Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-07-21

to Europe where he proposed to exhibit him
as the strongest man in the world. Reuben
wouldn't 60. Mr. Terrence exhibited Reuben
one day in Pittsburg at the fair, aud though
there were many attractions Reuben was the
greatest of them all. MIR. Turreuce came out
of his little side show that evening and
counted Sl2O clear money he had made that
day with Reuben.
CATERERS TO THE COUNTRY ROUND.
Though the Longs were OF such prodiSious
strength, several of the brothers being almost
as strong ~ Reuben, yet they we're never
known to hares quarrel of any kind with
their neighbors. They were deNout church
members and were respected aud esteemed
10y the whole community. There was hardly
a wedding took place within fifteen miles Ot
their home but what the girls were invited
To IL to prepare the wedding dinner Ihe
girls were famous cooks and it WAS a moral
impossibility almost to- have wedding With
out their assistance. Once the Long family,
who had become we'll -to-do, invited the whole
nelShborhood To dinner which they pre-
pared IN grove near their house. over ~ y
hundred Ut their neighbors were there that
day, aud many of those present are yet living
TO tel what good dinner 1t was. Ii has been
twenty-five years since tho last ot this re-
markable family died. 1t was Reuben.
lie was then about sixty years ot age, and
died OF the effects of "A violent cold, after an
illness OF only a lew days. llo was appar-
entity as strong rs ever, even at that advanced
age. There were stories afuat AT that ume'
and even yet, that his body WAS stolen from
the grave after burial and conveyed away,
but no one ever Investigated the truth ol
them, for, as it was almost impossible lot
human hands to lower his body into tue
grave, ii would have been work OF much
| greater magnitude to take 1t out
AN OLD RESIDENTS TRIBUTE To 'Nl.'
The history OF this family contains much
more that would toe fully as interesting. The
I neighborhood is tull of stories, many of them
| of doubtful NeraCity, rs to what the Long
| brothers could do. Each old resident has
| few which he keeps in stock. In an old
| brick mansion, near the Long place, you see
| on the heavy, old oaken door, several Gint
| in the wood. They are the marks made by
| old ii Long when he struck after mar
| who ran from him, closing the door in tint
| Tor it to receive the blow intended for him.
| You ought to have seen some OF thos,
Longs how they could eat, said Mr.. Jame
| Hayden to the writer. " | remember tina
| Rube Long came over one day TO our plac,
| and father asked him to stay for dinner
| Mother was baking buckwheat cakes, and sh,
| was afraid to go on with the baking lest they
| would run out She asked Rube how many
| he thought he could eat
| "'SpeC' you'd bettr bake me bout twenty
| six de size ob de bottom Oh a wash tub re
spOnded Rube to my mothers inquiry
Well, We didn't have the cakes that day"
| some OF the stories told by the Longs have
| been circulating for so long among the peO
| pie OF that part of the county that they have
reached proportions OF Munchausen-like di
mensiOus. Those already related are vouCheC
| for by good old deacons and elders of tn,
| church, and are, therefore, TO be accepted a.
true. The history OF this family is an inter
| esting one, and to paraphrase, " there wer,
| giants in \ Allegheny county in those days"