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GIANTS ON THE EAttlU
A GOOD DEAL OF FICTION WRITTEN
ABOUT THEM.
The fuller That the AneeetAra of Man
kind Were Glanti Exploded. Long
Ago-Noleri nig Men Whoa llatnre
Hat llrrn Recorded by Actual Oh
The Jilca convoyed by the word glnnt
Id classical mythology is that of beiugs.
wore or less man-like, but enormous in
iie and strength. Figures like the Titans
rad the Giants, whose birth from heaven
and earth is sung by Hesiod in the The.
(tnomy, such ns heap up mountains to
cale the sky, and war beside or against
the gods, must be treated with other like
monstrous (Inures of the wonder tales of
the world as belonging altosethcr to the
realms of mythology.
Besides the conception of giants as
special races distinct from mankind, it
was a common opinion of the ancients
that the huinau race had itself degenera
ted, tlie men of primeval agos having
been of so far greater stature and strength
as to be in fact gigantic. Yet so far as
can be judged by actual remains it does
not appear that giants, in the sense of
tribes of altogether superhuman stature,
ever existed, or that the men of aucient
time were, on tho whole, taller than those
now living. It is now usual to apply the
word "giant" to beings not superhuman
in their height, but merely the tallest
men and women of our nations.
Until the beginning of the present cen
tury, it was universally believed that
giants, of a size far exceeding those
which are exhibited in our times, form
erly existed, either as nations or as indi
vidual specimens. This belief was based,
first, on the asserted discovery of colossal
human bones; second, on supposed scrip
tural evidence ; third, on the evidence of
various ancient and mediaeval authors.
A reference to the first volume of Cul
ver's "Ossemeuts Fossilos" will show that
the bones of elephants, rhinosceroses,
mastodons, etc., have been exhibited and
accepted as evidence of prehistoric
giants. Even so good a naturalist as
Jhiffon fell into this popular delusion
and figured the bones of an elephant as
the remaius of human giants. Saint
Hilaire, in his "Uistorie des Anomalies
de rOrgainsation," notices several of the
most famous of these cases. A gigantic
skeleton which was found at Trapani, in
Sicily, in the fourteenth century, was at
once pronounced to be that of tho classi
cal giant, Polyphemus, and his height
was calculated at 300 feet. It was
pointed out that the bones differed in
form as well as in size from those
of a man, but this objection was easily
met by the question, Why, if his
height was sixty times as great as that
of an ordinary man, should not his form
also be different ? Many less celobrated
2i ants were subsequently exumed in
Sicily, and the existence of the "Osseous
Cfenerus" described by De Quatrefagea in
hia "Rambles of a Naturalist" fully ac
count for such discoveries at an epoch
when few could recognize the differences
in form between the bones of an elephant
and those of man.
Nor have our own countrymen been
less credulous than their neighbors. In
1712 Dr. Increase Mather, in the "Philo
sophical Transactions," announced the
discovery of enormous bones and teeth,
which had been found in the State of
New York, and which ha regarded as af
.'ording evidence of the existence of gi
nta of enormous size in ancient times.
Hie bones were in reality those of a mas
todon. The Scripture evidence, when carefully
examined, doea not amount to much.
The Hebrew words nophirim and gibo
rim, which occur several times in the
book of Genesis, and which are trans
lated "giants, " might as well be trans
lated "bearded," "cruel" or "violent
men. " The height of Og, King of Da
ban, is not given we are only told the
length of his bed. And including bis
helmet, which was probably taken into
account in the recorded measurement,
Oolinth at most did not exceed eight feet
and a half in stature and consequently
was not taller than some giants of mod
ern days.
The classical evidence is abundant, but
obviously untrustworthy. Thus, Plutarch
relates that Serboeina had the grave of
Antalus, in the city of Tungis, opened
and, "iinding there his body full 60 cubits
long was infinitely astonished, ordered
the tomb to be closed, gave his confirma
tion to tho story and added new honors
to the memory of tho giant Pliny
gives to one, Gabbaras, an Arabian, the
stature of nine feet nine inches, capping
this with the mention of Posio and Se
cundilly, who were half a foot higher.
