V^AJL 
 
 Class l:3k^. 
 
 CDPXBiGHT OEPOSm 
 
A Treatise 
 On the Development and Use of 
 
 MUSCLE 
 
 BY 
 THE CHAMPION 
 
 c, A, mm 
 
 "The Strongest 
 Man on Earth. 
 
 =; It ALTO SERIES. No. 69. 
 I June, 1895. Monthly. Subscription, $8.00. 
 jiiijlitered at Cliicago Post Office as second-class matter. 
 
 i 
 
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 Chicago and Neve York. 
 
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 IS 
 
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 BY 
 
 THE HON. THOMAS B. REED, 
 
 Ex-Speaker of the 
 House of Representatives 
 
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 RAND, McNALLY & CO., Publishers, 
 CHICAGO. 
 
i 
 
 STRENGTH 
 
 ON 
 
 THE DEVELOPMENT AND USE 
 
 OF 
 
 MUSCLE. 
 
 THE GHAMPION, 
 
 Cv^A. SAMPSON, 
 The Strongest Man on Earth.' 
 
 CHICAGO AND NEW YORK: 
 Rand, McNally & Company, Publishers. 
 
 
itl^n«^ ^ana in (S:^0vp0vs ^ano* 
 
 Copyright, 1895, by Rand, McNally & Co. 
 
THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED 
 
 OF THIS, 
 
 MY ADOPTED COUNTRY, 
 
 In the earnest hope that it may stimulate to even 
 
 greater activity the newly awakened and vigorous 
 
 interest in athletics that so happily 
 
 characterizes the present time. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 Chapter I — Introductory. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Old heresies refuted — Danger of exhaustion — Health 
 and exercise — Exercise as a brain rest — Injury by 
 muscle stretching — Hard muscles — Slow, but sure 
 
 — Influence of mind on muscle, - - - ii 
 
 Chapter II — Biographical. 
 
 Babyhood — Early travels — School life — Franco-Prus- 
 sian war — The boy-soldier wounded— Struck by 
 lightning — Discovers the use of ring — Runs away 
 and joins a circus — Visits America — Wounded 
 whilst rescuing a girl — Lifts a cannon at Detroit — 
 Great success in London — Meets Sandow — Unsat- 
 isfactory results of contest — Press and personal 
 opinions — Breaks harness-lifting record — Breaks 
 his own record — Performance at World's Fair, Chi- 
 cago — Receives medal as champion of the world — 
 Newspaper accounts of feats, - - - - 33 
 
 Chapter III — Preliminary Instructions. 
 
 The " strong-man" born, not made — Genitis essential 
 
 — Other requisites — Measurements — How to use 
 strength — Evils of violent, intermittent training, 123 
 
 Chapter IV — Hygiene. 
 
 Method not onerous — Diet — Medicines — Tobacco — 
 Alcoholic stimulants — Cold bath — Importance of 
 unimpeded pores, - - - - - - 135 
 
 (7) 
 
8 CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 CiiArrER V — Trakning Without Apparatus. 
 Walking— Deep breathing — Chest development — 
 Beef tea in place of alcohol, - - - - i49 
 
 Chapter VI — Specific Exercises. 
 
 The use of rings — Benefit of massage — Breaking down 
 old tissue — How the rings work — Exercise with- 
 out expenditure of nerve force — Rubber bands — 
 Pneumatic tire band — Steel ring — Chest band, 159 
 
 Chapter VII — Light Dumb-Bell Exercises. 
 
 Their right weight — When to increase their weight — 
 Danger of exhaustion — Importance of ventilation 
 — Exercises, ------- 174 
 
 Chapter VIII — Heavy Dumb-Bell Exercises. 
 
 Its weight— Only for use of athletes — Caution against 
 
 using those of too great weight — Exercises, - 199 
 
 Chapter IX — Long Bar Heavy Dumb-Bell Exercises. 
 Weight — Length of shaft — Exercises, - - - 212 
 
 Chapter X — The Roman Column. 
 
 Its drawbacks — Only for athletes and the young — 
 
 What it is— How to use it — Substitutes, - - 223 
 
 Chapter XI — Heavy-Weight Harness-Lifting. 
 
 Onlyfdr professionals — Description of collar — Simul- 
 taneous use of many muscles — Concentration of 
 will — Champion harness-lift — Gold belt, - 234 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 This treatise is primarily intended for men and 
 women who do not aim to be professional athletes, 
 but wish to possess well-developed, vigorous, and 
 healthy bodies, and learn how to utilize their 
 physical powers. At the same time, the method 
 advocated is the one that has led to whatever suc- 
 cess I have attained in my profession, so that I can 
 recommend its adoption by those also who purpose 
 following the arduous occupation of "strong-man." 
 
 I shall endeavor to be simple and concise, and 
 not burden the reader with irrelevant matter. 
 To a limited extent physiological subjects must 
 be touched upon to explain clearly the reason- 
 ableness of some of the instruction, but long, 
 anatomical dissertations, as well as technical 
 terms, will be avoided as far as possible. 
 
 My athletic record evidences the soundness of 
 my body. It is my ambition that this book may 
 demonstrate I am not presumptuous in using as my 
 motto the entire maxim, 
 
 MENS SANA IN CORPORE SANO. 
 
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STRENGTH. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 INTRODUCTORY. 
 
 Of the books written upon physical devel- 
 opment the name is legion. It would be a 
 thankless and invidious task to separate the 
 worthy from the bad and indifferent, and 
 name them ; but it may be broadly stated that 
 those works not quite modern are worse than 
 useless, and entirely untrustworthy guides. 
 
 It is amusing, in the light of our present 
 knowledge, to read some of the books written 
 on this subject twenty or twenty-five years ago. 
 Preliminary purgings, ascetic abstinence, and 
 the swinging of clubs of enormous weights were 
 a few of the things considered absolutely neces- 
 sary. 
 
 (U) 
 
12 STRENGTH. 
 
 All such methods are now discarded by intel- 
 ligent teachers ; indeed, from what I have read 
 in a book lately published, the pendulum seems 
 to be swinging somewhat too far in the oppo- 
 site direction, and the instructions appear to 
 me to be too unexacting. For instance, I find 
 that exercises I advise to be performed with 
 light dumb-bells are recommended to be gone 
 through without any weights whatsoever in 
 V the hands. This, I think, incurs a useless 
 waste of time, for there is no doubt but that it 
 takes longer to reach a certain degree of mus- 
 cular development by motions made with the 
 empty hands, than if dumb-bells weighing two 
 to four pounds were used. I am free to admit, 
 however, that it is far preferable to use no 
 dumb-bells than to practice with those that 
 are too heavy ; and, as I emphasize farther on, 
 in the chapter entitled " Light Dumb-Bell 
 Exercises," it is better for weak or sickly per- 
 sons at first to perform the exercises in this 
 manner ; and later, as the muscles acquire tone 
 and strength, to begin handling one-pound 
 dumb-bells. 
 
