THE STORY OF A GIANT.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5483, 23 March 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE STORY OF A GIANT.

The following history of a remarkable an, which we compile from a'sketch pubshed in a Michigan journal many years 50, tends to show that, notwithstanding le almost universal desire for unusual gifts, : is, after'all, the dead level which is safest, inco even.physical strength and noble proortions, when in excess, may so ostruoize ud set apart a man as' to make his prominence a positivo drawback to him. The first record we have of Charles Frearian, the subject of this sketch, is. that he tppeared among other laborers on a western :anai about the year IS4O, -where his extraordinary strength cm? stature attracted nuoh attention. , Freeman is said to have been at that time >ight foot' tall und to have, measured three !cet across tho shoulders. His arms where they sprang from his chest were as large as » medium-sized man's body, and they tapered down to a hand not loss than three inches in thickness, while his fist could only bo compared to a sledge-hammer in size and strength. His age was then 17 years and he was still growing in bulk. He received the wages of an ordinary workman, but his enormous strength made him a most destructive one. Such a Titan should! have giant tools made on purpose for him, for when he seized an ordinary shovel it went through the clay like a breaking-up plough, and the handlo soon came off if the blade held. An ordinary axe was a faatheif in his hand ; it sank to the eye in tho wood and the helve spliutetecl. ' Ho seemed quite iucapable of measuring tho force he laid out, like ordinary men. When ho stood among n gang of laborers tho contrast made them look like children.

The strollimr Indiana would stare at him in amazement a few moments, and then with a deep 'Ugh,'would hasten out of sight as rapidly as their dignity would permit; Ho was put to do the work of two pairs of oxen ; to remove tho trunks of trees, cut in lengths of ten or twelve feet, out df the way Of the diggers. He did not drag them aside as oxen would have done, but, putting his right hand under, the end of the log, raising it from the ground, then balancing it across his loft forearm, he shot it far out to one side with all the case that a skilful workman piles split'cordwood.- And ;thus, day after day, the giant worked until tho canal was finished.

Freeman's next appearance was on the boats that plied along the Huron River, in Michigan, where he was at onoe engine and tackled to handle heavy freight. What other could not shove or roll he would piok up and carry, or perhaps toss. . When the heavily freighted boat stuck on tho ripples he often stepped out of the stern and pushed it oyer. The crew would scurccly have heoii surprised if ho had taken . both boat and cargo under his arm and murched across by land when they came to long bends in tho river. It wa* not long after this time that some sporting men unfortunately heard of. this uncelebrated giant, and concluded that there was ' money iv him.' Freeman was as simple as a child. He lacked ambition, had no desiro to exhibit or push himself, and possessed a moat amiable disposition. Any one could lead him, and ho never appeared to realize that ho waß in any way remarkable. This innocence was taken advantage of by these sharpers, who determined to turn his prodigious powers to their personal advantage. Accordingly he was persuaded to accompany thorn to tho castorn states, under promise of far more profitable employment. It is not strange that in such company the good-natured giant soon fell into bad habits. Unfortunately giants are only men, and the. gamblers who captured poor Freeman made sport of him as tho Philistines made sport of the helpless Samson. It is related that at Buffalo they sent him into a dock saloon with a 1,600 pound anchor under his arm, much as a chopper carries his axe, to pawn it for drinks. He '■ got the liquor and the barkeeper was glad 'to treat him for carrying tho anchor out again. inc.: giant's now friends soon travelled to | the sea coast and finally sailed for England. They intended to get the advantage of some , English champion, but they found they had an elephant on their bands. A friendly sparring match, as an experi- ' msut, with a professional boxer, showed that for Freoman a match with any living pugilist was impossible The giant's face could not be effectually reached. Blows on his body might as well have been planted on a sandbag, while his blows were given with tho force of a pile-driver, and no matter what they met, the obstacle went to the earth.

By the ruse of representing him as largo and stroug, but wholly ignorant of tho science, his backers finally sucoeded in making a match with a noted prize-fighter, Tho parties came on the ground, but at the first Bight of Freeman, his opponent turned uwpy, saying: ' I oame to fight with a large man, not a mountain.' The seconds and referees thereupon declared the match fairly 'off.* And now the unlucky giant became aware of the worrhlessuessuf his mercenary friends. While there was a prospect that' he could wiu fortunes for theui they had lured him fur away from his homo .and his few humblo friends : but now. finding that no money was. to be made, they basely left him alotie in a slraugo laud, without friends or resources.

1-ion Michigan to Liverpool the style of living had been cntiuly new to the simple and t■•■uiptru'.jiK-nuri.-ii countryman. In- . temperance, late, hours, j.nd rfcckk-soiiuss had 'undermined his health and a pulmonary i rouble, was ; developed. His euormous strength soon failed him, and, uncared for and helpless, he phortly after died of consumption. At this time probably no human being knows his resting pluco. During Freeman's entire life no refining influence came near him ; no one tried to enlighten and beautify tho mind and soul which might Jiuve iniormcd and irradiated hi* splendid body. So perished in his prime pcilnips the most tnagninVnt specimeu of l>hyMettl manhood thut tho United States has over produced.