Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1889-08-30
MODERN GIANTS.
VERY TALL PEOPLE ARE SAID TO
BE BECOMING SCARCE.
The Heaviest Giant Was an Ameri-
can and the Tallest an Aus
trian-Other Giants
A Tall Couple.

men in the freak business that giants are
becoming scarcer every year. This is to
be taken with good deal of allowance,
although it is true that dwarfs are more
numerous, as undersized men are more
frequently met with than men above the
average height. Living in cities is apt
to stunt the growth, and as larger por-
ton of the population is constantly
coming to live in that way the average
stature is apt to be steadily diminished.
1t is perhaps not generally known that
the heaviest giant of whom we have any
authentic record was native of this
country. Miles Darden was born in
North Carolina IN 1898, and died in Ten
nessee January %, 1857. He was seven
feet two inches in height, and at the time
of his death his weight was upward of
1000 pounds. Until 1858 he was active
and lively and able to work, although his
weight was then S75 pounds. He was
finally obliged to remain at home or to be
drawn about in a two-horse wagon. In
1889 his coat was buttoned around three
men, each weighing more than 200
pounds, who walked in it across the pub
lie square at Lexington. His coffin was
eight feet long and three feet deep.
Another old-time Western giant was
Charles Freeman, of Michigan, who some
where in the '40s visited England and
was put into the ring as a prize fighter,
his adversary being William Perry, who
afterward became char ION of England.
Freeman was of enormous strength and
measured eight feet in height and three
feet across the shoulders. He became
somewhat noted as circus rider, but died
at a comparatively early age of consump-
ton in London.
The recent death of Colonel Ruth
Goshen removed one of the largest and
best proportional giants ever exhibited
in America. At the time of his death,
which occurred at his home in Clyde, N.
j., from dropsy, his weight was some
thing over 600 pounds, and during his
last illness it required the services of four
men with hosting apparatus to turn him
in bed. Contrary to most giants, Colonel
Goshen attained the advanced age of
seventy years. He was born in Egypt
and had been one of Barnum's greatest
attractions for many years.
Among other giants of modern times
perhaps the most intelligent, and GER
tainly one of the most gentlemanly, was
Colonel Orr, who died some seven years
ago. He will be remembered by many
who witnessed his performance in "Jack,
the Giant Killer" drama which was
presented by Colonel Orr and company
of Lilliputians and attracted much atten-
ton. Colonel Orr was seven feet four
inches in height and weighed $50 pounds.
AT the time of his death he was Royal
Arch Mason and Knight of Pythias.
The Chinese giant, Chang Won Cow,
was doubtless the tallest man ever exhib-
tied in America. lie claimed to be eight
feet two inches high, but lacked the fine
proportions of some of his predecessors.
Chang is the son of a wealthy silk and
tea merchant of Pekin and is well edu-
Gated, speaking several languages. He
has been exhibited in Europe and Austria
liza, and when in Australia wore a soli-
taire diamond ring given him by the EN-
peror of Russia, which was valued at
over $1,000. He was also the possessor
of a gold medal awarded him by the Ber-
lin exhibition attesting him to be the
tallest living man.
According to an English newspaper,
however, the Chinese anomaly cannot
rightly claim this pre- eminence in stature,
since there appeared in London some
three years ago giant, who far surpassed
any other whose height has been recorded
in modern times This giant was an
Austrian by birth named Weinkelmeier,
and his height was eight feet nine inches
He was born in Friedburg, in 1865, but
showed no development of this extraor-
dinary growth up to the age of fourteen,
when he began growing rapidly. At
the time the account from which we
quote was written he was on exhibition at
the London Pavilion, where huge bed
had been constructed for him, and which
was expected to be his home for some
time
The successor of Chang, with Mr..
Barnum's show in 1885, was Norwegian
named Brustod, who was only few
inches shorter than Chang, but consider.
ably below him in intelligence and ac-
complishments. He spoke English fair