Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1889-10-03
Helena, Montana, Thursday, October 3, 1889.
A MODERN SAMSON.
A Visit to ssthe Strongest Man on
Earth.''
[Pall Mall Budget

TPall Mall Budget
There are many Delilahs but only one
Samson, and he is performing at the Royal
Aquarium at present. where his feats of
strength are certainly of an original and
marvellous character. The spectator as he
watches feels that it is better to be friendly
with such man; with blow of his fist
he breaks an iron chain that will bear a
pressure of 5000 pounds. With his two
hands graspiDg a short chain of $500
pounds ascertaiDed pressure. he makes q
momentary effort and pulls the iron chain
to bits; and in what seems the most won
derful feat, namely, fastening two tight
iron chain bracelets or armlets round his
biceps, the spectator may view the process
from beginning to end. One hears the
strong man take long breath, sees the
muscles of his arms growing bigger and
bigger, the cords of his neck swelling with
the sustained effort, his face crimsOning,
and then, in the silence, those nearest the
stage can hear q curious little sundering
snap; it is the double chain armlet that has
broken, and that the next second falls ring
ing to the floor When Samson's fist is
clenched and he is ready to strike, the
measurement of his upper arm round BIZ
ceps and triceps is nineteen and one half
inches, which, we may casually remark, is
considered tOlerable waist for q young
lady.
Among some of his minor feats-if such
displays can be called minOr-Samson took
q penny piece from one of the audience,
and at one trial bent it with his fingers as
one may bend railway ticket, held it upto
view for second, and then deliberately
broke it in half and returned the pieces to
the owner A very little practice will con-
breaking pennies with finger and thumb
The strong man next bent a four foot iron
gaspipe round his neck and cheerfully
Strengthened it again by repeated blows on
his left arm, such arm being for the nOnce
a species of anvil. Fourteen men came
upon the stage, by invitation, to against
him, but Sampson, not deemipg them
enough, or sizing up thei. athletic capsbili-
ties with a professional eye, expressed a
wish for four more. These men he divided
into nine a side, the two sides nearly the
width of mans stretch apart, and each
side being provided with and grasping q
strong and lengthy iron rod Before plac-
ing himself between them, Samson stimu-
lated their ardor by promising e10O to
them if he Jailed to move them, and ap-
parently there was grateful determine
tion on the mems faces to win the pour
boire Then there was short, sharp strug-
gle; the men held their ground for brief
space, were pulled together, and the next
moment thrust apart, and, fiually, swaying
as they went, were carried away by the
intensity of ope straining man in their
midst.
Samson is man of thirty -one, of French
origin, native of Alsace Lorraine. He
comes to us from America, and this is his
first appearance in England. At fifteen
years of age he entered the Circus RAM as
an athlete and pulled against horses and
elephants. At eighteen he commenced to
wrestle, and from that time till the present
he has left untried no means whereby he
can maintain, train and develop his extra
ordinary strength.