The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-20
FEATS OF A NEGRO SAMSON.
lie Is Afraid OF Nothing on Earth Except HIS
Ninety-POund Wife.
From the 81. Louis Globe Democrat.

A'A'l " ~
years Of age, frequently astonishes the people
Of the frontier Of Texas by exhibitions of his
wonderful strength. If the many surpris-
ing feats OF physical power accredited 10 this
colored giant have really been performed. he
is without a doubt one of the strongest men
in the world. He can at any moment easily
demonstrate that he deserves to rank with
Sandow and other giants Of modern times,
but he has done things on the farms and out
In the corn camp which created greater sur
prise with those who witnessed such featS
than one experiences over seeing him raise
some great weight in the streets. lie Is an
uneducated, common. laborer, ana modest and
tirntd about any display Of his strength.
Lewis spent most Of the years of his, boy
hood in a cattle camp on thr frontier ana long
before he was fully grown he had become Ia
nous az an expert roper, a daring rider ana me
very best all -around vaquero In the southwest.
He never boosted of his ACCOMPLISHMENTS as
years Of age he had never been thrown from
the back Of a mustang Ile, won a gold medal
and prize of 500 at Eagle Pass when he wass
n famous bucking bronCho known ms Manco
Diablo. This Celebrnted horse had thrown the
best riders in old Mexico and many Of the
most fearless Texan cowboys. Lewis stayed
on his back for more than an hour, though me
enraged animal bucked and beloved until
be was covered with foam and ready to fall
from exhaustion,
Some ten years ago there was a band of
mustangs in the llano Mountains, led by "A
proud, STRENGTHENING black staiiiYn, WIN =
bald face. Many Il cowboy had drraineu OF
possessing this magnificent horse, but every
effort made To capture him had ended in full
Hre Ec -Snw6 de'er Sai1ins o sT eS S.iH one 1"' morn aTe
and leading an extra one, the ambiti9usn negro
soon struck the trail of the king OF The plans
and his harem. For two whole days and nights
lewis stuck close to the heels of the thoroughly
puzzled mustangs, never giving lheIn lllne 10
nip a bunch Of grass, drink a drop OF w9teror
pause for a moment to rest their woaried limbs.
on the morning Of the third day the mus
tangs began 20 fall and. founder upon the not
lion still staggered forward as if determined
10 die upon his feet. After some hours, when
the sun was nearing the zenith and the heat
of the desert was sCorching the backs OF the
snakes and lizards and driving them to seek
the shade Of the cactus, Lewiss own horse
stumbled and fell 70 rise no more. The gritty
of his vitality in the long chase. The bald
stallion was, now alone. The last member
of his band had snccumbed TO thirst, hunger
and exhaustion. The prize was almost within
the negro's grasp, Tor u was evident. that the
proud spirit of the stallion was broken, and
that he could not summon sufficient strength
Lewis was determined not to be cheated
Of the valuable prize now SO nearly in his pos
,ssssionit ana q. quickly Ioossninf Ms liar laridt from rom
set out after the stallion on, foot. he had
been in the saddle for more than fifty hours,
Sy HhN %vnHro IerRe cd fy bec'f S Sndir S%Siiafln nj his ~ thtTst
with an occasional swallow of hot water from
his ~canteen. Another man would have fallen
long before, but this wonderful negro, who
possessed powers of endurance even superior
10 his giant strength, shook the stiffness out
OF his joints" as he says, and, striking a trot,
he soon discovered that he was gaining on
the tired stallion. Lewis was perfectly fa-
miliar with the geography of the country,
and as soon as II became evident that the Wild
horse vas aiming 10 strike a certain crossing
on the Llano River, he took a short cut across
the hills and got ahead Of bis ri2c. He barely
had time to conceal himself by the side Of the
trail near the water before III" tired horse
staggered in sight. The proud old king of
the plains was nearly exhausted. but III" scent
and sight Of the cool waters of the llaro quick
ened his step. and. with an eager whlnnv,
he was about 10 plunge down the bank when
a rope Kissed through the air and n moose
dropped over his neck. i JOS had 10 laugh.
SO s%urrrlSod like that horse. Feared like
he wanted to say. Well, you are irs' about
the game,t and H." -lickc>t niger over saw, "
Lewis had captured the famous Wild bald
stallion which had for years dctlcd all pur-
suors. The negro easily tanned the fine ami
est lone-distarce rac"horses in western Texas.
Old-time cattle mcn-the boys who rod" tho
plains, before tho days Of locomotives and
barbed wire never tire Of telling stories Of
ever grew too biz for Lewis. Whenever be
got his rope on a steer that animal had TO 60
IlA NnN 1"h comm HTI n fMI AhA HII A1AIf
nv The horns and drog lin nhout N n corral
nc anothor man voiid bava hondiod n nnlf
Jnon ono orcnslon Jcuis vos ri,iirg o, nm
r,Iy mustang ard urnr or,rnocIinn n IriJm,
Tho ANIMAL ".ulkad and tTn,,rL ,bc covLnTs
onrlied o,ir,s and ro,,as 70 III. bida "a III sr,,t
violence Ne refused 10 n,ova o,t W LT. iracLs
I owls was in n hurry ,n catch m vitb tho Lerd
and 70 Tho omazs,nsrt Of Lg cnnp'r,das bo d.
mounted and "oniiv nictin, nm ia surrrisad
mustang in his Giant arms %o ,brav him arrCss
his sho,ld"r and carried Him over tLn hridyn
Tn another instance where tLera was Trnvo
doubt ns 10 the strnng,h ~ ,bn bridgo owia
waded into the water and making n rilinr az
bis shoulder no Sustoined Tho heo,,g If ma
str,CtIr" mi Tho Ge"vi vllondad g%ruh viormn
n,s..d safai, nvnr II ''' '" $50" ""e"'
Having hesn told that n boor had hoo, ,r,ckod
into n cave in mo mountains Of mo colorado
r n a oo,,Ia - , ,I, ~, Iu"I'
No yor, "roso,"o 49,, ,c,",n ro""i,d' II" =,
oral cow NJ ali i,vor,' nf hr,,i,"u" a.. co.,
70 the rlaCe va invn,,iclto tba ,,mr," uvi,h
n nnn,ipy ,orcb IN ono bord md r Irr
in tbe nther owls brldiv artnrrd tLn Lnor,a
den and no did NOT 90 ycry far hefnrc ho go""rd
inst what he was Looking for Rr,,ir Mad c"m'
posed himself in bs fayorite nositinn ,r;,b |
ono nau In his mouth for n Iong nan o,ni uJhaun
the negro stole in SO ,,ncare1n"nlo r,I.' NJ" " ,
him he slnnt on unconscinns nf danynr aa,iI
ra,ad n, III. "a, "nr ~ ga 49,, "NH
eon 70 victor Noweo- dGd mn"hhnr' n,,,n 2r-
fernine mon n groa,sr risL oris MA H.
nis,oi cloeo 20 brnir'e bnaG ~, i,I'rI H.
trigger Je did moi bnyn H., g." mra ~
fore ,ba bo,r str,,rL, ~ :, az .nnn ="
LrooLaJ L;,,' srro n"., W.. W, lH" .i'
"avo Tbn cb, "'n"N u,,n ,nt I''I ~ ,n' '
nis,o, lnat T ~. VIZ "InISul,IeI anu lhe
nnnis, md hv snp,o s,oanS'h W. ~. nnl"S-