INTRODUCTORY. 15 
 
 Throughout this book I shall constantly 
 warn my readers against the uselessness and 
 danger of straining the muscles or frame, and 
 of the peril that attends exercise carried to the 
 point of exhaustion. 
 
 The remnants of old heresies regarding 
 training still have some life ; and the false idea 
 that the muscles can not be brought to the 
 highest state of development without encoun- 
 tering these dangers, seems to have as many 
 lives as the proverbial cat, and be as hard to kill. 
 
 As I explain in the proper place, those who 
 intend to publicly perform feats of strength 
 must, to a certain extent, run the risk of injury 
 in this manner ; their practice with the heavy 
 weights, however, being not so much for the 
 purpose of developing muscle as to acquire the 
 knack of easily and gracefully handling pon- 
 derous apparatus. 
 
 Whilst giving full instruction to this class 
 of athlete, my chief aim is to provide every 
 one, old and young, male and female, with 
 an easily-learned and simple set of rules and 
 exercises, whereby the muscles may be brought 
 
16 STRENGTH. 
 
 into that perfect state of development that 
 assures the possessor all the health, strength, 
 and beauty nature intended him or her to 
 have. Heavy dumb-bell or any other strain- 
 ing exercises are quite unnecessary to reach 
 this desirable end, and, unless the pupil is 
 ambitious to excel in athletic competitions, are 
 quite uncalled for. 
 
 The general relationship existing between 
 health and exercise is universally admitted ; 
 but in this, as in other matters, individuals 
 are apt to make exceptions of themselves, and 
 fancy they are differently constituted to others, 
 and think that although the rule commonly 
 applies, it does not do so in their particular 
 case. 
 
 It is, of course, a fact that many people 
 keep in a fair state of health with but little 
 exercise, but it is beyond all question that they 
 would be all the more vigorous, robust, and 
 clear-headed if they were to muscularly exert 
 themselves to a reasonable degree every day. 
 In the first place, they would store up a 
 reserve of vital force against that evil day 
 
INTRODUCTORY. 17 
 
 when sickness comes ; and secondly, their 
 bodies would be freed of the impurities that 
 are cast off by active exercise, and afford a 
 less likely resting-place for the germs of dis- 
 ease, which thrive and propagate on corrup- 
 tion. 
 
 But the benefits of exercise do not all lie in 
 future freedom from or mitigation of sickness. 
 The gain is immediate also, for when muscles 
 are used, the tissue of which they are com- 
 posed breaks down faster than if they were 
 not exerted, and, as is explained later, the 
 excretory organs, especially the pores, are 
 stimulated to increased activity, and carry off 
 more rapidly and thoroughly effete matter, 
 which, when allowed to linger in the body, is 
 invariably harmful. 
 
 The muscle, after its broken down tissue 
 is excreted, immediately begins to absorb 
 material from the blood to build up and 
 replace what has been discarded ; the digest- 
 ive organs respond at once to this call for 
 nutritive blood, by providing more digested 
 matter ; and the appetite, in its turn, is corres- 
 
18 STRENGTH. 
 
 pondingly increased — in fact, a whole chain 
 of results follow muscular exercise, every link 
 of which is entirely and invariably beneficial 
 to both body and mind. 
 
 The bright eye, clear complexion, unclouded 
 brain, and ruddy glow of health, that indicate 
 a system free of effete material, and bounti- 
 fully supplied with healthy blood busy build- 
 ing up muscle, is the immediate reward of 
 those who intelligently exercise. The muddy 
 or pimply skin, the dull eye, inert brain, and 
 sallow countenance are the outward signs 
 provided by nature to indicate that functional 
 torpidity or disorder is progressing within, 
 and that exercise is called for to correct the 
 derangement. 
 
 A property of muscular exercise, that is not 
 as often recognized as it should be, is its power 
 to rest the tired brain. As will be more fully 
 explained farther on, whenever an organ is 
 brought into action a largely increased supply 
 of blood is directed there. Inversely, when 
 the blood supply of any organ is increased, its 
 activity is enhanced, and when the supply is 
 
INTRODUCTORY. 21 
 
 lessened its activity is reduced. The brain is 
 not an exceptional organ in this respect, an 
 extra supply of blood being called to the seat 
 of thought whenever the mind is actively 
 engaged. To thoroughly rest the brain, there- 
 fore, the blood should be drawn from it, which 
 can only be done to a serviceable extent by 
 exercising some other organ and calling the 
 blood to that part. 
 
 We have all felt the invigorating influence 
 of a smart walk after a period of severe mental 
 work, and it will be found that a few minutes 
 with the dumb-bells has even a more restful 
 influence, for then a larger number of muscles 
 are brought into action, and a correspondingly 
 greater volume of blood is drawn from the brain. 
 
 It may perhaps appear strange that I do not 
 advise the use of even light Indian clubs. I 
 will give my reason for not doing so, as it is 
 somewhat explanatory of the important and 
 often ignored fact that physical strength 
 depends upon the power to contract muscle. 
 A simple exemplification of this is obtained by 
 holding a weight in the right hand, the arm 
 
22 STRENGTH. 
 
 hanging by the side. With the other hand 
 grasp the biceps of the weighted arm and, as 
 the elbow is flexed and the weight is lifted 
 upward towards the shoulder, the muscle will 
 be felt to increase its circumference and shorten 
 itself, thus by its contractile power pulling up 
 the forearm, to which the lower end of the 
 biceps is attached. As all muscular action is of 
 this character, it is apparent that contractile 
 power constitutes strength, and the intelligent 
 instructor keeps this fact ever in view. 
 
 It does not take any great expert knowledge 
 to comprehend that the forcible stretching of 
 an elastic tissue can not tend to develop its 
 contractile power, in fact that the very con- 
 trary must result; hence my serious objection 
 to the use of Indian clubs, the swinging of 
 which severely stretches the muscles and 
 slightly, if at all, calls into play their power of 
 contraction. 
 
