THE GATHERER.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume II, Issue 134, 2 July 1880, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE GATHERER.

A MODERN HERCULES. There is a singularly strong man now living in Nevada —though Topham. the ‘strong man of Islington ’ was far superior in bodily vigour to this modern Samson. The Nevada man ‘ is an Italian by birth, aged about 3b, sft. lOin. in height, in weight 190 !>., I>v occupation a labourer. In personal appearance he is not remarkable,’ merely a goodnatured son of Italy, with a broad, heavy face, a noble development of clu-st and shoulders, and large Ho3hy hands ; but when stripped a marked peculia-ity in his spinal column can be noticed. His backbone has the vertebral articulations peculiarly large and prominent. Though he is not a man of unusual size, his spinal column is double the ordinary width, and his other bones and joints seem made on a similarly large and generous scale. This man is able eisily to lift the weight of a man on the middle finger of his right hand. Ho can strike a blow with his fist with a power of dOOlb., as measured on a register. He states that his father could strike a blow equal in power to 10001 b., so that his strength would appear to bo inherited. He dislikes to exhibit his strength, and as the American reporter (to whom, as to all Americans, abnormal devolopcmeuts are to be estimated simply by the dollar-,md-cent standard) remarks, he fails to realise his own value : ‘lf lie were to give public exhibitions of his wonderful powers lie would doubtless be recognised and acknowledged io be the most powerful man in the world in certain lines of strength.’ It is said that two Irishmeu set out to beat Angelo Oardela, as this modern Samson is called, but ‘concluded to give up the contract,’ because be adopted the impleasing, though decisive, plan of grasping one in each hand and beating them together until life was nearly hammered out of them. Like most strong men, he is brave and good.