The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1893-06-01
r j. WILSON, AGEN I.
clNclNNATrs STRONG MAN,
Nothing seems Too Heavy for This Modern
Samson.

Nothing seems Too Heavy for This Modern
Samson.
There is probably no other place
outside Of Cincinnati that can lay
claim to having in its midst a man
who makes common carrier OF him
self-a man who hires himself out
as one would let a dray or an ex-
press wagon. :.
The man, Mosher, who makes it
business here, is better known by
the sobriquet OF "Samson, so-called
on account of his remarkable
strength and endurance. He came
to this country from Frankfort, Ger
many, to use his own words, "when
Franklin Pierce was president. !"
For time he steamboated on the
lakes and the Mississippi river,
finally drifting to Cuba, where he
was common carrier for a year.
He arrived here a few months later,
and has been a resident ever since.
In those days moving vans were
comparatively unknown, and when
the good citizen desired to move he
generally experienced considerable
trouble in procuring a conveyance
to make the necessary shift. This
was pointer tc "Samson, and he
let himself in on the ground floor,
soon establishing for himself lucra-
tive business as a common carrier of
household goods, merchandise,
trunks, etc. AT times, when bust
ness was little dull, he would hit
himself to Sixth and Plum and
solicit trade, like the expressmen do
to-day at the same corner, says The
Cincinnati Inquirer.
While thus standing in his accus-
toned place one day he was accost-
ed by woman who gave him
his first long haul. 1t was to
move her household goods from
Walnut Hills ID place some
where down on Liberty street.
He proceeded to the place at
once, packed the goods and moved all
the woman's belongings to the
place Of destination in an hour and
twenty minutes, resting only once
during the trip. He was paid fifty
cents for his work-the usual COM
pensation called for by his tariff of
rates for suburban service.
As the time passed business be-
came moro brisk with "Samson,
and he was not obliged to stand any
longer on the corner to solicit trade,
as he had as much hauling as he was
able to attend to. His great strength
had become noised about, and it was
believed by many superstitious peo-
pie that he would have no trouble in
carrying off a block of buildings.
Mothers silenced noisy children by
telling them if they did not be good
"Samson" would come around some
night and carry them off, house
and all.
Some time ago a house was torn
down in the West End to be replaced
by new one, and "Samson" was
engaged to haul away the big tim
bers. Two little tots, seeing their
opportunity when the strcng man
had a load ON and was ready to start,
hoped upon the timbers< aud rode
out to Cumminsville without "Sam-
son" discovering their presence.
While engaged one day in moving
furniture from a house in Eighth
street he probably tackled ,the big
gest job he ever went against in his
life. In the house was a large square
piano of enormous size. He sue
cessfully got the instrument out of
the door, strapped it to his back, and
unaided, carried it across the street,
winning So wager as the result.
1t was a pastime in his younger
days for him to wander in the neigh
boring woods, daily awhile with
few young trees and then yank them
out by the roots. He then brought
them to town and always found
ready market for them. 1t was no
uncommon thing to see him passing
along the street with a full-grown
maple tree on his shoulder.
Old age is beginning to tell, and
the once strong and vigorous man
contents himself with delivering
bread for Clark street bakery and
doing light jobs here and there
Chicago Times.