Pliny rejiorta also that an earthquake
in Crete disclosed the bones of a giant
forty-six cubits in longth, who was held
ay Dome to be Orion and by others Otus.
What exaggeration can do in this way
may bo juilged from the fact that the
l'atagonians, whose average height is five
feet eleven inches, are described in Piga
fetta's "Voyage Round the World" as so
monstrous that the Spaniards' heads
hardly reached their waista. Descending
co more certain evidence, there can be no
loubt that a height of eight and nine
feet, and probably of more than nine
feet, has been attained. There is a skel
eton in the museum of Trinity College,
Dublin, eight feet six inches in height;
that of OIU ion (or Byrne) in the musoura
of the College of Surgeons of England is
eight feet two inches, and that of a giant
in the museum at Bonn is eight feet, and
the actual body, with the soft parts at
tached, was piobablj two or throe inches
'onjrrr than the skeloton. For example,
we And it recorded that O'Brien measured
eight foot four inches after his death.
Tli Spider's Web.
The body of every spider contains fouf
little musses pierced with a multitude of
boles imporcuptable to the naked eye,
each hole permitting the passage of a
tingle thread ; nil the threads to the num
ber of 1,000 to euch mass, join together
when they come out and make the single
thread with which the spider spins its
web so that what we call a spider's
lb read eousists of more than 4,000 thread
mfitod,- . :.- ' -
WHO WAI VAmtAGt'T'S KATIIP.Rf
Naal Tradition Aatlgnt That Honor
, to Admiral Porter, of Tripoli ram.
About two hundred yards to the north
of the equestrian statue of Genral Jack
son, that highest type of American man
hood and noblest exemplar of American
ciuzensmp, on jonnecticut avenue.
Washington, D. C., where Sixteenth and
Seventeenth intersect that most beautiful
and finest or all the splendid residence
street of tho cspital, in the middle
of an exquisite little park, ia the mas
sive oronze statue of David Glas
coo Fans gut, the first American admiral
and a naval hero who stands second
to none whose feats are recorded in his
tory. Not Howard, nor Drake, nor Fro
bisiier: not De Kuytcr. nor Van Tromn
not Nelson, nor Collingwood ; not Paul
Jones, nor Chauncey, nor Preble, nor De
catur, can be named before him. In
sketches of him it is said that he was born
in lenuessee about the time that Jeffer
son was inaugurated President: ha en.
tered the navy at the age of eleven, and
participated in the war of 1812, which
terminated when he was less than four
teen years of age. He saw active service
in the Mexicau War. and during the war
neiween the States he did as much to
crush the South as Grant, or Sherman,
or Thomas. He died in 1870, as be had
liven, the head of the navy.
i here is a tradition in the navr. how-
ever, that Fnrrasnt was not a Tonnes-
Bean. The story is one that people love
10 oeueve whether It le history or ra
inance. Jt ia told in the cunroom. unrl
believed in the forecastle, that Farragut
was the natural son of old Dave Porter.
who fought Tripoli at the beginning of
me century, and that his mother was
native or one or the Mediterranean isles
a Greek, perhaps; may be a Corsican,
or a Sicilian; possibly a Turk, or an
Aran, lorn Marshall used to begin that
eloquent and original lecture of his on
Napoleon Bonaparte by saying that
lie had no doubt that could the truth be
ascertained it would be established that
the Lorsican denu-god was a direct
lineal descendent of a son of Julius
Cirsar, begotten when the future world's
master was a prisoner in the bauds of pi
rntes in the Mediterranean isles. And if
Farragut owed his existence to the
mother navy gossip assigns him, we can
easily believe that some ancestors of his
were by the side of Regulus when he
swept from the seas Carthagenian navies ;
that another ancestor of his was in the
fleets of Don John, of Austria, and
fought at Lepanto; that others yet of his
blood fought with the Barbarossas and
the Dorlas, making the azure waters of
those classic seas crimson with the blood
of heroio battle. If the tradition of the
navy as to Farragut's parentage be true,
it only bears out what Shakespeare said
upon the subject in classic language in
several of his plays, notably in "Lear."