 It is often forgotten, when elasticity of mus- 
 cle is spoken of, that what is, or .should be, 
 meant is its power of contraction, not its possi- 
 bility of extension. I must not, however, be 
 
INTRODUCTORY. 25 
 
 understood to mean that muscle should be 
 so developed that its capacity for stretching 
 should be diminished — as occurs when one 
 becomes what is termed " muscle-bound," for 
 the exercises I suggest are so devised that both 
 functions will be promoted. 
 
 A cry has gone up lately that hard muscle 
 is a sign of an abnormal and unhealthy con- 
 dition, and a book that has attained a large 
 circulation within the past few months lays 
 particular stress on this point. 
 
 A very little consideration will show the 
 absurdity of the theory. 
 
 Under the microscope a muscle is seen to 
 consist of a number of fine cords or fibers 
 bunched together, much as electric wires are 
 sometimes massed into one rope. Each of 
 these cords has its separate power of con- 
 traction, and it is a simple arithmetical prop- 
 osition that the greater the number of these 
 cords a muscle contains the greater must be 
 its contractile power as a whole ; and as the 
 hardness of a muscle simply denotes its density, 
 the absurdity of the contention that a soft 
 
26 STRENGTH. 
 
 muscle (one composed of few fibers) can be 
 as strong as a hard muscle (one composed of 
 many fibers) is apparent. 
 
 If further refutation of this theory were 
 necessary, one has merely to turn to the 
 lower animals for the purpose. Is the horse 
 less healthy or more subject to disease when 
 in training, with every muscle like steel, than 
 when he is in a softer condition? His glossy 
 skin, power of endurance, keen appetite, and 
 frolicsomeness negatives the proposition. 
 Animals in their natural state, that keep 
 their muscles hard by constant exercise, are 
 other cases in point ; for surely they are 
 then no more subject to disease than when 
 their muscles are softened by loss of exer- 
 cise during confinement. 
 
 The book in question that makes this 
 absurd assertion, also uses the fact that wild 
 animals keep in trained muscular condition 
 without the use of apparatus as an argument 
 against the use of dumb-bells, etc. 
 
 It is probably true that if man walked on all- 
 fours there would be no occasion for any artifi- 
 
INTRODUCTORY. 27 
 
 cial aid to develop his arms, shoulders, chest, 
 and back; but as he is constituted to walk 
 upright, and because people under the condi- 
 tions of modern life are, in many occupations, 
 called upon to but little use these muscles, 
 artificial means are rightfully resorted to to 
 counteract the ill results of artificial exist- 
 ence. In other words, the use of dumb- ■ 
 bells, or some such implements, are necessary 
 to the even development of the muscular sys- 
 tem of those who exert themselves unevenly, 
 as is the case with all leading sedentary or 
 semi-sedentary lives. 
 
 It will be found that the exercises I direct 
 are not arduous or onerous, but that, on the 
 contrary, when they have been practiced for 
 a few weeks their cessation will be considered 
 a deprivation. A quarter of an hour's dumb- 
 bell work before breakfast and its repetition 
 before going to bed will, in time, be felt to be 
 as necessary as a meal, and the missing of it 
 be as keenly felt. The appetite for breakfast, 
 caused by the early quarter of an hour's exer- 
 cise, and-the sound sleep that follows the latter. 
 
28 STRENGTH. 
 
 gives immediate assurance of the healthful- 
 ness of the practice. 
 
 There is no royal road to the acquisition of 
 anything really worth having, and my method 
 does not pretend to be such ; but I feel con- 
 vinced that the system I advise is as short a 
 cut, and as pleasant and smooth a path, as can 
 be traveled along to attain the objective point, 
 which I take to be a vigorous physical 
 development of such character that its per- 
 manence is assured. I am quite ready to admit 
 that by more violent means than I advise, 
 muscle can be more quickly developed, but I 
 am confident that muscle so formed is not of 
 such lasting quality, and that a very short 
 cessation from exercise would result in a com- 
 plete undoing of the severe work of months. 
 " Slow but sure " should be the motto of both 
 pupil and teacher in athletics — the fable of 
 the tortoise and the hare being used to illus- 
 trate it. 
 
 ^ I mention hereafter the necessity for con- 
 centration of mind and will-power on what- 
 ever exercise is being performed. The sub- 
 
SAMPSON. 
 
INTRODUCTORY. 31 
 
 ject Opens up a wide field for investigation, 
 of special interest and importance to the 
 athlete, and without g'oing into any deep con- 
 sideration of the subject, it is well not to drop 
 it out of mind altogether. 
 
 The human system is an intensely sensitive 
 organization, every part of which acts and re- 
 acts upon every other part, either directly or 
 indirectly, with unerring certainty. One arm 
 is damaged — the other aches in sympathy ; the 
 brain is injured — the hand or foot is immedi- 
 ately paralyzed ; a member is hurt — the brain 
 instantaneously takes note of the fact, and pain 
 is felt at the point of injury. The relationship 
 between mind and body is close and insepar- 
 able; so much so that without having any belief 
 in the teachings of the apostles of modern "faith 
 cure," it does not seem to be an unreasonable 
 conviction that concentration of mind upon the 
 performance of an exercise aids the develop- 
 ment of the muscles brought into play. Let 
 this be as it may, it is true, without doubt, that 
 from one cause or another it is impossible to 
 exert one's strength to the utmost, or to attain 
 
32 STRENGTH. 
 
 the best results from training, unless the 
 mind be intensely concentrated on the work 
 in progress. 
 
 Following is a short sketch of my life which 
 I include, not because I consider it of any 
 special interest, but that it throws more or less 
 light on .my methods of training, and what has 
 resulted therefrom. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL. 
 
 My name is Sampson, not Samson, as it is 
 often written by those who suppose I assumed 
 a name to suit my profession. 
 
 I was born in Metz, Lorraine, on the i6th of 
 April, 1859, ^^^ lived there during the first 
 two years of my life, and, as my mother after- 
 ward told me, was a fat and lusty boy. My 
 father was a surgeon in the French army. 
 
