The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-17
NAMES STRONGEST MAN.
CY PHIPPs, THE PENoBsCOT Gil
ANT, AND HIS FEATs OF
MUSCLE.

Of Cy Phipps, the giant Of Penobscot
county, and the most inveterate was Of
his age. g was born OUT mere at Good
ale's Corner on the side h.l overlooking
Dedham. about fifty years ego and tne
old-style house where he irst met his par
ents and learned to respect them is stin
standing.
Somewhere about the time that old John
Brown was getting hanged down in Viz
ginia, Cy, then a lad getting on toward
voting age, invited Humphrey Pinhorn OF
East Covington to his home to pass the
night. As the house was dIle,I with stylish
company from Boston al the tine. Cy and
his friend slept in bed 30 the ell cham
Der. The ell was new taen. and the
chamber where they stayed was not only
unfinished. but it had no floor boards.
except for a space in the middle where
the bed stood, the two spaces under the
caves being open to the dining room be-
low. The boys did not 60 to bed until
late, and then they talked and skylarked
so long THAT II was nearly morning be-
fore sleep overlook them The conse-
quence was that when Cy woke up ami
heard the fine company eating breakfast
under him. and learned that Pinhorn was
still asleep, he drew up his legs and kicked
Viciously, sending his bcdfellow from I'M
der the clothes and landed him squarely
on top Of the table. Pinhorn, who was
not clad in approved dining costume,
made such sensation when he lit among
the dishes that one woman tainted dead
away, and most of the company had no
further desire for food
Inc winter after this Cy bought a dog
that was Dig and good natured enough
10 allow himself to be harnessed to carts
and sleds, attached to which he made
long journeys, hauling Cy to dances or
other places of amusement. Hauling bees
We're all the rage then and no man
thought OF building a new house when
ne 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
Tor miles with their oxen TO help at the
moving. one afternoon Cy was riding
down long hill behind his dog. when
he met house moving
Get out of the road and let me pass"
cried ~ hauling up The teamsters
IF you don't put that house out Of the
way, said Cy IN get off and do II my
At this the teamsters smiled so broad
~ ana made such sarcastic remarks that
" grabbed one end of the house showed
IL INTO the ditch, then served the other
END the same way. and having offered to
Up ~ over On the F0OI IN case ANYBODY
doubted his ability to do so, he whipped
up his dog and went on 1t was a small
mouse, to be sure, but men are scarce
who can lift one end Of a little house
after that
still. he had rivals whom he was glad to
accommodate in any kind of a contest they
saw nj to suggest one OF these was
Heagan in Prospect 'SSime" had lifted /
zoo pounds dead weight and turned over
an eight ton granite stone with the aid Of
uhe great quarry bar. This bar was used
IN the quarry for pulling down stone that
had been loosened by blasts. It~was about
eight feet long and weighed 200 pounds.
| After seam had been opened with now
der the bar was forced down into tho
creVlce' ring was put over the top. and
oxen were httched to the ring to pull the
stone away. When Cy had performed All
OF Glbson's feats asily, he put the bar
into a seam In a ledge and lifted until tl,A
great rod of iron looked like a Canitai V
Another feat Of his was to launch a load
ed scow across mud fats at low water He
also shouldered two barrels OF flour at
once-one on each shoulder-and barlsd
| up the anchor of a good-size,l schooner IN,
| pulling in the cable hand-over-hand with
| out so much as touching the windlass Tor
/ the twenty years following 1850 Cy Phipps
! was probably the strongest man In Maine
! ana might have made lot Of money had
/ ne chosen to give exhibitions Instead Of
tn1t ne married nice little girl in Orland
! anu ldAoVu up a respectable family
| one summer soon after the close Of
| the war, Cy went to Bangor looking for
| prontable work. II was during one of
| those warm spells which sometimes his
1eE Eastern Maine for week or so, and
Whlch the people call "ox-sweaters . and
! as Cy went from place to place he he
| came quite heated, so he longed TO get
back home where he could lie under the
| shade OF the big ash and take off most
! of his clothes without fear of arrest TIE
| more he thought of the disrobing idea
! the better ne liked il. As a starter he
look on ms coat and waistcoat and laid
! them over his arm. This made him feel
| better. He walked some distance i'm this
| manner sizing up the policemen in order
/ 70 learn now much resistance he would
| have to encounter in case he carried ort
| his plans. Finding nothing to disconre s1s
| MN ne TOOK on his shoes and stockings
| rolled the legs Of his trousers up until
they were above his knees. He shoulder
| ed his discarded garments and went on
| Those who saw him on the streets
| thought he was an insane man and fled
| away. Two or threee policemen who had
been called TO arrest him looked him
/ over and let him pass They said a man
/ mad a right to go barefooted in Bangor
| so long as he behaved himself One no
| nceman who attempted to converse with
| Cy on the intiamed condition of the wealth
| er, in order to drow him out was thrust
| aside so torCibly that Cy was out of SIGHT
! before he gained control of his mind
org crowd OF admiring boys was in his
1
! bridge. Reaching Exchange street he
| turned down toward the toll bridge. and
| entering a barber shop, he sat down in a
\ chair and demanded a hair cut and shave.
| The barber looked at the dusty feet and
the red calves, and then let his gaze
| wander over Cy's grand anatomy until
he met pair of laughing eyes.
Shampoo, too" asked the barber
/ YES go ahead" said Cy. The barber
! worked on him a long time, doing everv-
/ thing as ordered. After the shampoo Cv
| sat back in the chair again and said he
| wished to have place as big as a silver
| dollar shaved on the crown of his head.
| He informed the barber that he wanted
the spot shaved so he would look like the
| old man" Cy paid the barber twice his
charge, told him to do what his CUSTOM
/ ers wanted and he would soon wear dia-
/ monds, and then trudged off home bare
/ footed, while a small army of worshipers
1 accompanied him half way to South
1 Brewer
! Instead of getting stuck up and going
/ around with ship on his shoulder or
| challenging men through the newspapers.
! Cy grew better natured as he got older.
4 and Whenever he employed his great
| strength al all It was to forward his own
/ work or to help some friend out of trouble