The Dickinson press., 1889-04-20
THE STORY OF A GIANT.
A TRULY WONDERFUL SPECIMEN OF
PHYSICAL MANHOOD.

l.c Could Do tho Work OF -Four Oxen.
Tists That We're Like Slctlsc Hammers.
He Didn't Seem to Understand His To
culiar Gift.
The following history OF remarkable man,
which wc compile from sketch published in
n Michigan journal many years ago. tends to
show that. notwithstanding the almost uni
vcrsal desire for unusual gifts it is. after all,
the dead level which is safest, since even
physical strength and noble proportions
when i'll excess, may so ostracize and set
| apart man rs to make his prc-elnincnce n
| positive draw back to him.
| Tho first record we have of Charles Free
man. the subject Of this sketch, is that he az,
| pcaicd among other aborcrs on a western
canal about the year 1910, whero his extraor-
dinary strength and stature attracted much
| attention.
Freeman is said to have been at that time
S feet tall and to have measured 3 feet across
the shoulders, His arms where they sprang
from his chest wero us large as a medium
sized mans body, and they tapercd down to a
hand not less than 3 inches in thickness
while the fists could only bc compared to a
slcdsc hammer in sizo and strength.
| His age was then II years, and lie was still
| growing i'll bulk He received the wages Of
an ordinary workman, but his enormous
strength made him most destructive one.
Such Titan should have had giant tools
mldo on purpose for him, for when he seized
an ordinary shovel it went through tho clay
like breaking up plow, and the handle soon
came of if the blade held An ordinary ak
was but feather i'll his hand; it sunk to tho
eye i'll the wood and the hclvc splintercd, Ho
seemed quite incapable of measuring tho
force he laid out, like ordinary men.
SHOWING boats OVER SHOALS
When he stood among a gang of laborcrs
the contrast made them look like children.
The strollins Indians would stare at him in
amazcment a few moments, and then with a
deep Ugh" would hasten out of sight as
rapidly aS their dignity would permit.
ile was put 10 do tho work of two pairs of
oxen, to remove the trunks of trees, cut in
lengths OF ten or twelve feet out of tho way
OF the disgcrs. 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 lie shot it far out to one side with
all The case that skilled workman piles split
cordwood. And thus, day after day, the
giant worked until tho canal was finished.
itSS'ii'Aao D iieAI ill)etIdIlCC WIS on tho
boats that piled along the Huron river. in
Michigan, where he was at onco cngino 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
freishtcd boat stuck Oh 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 tino that some
sporting men unfortunately heard of this un-
celebrated giant and concluded that there
WAS ''moncy in him." Freeman was as SIM
ple as a child, He lacked ambition, had no
desire to exhibit or push himself, and DOS
sesscd most amiablo disposition. ANY ono
could lead him, and he never appeared to
realize that he was i'll any way remarkable.
This innocence was taken advantage of by
these sllar!crs, who determined to turn his
prodigious powers to their personal adyan-
tagc. Accordingly, he was persuaded to nc.
company them to the eastern states under
promise of far more profitable empl. .nent
1t is not strange that in such company tho
good natulcl giant soon fell into bad habits
Unfortunately giants arc only men, and the
gamblers who captured poor Freeman made
sport of him rs tho Philstincs mado sport of
tho helpless Samson.
1t is related that at Buffalo they sent him
into dock saloon with a 600 pound anchor
under his arm, much as a chopper carries his
AK, to pawn it for drinks. Ho got tho liquor,
and the birkeeper was glad to treat him for
carrying the anchor out again
HE DIED OF CONSUMPTION.
The gant's new friends soon Travelled to
|
They intended to get the advantage of some
English champion, but they found that they
had an elephant OH their hands.
y friendly sparring match as an cxperi-
mcnt, with professional boxer, showed that
for Freeman match with any living pueilist
was impossible. The giants face could not
bc circctually reached. Blows on his body
might as well have been planted on a sand
bag, wlilo his blows wero given with tho
forco of apile driver, and no matter what
they met, the obstacle went to the earth.
By the ruso of representing him us large
and strong, but wholly ignorant of the
science, his hackers finally succeeded in
making match with u noted prize fighter.
Tho parties came OIL tho ground but at the
first sight of Freeman his opponent turned
away, saying: II came to fight with largo
man, not with u mountain" Tho seconds
and referees thcreupon declared tho match
fairly ''olf."
And now the unluclsy giant became aware
of the worthlcssness of his mercenary friends,
Whilc there was prospect that ho could win
fortunes for them they had lured him far
away from his home and his few humble
friends; but now, finding that no money was
to bc made, they basely left him alone in q
strange land, without friends or resources
From Michigan to Liverpool the stylo Of
living had been entirely new to tho simple
and tcmperately reared countrymen Intem
perancc, late hours and recklessness had un
dermined his health, and pulmonary trou
BILE was developed. His enormous strength
soon failed him, and, uncared for and help
less, he shortly after died of consumption
AT this time probably no human being
knows his resting place.
During Freemans entire life no refining in
luence came near him: no one tried to en-
tighten and beautify tho mind and soul which
might have Informed and irradiated his splen
did body. So perished in his primo perhap
the most magnificent specimen of physica
manhood that tho United States has eve
} produced. FREQ Press,
Points on Pins.
Law has deigned to notice tho pin. No
long before the close Of tho reign of Henr,