Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-06-19
BIG Men AND M
esme OF the Giants and Giantesses Of
Whom History Tells.

S.-
Whom History Tells
At all times and in all countries
Engs and mobiles had a fancy for in
:luding among their retainers either a
giant or a dwarf, sometimes both, as
Frederick the Great and his corps of
gigantic grenadiers; and in the Tower
Ut London may be seen a lance and
some enormous armor of Sixteenth
century work. which doubtless belonged
10 some giant knight or trooper of the
kings bodyguard. James ! had at
tached TO his person a porter named
Walter Parsons, commonly called the
Stafrordshire giant, a handsome, brave
and strong young man, who had begun
life as a farrier. His height was z
feet Z inches, and his portrait ex.
lists, engraved by Glover Parsons
lived on into the reign Of Charles |, and
was succeeded by another giant, VIII,
lam Evans. two inches taller than his
predecessor.
1t is a curious fact that the popula.
ton of France has rarely produced a
giant; Great Britain, Germany. Poland
and Switzerland carry off the palm; and
this may perhaps he attributed 10 the
prevalence in France of a vegetarian
diet, which does not tend To develop 10
so great an extent the growth of muscle
as does the stronger diet of meat. The
Eighteenth century, 10 Judge by con-
temporary letters and newspapers,
seems TO have been more than usually
prolific in giants and giantesses.
Horace Walpole mentions n giant
and giantess who were on view respect
lively at Spring Gardens and Half Noon
Court, Ludgate Hill. They were both
it seems, handsome and well proper.
toned persons, and without the usual
awkward u~ngainliness peculiar 10 their
kind. AT this time also appeared a
young Italian gianteSs Z fee: in
height, who was the admiration"
said the handbills, ''of the emperor OF
Germany, Of eight kings of Europe and
of the grand ear Of Moscow himself"
Her appearance seems to have been
followed in Zap by that of Caianus
the famous Swedish giant, commonly
called the living Colossus" who came
over to England and established him.
self at a house opposite the Mansion
house. He was the son Of a pastor Of
a little village in Finland and stood S
feet 4 inches in his socks.
In 1855 London was visited by an
other Italian giant. named Bernardo
uigli. or Gill. who measured 5 feet
In height. and seems to have created
an immense sensation by the colossal
proportions Of his limbs. But no giart
eve created such a Juror as did Charlc,
Byrne, the Irish giant, who was s feet =
inches in height, and possessed of enoi
nous strength. He was clever and
shrewd. and full Of the natural wit VI
his mother country; but, unfortunate
ly, the large fortune he rapidly gained
by the exhibition of himself led him
into habits of gluttony, and he died at
the early age of 90, leaving instructions
that his body was to be buried at sea
but the college of surgeons in some
way obtained his corpse for the sum Of
$500, according to certain reports, and
the skeleton was set up in their mu.
scum by William Hunter, the famous
anatomist.
Shortly after Byrne's death another
Irish giant exhibited himself in Lon
don, by name Patrick Cotter, alias
O'Brien. lie was so attenuated that.
tall as lac was. he appeared ven taller.
His height was 5 feet Z inches. Feeble
and debilitated in health, he could only
walk by supporting himself on the
shoulders Of two tall men walking in
front of him. resting "A hand ON the
shoulder Of each. Many amusing stories
are related of him. One evening at a
Masonic dinner he took out of his
pocket the celebrated dwarf. Count
Borulauski, and set him upon the table.
to the establishment of all.
Some time after. while staying ut
Bath, he nearly terrified a night watch
man out Of his wits by taking off the top
of a street lamp and lighting. his pipe
with the flame. He was Of an amiable
and gentle disposition, but not remark
able for any intellectual capacity. Since
his day to the present time London has
only cen four giants Of any abnormal
height or size. namely. James Tolees, s
feet six inches In height, in 1919; Scott,
Chang and Herr Wickelmeir, the Bava.
rian giant.
OF g~iantesses, Miss Scott and Pauline
Marie Elizabeth Wedde are the only
colossal ladies who have astonished the
eyes of the sight seeing world. The
latter, called the Queen of the ANA
IONS, was born at Ben-Rendorf. in
Thuringia, ON the 3lst Of January,
1866. and introduced TO the Londor
public at the Alhambra in a piece en-
titled "Babil and Bijou" She was
good looking, and Of a handsome, well
proportioned figure, and measured
about s feet 4 inches in height. OF her
subsequent history and career we have
mot haon ahla IN fraca any .acnu,t