Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-08-28
A Modern Samson.
REMARKABLE FEATS WITH CANNON AND OTHER
HEAVY WEIGHTS

REMARKABLE FEATS WITH CANNON AND OTHER
HEAVY WEIGHTS.
From the Troy Times
purpose giving q short sketch of the life OF
a man who was little known outside of Grau-
Vile Corners, in Washington county, where he
was horn and spent the most of q long life. It
is known of him, and can be proved, that he
has performed feats of strength unsurpassed by
any man who has lived in ancient and modern
times, excepting, of course, the Biblical SAM
son. His name is, or was, Stearn Carpenter.
His occupation was that of farmer. Being
naturally of very quiet, peaceable disposition,
and q member of the Society OF Friends, he
never did anything for display to attract atten-
tiOn but the feats OF strength he performed
were done more to satisfy himself and to see
how much he could lift than for anything else.
All his lifting was done by main strength,
without harness OF any kind.
One OF his grea test feats was lifting box 1lled
is equal to lifting $500 pounds In a harness..
He lifted it. with ease with his hands by grasp
ing a rope or chain which was bound around
/ the box to secure 1t. He did not know the
weight of the box of iron at the time and was
afterwards heard to say that had he known it
weighed so near ton he would have put on
another time he lifted a cannon that weighed
1 400 pounds, and shoudered it. At Com.
Whitehall, one day while waiting for a load of
merchandise, he lifted a barrel OF white lead
with ease. His neighbors, while killing hogs,
him 10 guess the weight of hog just killed. II
it happened to be u big one, Weighing 400 or
800 pounus, he would stOOp down and twist his
fingers into the bristles and in that way would
lit the carcass clean from the ground and guess
on its weight
He performed one of the greatest feats OF
strength On record after he had reached the
age OF seventy-five years. He lifted two 24-toOt
iron rails by graSp1ng one In each hand and
walking Off with them. The rails were resting
on wooden horses, SO he did not stOOp to lift
them. One day in haying he was going from
the field with his men to the house for dinner.
They were walking along the road together,
hind him, and, by q skillful trip, threw Car
penter down. He gathered himself up and said
nothing about it. He walked TO the house, and
after dinner, when returning to the field with
his men, they came along tO-the place where
the man gave him the fall. He suddenly
turned upon the man, and grasping him by the
shoulders and the seat of his trousers, lifted him
and hurled him high in the air above him and
over seven-iOOt rail fence, by the side OF which
they happened TO be walking.
The man came down in the meadow q rod or
more from the fence, considerably shaken up,
but not badly hurt. Mr.. Carpenter was not q
gigantic man in size. He was about six feet
tall, and appeared much less than that, owing
to his massive build. There was no supertluouS
flesh on him, but the muscles OF his arms
him, SO great was their size. This gave him
STOPPING appearance. In q crowd casual OBJ
server would not be likely to pick HIM out for
one of the strongest men that ever lived. Mr..
Carpenter is living at the present time at Gran
Vile Corners, Washington county, N. Y, his
old home, or was living the last heard Of him,
He must be over eighty years OF age.