 When I was two years old my mother's ill 
 health made a change of climate necessary for 
 her, so, taking me as a companion, she went 
 to Italy, and later sailed from there to Aus- 
 tralia, where we staid until my seventh year. 
 After five years' absence, on the 7th of May, 
 1866, we once more turned homeward. The 
 steamer "Australia," on which we, took 
 passage, broke down in mid-ocean, and it was 
 not until after a tedious and perilous voyage of 
 
 3 (33) 
 
34 STRENGTH. 
 
 eleven weeks that we arrived in London. I 
 was so young at the time that I do not remem- 
 ber all the dangers we encountered, but my 
 mother, who had much improved in health, 
 became more than ever an invalid as a result of 
 the nervous strain endured while helplessly 
 being tossed about at the mercy of the waves. 
 She never recovered from the shock, and 
 shortly after reaching home, passed away. 
 Thus at an early age I was deprived of a 
 mother's watchful care. 
 
 On reaching my eighth year my father, 
 who, because of his military duties, was seldom 
 at home, took me to a school at Friedrichsdorf, 
 in Germany. This institution was one of the 
 best in Europe, and youths from all parts of 
 the world were sent there to be educated. 
 
 Traveling around the world with my mother 
 had, however, made a more or less spoiled 
 child of me, and learning lessons appeared to 
 be dreadful drudgery. I was, at all events, a 
 healthy, high-spirited boy, if not a studious one, 
 and whenever there was any mischief on hand, 
 I was sure to be th.e ring-leader. Before very 
 
BREAKING CHAIN BY ACTION OF THE BICEPS. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 37 
 
 long my father was notified of my misdoings 
 and, as a reformatory measure, removed me to a 
 small private school at Heidelberg. Here, also, 
 I made but little progress with my studies and 
 eventually was taken home, where I staid , until 
 the Franco-Prussian War broke out in 1870. 
 
 My father accompanied the army in his 
 official capacity, and no sooner had he gone 
 than I took advantage of his absence and 
 ran away with two other boys of equally 
 adventurous disposition and joined the French 
 Ambulance Corps at the seat of war. Early in 
 the campaign one of my little friends was shot 
 through the head by a stray bullet, and killed, 
 and soon afterwards my other companion was 
 taken ill and sent to a hospital in the rear ; so 
 that within a few weeks from leaving home I 
 was left alone amongst strangers, to face the 
 hardships and turmoil of warfare. 
 
 At the battle of Gravelotte, whilst helping 
 officers to supply the wounded with water, I was 
 struck in my left side by a bullet, but not very 
 severely injured. My father, who had been 
 notified of my absence from home, but did not 
 
38 STRENGTH. 
 
 know of my whereabouts during all these 
 adventures, heard of me that day, whilst he 
 was on duty near the battlefield. He came to 
 my side at once, and finding it impossible to 
 send me home to Metz, which was then 
 invested by the Germans, had me taken to 
 Nancy for more careful nursing than I could 
 receive at the front. From that time my 
 health began to fail, probably as the result of 
 the wound and of the hardships endured dur- 
 ing the time I was with the army; and to make 
 matters worse, not long after, shortly before 
 my fourteenth birthday, whilst sitting in the 
 house, I was struck by lightning and com- 
 pletely paralyzed. At the expiration of sev- 
 enteen days I somewhat regained the power of 
 motion, but was left partially paralyzed and 
 practically helpless. 
 
 . As my father was well-to-do, every effort 
 was made and no expense spared to prolong 
 my life and abate my sufferings, but medical 
 skill proved of no avail. Numerous physicians 
 were consulted, but always with the same 
 result ; nothing bettered my condition. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 41 
 
 After being confined to bed for three 
 months, nature began to assert itself and I 
 became able to sit up for a few hours each day. 
 As I began to mend, two strong ropes, with 
 steel rings attached, were suspended from 
 the ceiling above my bed, extending down 
 within reach of my hands, by the aid of which 
 I could raise myself to a sitting posture. 
 
 One day, one of these ropes happening to 
 break, I playfully unfastened the ring and 
 slipped it upon my wrist, and from there 
 forced it to the upper part of my arm 
 around the biceps, where I worked it up and 
 down over the muscles, little thinking that 
 this would lead to any amelioration of my 
 condition, I made several movements with 
 the arm, straining the biceps against the 
 ring, and after a time felt a sensation of ease, 
 but, in turn, my arm, as well as my whole 
 body, was very fatigued. A deep and peace- 
 ful sleep followed, from which I awoke feel- 
 ing fresher and brighter than I had at any 
 time since the lightning stroke. I told none 
 of my physicians of my amusement, or the 
 
42 STRENGTH. 
 
 result, but kept repeating the exercise, and 
 as time went on my sufferings gradually 
 abated. Daily the lifeless-arm muscles began 
 to harden, my whole body gaining strength, 
 and five months from the time of being 
 stricken I felt myself not only well, but bet- 
 ter and stronger than ever before. I did not 
 cease my course of practice with the steel 
 rings, and upon every opportunity slipped 
 one upon my arm and made muscular move- 
 ments. To this exercise I almost entirely 
 attribute my phenomenal .strength of later 
 days. 
 
 One day I discovered that by a powerful 
 movement of the arm I had sprung the ring 
 out of shape. I procured a stronger one, 
 which also was soon forced into elliptical 
 form by the action of my biceps. I daily 
 felt my muscles developing, and before long 
 broke ropes and chains, and performed other 
 unusual feats of strength. 
 
 When I was a little over fifteen years of 
 age, giving way once more to my restless 
 disposition, I ran away and joined a circus. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 43 
 
 This, of course, was without my father's 
 knowledge and against his wishes, but he 
 did not then interfere, thinking that I would 
 soon tire of the occupation and return home. 
 I led this life for over a year, traveling 
 everywhere with the circus, and imagining 
 myself to be the happiest boy on earth. 
 Everything in the way of feats of strength 
 I tried, and everything I bent my mind to 
 I eventually accomplished. Thus I early 
 learned the important lesson that force of zvill 
 is one of the principal requisites for the 
 accomplishment of feats of strength. 
 
 At length my father, coming to the con- 
 clusion that I would not return home of my 
 own accord, resolved to force me to do so by 
 legal means ; so one evening, as I was per- 
 forming at the Hippodrome in Paris, a war- 
 rant was sworn out for my arrest, to be 
 served on me after the show. The manager, 
 however, learnt of it and planned my escape. 
 It being absolutely impossible for me to leave 
 the Hippodrome in any ordinary manner with- 
 out being seen and arrested, a stratagem was 
 
44 STRENGTH. 
 
 planned and executed. We were always pre- 
 pared for accidents to employes, which were 
 of frequent occurrence, so taking advantage of 
 this fact I lay down on a stretcher, and, after 
 being well covered up with blankets, four 
 men carried me out of the building, pretend- 
 ing I was a wounded man. The unsuspect- 
 ing officers,, who were waiting to arrest me, 
 inquired what had occurred, and one of my 
 bearers informed them that a stable-man had 
 been badly injured by a kick from a horse, 
 and was being carried to a hospital. Three 
 blocks from the hospital they took me down a 
 dark alley, when I jumped up and, running to 
 a railway station, boarded a train for Havre, 
 from where I sailed to the New World. 
 
