Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-11-19
MAKING MEN TALLER.

How TWO Police Sergeants Who Were
| Too Short Made Themselves Taller
| by Natural Means. and Were APP
pointed on the Force.
Brooklyn Eagle.
Three sergeants in the Washington
street police station one night last
| week. were talking to Commission
er Reeve, when the subject of the de-
ceptiveness of mans appearance was
brought up, one of the sergeants tell
ing story Of an ex~roundsman whose
seemingly immense proportions had
frequently been the subject of jest
among his fellow-policemen. Some
time since he was promoted to SER
geancy, and before having new un>
form made tried. on the coat of a ser :
geant who was believed to measure
not more than three<fourths as much
as the roundsman. To the surprise 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, "that you
can't always tell mans size when he
has his clothes on. Why, there's
Sergt, -. He looks like a man of
not more than medium build, but his
limbs and chest are extraordinarily
well developed, and ne weighs more
and is of bigger proportion than sew
eral other men [ know whose uni
forms make them seem as big again as
he is"
"Talkipg about him, said Commits
sIoner Reeve, reminds me of how [
got him on the force by stretching
him in length three~quarters of an
inch. That sounds queer, but it is a
fact, nevertheless. It was in the
time OF the METROPOLITAN police, and
he wanted TO get on. He went to
New York, and I went along. He,
went through all right until he came
to height, and he fell below the stand
ard three-quarters Of an inch. I felt
very much cast down about it. for he
was friend of mine, and I was very
anxious that he should get on the
force. a physician with whom I was
acquainted happened to be there at
the time, and asked me if I was in
terested in the man who had failed to
reach the height standard. I 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
7 thought ] would listen to what he
had to say, anyway. He told me to
get an order for remeasurement,
which I 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 Tomorrow morning,
about an hour before the time for him
to be measured again, and tell him TO
sleep all the time, # he can. IF he
does this he will be three-quarters Of
an inch talleE, and come up to the
standard
st didn't know what to think about
the suggestion. My medical friend
was not given to Joking, but I thought
he bad begun. However, I was anx-
ious that nay man should get on the
force, and, and was willing TO try
anything. told him what the physi-
clan had said, and he agreed to do it.
The next morning he appeared, and
when he was measured, he not only
come up to the standard, but was
little above it. We were both as much
surprised as gratifed, and when I
spoke to the doctor about it he said:
We'll, I told you So Then I was
curious to know how It was that such
q thing could be done, and asked him.
He explained that every one OF the
numerous joints in the human frame
was supplied with natural oil. When
a man mas walked good deal, or gone
through much exertion of any kind
Ia day, the oil is used up, and the
joints come close together. The diff
ference this would make if there was
but 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 a days work.
Let man take warm bath, and
long, rested sleep, the joints will be
resupplied with oil, and the conse>
quence is he will be taller. You may
not believe this, but it is fact"
81 believe it." said one of the listen
ing sergeants, "because did the same
thing nayseif. I was three~eighths of
an inch below the standard, and I
heard of the plae that you tell of. T
went to hotel in New York, took a
bath, and slept twelve hours Then
I got an order for remeasurement,
claiming that I did not have fair
show the frs. time. To my surprise
I came up to the standard, being three
eighths of an inch taller than I was
the day before. I got my appointment