San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-04-05
THE STORY OF A GIANT.
A TRULY WONDERFUL SPECIMEN OF
PHYSICAL MANHOOD.

He Could Do the Work of Four Oxen.
Fists That Were Like Sledge Hammers.
He Didn't Seem to Understand His Pc
culiar Gift.
The following history of remarkable man,
which we compile from a sketch published in
a Michigan journal many years ago, tends to
show that, Notwithstanding the almost uni
versal desire for unusual gifts, it is, after all,
the dead level which is safest, since even
physical strength and noble proportions,
when in excess, may SO ostracize and set
apart a man as to make his pre-eminence a
positive drawback to him.
The first record we have Of Charles Free
man, the subject of this sketch, is that he ap-
peared among other laborers on a western
canal about the year 1910, where his extraor-
binary strength and stature attracted much
attention.
Freeman is said to have been at that time
8 feet tall and to have measured 3 feet across
the shoulders. His arms where they sprang
from his chest were as large as a medium
sized mans body, and thGy tapered down to a
hand not less than inches in thickness.
while the fists could only be compared to
sledge hammer in size and strength.
His age was then II years, and he was still
growing in bulk. He received the wages of
an ordinary workman, but his enormous
strength made him most destructive one.
Such a Titan should have had giant tools
made on purpose for him, for when he seized
an ordinary shovel it went through the clay
like breaking up pillow, and the handle soon
came off if the blade held. An ordinary ak
was but a feather in his hand; it sunk to the
eye in the wood and the helve splintered. He
seemed quite incapable of measuring the
force he laid out, like ordinary men.
SHOWING BOATS OVER SHOALS.
When he stood among a gang of laborers
the contrast made them look like children.
The strolling Indians would stare at him in
amazement few moments, and then with
deep ugh" would hasten out of sight as
rapidly as their dignity would permit
He was put to do the work of two pairs of
oxen; to remove the trunks of trees, cut in
lengths of ten or twelve feet, out of the way
of the diggers. He did not drag it aside as
oxen would have done, but, putting his right
hand under the end of the log raising it from
the ground, then balancing it across his left
forearm, he shot it far out to one side with
all the ease that a skilled workman piles split
cordwood. And thus, day after day, the
giant worked until the canal was finished.
Freeman's next appearance was on the
boats that piled along the Huron river, in
Michigan, where he was at once engine and
tackle to handle heavy freight. What Others
could not shove or roll he would pick up and
carry, or perhaps toss. When the heavily
freighted boat stuck on the ripples he often
stepped out of the stern and pushed it over.
The crew would have scarcely been surprised
if he had taken both boat and cargo under
his arm and marched across by land when
they came TO long bends in the river
1t was not long after this time that some
sporting men unfortunately heard of this I'M
celebrated giant and concluded that there
was money in him." Freeman was as sim
pie as a child. He lacked ambition, had no
desire to exhibit or push himself, and DOS
sessed most amiable disposition. ANY one
could lead him, and he never appeared to
realize that he was in any way remarkable.
This innocence was taken advantage of bv
these sharpers, who determined to turn his
prodlglous powers to their personal advan-
taSe. Accordingly, he was persuaded to ac-
company them to the eastern states under
promise of far more profitable employment.
1t is not strange that in such company the
good natured giant soon fell into bad habits.
Unfortunately giants are only men, and the
gamblers who captured poor Freeman made
sport of him as the Philistines made sport of
the helpless Samson.
1t IS related that at Buffalo they sent him
into dock saloon with. a LOCO pound anchor !
under his arm, EluCh as a chopper carrins his !
ak TO IIwn = gor drinks He got the LIQUOR, |