 On my arrival in America I performed feats 
 of strength in museums and other places of 
 amusement, being paid at the rate of from 
 $200 to $300 per week. During 1 878 I returned 
 to the Old World, and exhibited before most of 
 the universities and crowned heads of Europe. 
 
 Even at that early age I often found my 
 strength of use for other purposes than mere 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 47 
 
 exhibition, as the following occurrence will 
 illustrate: One night in October, 1878, when 
 passing through Strasburg, Alsace, whilst walk- 
 ing with some friends along Kanal Strasse, I 
 heard a woman's cry for help. I ran in the 
 direction from which the voice came, and 
 had not gone far when I saw a Germ^an soldier 
 of a Uhlan regiment assaulting a girl. I took 
 him by the collar and gave him a severe shak- 
 ing, whereupon he drew his sword and slashed 
 me savagely across the head. The force of 
 the blow felled me to the ground, but only for 
 an instant, as I was quickly on my feet again 
 and a fierce fight for life ensued. He was 
 armed with his long sword, and I, bleeding 
 and half-dazed, was without any weapon. It 
 was going pretty hard with me when providen- 
 tially I espied a loose paving stone, which I 
 made a dash for and captured. With this in 
 my hand I rushed at the big Uhlan, and, 
 dodging a fierce sword-cut, hit him over the 
 shoulder with the stone with such force 
 that it broke his collar bone and brought him 
 to the ground ; and then, from loss of blood, I 
 
48 STRENGTH. 
 
 fell senseless beside him, and knew nothing 
 more until next day, when I found myself 
 in the St. Charles Hospital, where I lay for 
 five weeks, hovering between life and death. 
 On my recovery the soldier was tried, 
 received six weeks' imprisonment, and was 
 degraded from his rank of sergeant. As a 
 memento of this fierce conflict I shall bear 
 to the grave the mark of his saber cut. 
 
 In 1880 I again came to America, and per- 
 formed feats of strength throughout the coun- 
 try. 
 
 An incident happened at Detroit a few 
 years later, which is illustrative of the interest 
 taken in athletics at that time. The occur- 
 rence was reported as follows by the Detroit 
 Free Press of February 15, 1887: 
 
 " Any one driving on Woodward, or near the 
 City Hall, yesterday, certainly found it difficult, 
 as the vicinity of the great building was packed 
 with spectators, watching and stretching their 
 necks to see if Sampson, the strong man, was in 
 sight. It was stated that he intended to lift one 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 49 
 
 of the cannons which are placed on either side of 
 the City Hall. This, the people said, was impossi- 
 ble, but, should the statement be true, they would 
 all like to see it done; so consequently the place 
 was jammed. At 1.30 Sampson was to perform 
 that marvelous feat. At 1.20 the crowd cheered: 
 'Here he comes!' There were three open car- 
 riages in view ; in the first one was Sampson and 
 the proprietor of the museum, in the two follow- 
 ing were the gentlemen with whom the strong 
 man made the bet. As Mr. Sampson and his 
 escort left their carriages to go to the cannon 
 they found it a great difficulty — some would 
 make room for them to pass, others in the rear 
 would crowd to get a better view of the party. 
 Finally they got to the appointed place. Then 
 there was a hush; not a word was heard from the 
 crowd, for the strong man tried again and again, 
 but without success. Then the lookers-on said: 
 'Oh, he can't lift it!' Others again said: 'I 
 knew that before I came.' Then Sampson, white 
 with rage, took off his coat, stooped, put his back 
 underneath the tremendous cannon, lifted it out 
 of its socket, and dropped it to the ground. Then 
 came cheers from forty-eight to fifty thousand 
 
50 STRENGTH. 
 
 people, ' Hurrah for Sampson ! ' The crowd was 
 so overjoyed that they almost carried Sampson 
 to the carriage. What a job it was to have the 
 cannon put back in the socket is beyond imagina- 
 tion. The officials, at least, said if they had had 
 the idea that Sampson possessed the strength to 
 lift anything so heavy as that, he would never 
 have got permission." 
 
 In 1889, with the intention of visiting Paris 
 for a period of rest, and to see the great exhi- 
 bition, I left the United States on the steamer 
 City of Paris, bound for Liverpool. I was then 
 thirty years of age, but had not yet learned the 
 full extent of my powers. 
 
 On the voyage I made many friends, and 
 gave two exhibitions, one for the benefit of the 
 Soldiers' Home, the other for the relatives of 
 two firemen who had died on the trip. One of 
 the audience at the latter performance (a mem- 
 ber of the great brewing firm of Bass & Co. of 
 England, wdio resided in Brooklyn, and whose 
 name is, as well as I can recollect, Radcliff) 
 brought me a piece of chain, which . he had 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 51 
 
 found lying abont, and asked me if I could 
 break it. I answered that it was a mere 
 nothing- to do so — a response I would hardly 
 have made, had I not just before been one of a 
 party at dinner who drank more champagne 
 than was conducive to caution or modesty. As 
 the chain could bear a strain of two tons, the 
 gentleman thought himself perfectly safe when 
 he offered to bet me ;^io ($50.00) that I could 
 not break it. I, however, accepted the wager 
 and essayed to perform the task, without, how- 
 ever, accomplishing it at the first attempt. 
 The failure made me only the more deter- 
 mined to succeed, and gathering my force for a 
 final effort, and intensely concentrating my 
 will-power, I tested my strength as I had never 
 before. Slowly the chain stretched, and then 
 broke with a loud snap — the success being 
 doubly satisfactory, in that I both won my bet 
 and for the first time realized something of the 
 extent of my strength, which I then began to 
 think was almost limitless. 
 