We find the children of the house of
Stuart by the "right hand" imbeciles,
while those of the "left hand" nobility
the Duke of Berwick, were heroes. The
same may be said of the decendents of
Henry of Navarre. A chapter on the
natural son among the world's great men
would be interesting and surprising his
tory. Ilia Sweetheart's Hair.
A decidedly unique method of carry
ing on a correspondence with a French
thief was adopted by his friends while he
awaited trial. One day the iailor was
visited by the prisoner's betrothed, who
asked him to give her lover an envelope.
This, upon being opened, was found to
contain simply a small lock of hair,
around which was folded a loaf of a
book. The jailer did not consider it
worth his while to deliver this souvenir
to tho culprit and therefore threw it
aside. A day or two later a similar in
closure was handed in at the prison gate
ana snarea trie rate of the predecessor.
In the course of a week another was left
by the same person. This aroused the
suspicion of the governor of the prison,
to whom had been detailed the circum
stances. He determined to investigate
the matter, and accordingly first exam
ined the printed leaf. This he found was
torn from a novel and contained twentr-
six lines on each side. He next turned
his attention to the hair and discovered
that there were twenty-six pieces of un
equal length. This puzzled him for a
while, and then concluding that there
must be some connection between the
numbers of the printed lines and the
number of hairs, he laid each of the lat
ter along the line of the page they re
spectively reached, beginning with the
shortest hair at the top of the leaf. Af
ter changing them about several times
he discovered that each hair pointed to a
aitxerent letter, and the combination thus
produced formed a slang sentence, by
moans of whicli the prisoner was given
to understand that his friends had as
certained the day on which he was to be
taken to court and were determined to
make a bold attempt to rescue him as
soon as he made his appearance. Tak
ing the cue, the governor adopted every
precaution to frustrate the well-laid plans
of the outsiders ; the attempt was msde
and, as a natural consequence, the con
spirators soon found themselves in the
same condition as the one for whom tlier
bad planned the rescue.
Daren Illrseh's Wealth.
Baron Hirsch is said to be worth $100,
000,000. He made his wealth chiefly out
of contracts for building the Turkish and
Transylvania railroads. The Rothschilds
where his financial backers when he as
sumed the contracts, but they got the
idea that the railroads would not succeed,
and, therefore, withdrew their support.
He then secured assistance from big bank
ing firms of Frankfort, which he was
able to influence through his marriage,
and thus obtained funds enough to carry
ou the great undertaking. European fi
nanciers have been surprised by the enor
mous success of these railroads. They
paid from the day they were opened, and
they made one of the greatest fortunes
in Europe for the bold contractor, who
pinned his faith to them when others
thought him foolhardy. Everything he
has since touched has turned to gold. He
is a large holder of landed estates and
French rentes. It is said that hia bene
factions , or . several years past have,
amountod to $1,000,000 annually,
ITrother Gardner and tho Drnamlter
fomenting had happened to upset
Thompson street its whole length, but
just what it was no one could find out
It was finally reported that Brother
Gardner had been ransomed for $3 and a
ateroury watch, and lie put In an ap
pearauce just then, as if to confirm the
story. He went ahead in his usual calm
and dignified manner and opened the
meeting, and after everything was in
running order he stepped to the front
and said:
"My f ten's! I h'ar dat all sorts o' wild
stories her bin fly in' about dia arternoon
an' eavenin' concernln' myself an' odder
onicera. I will now explain the hull
matter. At extactly fo'ty-one minits an'
six seconds past 1 o clock to-day some-
hody knocked on dedoaliof my cabin
I was bar fut at de time, shavin' off my
co'ns, but 'sposin de pusson to be Sir
isaao Walpole, cum down to pay me
back de $3 he owed me fur three or fo'
months, I called to him to cum in. Mrs.
Gardner had dun gone out to meet with
a church society, an' I was all alone.
