Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-03-21
THE STORY OF A GIANT.
A TRULY WONDERFUL SPECIMEN OF
PHYSICAL MANHOOD.

He Could Do the Work OF Four Oxen.
Fists That Were Like sIedge Hammers.
He Didn't Seem to Understand His Pc
caIiar Gift.
The following history of remarkable man,
which we compile from sketch published In
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 man as 10 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
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 they tapered down to a
hand not less than inches In thickness,
while the fists could only be compared to a
sledge hammer in size and strength.
His age was then IL 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 bad giant tools
made on purpose for him, for when he seized
an ordinary shovel it went through the clay
like breaking up plow, and the handle soon
came off IL the blade held An ordinary az
was but 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 q gang of laborers
the contrast made them look like children
The strolling Indians would stare at him in
amazement u few moments, and then with a
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 II 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 10 handle heavy freight. What others
could not shove roll he would pick I'D and
carry, or perhaps toss. When the heavily
freighted boat stuck on the ripplea he often
stepped out Of the stern and pushed it over
The crew would have scarcely been surprised
II 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 un-
celebrated giant and concluded that there
was ''money in hun" Freeman was as SIM
pie as child. He lacked ambition, had no
desire to exhibit or push himself and pos
sessed most amiable disposition. ANY one
could lead him, and he never appeared to
realize that no was in any way remarkable.
This innocence was taken advantage of by
these sharpers, who determined to turn his
prodigious powers to their personal advan-
tage. Accordingly, be was persuaded TO ao-
company them TO the eastern states under
promise OF far more profitable employment.
It 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 snort of
the helpless Samson.
IL is related that at Buffalo they sent him
into dock saloon with a | 900 pound anchor
under his arm, much as a chopper carries his
AZ, 10 pawn it for drinks. He got the LIQUOR,
and the barkeeper was glad TO treat him for
carrying the anchor out again
HE DIED OF CONSUMPTION
The giants new friends soon Travelled to
the sea coast and finally sailed for England.
They intended to get the advantage of some
English champion, but they found that they
had an elephant on their hands.
friendly sparring match as an expert
msnt, with professional boxer, showed that
for Freeman a match with any living pugilist
was impossible. The giants face could not
be effectually reached Blows on his BODY
might as well have been planted on sand
bag, while his blows were given with the
force OF pile driver, and no matter what
they met, the obstacle went to the earth.
BY the ruse of representing him as large
and strong, but wholly ignorant of the
science, his hackers finally succeeded In
making match with noted prize fighter
The parties came on the ground, but at the
fist sight Of Freeman his opponent turned
away saying: II came to fight with a largo
man, not with a mountain The seconds
and referees thereupon declared the match
fairly of"
And now the unlucky giant became aware
of the worthlessness of his mercenary friends
While there was prospect that he 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 be made, they basely left him alone in
strange land, without friends or resources
From Michigan to Liverpool the style of
living had been entirely new to the simple
and temperately reared countrymen Intern
perance, 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
duence came near him; no one tried to en-
tighten and bsautify the mind and soul which
might have informed and irradiated his splen-
did body. So persisted In his prime perhaps
the most magnificent specimen of physical
manhood that the United States has ever
produced. Free Press