The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-26
ron GIRDNER, srRoNG MiN.
Remarkable Fents of n New brunswick
Man II Hundred Years Ago.

Remarkable Fents of n New Brunswick
Man n Hundred Years Ago.
WOODSTOCK. n. b.. Feb. 25.-Is It certain that
the famous athletes OF the present day, who
seek applause by breaking records. are. after
all. superior to the old-time performers whose
deeds were seldom chronicled? Are modern
club and college gymnasiums sending forth
men able TO discount the Drawn and bone OF
their fathers The modern professional strong
man has his scientific methods OF training. his
apparatus. and his spccialtics which lie has
p%racticed for years. but could he vanquish the
Shadows and Samsons OF Maine and New
brunswick in the early logging days at their
own game. such as lifting with the
handspike. shouldering u barrel OF pork.
or sculling a raft OF logs OIL a lee shore ?
There arc men still living on the ST. John and
the Penobscot who say that there were giants
in those days whose feats o; strength have
never been euualled. They refer, especially. to
one Tom Gardner. the lion OF the Macna1uac.
who was born on the banks of the st. John In
the year INS. and who had such strength that
it was a real affection to him by reason Of the
crowds who followed him. The mere rumor
that Tom was expected on his raft. or that he
was walking up tho road with his scull oar and
warp over his shoulder, would line the fences or
the river bank with people who wished to see
so great n prodigy.
NN''N 'iS"s " l'N'plV "a NJ ollS
would suppose that Gardner possessed moro
muscle than an ordinary man of his inches.
He was a mild-mannered, unassuming. tiaXen-
haired young man. rather slouching in his
gait. 3 feet 10 inches in height. and usually
weighing from 10 to 1870 pounds. When
stripped, however, his power could in part be-
accounted Tor. his chest being finely developed
and the muscles of his arms. legs. and thighs
standing out like the sinews of a bear. 1t was
the popular belief THAT. instead OF ordinary
ribs, Gardner possessed solid walls Of bone OH
either side OF his chest.
Toms brother John was in no way noted for
his physical prowess. but his sister. Matilda. was
so strong that no man was ever able to kiss her
In fair. honest play. She declared that she
would marry the first man who accomplished
this feat. 1t is said that one of her suitors,
Isaac Fuller. was moro crafty than the others.
He stndiously refrained from seeking to cap
ture Matilda's lips until he had won her heart.
He courted her at long range and praised her
beauty. Then Matilda surrendered.
One OF the few surviving river men Of that
period is John Gambler. who now lives at Ar
thurette. on the Tobique River. He was well
acquainted with Gardner. and saw him perform
many OF his amazing feats. There were 10
two men in my time" said Mr.. amber. who
could lift Tom Gardeners load or handle him
in q scrimmage. In the year 1926. which was
righta after the great Miramichi fire. l saw him
at Grafton. opposite Woodstock. lift a molasses
puncheon full of corn tsaid to he fourteen BUSH
elsl, from the bottom Of Il towboat to the gun
vale, and then set 1t down on the beach stones.
l saw Gardner do one thing which | am salts
fled no man in the province could now begin to
do. This occurred at Grafton also. He took
hold OF a rum puncheon containing at the
time seven gallons of rum. lifted It
from the ground without the least effort
and drank from the bunghole. The puncheon
was n heavy. iron-bound affair and must have
weighed 12O pounds. not counting the rum.
Ed Wheeler kept a blacksmith shop in those
DAYS at Fast Florenceyille. / have seen Gard
ner borrow a pair OF mitts from Ed and pull
horseshoes apart with his hands as fast as he
could pick them up. L remember his coming
home from u dance one morning. all hands
pretty well Slowed and carrying on. and haul
inG up ny me roots an apple tree four inches
did not actually see myself. but three men who
We're, with him. David Good. Solomon Good
was repianted on the shore and called card
ner's tree for forty years atterward till it was
carried AWAY by a big ice freshet.
A one time Gardner kept a kind OF hotel
or wayside house below the mouth OF TobiGue.
and two stout Irishmen. each weighing over
200 pounds. who were anxious to tackle him,
raised a rumpus in the, kitchen, Tom picked
them up. one in each hand. knocked their
and threw them over the bank OF the river.
One OF the %lrishmen was named William Ha-
H,''y -" - Nv tht 1 no . loIEoNlcll.
was an eyewitness OF this little fracas. / was
from England came there and tried to get
on a match with any one who would face
Who was expected 10 arrive on a RAFT
pext day. Tom knew nothing about wrestling.
The Englishman offered, him 1900 a year il he
would go to England and wrestle on the stage.
Another famous, wrestler came all the way
from Miramichi to Toms house TO try, IA fall
sister tafterward Mrs, Fuller told the stranger
tsIh%s could 10 throw % him herTfshl d, 9nd did 50 three
didn't wait Tor Tom. I have often seen Mrs.
Fuller and ~, knew thHt she Ind wonderful
and Tom used to say That on side hold she;
could threw him unless he put out his entire
on u wharf in st, John. where he lifted and car
T poSn DOR Sf TGe Az tee gse "b 9mP S k9sH W sI Rinss iIs52
was a witness, Of this astonishing lift; A sailor
named John Hawkins aiterward tried to lift
Of his efforts, Dir. McKeen used to say that he
had known Gardner. when lifting with II hand
inches in diameter. Also. that he had several
times seen him carrying a barrel OF pork.
saw, him shoulder q barrel Of pork while stand
Ing In an ordinary brandy box. on, one occasion
u raft when he saw the crew Of the Eel River
packet. comnosed OF three men. vainly, endeay-
s%nubhcd his raft in the eddy, waded out so that
he could get his shoulder under the bow OF the
packet and lifted the vessel of the bar.
Gardner left the Macnaquac when about 30
years Of age, and never returned to this prov
ince. He lived for some years In Upper Canada.
The last heard Of him by his relatives in New
brunswick was that he had gone to the Far
West beyond. salt Lake City. The following
anecdote OF this Hercules Is taken from an old
New York paper:
1t is commonly reported and believed that
Gardner met with "A sad adventure on board a
Mississippl steamer. A heavy bell was on
board as a portion Of the freight. and the Cap
| tam, n great, pOWerInl fellow. was concerned
a. TO how he should remove it from its place
~ order 70 make more room on deck. While
the captain and passengers were at dinner.
Tom. in the presence of the crew and 10 their
utter amazement. lifted the bell, and
carried II To the opposite side OF the
boat. When the Captain returned. he asked
how, the bell had been moved, and when Gard
ner laughirgly remarked that he had carried II
there. the Captain gave him the lie, and as ono
word brought on another. he presently struck
Ton. in the face. This was too much. and for
the first time in his life The strong man gave
blow for blow, One blow was sufficient. The