Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-03-06
Giant Goshen in MS Grave.

One of the creates, men of this earth,
Col. Routh Goshen, the famous Arabian
giant, was laid to rest yesterday in the
little cemetery of Middlebush, N. j., and
only few neighbors aud his adopted
daughter were the mourners.
The death of this well-known museum
attraction occurred on Tuesday, az pub
lished in The Herald. Goshen had been
suffering for several months past from a
complication Of diseases. hut an attack OF
dropsy finally proved fatal.
During his sickness his nurses had re-
course to double tackle and block in
order to raise the big man from bed
Nothing in life was more pleasing to him
than his immense size, and he took great
delight in all tue arrangements made for
lifting him about on the improvised der
rick, because it was constant reminder
that be was very large
The plain farmhouse looked very dreary
yesterday morning. The cloth-covereu
casket which con aimed the remains was
too large TO pass through the door, ana
the corpse was taken outside and placed
IN the coffin, resting on the trout veranda.
About score OF neighbors gathered short
ly after 10 o'clock, and while seated in
the front room the Rev James LIE Fevre,
of the Middlebush Dutch Reformed
church, read the service tor the dead to
the sad-faced little audience. The min
lister spoke in kindness of the virtues of
MIR. Goshen, and told how be had not
long ago confessed the error of his WAYS
and received the rite of baptism.
No friend came from the city. Not a
single acquaintance of bygone days was
seen In the crowd. l. was thought very
strange that OF all the hundreds of people
he shad known intimately during circus
career of thirty years none came to par
licipa:e in the last solemn rites Mrs
Sylvester, an adopted daughter, and for
several years in charge of the household,
was present, with her husband, the only
ones to cl2im tie of kinship
The great coffin was eight feet in length.
1t was lifted into a wagon by eight stall
|art farmers and then borne to the grave,
where prayer was said by the preacher
and the body lowered into the ground by
means of iour strong ropes. AS no gate
would allow the passage of the coffin a
SSCtiUn HI fcIICC WAS IclDoNcu Ill the yGTu.
The colonel was buried IN the wig which
he had worn for years to conceal his
black, kinkv hair, and which was sup
posed tn HIDE the evidences of his alleged
negro origin.
The giant was first discovered by Show
man 2. t. Barnum in 1857, and it is al
together likely that he did not himself
know his exact age or birthplace. THE
colonel bad once lived in Mexico, where
he gained his military title, and was d
genial gentleman. For thirty years he
told marvellous tales OF his adventures,
enough TO fill book, but before his deaf b
he confessed 10 the parson that they were
untrue.
The will of the deceased was brought
into the house in the evening and read to
the assembled friends of the adopted
daughter, 20 whom the bulk of the ST 900
worth of property is bequeathed. AS the
second wife OF Goshen is still living, never
having been divorced, there will probably
be sharp contest over the will. This
woman separated from the colonel three
years ago, and ia knewn for her high
spirit and tenacious disposition .-Neao
York Herald