Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1903-11-20
FAMILIES OF GIANTS
in WEST VIRGINIA.
Six Fo0ters are the Rule Among the In
habItants or Mountain State-Niie
Biz HamrIck Boys. Clarence Gre
cory Has TbirteenSons, All
Exceeding Six Feet In
naJ0hf

Height.
At the head waters Of the Elk ant
Holly rivers. In West Virginia. where
farms lie $500 feet above the level Of
the sea. men grow to be giants. UI
there among the clouds tall men, great
ipoplars and giant oaks seem the rule
and not the exception.
"A short time since, while travelling
up the Elk" said a man just back
from that country, II stopped at the
most commodious house had seen and
asked for accommodation for myself
and my tired horse. A man ripe with
years, tail-he was six feet four and
one-half inches in height-and of com
manding presence, greeted me pleasant.
ly.
II noticed that there was crowd at
his house and took it for granted that
q neighborhood meeting was being
held. until told by my host, Clarence
Gregory, that it was merely family
reunion and that his thirteen boys and
one daughter, with their families, made
up the crowd. The thirteen SONS were
all more than six feet tall, some of
them six feet six inches and weighed
more than $50 pounds each.
NINE WONDERFUL SONS.
ION the day following 1 crossed the
top of the mountains at the head of
Leatherw0od, where reside Benjamin
Hamrick and his nine remarkable sons.
Benjamin Hamrick, the father, is six
feet five and a half inches in height
and weighs 165 pounds. Arnold, the
Oldest son, is six feet one and half
inches and weighs 1853. The others are
Isaac, six feet five and three quarter
inches, weight 200 pounds Adam. six
feet three inches. weight 1853; William,
six feet one inch, weight 161 Eli. six
feet two inches, weight 155; Simpson,
six feet one and three-quarter inches,
weight IT'S Felix. six feet two inches,
weight 1853; Ellis, six feet five inches,
weight 226, and George. six feet three
inches, weight 1S0 pounds.
'There are, it is sasd, more than one
hundred Hamrick voters in the coun-
try and every one of them is more
than six feet in height.
yankee Bill Hamrick, one of three
men of Webster county who wore the
blue through the Civil war, lives at the |
top of Point Wilton. at an elevation of |
$500 feet above the sea. His family
consists of his wife, eleven sons and |
four daughters. All of his sons exceed |
six feet in height, while Mr.. Hamr,ck |
is six feet four inches. Owing to his i!
extraordinary likeness to the martyred |
president be is freq uently spoken of as
'he Lincoln of the Elk River Valley
OF SCOTTISH CLAN.
"The Campbells of Monroe, descend
lnts of the clan of McGregor Campbell,
Ire worthy of mention with the best of
hem. Judge A. N. Campbell measures
'ix feet three inches In height and
Weighs 1923 pounds. His four brothers
ire J. P. Campbell. of Hinton. six feet
our inches, weight 200 pounds; L. E.
campbell. of Pickaway, six feet one
Ind a quarter inches, weight 218
pounds ; l. N. Campbell, of Pickaway,
IL feet three inches, weight 208 pounds,
md N. B. Campbell, of Union. six
eet two and q half inches. weight 265
pounds.
ANDREW Campbell, father of this
amily Of big men, is now dead. He
vas six feet three inches in height and
Weighed $50 pounds. He thought no.
hing of lifting two anvils by their
lorns, one in each hand, and swinging
hem above his head"