 On arriving in London, a week or so after 
 landing, I found the papers full of the exploit 
 
52 STRENGTH. 
 
 and giving long accounts of my other feats of 
 strength. This notoriety resulted in the man- 
 agers of the principal places of amusement offer- 
 ing me engagements, and I eventually agreed to 
 appear at the Royal Aquarium for i^io ($50.00) 
 per week and half of the gross receipts, much 
 better terms than had ever before been heard 
 of in London for like performances. I can say, 
 without boasting, that as the result of my 
 appearance I was the " lion of London" for 
 many months. Upon accepting this engage- 
 ment I gave up the idea of going to Paris ; and 
 work, instead of rest, became my object. 
 
 Several events occurred during the five 
 months of my engagement at the Aquarium, 
 which are not without interest as casting light 
 on the vicissitudes and trials encountered by 
 the professional strong-man. I shall give an 
 account of some of them, by quoting extracts 
 from London papers : 
 
 ( The Star, Tuesday, September 10, i88g.) 
 " A person went to the Westminster Aquarium 
 
LIGHT DUMB-BELL EXERCISE NO. 1 —READY. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 55 
 
 the other evening with some sovereigns and a 
 steel chain in his pocket and a disinclination to 
 believe in the strength of the strong man, Samp- 
 son. Producing the chain when Sampson was 
 about to begin his performance, he offered him a 
 sovereign for every link that he succeeded in 
 breaking. Sampson examined the chain, then 
 holding it up in sight of the audience, he closed 
 the fingers of his left hand over one of the links. 
 A loud snap was heard — the link was broken! 
 Sampson went quietly on with his task, and a suc- 
 cession of snaps followed. He was smashing the 
 steel links like matchwood between his terrible 
 fingers. When seven or eight of them had gone, 
 the astonished stranger cried, ' Hold, enough ! ' 
 and felt for his purse. He had only four sover- 
 eigns in it." 
 
 ( T/ie London Sportsman^ Wednesday^ A iigiist /./, 
 i88g.) 
 " Sampson, the strong man, found his muscles 
 extremely useful the other night. He was having 
 a walk in company with a friend, when they met 
 two 'sky-larking lobsters from the barracks.' The 
 soldiers thought they would have a joke at the 
 
56 STRENGTH. 
 
 expense of the two, and pushed Sampson's com- 
 panion into the gutter. Then the man of might 
 rose up — not in his wrath, for he is an extremely 
 good-tempered man — and took hold of the two 
 military gentlemen. Their craniums rattled 
 together like unpacked eggs, and the two warriors 
 soon felt certain that it is better to ' know your 
 man' before- you take him on. Sampson and his 
 friend walked on in peace. We remember, not 
 long ago, a somewhat similar case, when an indi- 
 vidual who had gained a name as a pugilist was 
 attacked by highwaymen. The footpads had such 
 a drubbing that they laid up for a fortnight." 
 
 Before my arrival in England strong-men 
 were seldom seen in London theaters, and 
 when one did appear his reception was not 
 enthusiastic and his salary proportionately 
 small ; but after my first week's appearance 
 strong-men turned up from everywhere, and 
 the wages paid them were phenomenal. What 
 was thought of my performances is shown by 
 the following extract from The Era, a well- 
 known London paper : 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 57 
 
 A MODERN SAMSON. 
 
 " ' O ! it is excellent to have a giant's strength; 
 but it is tyrannous to use it like a giant.' Thus 
 Shakespeare. But with all reverence, be it said, 
 Shakespeare didn't know everything, and was 
 occasionally inclined to be too dogmatic. 
 Whether or not it is tyrannous to use a giant's 
 strength like a giant depends entirely upon cir- 
 cumstances. A giant's strength would be very 
 useful to a dock laborer, for instance, and would 
 enable him to command such wages as would pre- 
 clude the possibility of his going out on strike, and 
 the necessity to demonstrate in Hyde Park on 
 Sundays. A giant's strength would be a very 
 good thing to possess about the. time when bailiffs 
 wish to distrain for income tax unpaid, or 
 mother-in-law, invited for a week, had stayed a 
 month and refused to budge, and there are innum- 
 erable other circumstances under which it would 
 be anything but tyrannous to use it. Samson of 
 old possessed a giant's strength, and would have 
 been spared calamities dire had he used it to 
 strangle Delilah what time she was making prep- 
 arations to shear his beautiful locks. A modern 
 Samson has arisen, and for the past few weeks his 
 
58 STRENGTH. 
 
 extraordinary doings have excited the wonder of 
 all visitors to the Westminster Aquarium. This 
 latest addition of the strongest man in the world 
 is indeed a marvel, and as evidence that he is not 
 guilt}^ of humbug or trickery he boldly offers to 
 give large sums of mone}^ to those who can accom- 
 plish his feats, and to wager the most liberal odds 
 that he will succeed in doing things that are 
 seemingly impossible. The simplest of his exhi- 
 bitions is the bending and breaking of a shilling 
 with his fingers. With a single blow of his fist — 
 protected only by a handkerchief — he breaks a 
 couple of steel chains that have been tested to bear 
 a strain of about 3,000 pounds. With a straight pull 
 he breaks to pieces a chain at which three men 
 have tugged and tugged in vain. But most 
 remarkable of all is the snapping of strong chains 
 by the mere expansion of the muscles. Sampson 
 puts a double chain bracelet-like around his 
 biceps; he takes a long breath, he raises his fore- 
 arm; the muscles begin to swell, and, in less time 
 than it takes to tell it, snap go the chains. A 
 similar feat is performed by the development of the 
 muscles of the chest. His final feat is the extra- 
 ordinary one of swaying to and fro a dozen pow- 
 
LIGHT DUMB-BELL EXERCISE NO. 1— PICKING UP WITH UNBENT KNEES. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 61 
 
 erful young men, who on either side of him grasp 
 an iron bar and resist his efforts." 
 
 I now felt that no man living could equal 
 me in feats of strength, and backed my opinion 
 by publishing my challenge that I would bet 
 anybody ;^500 ($2,500) to ;^ioo ($500) that they 
 could not duplicate my performance. 
 
 This challenge was not accepted until 
 November of that year, when Sandow noti- 
 fied his willingness to compete. The test 
 was one of the most remarkable incidents 
 of my life. My competitor was so noted a 
 man, and such a favorite with the public, 
 that on the day of the contest 10,000 people 
 had actually to be turned away from the door, 
 after the house was so packed that there was 
 not even standing room for another person. 
 As much as from ten to twenty guineas was 
 paid for box seats that night. The result of 
 the contest was highly unsatisfactory and 
 indeed shameful. Sandow, amongst other 
 things, did not even use the materials pro- 
 vided for the contest, but substituted others 
 
62 STRENGTH. 
 
 prepared for his own use. Matters were con- 
 ducted in such an unfair manner that event- 
 ually I left the stage, and the audience, not 
 comprehending the true state of the case, 
 were loud in their denunciation of me. 
 There was, however, soon afterward, an en- 
 tire change of opinion on the part of the 
 public, as they came to realize the scandalous 
 character of the proceedings. 
 
