Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1916-11-23
IEAKs OF NATURE
v.,,. There Are Giants, but
w. Do Not Know Why.
], ARE A SORT OF PUZZLE.

nFY AhE - W.
These Titans Are the Re-
SCUM" somewhat Mysterious Dis
y : Called eisanticism-os and
~ - and the Giant Races OF Gath.
and dwarfs abound in the re
VA, .hs caucasus mountains. Now,
.ome people big and some lit
y" :. families heredity seems to gov
=. matter. Where races are con-
" . Is not SO easily explained.
neu accustomed. by the way, to
A :, the Chinese as of inferior
p d., b but that is because our Chinese
s ~, nearly all come from the
u a :, China. The people OF north
o. " are tall and occasionally ap-
zach the gigantic.
US r giants are not uncommonly
.a.srs from a disease called giganti-
! which in the long run is inevita,
,..al 1t appears to be due to
l,.,hing wrong with a small gland
wy base of the brain, which. In a
s ssu way, governs growth. A
Vs. thing about this affection ID
!. A ,bs victim may be attacked long
~. No has become adult and has
va 10 grow In a normal way. A
.n over thirty years Of age may sud.
snlv become a giant, the first warn
I no gets Of the fact being the dis.
Iavsrv that he needs larger hat and
IIeger boots and gloves.
There are, however. occasional giants
Lho are simply people Of extraordinary
- IN other respects normal How to
Icoupt for them nobody knows unless
calling them freaks Of nature. Much
co,e remarkable are the giant families
[hlch are found In the Caucasus re-
Inn though most individuals Of such
,milies are not big enough to be worth
mile for show purposes. For circus ex.
SIbition a giant ought not to be less
han seven feet six inches tall With
kat stature, plus boots with thick soles
md high hat, a man may be safely ad.
Iertised as touching the eight foot mark.
| Such giant families are not unknown
! history. Josephus and other profane
historians indorse the statements found
\ many places In the Bible In regard
b the giants of Gath, from which 10
hIty, 1t will be remembered, Goliath
Ailed. The Bible puts the stature Of
|hat redoubtable champion at six Gu
bits and span''-in other words, about
|hree inches short of ten feet. This
you'd seem to be the altitude record
)m human being, even allowing that
DE measurement was from the ground
b the crest of Goliath's helmet.
The most celebrated of all the giant
breed, not excepting Goliath. was Og.
Ping of Bashan At the time when the
Fanderings of the Israelites in the will.
1eness were brought to a close he was
fuer over no fewer than sixty cities
Fenced with high walls, gates and
pan" His indeed was a powerful mon-
Prhy, and the conquest of his realm
~ Moses is looked upon to this day as
Pne Of the greatest events In Jewish
history.
w. by the way, was accustomed to
peep In remarkable bedstead-not of
FoOd or metal, but of basalt.
Whatever the circumstances under
which the giant breed existed In Pales-
pne at the time Of the first arrival OF
|Oe israelites. 1t is certain that in later
pears they were scattered about among
6ner peoples. In political sense some
we're Utilities and yet others Amorites.
coming into contact with other races
Icy became, 1t would seem, either ex.
sna Or subordinate. From what little
@id OF them in history 1t Is to be
uierred that they were mentally infe-
~i' though formidable fighters by rea-
" VI tneir great size and strength In
\ sse When mere bodily prowess
eented for much.
Il Goliath be supposed to have been
= su. and one-half feet high (allowing
" helmet and CREST his stature did
W. w. exceed that Of the celebrated
.~aeAelmeyer, the tallest man Of mod.
=. u'nes' who, born In Bavaria, died
~ ~ many years ago. The height of
rns n.y. giants has been exaggerated, but
|, tss was carefully measured
! ue anthropologist Doubes.
NJ, saa OF less than eight and one
..0,. .eel could hardly have worn the
man. asiy neavy armor and accouter.
asms Inscribed In the first book of
NJ as composing Goliath's outfit
m. ''aa OF his spear, we are told. was
hs.s weaVer's BEAM" the iron spear.
tss u alone Weighing 600 shekels about
'senty pounds ~
,utv a s'sht breed in Palestine appar.
bir,bt vi u,eo out not very long before the
h moSs uave been lesser giant breeds
thev s. times, but In some instances
,elect Ia'e been the result of artificial
" IN. u as, for example, in the case
b = c,a wrestlers of Nippon, who, seen
lbOvs tb stand head and shoulders
In tha sne ordinary Japanese.
IN toS. nelghborhood Of Potsdam there
b the fsa aany very tall people owing
uam,s ,act that King Frederick VIII