"GenTen, who do yo"spose dat pus
son was? He was a white man. He
had long black ha'r. His eyes rolled
He was cliankin' his teeth. Ia his right
hand he held a package, an' he waved
it round an' doclar'd dat if I didn't hand
ober $10,000 in cash he'd blow de hull
outfit 1U miles high! Yo' kin emagine
de situasliun I waa in. An' yet I can't
say I was tooken by surprise. On de
contrary, I have bin 'spectiu' sum thin'
of de sort to happen. I looked dat chap
squar' inde eyes, an' I saw dat he was
dun craxy as a loon. Wi'dout 'pearin' to
be 'tall excited I said dat I had just sot
oecasii counted out fur him, an' nxed
himtostep into de kitchen an' look in
Ue wood box. He stepped. So did I.
As be looked into de wood box I was
cms behind him, on' I d rawed off an' let
him hev it behind de ears. He fell to de
floor, an befo' he could kick twice, I
Had in in tied hand an' fut wid de clothes
lino. "
Here tho entire meeting rose up as one
man and cheered and shouted until the
plaster bewail to fall in every direction.
" When I called in de police." said the
President, after order was restored, "we
examined de bomb, an' we found dat it
contained 'nuff 'sploshun to kill 8 of de
Ieadin' capitalists of No'tli America. Do
man was a crank. He'd been tryin' to
inwent a clothes line which would wind
itself up in de back yard when it was
gwine to rain, an' he wanted mo' cash to
carry on his experiments. He cum
dar calculatin' to git $10,000 of me or hit
me in de stomach wid dat bomb. I was
prepared for him. If I hadn't been no
one kin guess how widespread dat calam
ity would hev bin."
Sir Isaac Walpole then arose and said
the day had arrived when no great man
ia this country was safe from the crank
and his bomb. There must be a remedy.
We must search for and apply it While
he sincerely congratulated Brother Gard
ner on bis escape, what security had the
club that some other crank would not try
the same thing to-morrow?
"My fren's," said Brother Gardner.
after several other brethern had given
their opinions, "it is trooly a sad state of
affairs, an' is desarvin' of most serious
thought. Yo' or I go at it, an' by savin'
up carpet rags an' soap grease, an' by
livin' mighty clus an' pinchin' along, we
get rich. We doan git rich fur the rich
ness of it, but to take comfort in our ole
age. Bimeby along comes a pusson who
wants to fly, but he hain't got de money
to build his wings. He sots down an'
broods an' sulks, and he finally makes up
his mind dat some rich man has got to
help him or die. He darfore goes an' gits
a bomb and fills it up wid turpentine,
arsenic, castor ilo an' odder 'splosives,
an' he walks in on dat rich man an' tries
to scatter him all to squibs.
I doan' reckon de crank kin be
reached by law ontil it am too late. It
would be too hard to identify him. Yo'
doan' know dat he is a crank ontil he has
got dat deadly bomb sailin fur yo's
chin. Seems to me dat it am a better
ideah to depend on Providence an' yo'
self. Yo' kin depend on Providence dat
he will strike some odder rich man in
place of yo' ; dat he will fall down an'
break his leg while comin' to yo'r office ;
dat if he gets in, yo' will be out eating
raw oysters about dot time. Depend
upon yo'self by bavin' it all planned out
what yo' will do, same as I did. Fur the
las' six months I have knowed jest what
sort of a programmy I should toller.
When de time cum I was as cool as a
piece of oilcloth in Jinury. I jist hauled
off an' hit dat fellow 'zactly behind de
ear, jest as I had planned, an' he fell in a
heap on the floah, jest as I 'spec tod he
would. While de law will probably do
all it kin, an' while Providsnce, 'sptsh
ully heah iu Now York, seems to be
doin' a good deal of watchin' ober human
ity, de rich must arter all keep deir eyes
peeled an' be ready fur de crank when he
calls. We will now go home an' be glad
dat we am livin'. "New York World.
It's Lighted by Electricity Now.
The train on the Fitcliburg Railway
bad just entered the long tunnel and the
young New England bridegroom whis
pered in the blushing ear of hia fair
bride:
Eurydice, if I choose, peradventure,
to kiss thee I'd like to know Hoosso go
ing to prevent me?"
"Orpheus," she replied, gently, "thou
shouldst not trills thus with the 'tunnel
verities. "
And the roar of the train came like a
mighty poultice to beat the blows of all
subsequent sounds. Chicago Tribune.
ho Attended to That.
