Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-11-21

The feat Of Lulu Hurst falls into
insignificancc beside these Of NINE
Colbert. wh0 laid claim 20 no other
power than uncommon physical
strength. This woman. who b de-
scribed a. possessing o remarkably
beautiful face and form, appeared
sirss before The public at Sc. Barthoio-
new fair In London, Ia 1915 her
achievements astonissafd all who De-
held her. She carried weights equal
to 20le pounds. lifted heavy table,
on which several peorsons we're seal
ed, with her teeth, supported 81 anvil
weighing 400 pounds on her chest
while q blacksmith forged horse
shoe upon II, and afterward tied ner
hair about The anvil and swung IL
abouk The Georgia gifIs chair feat
was favoFite one with Nine Co
berk and II is noteworthy that in the
case OF each woman this was the first
branch Of their performances attack
ed by skepticism. Whether, - was
charged, her public performances
were made up largely Ut tricke.y,
there appears 20 be no doubt that she
vas extraordinarily strong. On one
occasion while travelling her coach
sunk into the mire and resisted all
efforts Of the horses. Descending the
female Samson easily extracted the
vehicle and proceeded on her journey
amid the applause OF q large crowd
OF common people. with whom her
popularity continued for years.
Derbyshire had strong woman
whom London managers sought vain
iy to coax from her vocation OF break
ing In horses. This was Miss Phoebe
Brown, spinster. round and rudy;
who walked like aman and preferred
q man labor. She conId easily walk
forty TO fifty miles In . working day,
and could carry forty stone with ease
This maides had q lover who veulur-
ed 10 dispiease her. His punishrnent
was similar to that familiar TO mis-
chievous boys, their mothers and the
latter's slippers, and after II was ad-
ministered by the muscular PhGbe
there was, her biograper naively re-
lates, no further dissension between
her aud the swain. A few other
strong women are traceable through
magazine literature, but virtual
monopoly of mighty things and
sinews has ever been enjoyed by the
male sex.
| The present emperor OF Russia IL
said TO be one OF the strongest meu
Ia his empire Of herculean individu-
ais. While The heir apparentAhe ont
lday visited his father. tl1e late smpe.
| ror, to complain that his mail had
been tempered with. The emperor
sent for the chief OF police, drew from
him Z confession Of guilt, and ehidet
him Id presence al The czarowitch.
The latter said not q word. but handel
the crestfalled functionary sign o
how great was his anger In she foru
OF d silver rouble twisted into q roll
In his younger days this was a fayo
rite visiting card of the czarowitch
He could strike poker against hi
arm and bend IL, bite pieces out %
Ichinacups, feats which were inthe re
pertoire OF Thomas Tapham, the Gel
ebrity of Islington. Tapham was |
drayman, and sometimes, when ex
hilarated by the vast potions OF liquo
supplied him by admirers, woui,
take his horses place between th'
shafts. He had playful habit o
twisting heavy kitchen Dokers into
coil about the necks of trembling
countrymen. One night after havinl
astonished tavern full with hi
drinking powers he came upon
watchman peacefully slumbering II
his box, and threw box and man owe
the wall OF burying ground.
In 1871 NJ. Gregorie, claiming TO b
seventy.one years old. astonshed thu
physicians and the public of tow
near London by carrying 200 pound
with ease. lifting an OK aud perform
ling other wonderful feats. A cels
| brated London dotor who examined
Gregorie describes HIM as an exae
Igerated study by Hayden. His shou
ders were prodiglous and his bicep
almos, incredible. Gregorie's strength
rather than q source of pride to him
was the cause of anxiety. Although
the mildest of men, he lived In drea,
that he should be provoked 10 use hi
strength against fellow being. Ill
| was afraid 10 nurse his own child les
he should give II fatal squeeze.
Nearly all individuals of uncom
mon strength, make up In bulk wha
they are deficient 10 hight. Stanley
the African explorer, describes |
strong man who was six feet fiv,
inches, and rather disproportionatel,
slender. He could toss an ordinar,
man ten feet In the air, and catcl
him In his descent He would taxi
one OF the large white Muscat don
keys by the ear, and. with suddei
movement of his right foot. lay th,
surprised ass on his back Tie coul,
carry three .year-old bullock bal
way around his masters plantation
Once he actually bore twelve men OF
his back, shoulders and chest dis
lance of 800 feet. Middle aged pee
Ipie who remember the dawn " inter
ess in muscular exercises recall DI
Wlnship, the originator Of the idc
which was subsequently embodied i
lifting machines. The astonishmen
that the doctors performances creal
ed was equal to that of the Berliner
a few years ago at Jorgnery's feat,
The most wonderful OF these wa
known as the trapeze feat, Tn
frenchman hung suspended by hi
legs from swinging bar, aud. b,
sheer muscular strength. lifted
heavy horse and its rider off tn
stage, suspending them several mia
utes, and then lifted them down grad
ually and evenly a. he raised them
Merwin Thompson's achievement a
Rochester. N. Y. last year was. how
ever. In the opinion of competent
judges. more surprising than this
| Thompson laid face downward on ,
firmly fixed ladder and resisted tn,
efforts of powerful team 10 pull
him from that position. A newspa
per writer. Ia reviewing this wonder
full performance, remarks that III,
little mention with which IL escapet
could happen only ia nation wher,
strong men were common.
The same feat In 1915 gave William
Joy the name of the English Samson
4 F~Aa