Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-11-09
A MODERN SAMSON.
CY PHIPPS, THE MAINE GIANT,
AND HIS FEATS OF MUSCLE.
Lifted and Moved a House. One End
at Time-Bent 2O0-Pound
Iron Bar to a V and Made
All Bangor Stare.
" vERYBODY in Eastern Maine


and the most iuyeterate wag
of his age. Cy was born out here at
Goodale's Corner, on the side hill over
looking DedhGm, about fifty years ago,
saws the Lewiston journal.
Somewhere about the time that old
John Brown was getting hanged down
in Virginia, Cy, then e. lad getting on
toward voting age, bought dog that
was big and good natured enough to
allow himself to be harnessed to carts
and sleds, attached to which he made
long journeys, hauling his master to
dances or other places of amusement.
Hauling bees were all the rage then,
and no man thought of building n new
house when he could find an old one
for sale. AS soon as the purchase was
made the house was placed on two
stout logs called "shoes," and the
farmers would come for miles with
their oxen to help at the moving.
One afternoon Cy was riding down
long hill behind his dog when he met
q house moving.
sect out OF the rond and let me
pass" cried Cy, hauling up. The
teamsters laughed at him.
eff you don't put that house out of
the way" said Cy, "I'll get Off and do
it N m,7-salf."
At this teumsters smiled so broadly
and made such succastic remarks that
Cy grabbed one end OF the house,
showed it into the ditch, and served
the other end the same way, and, hav-
ing offered to tip it over on the roof
in case anybody doubted his ability to
do SO, he whipped up his dog and
went on. it was II small house, to be
sure, but men are scarce who can lift
one er of little house, and nobody
doubted Cy Phipps's strength after
that.
Still, he had rivals whom he was
glad to accommodate IN any kind of a
contest they saw fit to suggest. One
of these was "Sime" Gibson, who
| worked on Mount Heagan in Prospect.
"Sime" had lifted 1900 pounds dead
weight and turned over an eight ton
granite stone with the aid of the great
quarry bar. This bar was used in the
quarry for pulling down stone that
had been loosened by blasting. 1t
was about eight feet long and weighed
200 pounds. After a seam had been
opened with powder the bar was forced
down into the crevice, tt ring was put
over the top, and oxen were hitched
to the ring to pull the stone away,
When Cy had performed all of Glib
sons feats easily, he put the bar into
seam in a ledge and lifted until the
great rod of iron lc colIed like a capital
V.
Another feat of his was to launch a
loaded scow across mud flats at low
water. He also shouldered two bar
rels of flour at once-one on each
shoulder-and hauled up the anchor
of good-sized schooner by pulling
in the cable handover hand without
SO much as touching the windlass.
For the twenty years following 1860
Cy Phipps was probably the strongest
man in Maine, and might have made a
lot of money had he chosen to give
exhibitions. Instead of that he mar
ried nice little girl IN Orland and
raised up respectable family.
Instead of getting stuck up and 60
ing around with u chip on his shout
der or challenging men through the
newspapers Cy grew better natured as
he got older, and whenever he en-
ployed his great strength at all it was
to forward his own work or to help
some friend out of trouble. Having
gained some little property and feel
ing disinclined to work hard every
day, he moved to Lynn, Mass. In
1880 and for more than ten years he
served as an engineer at good wages.
During the time he worked there
every man from Eastern Maine who
went to Boston always made trip
| down to Lynn to see Cy Phipps, SO
that he often received as many as
twenty callers in Il day. In short, he
was one of the local attractions, anC
his prowess soon became so vel
known in Boston that sevt raj sporting
men made him good offers if he woulc
undertake tours under their manage
ment. Cy treated them all well, lis
tened to what they said, and refused
every overture, no matter how mucl
money there was in it. He was get
ting along in years, and flesh had ac
cumulated on his frame to such an ex
tent that he weighed nearly 30
pounds. In view of these facts, ht
believed it best to let well enough
alone.
About two years ago, when he wa
happy and prosperous and had ever.
chance of reaching n ripe old age il
Lynn he suddenly threw up his iol
and went to Danvers, where they put
him in the violent ward of Che insane
asylum. He is there to-day and i
glad to see all those who call on him
! He is ward master at salary c
$1,000 a year.
UCtp Pc d.