The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1888-09-07

ANNA SWAN BATES-MR. AND MRS. BATES
AND THEIR PASTOR AND WIFE.
thunderbolts for Jupiter, and how old
Cyclops, the meanest Of the lot, was made
drunk and had his only eye jabbed out by
Ulysses. They also gave us the name
gigantess, meaning "born of the earth" as
they were supposed to have been gendered
bv the blood of Uranus falling on fertile
soil 1t is quite likely the Greeks got these
notions from fossil bones, just as millions of
modern people have found "giant bones"
This notion that men were formerly Of i'm
nense stature is among the most persistent
Of popular delusiona Several years ago
Snowman traversed the west with the skele-
ton of ''mylodon robustus," seated in an
immense chair and surmounted by hideous
human skull Fashioned out of plaster for the
purpose) and set with frightful glass eyes;
and with it he exhibited the certificates of
"saveral eminent surgeons" that it was
yeritable human skeleton. The sight of it
made even stout man shudder, and it was
no doubt responsible for thousands Of night
mares.
There is no proof that there ever was
man ten feet high, but few have reached
nine feet, ,and many have exceeded eight, while
in every age of which we have record there
have been women weighing over 500 pounds.
Capt. Bates, husband of tho recently de-
ceased lady, is eight feet high, yet he served
through the war in the Confederate cavalry,
and was thoroughly RECONSTRUCTED" without
a special act. Herr Winkelmeir, of Austria,
is tho largest man now in the world-if that
ss9.foot giant in Africa" is myth-beine
s feet inches high, with unnaturally long
arms, their reach being 101l feet. He was
of average size till the age Of II. Mrs.
Emma Markley, Ct Philadelphia, weighed
$50 pounds; her coffin was feet long, feet
deep and 45 inches wide. and as no hearse in
the city could transport it to the cemetery
ten strong men did that service. She was
delicate girl, and ut 10 weighed but ninety
pounds. She was notably kind and devoted
to charitable deeds.
"Twenty- three feet and nine inches Of
Robinsons' was lately one of the attrac-
tions of Knoxville, Ia, three brothers Of
that namo being each feet II inches high.
1.-THE marriage of the TAT woman and the
Albino' drew a big crowd to New York
dime museum some years ago; she was
Maud Petit, of Tyrone, Ireland, who
weighed seventeen pounds at birth and $50
at maturity. The certificate was written
with his toes by the ''armless man." the
''horned man from Africa" and the ''wild
boy Of Mexico" stood as next friends, and
tho ''lving skeleton" enli7ened the occasion
with some of his most venerable jokes The
wedding ring was bracelet size for the
s'snake charmer" Eight women were col
lected Mt Chicago il 1855, whose joint
weight was 4,023 pounds, the largest and
probably the heaviest in the world being
Mrs. Hannah Battersby, weighing 72S
pounds.
Scripture tells us Of whole races Of giants
tho Nephilinl, Anakim, Rephaim, Emim,
Zuzin, etc. - but no figures are given.
Enough is told, however, of Og, king Of
Basha,l, to show that he was ''stunner,"
and Goliaths height was ''six cubits and
span"-3 feet inches. Aside from these,
who excited as much attention then as they
would now, it is conclusively proved that tho
average height of Egyptians and 1sraelites
then was little below that Of Americans to-
day, and such of their tools and weapons as
remain indicate that they were not SO strong
as modern races.
In conclusion it can only be repeated that
Ct giants and dwarfs, fat women and ''living
skeletons" science has no explanation. Their
parents are but average, and while attaining
their growth giants are usually quite feeble,
if not sickly. Capt. Bates especially suffered
great deal in growing up" In their men
tai and moral nature fat women do not differ
from the rest of their sex. Mrs. Swan Bates
was devout Christian, an excellent scholar,
fond Of congenial society and very charita.