The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1885-11-07
MAKING MEN TALLER.
How Two Police Sergeants Who Were Too
Short Made Themselves Taller by Nat
ural Means and Were Appointed on the
Force.

How Two Police Sergeants Who Were Too
Short Made Themselves Taller by Nat
ural Means and Were Appointed on the
Force.
From the Brooklyn Union.l
Three sergeants sat IN the Washing
ton Street police station one night
last week talking to Charity Commits
sioner Reeve, when the subject of de-
ceptlveness OF a mans appearance
was brought up, one OF the sergeants
telling a story OF an ex-roundsman
whose seeming immense proportions
had frequently been the subject OF Jest
among ms fellow policemen. Some
time since he was promoted to a
sergeantcy, and before having a new
uniform made tried on the coat of a
sergeant who was believed to measure
not more than three-fourths as much
as the ex-roundsman, To the esurprise
of those who were present the coat
fitted as though made for him.
THAT goes to show" said the ser
geant who told the story, chat you
can't always tell mans size when he
has his clothes on. Why, there is Ser
geanC -. He looks like a man of
not more than medium build, but his
limbs and chest are extraordinarily
well developed, and he weighs more
and is of bigger proportion than sever
al other men | know whose uniforms
make them seem as big again as he
is"
Talking about him." said Commits
sioner Reeve, reminds me of how |
got him on the force by stretching rim
IN length three quarters OF an inch.
That sounds queer, but it is fact,
nevertheless. 1t was in the time of the
Metropolitan police, and he wanted to
get on. He went to New York and
went along. He went through all right
until he came to height, and he fell be-
low the standard three-quarters of an
inch. Ifelt very much downcast about
it, for he was friend of mine, and |
was very anxious that he should get
on the force. A physician with whom
| was acquainted happened to be there
at the time, and he asked me if | was
interested in the man who had failed
to reach the height standard. / told
him / was"
That's all right, said he. "I'll tell
you how to fix that"
"Of course | didn't believe it could
be done except by some trickery, but l
thought / would listen to what he had
to say, anyway. He told me to get
an order for re-measurement, which |
did with his assistance, the applicant
for the position to be measured again
the following day. Now said he,
when we had got the order, you take
your man to some hotel near here,
give him a warm bath and put him to
bed. Make him stay in bed until to-
morrow morning about an hour before
the timefor him to be measured again,
aud tell him to sleep all the while if he
can. II he does this he will be three
quarters of an inch taller, and come
up to the standard
81 didn't know what to think about
the suggestion. My medicalfriendw was
not given to Joking, but | thought he
had begun. However, l was anxious
that my man should get on the force,
and was willing to try anything. |
told him what the physician had said,
and he agreed to do it. The next
morning he appeared, and when he
was measured he not only came up to
the standard but was little above it.
We were both as much surprised as
gratifed, and when l spoke to the
doctor about it he said, We'll, | told
you So Then | was curious to know
how it was that such a thing could be
done, and asked him. He explained
that every one of the numerous Joints
in the human frame was supplied
with a natural oil. When a man
has walked a good deal or gone
through much exertion of any kind in
a day the oil is used up and the joints
come close together. The difference
this would make if there was but a
single Joint would be very little, but
when there are so many it reduces the
height in some cases as much as an
inch at the end OF days work. Let
man take a warm bath and long
restful sleep, the Joints will be resup,
piled with oil and the consequence is,
he will be taller. You may not be-
lieve this, but tits fact"
81 believe it, said one OF the listen
ing sergeants, because | did the same
thingmyself. | was three-eighthsO of an
inch below the standard, and | heard
of the plan that you tell of. | went to
a hotel in New York, took the bath
and slept twelve hours. Then | got
an order for re-measurement, claiming
that did not have a fair show the
first time. To my surprise | Just
came up to the standard, being three
eighths of an inch taller that | was the
day before. | got my appointment
and I'm on the force now"