The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1900-08-24
THE SWELL GIANT.
tsemarkable Feats of Strength Of nm
/ UnDretentious WashinS-
| ton Man.

Unpretentious Washins-
ton Man.
There is friend of mine," said GILL
espie James, Of Washington, relatesthe
New York Tribune, 'swho is one of the
strongest men | have ever known. His
great natural strength he inherited,
but he greatly augmented his original
giftsin this direction by the long course
Of athletics he went through during
his cofiegiate career at German uni
verstty- just after he had finished
this part of his life and was on the
steamer returning to this country he
treated his fellow-passengers to an cx.
hibition Of strength that made him IA
nous on shipboard. All sorts OF ath-
letic trials had been gone into by the
passengers to relieve the tedium of The
journey, and of these Luning that's
my friends name-had come Off first
In one or two, which, while not calling
for extraordinary strength, ncverthe-
less showed him to be abovesthe ortlf
nary man in this particular. There was
huge man on board who had won
|. everything hands down, calling for bull
strength alone, and who was peculiar.
" proficient in cockfghting; that is,
whore the contestants sit with toes
together and knees hunched up grasp
ing broomstick with both hands; at
q given signal they begin to pull, and
the one lifted from the floor loses The
Epglishman had beaten everyone on
board at this game. save only giant
member OF the crew, whom the cap
tain had rung in on him, and who was
a yeritable Hercules. 1t becoming
noised about that Luning was very
powerful chap, an effort was made to
get him into game of cockhght with
the Englishman, who was more than
eager for the trial. Luning, however,
refused to try the game until one morn
Ing everyone began to taunt him and
accuse him Of being afraid. The Eng
lishman himself being particularly
offensive, at length he gave In and In a
trice they were seated on the deck
facing each other, and the next second
the signal was given, when, to the
establishment OF every one, the English
man scared into air, went clear over
Luning's head, and came down sprawl.
ing on all fours on the deck beyond. In
stantly there was yell for the sailor,
and he being produced, Luning found q
harder nut to crack, but slowly he, too,
was also raised. Luning said after
ward he never saw murder so plainly
In any ones eyes as In that sailors
when he began to rise from the floor,
and It came home to his mind that de-
feat was on him at last,
Although he has these years post
given up taking regular exercise con-
tinued Mr.. james, "Luning's great
strength apparently holds un-
abatedi have never known Of anyone
strong enough to put his arm down.
The other night he was going out to
dine, and was, of course, clad in con
ventional evening dress, crush hat, etc
As he started to get on Madison ave-
nue. car the motorman motioned him
to get on In front. and somewhat won,
deringly he complied. but once inside
the reason was apparent, for the rear
doors were fast stuck and q huge map
was yainly trying to pull them apart
To his aid, as Luning entered came ON .
other man. but their Joint efforts were
likewise without avail. The conductor
then told Lnnipg that the dDors had
been Jammed from Eighty-sixth street
down. and every effort so far had
failed to pull them apart. Lunipg then
offered to pull them apart, and the two
men, who were obviously. workmen,
after slow, insolent look ut him from
head to foot, which read largely OF
their contempt for his class, stepped
back with only half-suppressed com
ment on the cheek Of the d9de, Civ.
Ing the doors o preliminary trial t.
make sure Of being able to do the trick
to the enthusiastic surprise of every
one else and the manifest chagrin o.
the workmen. Luning pulled them
apart and, amid the admiYinR cheers
OF his fellow-passepgers, stepped out
on the platform. All this time uncon-
aeiously he had been carrying lighted
cigar in his mouth, and coming TO a
realization Of this and knowing It was
an inSraction Of the rules, he was about
to throw It away, when the awestrucis
conductor touched him on the elbow
and said; You can smoke II you
want TO. sir