Brown Say, Jones, when you come in
late at night, don't you always waks your
wife?
Jones (promptly) Never, y,
Brown (surprised) Jeehosaphat! TIow
do you manage itT
Jones (with a sigh) I don't have to,
What to lay.
lie Can I say nothing to prove my
love to you?
She Yes, you can.
He (with hope) Tel me, oh, tell m
what. ' - -Csi
She Say "goodby " and say it quick,
"HOW OLD I LOOK, AND NOT YET THIRTY I"
Many women fatlo early, simply because
;?.T. do,not taka proier care of themselves.
lilrled along I" Hieexritrnientsof fashion
able llfo, thoy overlook those minor ailments
that, if notoWked in time, will rohtlirmof
Health and licnuty. AttlicCretsyniiitom
of vital weakness, use
LYDIA E. FiNKRAfVS.
Vegetable
Compound
The rosea will rotnrn to yonr cheeks, sallow
looks depart, snirlts brighten, your step lc
como firm, and hack and head nches will be
known no more. Ynnr nppettte will Rnln,
and the food nourish you. Tho Compound is
sold by all Druggists as asianri.ircl art icle,
or sent by mall, in fores of Tills or Ixizongrs,
on receipt of 61.00.
For the cure of Kidney Complaints,
either sex, the Compound bos no rival.
Send two ?-eant famm inr UrpinTnTrT
c iiTusirmea dook, entitled
Fill IN IMFI It Till I lETTs?
lima of valuable Inform at Inn
mv-s, imn may iav yours
Ifdia I. PMnkham Mod. Oo., Lynn, Mass.
IF YOU ARE
CARPET,.
"GUIDE TO H
m It contain! a vol
VllllMlllfll
or OIL "CLOTH,
YOU WILL FIND A NICE LINE AT
W. H. BIOWIEM
2nd Door above Court House.
A large lot of Window Curtains in stock.
Did it ever oeur tn vnn when tmvinn Pui.!,
, . - - j
that the inside rnnstrnctinn nml
u" " uiu,vi,UI AO V tVO AUUVIi VI UiUJ U
importance, when service is considered, than outside appear-
'J , j f.wuw uwv iuiuuuiv tuub wo dc; n us
upholstered on the premises by skilled workmen, and nothing
but the best materials are used. Our stock of odd pieces an5
regular suits is entirely new and flip lnro-pcr hvai elmnn 1
o - J
Ot course you know ours is
store and stock in the state, outside of Philadelphia. There is
nothing in furniture you cannot get of us at prices as low as
elsewhere. We deliver all purchases if the distance is less than
00 miles.
V003HIS & HUEEAY,
ALEXANDER BROTIIEKS & CO.
DEALERS IN
Cigars, Tobacco. Candies, Fruits and Nuts
SOLE AGENTS FOR - mm I
Henry Mail lard's Fine Candi3s. Fresh Every W
DPisri-sr aoox5s jl. Specialtt,
SOLE AGENTS FOR
'. F. Adams & Co's Fine Cut Chewing Tobacco
Sole agent for the following brands of Cigars:
Henry Clay, Londros, Normal, Indian Princess, Samson, Silver Ash
Bloomsburgf Pa.
mu CLOTOI
LARGEST ASSORTMENT
AND
MAKING AND FITTING
.-.OF THE.-.
Best, the Newest and jjfost Stylish, Lowest iti
Price; audio prove Satisfaction is
our Endeavor
The best value for Money is to buy your
Clothing, Hats, Shirts, Neckwear, Trunks and
Valises of
; Corner, of Main and Centre Streets, BLOOMSBURG, PA.
.ip-iWbli::'.-. TO ORDER,
LareS'dSihnVSncl'Hat House In Columbia and Montour Counties
J. R.Smith & Co.
1JM1TKD.
MILTON, Pn.,
CEALEHS IN
PIANOS,
By the following- well-known makers i
Chlckcrlngf,
IiuabC)
Weber,
Hallct & Davis.
Can also furnish anv of the
cheaper makea at manufact
urers' prices. Do not buy a
piano before getting our pneea.
a n
aw
Catalogue and Price Lists
On application.
