Giants in Those Days.
London Times,
Two of the most remarkable men of
the century gave a reception on
Friday night at the Royal Aquarium,
and were visited by many persons
interested in anthropology. The
giant Chang, a tea merchant of
Peking, and Brustad a tall
Norwegian, received their friends,
being not much given to talk
themselves, had their history
related for them by a showman.
It appears that the Chang is the
largest giant in existence, that he
stands eight feet two inches, and is
highly educated, speaking five
different languages, including
English, which last he speaks very
well, but with the well-know
sing-song of the China-man. He is
eight feet high without his boots,
he measures sixty inches round the
chest, weighs twenty-six stone, has
a span of eight feet with his
outstretched arms, and signs his
name without an effort upon a
sign-post ten feet six inches high.
These figures and others as
scientifically important proportions
are to be verified next week by a
committee of the Anthropological
Society, who took the measurements
of the Zulus a little while ago
conducting these savages one by one
into Mr. Carrington, the
naturalist's, room, and, giving an
average of an hour and a quarter to
ascertain the dimensions of each
individual. Chang is about 22 years
of age, and is about 12 years since
he was in England. After five years
residence in the Celestial Empire he
returned to Europe for the Paris
exhibition, and has since visited
Vienna (where the Emperor gave him a
ring he proudly exhibits, marked
with the Imperial eagles and the
initials of Francis Joseph), Berlin
and Hamburg. Since his last
residence in this country Chang has
grown several inches-six, it is
said' he has a benevolent Mongolian
face a courtly manner, and wears a
richly embroidered dress, worked for
him by his sister, who is like the
rest of the family, of
ordinary stature.
|
English Penny size 31-mm 9.4-grams |
Next to Chang, and next by no long interval, stands Brustad, about 7 feet 9 inches, very muscular, very broad backed, having as great a girth or chest as Chang, and a wider span in proportion to his height. He has a low forehead, but speaks English fairly well. Brustad has also a ring which he greatly delights in exhibiting.
He presented it to himself out of the profits, it is supposed, gained by being shown. It is 41/2 ouches in weight, and a penny goes easily through it. To grasp his mighty hand in greeting is like shaking hands with an oak tree. His weight is twenty-eight stone, greater than Chang's for his bones are more massive. His age is 35. |
Daily
Journal Logansport, Indiana, Tuesday
Morning July 27, 1880
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