The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-07-18
is A PERFECT HERCULES
Wonderful Feats of a Little Swear
Old Girl.
Can Lift More Than Twice Her Own
Weight Without Apparent Effort.
Her Father Thinks the Spirit
of a Giant Soldier
is in Her.

share OF seashern hospitality shown to
Union soldiers at Libby and Anderson
sihe prisons, and when ut the end of
tho war he left the army he was broken
in hcaISh and 10 all appearances prema-
tnrely aged.
He settled on small farm III Sulli-
van county. When no took tho farm, it
was witch the expectation of speedily dy-
tpg there Flo had lost sight, however
OF the fact chat nobody over dies in Sui
tiyan county except by accident, and at
the end Of IL years, when he found he
couldn't die, he did the next best thing
and got married
II no hadn't this story would never
have been written, for there would then
have been no brown eyed, rosy checked,
airnPle faced beautiful little Jessie
MauS 1Jaird to throw the whole of Sui
hyan eoanty into state of admiration
and wculoT, rs she is today doing.
1t was the famo OF 6-year-o old Jessie
Maad that dragged 4 reporter over the
snteraninable hills to Hurd's Settlement
Whhn he met the veteran, he took him
quite naturally for the grandfather Of
the infant prodigy. That he is the
child's fathcr, although rapidly nearing
60, seems to lend IN added interest to
tho remarkable gift of physical strength
possessed by the girl. A man apparent
~ wrecked III health by years of con-
faement IN rebel prisons, who tries i'll
vain for II years TO die, who then mar
xies q woman 90 years younger than
himself and in the course of tho next 10
years becomes the father of six children,
the lastGf which even in tender infancy
ivesProniFe OF becoming female San
dow.or Samson, would seem to merit
sorae form of recognition from graft
fled and grateful government.
This little girl, who was years
old last December, weighs exactly 30
pounds. Her mother declares that she
has never had sick day in her life.
She began to go to school when sho was
& y years old. The schoolhouse is
mile from the farmhouse, and Maud
walked both ways every day.
1t was with great surprise that Farm
cr Laird learned tho mission of the re-
porter He has no idea of foisting the
little girl upon the public as an infant
prodigy, and it was with some difficult
", increased by the bnshfulness Of lit
tie Miss Hercules herself. that an exhi-
bition of her strength could DO had. A
bribe OF unlimited candy finally induced
her to come ont from behind the shelter
of her mothers chnir-the mother, bv
the way, being II comely but uncom-
monty fragile looking woman-and ex-
hibit her muscle.
Inc old veteran, who couldn't con-
ceal. the pride he felt in his interesting
flock of youngsters, led the way toward
the barn, followed by the six children.
Maud, although she WAS barefooted.
walled more like tho pupil of dane
ing master than Il country girl of o.
In the yard, near the entrance to the
barn, was coil or spool of harbed wire
weighing 90 pounds.
Lift it, Cal'' said the farmer to his
Oldest boy. The II -ycar-old lad laid
hold Of the crosspins which stuck out
ut the end Of the spool, and with q big
tug, which visibly frightened the cords
IN tho calves Of his bare legs. raised it a
few inches from the ground.
! "Now, Maud" said the farmer. and
the little girl planted herself soaarely
behind the big spool, which reached up
to about midway between her knees and
bef thighs. Without any perceptible eff
fort she raised the spooi}and held it up
for several seconds
/ IL there had been any reddening OF
the face or putting out OF the veins the
spectacle would not have been an etlify-
ing ona But there was nothing OF the
sort.
/ MIR. Laird then placed STONES which
weighed 90 pounds on top Of the, sppol
and ashed Maud to lift again. The re-
suit Yves precisely the came. ard all evil
dences Of violent e1ertion were. missing.
The combined weight of the spool and
stones WIGS two pounds more than 6ou-
bic the weight Of the little sfrl herself.
The average man weighs peFhaps 100
ponndp, buS the man who can raise from
the ground and hold in the cir 500
Wounds Of dead weight lisa great way
above the. average,
ri aonb know how muoh Maud can
IFS" said her father, "but won't let
her try nore than that's
AT this moment. however, the arnag-
ing little Hercnles threw her plump
azns around the lego Of her eldest broth
or and lifted him into the alr, thus de-
her ability at all events to
go as high IA the lifting scale az 50
pounds.
FarmeS Laird has Theory that the
srart&cf his father. who was a-Scotch.
YnSn eaS n Reroaaot e., &ba H,ol;al, o,..