IN NEED OF
MATTEL,
"-J"'b ivi i uiuiiuic
mfiloriol Jo nf no m,.nl.
" uj UU,
the largest and finest furniture
13 & 15 W. Market St.
WILKES-BAEEE.
THE
Comes to the front with the
m in
THOMAS nnnrJ
i Tlans and Estimates on
kinds of buildings. Repa;.
and carpenter work prom
attended to.
Inside Hardwood finish
specialty.
Persons of limited meanJ
desire to build can pavoart
secure hlnnrn Ku mnnJ
j
patents!
Tavonta and Trnitn MnrV nl.i ,i,.a .
I'Htcnl bUHliiciM conducive! fur .MuLs
l'H OFKK'K I OI'I'ONITK T1IK !' ,1
RNT oi'KK'K. Wo hrivp no Riilwig!,!
hllHlttl'hM iltrtM't. h,tnpo rnn trnnu,,t ...... l
ncss In f time nml nt Less t out tlu'nty t
lnotp from WiiHhliitritin.
holo. with j.f '
Hml mmli'l. rlmwltiir nr nhnln
tin. U'A nilflbn l .L.I '
hll nr n ". "I
chanr". Our fof not lio till PHti'iii ,, 'J J
l.Wil. 1, V. l,l' 1, ll.lirillilU . Or tM, L
A imkik, "How toiiliinln 'uti.ts." with i
....... , ..... LMn,i r, ,,, juur niur coUB'-i f
town. 8cuL(ivi. Aililivwi tiuui.ji
V. A. NOWACViiHlil!lk.tnl
(OnpoHlto C. 8. Viitcnt Ddu.-.j
44j Scientific Anuria?
D
flivrin
rrrr? copvrichts
ror ITirornuitlon nnfl freo ITnnilhook wrliett
All N .V A I'O.. Htl llniiii.u'iv Vu... v
Olriiist b.iroBu i fnr eecnmm patnnle In Amm
Zi : ' . 1 . " tmI l,J " ' Proliant
tlie public bj notice given free of ciuuye inn
Larsost l reflation of any udmUITr paiwr tit
world. 8i.lcnrtllly HluMrnlert. No ii,r..K
nan ahoulrt bo without It. Ww-Vlv. H.I M
joari l.sn alz monfha. Addnna JMti.NN iCL
riJULlsuKUS, 381 llruadwar. New Vora.
LOST IY1A&EHGGD
(river i t ttt
Nerve Rer.e6
uldwithsWrU
Outrank titrl
aUNervouidml
eft. such at -u
J alcmcrv. L-
Brain iVwer
vousness. Her
BEFORE AND AFTER USE. ache. "uc.
net. Lost Manhood, Laiitlude. all drains ando
ot power in ettner ext caused Dy over-exemoi
outhful Indiscretion, which ultimate. v lead to!
unity. Consumption and Innnnity. Price, tt
fjt.K.ef.t3. n nit every 9 orucr wo jitc wrj
auantvtaea to aura or rafbnd mo no v. IW tud
any addrcu. riVCiM RMEGY CO., ToltU
TK Citato of evidenn
la now eomiilete that
DR. HEBRA'S VIOLA
CRCAM U tbr cnl;
Tiro Deration that Doa
tlvtlT dnea all that k
claimed for 1L It rumor
Frccklee, LWer-molea, Black-
neaas. rim Dies. Tan. ana au
Imtierfeetlona of the akin, without injur?, i
A few application! will render a routh or
rea emu eon, amooin aniw bile, iiisdoi;
acoami'tio to coror di'focta, but acniw, nJ
iiRmntccd tOKlveaatlafautlon. Price 1
At druirKfatx; ut scut by inaU. Scud lor
k'Mlmunlale,
0. C. BITTNER A CO.,
TOLEDO,
OHIO.D
rnn7rn axle
rnH&Cei GREASE
BEAT IX THE WORLD.
Xta wearioa qualltlae are aneurpaaeed, actut-'l)
outiaatlne? two boxaa of nny other brand. V
effected tr beat. UTiiKV Til KUI.V 1 1S&
FOB BALK BT DEALERS GENERALLY, fyf
DAT
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hen
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in
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