The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-06-04

Nklvl UUNI uiHN
P|A'YSIv|s|Ts TO VIRGINIA
Captain Bates An Old Man, But
Still An Active
lspeclal to The Times Dlspatc h.)
,Os ll,s-N's GAP, VA, June 3.-While
sIunclnR over an old copy Of the Strand
Nlagazine OF London, ! came across a
vel executed photogray,ure OF Martin T,
van Buren Bates, 'The Kertuck Giant"
ana his now deceased wife. This re-
na thS a saned sue FEW
PACK IN the seventies of last century, not
oniy IN America. but In Europe, also.
H M, IN that sketch Of this couple OF
able toy the readers of the Times Dis
patch, will give such facts in regard TO
them as have been able to obtain
the year is47. In IL Leteher. ons Of the
mountain counties OF Eastern Kentucky:
He He was remarkably large rs child and
ms growth was phenomenal. On his eleV-
enth birthday his height was Blk feet,
and his weight was 40 pounds. Hctw
an awkward country boy, and Intended
the deestrict" schools on the kentucky
River in winter and worked on n farm IL
summer. Tits said that he was n dull
student. and as an nbecedarian. gave tho
81 Old time peda sUgie consMerable ttrouI
ne. IN 1851 when Martin was only ',y u Il
| years old, no became n private IN tho
Third Kentucky Infantry Of the Confed-
crate Army, and was promoted to q cap.
At - dstnsulshed ,nx ,sei
age Of q his height was little short OF
eight feet and his weight was nearly, 400
rounds His father was ~, man ,a rather siT
feet two inches but his mother was no
larger than the ordinary woman. He had
three brothers, WHIP were each i about put. SIX
In 1910 Bates made a tour Of ENGLAND.
where he was exhibited to. admirlng
crowds During this tour pamphlets 8, were we're
forth his Exploits in the civil war, Nus.
trntcd with n wood cuts representing
tho giant with IN enormous sword,
the center OF n. miscellaneous whirl or
loose arms, legs, heads and odd Joints, do
Ing tremendous execution among his enc
mics. While on this tour ne met MISS
Anna K. Swan. 1.-THE NovIa Scotia Giant
ess:" who was an inch taller than han. him N.
own weight. They became attaohed ana
We're married "a year later
Flor several. years after their mar
riage they were on Exhibition in various
Ter gaining q competency, settled down
to private life on farm near Seville,
Medina county. Ohio. where the captain
still resides his wife having died some
years ago.
on this farm he had q dwelling erected.
of which II would be difficult to convey
an adequate idea In words of Its pro-
portions. ~ door that Is six FEET SIX ',s
inches high Is large-sized opening IN
the side Of a dwelling. house. but the
doors in the Bates donlicile are ten feet
high, and the knobs are nearly as high
as the average mans head. This mousse
nished. n tie main building on the
ground floor are. besides the spacious
hall, the bedchamber, a sitting room and
a parlor. The couch upon which the
big couple slept was made expressly Tor
them and tits curiosity to xlook at.
It is ten feet long, wide in proportion.
and nearly twice the height OF a COM
mon bed. The magnificent dressing case
Is also huge affair." with a glass upon
It nearly as large as the SIDE OF :, ho ora.
nary size itself, but It Is mounted on
tnent- is OUT OF reach of common folks.
Two rocking chairs are kept N THIS ROOM ROOM
into them as aschild would climb Into
IT was a novel: sight to see this big
couple OUT for(2 ia drive, the wheels 81
most most to the second story-of an. ordinary
house. It was drawn by six stout NOT
man horses. ~ .
1 Captain Bates was q familiar figure in
this section thirty years go. " he occa-
slonally visits his relatives In his OLD
home section. having paid his last visit
three or four years since. He has re-
married since the death Of his giant-wife,
wedding a woman Of only ordinary size.
His first wife left no Issue.
ID } ~, %