 The following newspaper extracts, and let- 
 ters from myself and from persons eminent 
 in athletics, throw much light on the subject, 
 and set forth the views now generally held 
 across the water: 
 
 (St. Steplieii's Review, November g, i88g.) 
 "It is a great pity that the competition between 
 Sampson and Sandow at the Aquarium was not 
 properly arranged in all its details before it took 
 place. As it was, Sampson was really very badly 
 treated, and his complaint that he did not get fair 
 play was thoroughly well founded. Lords Queens- 
 berry and De Clifford did not hear the original 
 challenge, and therefore did not understand the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 65 
 
 nature of the contest. I did hear it, and Sampson 
 most distinctly stated that his intention was to 
 perform any feat whatever that he is capable of, 
 and that Sandow would have to do each one after 
 him to win his money. He even explained that, 
 owing- to the limit of time, he always omits more 
 than half of his performance at the Aquarium, and 
 that he certainly should not bind himself to do 
 only such feats as he was in the habit of doing on 
 the Aquarium stage if Sandow came up to com- 
 pete with him. In the face of this, however, the 
 referees on Saturday prevented Sampson from 
 breaking a strap round his chest, just because this 
 wa.s not on his usual programme. It is pretty 
 certain Sandow would have failed in this, for he 
 only just managed the easier effort of breaking 
 the wire strand. Besides this, Sandow never even 
 attempted to break a chain with his hands, although 
 Sampson did so successfully. It is no discredit to 
 Sandow's reputation that he should not be able to 
 do all that Sampson can. It is quite certain that 
 Sandow on his own side can do many things that 
 Sampson can not, and if he were the challenger, 
 under similar circumstances he would win. The 
 
 point is that Sampson challenged Sandow to come 
 5 
 
66 STRENGTH. 
 
 on the stage and do all that he (Sampson) can do; 
 and then, behold ! Sampson is not allowed by the 
 referees to show his full strength. That he has 
 been hardly used is certain." 
 
 {Sportsman, November p, i88g.) 
 " Sir: In face of the prominence given to mis- 
 statements concerning my match with Sandow on 
 Saturday evening last, I will thank you to publish 
 the facts, which I, as the challenger in the 
 match referred to, am entitled to make public. I, 
 the challenger, accepted ^loo as against my ;^5oo 
 that Sandow could not go through m)^ perform- 
 ance or do iny feats of strength. In regard to the 
 referees, or Captain Molesworth's office in conduct- 
 ing the matter, I may say that I was not consulted, 
 as I expected fair play. Having laid heavy odds, I 
 appeal to an unprejudiced public to read my short 
 account of the competition and form their own 
 conclusions as to the justice of the decision 
 arrived at. 
 
 " vSandow had to do what I did. I led off with 
 ^-inch gas-pipe, which I bent on my chest, 
 straightened out again on my arm, bent it on my 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 67 
 
 arm again, and straightened it again, finishing off 
 by breaking it on my leg. Sandow, after a des- 
 perate struggle, succeeded in a space of time 
 three times as long as that occupied by me in 
 bending and straightening the bar once only. I 
 had had with me, as the challenger, bars from ^ 
 to i^ inches in thickness. These the referees re- 
 fused to permit me to use. Why ? After strug- 
 gling with the thin one, as all spectators will 
 admit, could he have succeeded with very much 
 stronger gas-piping ? I then produced a leathern 
 strap, with a resisting capacity of 3,000 pounds; this 
 I was not allowed to break round my chest. Why? 
 Forsooth, because I had not used a strap before in 
 my performances. I then produced twenty-two 
 strands of picture wire, which I burst with ease by 
 the first expansion of the chest. Sandow, after five 
 futile efforts and incessant twisting, succeeded in 
 unloosening the twisted coil. I then produced two 
 champagne bottles, one full and one empty, in order 
 to perform a plain feat of extraordinary finger 
 strength, and nothing more. I, the challenger, 
 laying heavy odds, was again refused. I. then took 
 a chain bearing the closest inspection, and by a 
 straight pull broke it. After having done this I 
 
68 STRENGTH. 
 
 passed it to Sandow, and he refused to do it. This 
 is only one of the points on which he should have 
 been declared vanquished. I then took a double 
 chain to break on my muscle, and did so. Sandow's 
 lower arm is an inch thicker and his upper arm, 
 where the chain is broken, three inches smaller 
 than mine. Sandow's excuse was that his forearm 
 would not admit of the chain being slipped on. 
 I therefore extended the chain by a link, but 
 Sandow produced a chain from his pocket, which 
 he rapidly slipped on and broke without offering 
 it for examination and test. It is useless to write 
 more. In order to substantiate my claim, and 
 to prove that my reputation and my money have 
 suffered from the want of fair play, pray make it 
 known that I do not wish Sandow even to go 
 through the whole of my performance; but to 
 break only one chain which I will break, to come 
 from his arm to mine. I stake ^5,000 of mine 
 against ;^5oo only of Sandow's money that he can 
 not do this plain feat. I am, 
 
 "C. A. vSampson, 
 "Still the Strongest on EartJi." 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 69 
 
 "49 Broad St., Bloomsbury, W. C, 
 
 "November 2, 1889. 
 
 "Dear Sir: Just a line to say that I, at least, 
 to-night felt ashamed of my own countrymen at 
 the way they shouted and howled whenever you 
 attempted to speak or perform. Instead of giving 
 you a fair trial, the majority present did every- 
 thing they could to prevent your performance. 
 
 " I am sure from what I overheard, many had 
 come organized to kick up a disturbance, and 
 others having bet on Sandow did all they could 
 by their continued interruption to get you into 
 such a state of excitement so as to prevent you 
 from going through your performance properly. 
 
 " I regret that you did not, under the circum- 
 stances, refuse to proceed and at once retire. 
 Wishing you a long and prosperous career before 
 the public. 
 
 "Yours faithfully, 
 
 " G. A. Marshall. 
 
 "'Sampson,' 
 
 " Royal Aquarium, Westminster." 
 
