El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-02-18
RENE BACKE's BUDGET
MAKING 4 STUDY Of GIANTS
FREAK OF NATURE THAT IS ONLY BEGINNING
TO BE UNDERSTOOD
The Mystery of Small Bit of Brain Stuff That Gov
ems Growth Anybody May Start in to Become
Giant at Almost Any Time of Life-A Recent
Case Excites Attention.

ing himself on the shoulders of two
tall men walking in front of him.
Naturally the stature of giants IS
usually more or less exaggerated. P
T. Barnum, in his memoirs, saws that
he never could find a human being that
would come up to the eight foot mark
though he searched the world for curi-
osities during the half century of his
experience as a Snowman Seven feet
is a good height for an ordinary show
giant. Doubtless, the tallest man ever
exhibited in this country was Chang
the Chinese giant, who was advertised
as eight feet high. AS a matter of fact
he was only about six inches over seven
feet. He was sIenderly built and a
lowing robe and thicksoled shoes
helped out the effect. An advantage he
had over most other giants was that he
showed no striking deformity or great
over development of hands and feet.
Chang Not So Large.
Undoubtedly, much bigger people
than Chang have lived within recent
timeL One of these was a woman,
Pauline Marie Elizabeth Wedde, other
wise Known as the queen Of the Anna
IONS, who was born in Thuringia in
1866. She first appeared In public at
the Alhambra, in London. Good look
young, she measured four inches above
eight feet. This was definitely ascer-
tanned by scientific tape But the top
notch OF human stature seems to have
been set by a Bavarian giant named
Winkelmeyr who died not very long
ago, and who was found by DR.. Doubles.
the anthropologist, TO measure exactly
eight feet and a half.
Diligent search of the records leads
to the conclusion that there have been
within modern times-that Is 10 say.
within the last three centuries-about
100 giants known to fame. Of these
about 20 have been advertised as eight
feet or more In height, but there Is no
question that the claims in their be-
half were in most cases exaggerated.
The two ta1lesu. men ever subjected TO
scientific measurement were Winkel-
meyr (already nentioned) and an Aus
TRAN, measured W DR.. Topinard, whose
height was eight feet, four and a half
inches. ss
The late DR.. Thomas Wilson, Of the
Smithsonian institution, told a story
of an experience ne had in Louisville
in the SOS. which showed the COM
mon tendency ttward exaggeration
where giants are concerned. A man
advertised as the Nova Scotia giant
was eXn1DlIed IneT9, ana Dr. wilson
went to see him. HIS manager gave an
eloquent description of him, asserting
that his stature was eight inches above
seven feet But 1t S, CHANGED that the
crowd had a local 'avorite-one Jim
Porter. known as the Kentucky giant,
who was present. He was called upon,
and stood up by the side Of the big
man. from Nova Scotia Cheers went
up from the audience when 1t was seen
that he was the taller of the two. and
the stage was soon filed with people
clamoring for a measurement. DR.. Will
son had an ivory pocket rule with him,
and, mounting upon a table he meas
ured the rivals. pronouIcing Porter to
be the taller by three AMI half inches.
As a result, the Kentucky man received