The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1889-04-13
THE STORY OF A GIANT.
Interesting Sketch off Magnificent Speci
men of Physical Manhood.

from sketch published in Mich
igan journal many years ago, tends
to show that, Notwithstanding the
almost universal 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 ostracise
and set apart man as TO make his
-eminence positive drawback
to hlm.
The first record we have of
Charles Freeman, the subject of
this sketch, is that he appeared
among other laborers on a Western
canal about the year 1870, where
his extraordinary strength and |
stature attracted much attention.
Freeman is said to have been at
that time eight feet tall and to have
measured three feet across the
shoulders. His arms where they
sprang from his chest were as large !
as medium-sized mans body, and
they tapared down to a hand not
less than three inches in thickness,
while the fists could only he com
pared to a 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 S
strength made him a most destruc-
| tive one. Such a Titan should
have had giant tools made on pur-
pose for him, for when he seized an
ordinary shovel it went through
the clay like a breaking plow, and
the handle soon came off if the
blade held. An ordinary AK was
but feather in his hand; it sunk
to the eye in the wood and the
helve splintercd. He seemed quite
incapable of measuring the force
he laid out, like ordinary men.
When he stood among gang of
laDorers the contrast made them
look like children. The strollng
Indians would stare at him in
amazementa few momentsand then
with a deep "Ugh' would hasten
out of sight as rapidly as their dig
| nity would permit.
He was put to do the work oftwo
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, put
ting his right hand under the end
Of the log, raising is from the
ground, then balancing it across
his left forearm, lie shot it far out
to one side with all the ease that a
skilled workman piles split cord
wood. 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 per
haps toss. When the heavily
freighted boats stuck on the rip
pies he often stepped ont CT ths
stern and pushed it over. The crew
, would have scarcely been surpris
ed if he had taken both boat ant
cargo under his arm and marched
across by land when they came L
long bends in the river.
1t was not long after this tiint
that some sporting men unfortun
ately heard of this uncelebrateC
giant and concluded that there
was s'money in him. Freeman WA
0 as simple as child. He Lacked
ambition, had no desire to exhibi
or push himself, and possessed ;
most amiable disposition. Amy ON
could lead him, and he never ap
peared to realize that lie way in an,
was remarkable.
This innocence was taken adyan
tage OF by these sharpers, who dc
termed to turn hisprodigious pow
ers to their personal advantage
Accordingly, he was persuaded t
accompany them to the Easter
= States under promise OF far NOR
profitable employment.
1t is not strange that in sue
company the good natured gian
e soon fell into bad habits. info
tunately giants are only men, an
the gamblers who captured pOt
!, Freeman made sport of him as ii
" PhiIistines made sport of the hell
less Samson.
II is related that at Buffalo the
? sent him into a dock saloon with
900 pound anchor under his arr
s much as chopper carries his a
to pawn it for drinks. He got Il
liquor. and the barkeeper was gls
q to treat him for carrying Il
n anchor out again.
i The giants new friends sot
\ Travelled to the sea coast and final
4 sailed for England. They intend'
i to get the advantage of sor
n English champion, but they fonl
. that they had an elephant ON th'
4 hands.
A friendly sparrlng match as
experiment, with profession
: lbexer, showed that for Freeman