The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-03-31
OF Large Size.
Some of the Big Things of thu World.

GIANTs-A giant is an individual
whose stature and bulk exceed those of
his race generally. Until the beginning
Of the present century it was generally
believed that giants of a size far exceed
ing those who are exhibited in our times
formerly existed, either as nations or as
individual specimens. This belief was
based q on the asserted discovery of
colossal human bones; ~ on supposed
scriptural evidence; and 81 on the evil
dcnce of various ancient and medieval
authors
None of the ancient stories are well
founded. There is no doubt but that a
height between eight and nine feet, and
probably more than nine feet has been
attained. There is a skeleton in the
museum of Trinity college, Dublin eight
feet six inches high; that of O'Brien in
the Museum of the College of Surgeons.
London. is eight feet two inches; and
that of a giant in the museum at Bonn
is eight feet; and the actual body with
the soft parts attached was probably
two or three inches longer than the
skeleton
DWARFS-The term dwarf is applied
to persons whose height Is much less
than the average height of their race
The ancients believe not only in dwarfs
of extreme minuteness, but in nations of
them. Aristotle declared that the report
of trustworthy witnesses testified to the
existence of minute race of men, with
minute horses, living in the caves which
are washed by the waters of the Nile:
and Pltny gives various details regarding
their habits and their geographical posi-
ton. Among the extreme cases recorded
on ancient authority we may notice that
porary with Hippocrates and who was
Obliged to ballast himself TO prevent be-
lng blown away by the wind: that of the
egyptian dwarf mentioned by Neighbours
CaIstuS, who, at the age of Twenty-Five
years. did not exceed partridge in size.
and lastly, that of the poet Aristratus Of
whom AthenaeuS records that his stature
Was "a SO small that no one could see him.
All readers of Peveril Of the Peak are
acquainted with Sir Godfrey Hudson,
UP to the age of thirty his height was
only eighteen inches; from that age he
grew to three feet nine inches He had
an enormous head and large hands h1Tt
IN other respects was Well proportioned.
Count Joseph Borowlaski was the son of
We'll fo:med. healthy parents OF the ordin-
AIRY size who had six children of whom,
the first. third and fifth were dwarfs.
Count Joseph BorowIaski was very we'll
proportioned, was married to woman of
ordinary size who brought him several
we'll formed children, and died in iS37 ST
the age of ninety-eight-a great age for
an ordinary man. and without example
in the history of dwarfs. Nicholas Ferry.
commonly known under the name of
Bebe was another celebrated dwarf. He
was seven-month child and at birth
measured less than eight inches. and
weighed less than a pound When five
years old he weighed nine pounds and
stood twenty-five inches high. but was
formed like young man of twenty. h
died in his twenty-third wear being then
under three feet high. Gen. Tom Thumb
1ncG t1-ot
lean dwarf, was twenty-five inches high
and weighed twenty-five pounds and
Prince Colobri. Slesvig dwarf who was
exhibited in Dresden. in 1851 was of
twenty-one years. In 1857 Dutch dwarf
who took the name of Tom Thumb, and
was aged eighteen, when examined meas
ured about two feet four inches.