in height. He has been known,
rather than to lead his horse around to
the other side of the barn, to put his
long arms under horse and lift it up
to the floor of the barn, which happen
ed to be three or four feet above the
ground. Some forty years ago a gang
of rowdy sailors, a dozen in number,
went out to CAB. McIlrath's Tavern" on
purpose to have "muss with him."
Uncle Alb. was most peaceful sort of
man, and would submit to great deal
of abuse before resorting to the last ar
gument, but on this occasion his ire
was exceeding excited at the perposter-
Gus idea that a dozen ordinary men
could run over him in his own domicile.
The result was that he went among
them, and,i spite of their all piling up
on him, he took them one by one by the
coat collar and seat of the pants and
threw each some distance out of the
door into the snow The soilors there
upon retreated, the most disguised Of
Jack Tars at being whipped by soil
tary man. He told the writer that dur
ing that "scufile," as he called it, he did
not dare to double his fist and strike
for fear of killing He had very good
opportunity in 1889, when he was u
years of age, of testing his athletic abil-
ity, which proved very conclusively that
at that time he was probable the strong
est man perhaps in the world. He
met in Buffalo, Charley Freeman, who
was then sailor, and was known as
the American giant, he being about
seven feet in height. These two giants
had wrestle to find out which was the
"smartest man." The Cuyahoga giant
was two much for Freeman, for he
threw hinf"at ease. Three years after
wards Freeman went to England as the
champion of America, and engaged in
prize fight with the champion of En-
gland, known as~the "Tipton Slasher,"
and easily defeated him. These facts
will give good idea of uncle Alb. 8"
great muscular strength and activity.
Like Joe Call, he literally never met
with his match, and never doubled his
fist on man for fear of killing him.
Anyone who had ever seen his tremend-
ously long, heavy-boned arms, encased
in muscles of iron, with his sledge-
hammer fists, realized perfectly that
blow from him partook of the nature of
a kick from horse, and it is not at all
surprising that Mr.. McIlrath never
doubled his fist on human being.
Several years since he gave grand
fox hunt, in which many of his most in
innate friends participated. He had
captured an extremely large and vigor-
Gus fox in the wild hills of Euclid
township, and held him in captivity for
this especial event. When the morning
of the chase arrived, the hunters, all
mounted on feet-footed steeds, put in
an appearance at the old hotel, eager
for the anticipated sport. Reynard was
brought out and released, and away he
dashed, taking a straight course for the
lake, with pack of hounds baying in
his immediate rear, and the hunters fol-
lowing as fast as their horses could
carry them. The time was December,
and the winter king held all nature
in his frigid embrace. The terrified
fox kept flying over the frozen fields,
and through thick woods, while
the CHATTER of hoofs in his rear only
goaded him on in his dash for life and
liberty. Finally the banks of old Erie
were reached Reynard took one COM
prehensive view of its frozen bosom,
and in another was bounding away over
the vast expanse of ice. When the hun
tiers reached the bank they all pulled up
with one exception, and that was w lie
Alb. With his eye firmly fixed on the
rapidly disappearing fox, he dashed the
spurs into the sides of his painting
steed, and to the horror of his compan-
ions, started across the treacherous field
of ice toward the Canadian shore. On
he flew, at the top of the reliable old
blacks speed, until he disappeared from
the sight of his terrified companions,
who were satisfied they would never see
him again. Several hours elapsed, and
the party of horsemen waiting anxious
ly on the bank had about given up all
hope of Abs. return, when a black
speck made its appearance away out
over the lake. Nearer and nearer it
came, until the manly figure of Uncle
Alb. filled the anxious watchers on the
shore with feelings of unbounded Joy.