The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1890-03-27
A GERMAN HERCULES.
An UnequaIed Feat Performed by Teu-
tonic Man of Might.

The first theater manager of Berlin,
Johann Karl Won Eckenberg, was the
so-called IMAM of strength" who
showed himself nearly 200 years ago,
first as juggler, then as athlete. OF
his life little is-known except rs in
his career as theatre manager, as he
was the founder of the first Berlin thea
ter. He was extensively written of
and an article under the title of "An
Athlete of the Eighteenth Century" !"
published some years ago and recently
unearthed, gives an interesting account
of his prowess, as follows:
By an athlete of the eighteenth CEN
tury we do not mean the Prince Fred
erick August of SaXony, King of Po-
land, commonly called August the
Strong, who could knock off the head
of an OK with one stroke of his sword,
and besides distinguished himself in all
kinds of respectable performances of
strength, but another Hercules, who
would have wrapped the strong Au-
gust around his little finger if such a
thing could have been permitted. This
man was the athlete, Johann Karl Won
Eckenberg, who in the twenties and
thirties of the last century showed his
productions of strength in public. He
was the most stately of gymnasts, and
was born in the town of Harzgenrode.
and, out of respect to his native town,
he called himself for time on his
bill posters Samson Hercules Harz-
mann.
1t borders on the fabulous what his
L.
able exhibitions of strength. He broke
an anchor rope as if it were ordinary
thread; iron nails and bolts he turned
playfully between his fingers in screws;
a cannon pipe he carried around as if it
were baby. His teeth was as strong
as iron. He bit into piece of oak
wook; then a strong cart horse was
harnessed to it. In spite Of the horse
being urged on, it was unable to pull
the stick out of the juggler's mouth or
to pull the athlete from the place
where he stood. A bench made of
wood, sixteen feet long, he grasped
with his teeth by one end and carried
it around, while a trumpeter blowing
his instrument sat ON the other end.
His arm was more powerful than his
teeth. He spread out his hands, on
each one was placed bottle of wine,
then rope was attached to each wrist,
and to each rope there were three men
from the audience who pulled with all
their might. SO as to make it impOssi-
BILE for the Hercules to convey the wine
to his mouth. All their zeal was with
out avail, as the arms of the gymnast
bent themselves irresistibly, and
brought the jug to his mouth without
spilling drop of wine.
He generally saved his grandest per-
formancc of strength until the close of
the exhibition. He ascended scaffold
Of beams, under which was platform
of thick planks fastened on strong
chains. A trumpeter mounted on a
horse. clad as a herald, rode upon the
platform and played his tune The
Hercules then took a place on the point
of the scaffolding, held glass of wine
in one hand and with the other, by
means of the chains lifted the heavy
platform, the horse and the trumpeter
high up from the floor, and for little
while held the whole weight, the trum-
peter shrilly blowing tune, while the
athlete drank the glass of wine at the
same time giving toast to the Magis-
trate and the citizens of the city IN
which he happened TO be staying.
When Herr Won Eckenberg became
older his power gradually left him;
therefore he gave up the herculean
business and became chief theater
manager of Berlin. where he for some
time possessed two show booths, which,
however, did not bring him as large an
income as his exhibition of strength.
But when he had the large income he
did not know how to save it. He had
competitor, Peter Hilferding, who
had a show booth with privileges, and
at the same time was a practical joker
and clown under the name of Pantalon
de Bisognosi. Provoking quarrels with
this man embittered the life of the
imam of strength" SO that ne took to
drinking, which was his ruin at last.
His numerous creditors seized both his
booths, with all belongings, complete
ly impoverishing the celebrated Her
cules, who died in the year 1854.