The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1901-12-24
TRICKS OF STRONG MEN
, GOOD DEAL or HUM3Uc ksouT
ITEM, SAYS A CIRCUS MAN.


There are tricks OF all trades"
SAID the old circus strong man. but
tie trad" OF the circus Hercules is
mostly all tricks. Anybody with or.
binary strength can do the featS that
seem so wonderful when done by
these tar bark SamsuuS In fact few
OF them require any particular mus
oClar cXeruion. but are accomplished
simply by tcickcry.
The dumbbells used by the per-
formers are always hollow and weigh
much less than the figures upon them
would indicate When YOU see a man
pretendinc to put above his mead n
bell marked 400 or 500 pounds Won
may safely conclude that he is trying
TO fool You. The very greatest weight
ever lifted in this way was 245 pounds.
'CyclopS' accomplishing the feat I'm
Cleveland in 1893 Genuine dumbbells.
closely resembling the hollow ones.
are thrown out into the audience for
inspection, but these are never the
ones used by the strong man or
woman.
Another common :cat that arouses
wonder is the breaking of stones with
the fist Spectators think that man
who can bring his clenshed hand
down upon n rock and flake n piece
OF with one blow must have tremcnd-
GUS muscles. but an ordinary man can
Go this If he knows how. while. on the
ether hand old Samson himself
Cculdn't have done 1t unless he had
been put ON TO the trick.
y on viii nOtice that the strong
man always provides a solid piece OF
iron or stone upon which to crack
his rocks. Now. /; he held the stone
10 be smashed firmly against his sup
port he might pound away at it until
doomsay without hurting anything
but his fist. But notice closely and
You will see that he holds the small
stone n sixteenth of an inch above the
support, and when he hits it it's the
conclusion that breaks il. ANY one
can do it neatly after a little practice.
"A littlc more real strength is
needed in the feat of lifting a barrel
or water and two men with the teeth
but not much. A man of ordinary
strength can accomplish it, To be.
Gin with, the water barrel. which If
genuine would weigh with its con
tenis about 800 pounds. has false
top and bottom ana holds only enough
water so that a little can be let out
OF the bungholc to deceive the on
lockers. Fastened to the barrel and
TO the waist of the performer. and
concealed by a sash which he wears.
is rope. This is deftly htched 10
the barrel when it is lifted I'D for
him 10 take the nouthpiece in his
teeth
The mouthpiece exactly fits
his mouth 50 that whatever weight
comes here is usually sustained By
the jaw. Here comes the thrilling
mpment! Two men lift themselves
upon the barrel and with two other
sturdy fellows TO support his back
and keep his balance, the strong man
slowly lifts the barrel. Bending back
he supports the weight at an angle
of about forty-fve degrees, appar-
entity with his teeth. but actually
upon mis- chest. It's a sensational act
but. as "A matter of fact. more strength
is required in the men who support
him than in the star performer him
self. Not more than 200 pounds was
ever actually supported by any athlete
in this fashion.
The mouthDiece used in this trick
is employed in all acts where the per
formers appear to hang by their
teeth. 1t Is so constructed that when
one gets il in his mouth he cannot let
go OF il until the weight Is taken of