Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1896-09-30
A MODERN SAMSON.
CY PHIpPs, THE MAINE GIANT.
AND HIS FEArS OF MUSCLE.
Lifted and Moved House. Une End
at o Time-Bent 2O0-Pound
Iron Bar to v and Made
All Bangor Stare.

~ vERYBoDY in Eastern Mains
H. has heard of Cy Phipps, the
VI giant OF Penobscos Cour<y
and the most iuyeterate wag
of his age. Cy was born out here at
Goodale's Corner, on the side hill over
looking Dedham, about fifty years ago,
saws the Lewiston Journa'.
Somewhere about the time that old
John Brown was getting hanged down
in Virginia, Cy, then lad getting on
toward voting age, bought dog that
vas big and good natured enough to
allow himself to be harnessed to carts
and sleds, attached to which he male
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 new
house when he could find On old one
for sale. AS soon rs the purchase was
made the house was placed on tSo
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 g
long hill behind his dog when lie met
house moving.
"Get out of the road and let me
pass" cried Cy, hauling up. TIE
teamsters laughed at him.
"If you don't put that house out OF
the way" said Cy, "I'll get off and do
it myself"
At this teamsters smiled so broadly
and made su,h sarcastic remarks that
Cy grabbed one end OF tho 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. 1t was a small house, to be
sure, but men are scarce who can lift
one er d of a 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.
"S.me" 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. II
was about eight feet long and weighed
200 pounds. After seam had been
opened with powder the bar was forced
down into the crevice, a 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
o seam in ledge and lifted until the
great rod Of iron Looked like capital
Another feat of his was to launch a
loaded scow across mud flats at low
water. He also shouldered two bar.
rels OF -four at once-one on each
shoulder-and hauled up the anchor
of a good.sizsd schooner by pulling
in the cable hand.over-hand without
80 much as touching the windlass.
For the twenty years following 1861
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 o respectable family.
Instead of getting stuck up and go.
ing around with 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 On engineer at COOL 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 day. In short, he
was one of the local attractions, and
his proves soon became SO we'll
known in Boston that sew. raj sporting
men made him good offers if he would
undertake tours under their manage
ment. Cy treated them all well, lis
tened to what they said, and refused
every overture, no matter how much
money there was in it. He was get
ting along in years, and flesh had &C.
cumulated on his frame to such an ex.
tent that he weighed nearly 3OC
pounds. In view of these facts, he
believed it best to let we'll enough
alone.
About two years ago, when he was
happy and prosperous and had every
chance of reaching ripe old age IN
Lynn he suddenly threw up his JOB
and went to Danvers, where they put
him in the violent ward OF the insane
asylum. He is there to-day and l:
glad to see all those who call on him.
He is ward master at salary o'
$1,000 year.