The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-09-06
MODERN sAMsoles.
tChiessp rocean.l

uncommon pkysicai slrenesh. 4his ws- man, who is sdescribed as poseeasing . re- markedly beautiful face and form, ap- peared first before the public at St Bar tholomew fair in London, in 1918. Her achievements astonished all who beheld them. She carried weights equal to 2,oI6 pounds, lifted a heavy table, on which several persons were seated, with her teeth, supported an anvil weighing 400 pounds on her chest while black smith forged a horseshoe upon it, and afterward tied her long hair about the anvil and swung it about The Georgia girls chair feat wal favorite one with Mime. Colbert, and it is noteworthy that in the case ot each woman this was the first branch of their performances at- tackled by skepticism. Whether, as was charged, her public performances were made up largely of trickery, there ap- pears to be no doubt that she was ex. 1aordinarily strong. On one occasion while travelling her coach sunk into the mire and resisted all efforts of the horses. Descending, the female Samson easily extricated the vehicle and proceeded on her journey amid the applause of large crowd of common people, with whom her popularity continued for years.
 Derbyshire had strong woman whom London managers sought vainly to coax from her vocation of breaking in horses. This was Miss Phoebe Brown. spinster, round and ruddy, who walked like man and preferred mans labor. She could easily walk forty to fifty miles in work ing day, and could carry fourteen stone with ease. This maiden had lover who yentured to displease her. His punish ment was similar to that familiar to mis- chievous boys. their mothers and the latters' slippers, and after it was admins tered by the muscular Phoebe there was, her biographer naively relates, no further dissension between her and the swain. 4 few other strong women are traceable through magazine literature, but virtual monopoly of mighty thighs and sinews has ever been enjoyed by the male sex
 The present emperor of Russia is said to be one of the strongest men in his empire of hereulean individuals. While the heir apparent he one day visited his father, the late emperor, to complain that his mail was tempered with. The em- peror sent for the chief of police, drew from him confession nf guilt, and chided him in the presence vf the ezaro- witch. The latter said not a word, but handed the crcstfallen functionary sign of ho~ great was his anger in the form of silver rouble twisted into roll. In his younger days this was favorite visit ing card of the czarowitch. He could strike poker against his arm and bend it, bite pieces out of china cups, feass which were in the repertoire of Thomas Tapham, the celebrity of lslington. Tap ham was drayman, and sometimes, when exhilarated by the vast potions of liquor supplied him by admirers, would take his horses place between the shafts He had playful habit of twisting heavy kitchen pokers iuto coil about the necks of trembling countrymen. One night after having astonished tavern full with his drinking powers he came upon watchman peacefully slumbsring in his box, and threw box and man over the wall of burial ground.
 In 1871 M. Gregorie, claiming to be seventy-one years old, astonished the physicians and the public of town near London by earring 100 pounds with ease, lifting an OK and periorming other won- derful feats. A celebrated London phy- sician who examined Gregorie describes him as an exaggerated study by Hayden His shoulders were prodiIious and his biceps almost incredible. Greporie's strength, rather than a source of pride to him, was the cause of anxiety. Although the mildest oi men, he lived in dread that he should be provoked to use his strength against fellow being. He vas afraid to nurse his own child les, he should give it fatal squeeze.
 Nearly all individuals of uncommon strength, make up ip bulk what they arc deficient in height. Stanley, the African explorer, describes strong man who was. six feet five inches, and rather d,spropoE. tionately slsndsr. He could toss an or dinary man tea 6eet in the air, and catch him in his descent. He would take one of the large white Muscat donkeys by the ears, and, with sudden movement of his right foot, lay the surprised ass on his back. He could carry three-year- old bullock half way around his masters plantation. Once he actually bore twelve men on his back. shoulders and chest distance of 300 feet. .Middle-aged peo- pie who remember the dawn of interest in muscular exercises recall Dr. Winship, the originator of the idea which was sub- sequently embodied in lifting machines. The astonishment that the doctors per- formances created was equal to that of the Berliners few years ago at Iorg- nerys feats. The most wonderful of these was known as the trapeze feat. The Frenchman hung suspended by his legs from swinging bar, and, by sheer mus euiar strength, lifted heavy horse and its rider of the stage, suspending them several minutes, and then letting them down gradually and evenly as he raised them. Merwin Thonpson's achieve ment at Rochester, N. Y., last year was, however, in the opinion of competent judges, more surprising thar tkiA Thompson laid face downward sn a firmly fixed ladder and resisted the efforts of team of powerful horses to pull him from that poSitian uevsnnuey vvv;tev