A MODERN SAMPSON.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1531, 30 December 1886, Page 3

A MODERN SAMPSON.

I propose to give a short sketch of the life of n mat) who was little known out* side the village of Granville Corner, in Washington County, where he was born and spent the most of a long life. It is known of him and can be proved, that he has performed feats of strength unmrpaised by any man that has lived in ancient or modern times, except, of course, the Biblical Ssmpsdn. His name >B, or rather was, Steam Carpenter. Bring naturally of a very quiet, peaceable disposition, and a member of the Society of Friends, he sever did anything for display to attract attention; but the feats of strength that he did were done more to satisfy himself and see bow much he could lift than for anything else. All his lifting was done by main strength without harness of any kind.

One of his greatest feats was lifting a box filled with iron, which weighhed 1900 Iba, which is equal to lifting 3800 lbs in a harness. He lifted it with ease by grasping a rope or chain which was bound around the box to secure it. He did not know the weight of the box of iron at tho time, and was afterwards heard to say ,th tt had ha known it weighed so near a ton he would have put the other 100 lbs on and lifted the whole. At another time he lifted a cannon that weighed 1400 lbs and shouldered it. At Comstock's Landing, on the Chautplain Canal, near Whitehall, one day while waiting for a lotd of merchandise, he lifted a barrel of white lead with ease. His neighbors, when killing bogi, if be happened to be around, would a«k Mm to guess the weight of a bog just kills'). If it happened to be a big one, weighing 400 or 500 lbs, he would stoop down and twist bis fingers into tho bristles, and in that way lift it clear from too ground and guess on its weight. He performed one of the greatest feats of strength on tecord after he bad reached the age of sovecty-five years. He lifted two twenty*foui feet iron rails by grasping one in each hand and walking off with them. The rails were resting on wooden horses, so he did not stoop down to lift them. One day in haying he was going from the field to the house for dinner. They were walking along the toad together, when one of his men, for mischief, came up behind him, and by a skilful trip, threw Carpenter down. He got up and said nothing about it. He walked to the house, and, after dinner, when returning to the field with his men, they came along to the place where the man gave him the fall. He suddenly turned upon the man, and grasping him by the shoulders and the seat of the trousers, lifted him and hurled him high into the ait, aud over a seven rail fence, by <he side of which they happened to be walking. The man came down in : the meadow a rod or more from the fence, considerably shaken up but not badly hurt. Mr Carpenter was not a gigantic man in size. He was about 6ft tall, and appeared much less than that owing to bis massive build. There was no superfluous flesh upon him, but the muscles of his arms, shoulders, and neck, seemed to be piled upon hitn, so great waa their size. This gave him a stooping appearance. In a crowd a casual observer would not be likely to pick him out as one of the strongest men that ever lived. Mr Carpenter is living at the present time at Granville Corner, Washington County, N.Y., his old home, or waa living the last I beard of him. He must be over 80 years of age.--Troy, N.Y., Times;