70 STRENGTH. 
 
 ''Waite's School of Arms, 
 "London, November 4, 1889. 
 "Mr. C. a. Sampson: 
 
 " Dear Sir: As eye witnesses of the farcical 
 performance which took place on Saturday last, 
 we feel duty bound, as lovers of fair play, to ten- 
 der you our sympathies, as it was evident to us 
 that the public feeling was against you before 
 ever you commenced. 
 
 " If we understood your challenge aright (we 
 make no reference to the stake) it was that your 
 opponent should compete with you in the feats 
 that you were in the habit of performing at the 
 Royal Aquarium, and Captain MolcswortJi dis- 
 tinctly stated this in his opening speech to the spec- 
 tators. Therefore we can not at all understand 
 why the judges should have prohibited you from 
 doing this, neither can we understand why the 
 dumb-bell was introduced. If we might make a 
 suggestion in the event of another contest, it is 
 that all materials be properly prepared to the sat- 
 isfaction and in the presence of the competitors, 
 with a competent judge on either side, who thor- 
 oughly understands the materials, so that there 
 can be no disputing on the stage. As it was, in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 73 
 
 our humble and honest opinion, you did not have 
 fair play, unless we are in error as to the terms of 
 agreement. 
 
 "We are, dear sir, yours faithfully, 
 
 "Mace & Waite." 
 
 "Manor of St. John's, 
 " Waterford, Ireland, November 6, 1889. 
 " Sir: Will you allow me, as one who takes an 
 interest in sport, and has a true admiration for those 
 who excel in feats of bodily strength and endur- 
 ance, to express the disappointment I felt at 
 reading of the disgraceful manner in which you 
 were treated at the Aquariuiu last Saturday even- 
 ing. Though I have never had the pleasure of 
 witnessing your wonderful feats of strength, yet I 
 sympathize deeply with you on account of the 
 lamentable want of fair play you received from a 
 really unsportsmanlike British public. Trusting 
 you will excuse my taking the liberty of expressing 
 my feelings — my indignant feelings — at the way 
 you were treated, 
 
 " I remain, sir, your faithful admirer, 
 
 "A. R. Bonaparte Wyse. 
 "C. A. Sampson, Esq., 
 
 "5//// the Strongest Man on Earth." 
 
74 STRENGTH. 
 
 "Junior Carlton Club, 
 
 "Pall Mall, S.W. 
 "Sir: I was present at the performance at the 
 Aquarium on Saturday, and I consider you to 
 have been most unfairly treated. I also consider 
 you to be a stronger man than Sandow, and that 
 you are entitled to call yourself the strongest man 
 in the world without doubt. I should like to call 
 and tell you this personally. Kindly send me a 
 line to the above address to say if I can do so, and 
 at what hour. Yours truly, 
 
 "C. Pollen." 
 
 "London, November 6, 1889. 
 "Mr. C. Sampson: 
 
 "Dear Sir: A few lines on the unfairness of 
 the competition on Saturday evening, and also the 
 foul conspiracy against you, and being no friend 
 of such conduct as was dealt out, I would have, if 
 placed in your position, a searching inquiry of 
 such a nature that any further attempts of that 
 kind should be exposed. You have your reputa- 
 tion at stake, so to prove that, test by the best 
 mechanics, and in presence of responsible persons, 
 the material you used on Saturday evening; also 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 76 
 
 that SandoTV used, and prove that Sandow's mate- 
 rial would not break, as was shown, and that yours 
 will, A lover of fair play sends you the one used 
 by Sandow to test. Use your own judgment the 
 best course to adopt. You have my sympathy, 
 therefore have sent you the material to work on. 
 " Yours sincerely, 
 
 "A Well Wisher." 
 
 "3 MiDDLETON Road, 
 "Wandsworth Common, London, S. W., 
 
 " November 7, 1889. 
 "C. A. Sampson, Esq.: 
 
 "Dear Sir: I am greatly touched with the 
 expressions of thanks contained in your letter of 
 yesterday, and it proves more than anything else 
 the sincerity of your assertions. What I said in 
 my letter to the Sportsman is only a very mild 
 expression of my feelings respecting the unjust 
 and disgraceful treatment you received at the 
 hands of both the judges and the audience. Al- 
 though only an amateur myself, I have had also 
 to contend against the jealousy of others, but 
 fortunately I could afford to laugh at it, and have 
 maintained my superiority in my own line for 
 
76 STRENGTH. 
 
 more than fourteen years. I admire the brave and 
 plucky fight you are making single-handed, and 
 I sincerely wish you every success in your just 
 endeavors to maintain your position. If I can be 
 of any service to you I shall be glad to do so. 
 " I remain, dear sir, yours faithfully, 
 
 " E. Ferdinand Lemaire." 
 
 Comment upon these letters and extracts 
 would be superfluous. 
 
 Before my contest with Sandow my perform- 
 ance had chiefly consisted of breaking coins 
 with my fingers, and snapping iron bars and 
 chains by sheer strength of arm, and bursting 
 chains, wire ropes, and straps by the expansive 
 power of my lungs and biceps. Sandow's per- 
 formance was more in the line of lifting heavy 
 weights, which fact decided me to return to 
 America and practice this particular feat. 
 Having made up my mind to do this, I sailed 
 on the Teutonic, and on landing at New York 
 went direct to my home in Detroit, which 
 place I reached in March, 1891. I immediately 
 ordered the necessary weights, etc., to be con- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 79 
 
 structed, and after short practice felt sure that 
 I could equal or excel any man on earth in this 
 line, so in the following July I returned to 
 London to publicly test my powers. I made 
 harness lifting my specialty, and on the 23d of 
 November, 1891, broke all records of the kind 
 by lifting 508 pounds more than ever had been 
 raised before in this manner. Herewith are 
 two newspaper accounts of the event : 
 
 {Sporting Life, London, November 2/f., i8gi.) 
 
 " Sampson's Prodigious Lift — Over 3,800 
 Pounds Lifted by the Neck. — An overwhelm- 
 ing gathering of spectators tried to get into the 
 theater at the Royal Aquarium yesterday after- 
 noon, when C. A. Sampson gave a special per- 
 formance, diiring which he essayed the greatest 
 lift that has ever been attempted by a human 
 being. The sight of the vast attendance must 
 have been very gratifying to Sampson, who has 
 been in enforced retirement for some time past, 
 owing to an accident to his right arm, and the 
 applause that was showered upon him showed 
 
80 STRENGTH. 
 
 that his efforts were appreciated. Among those 
 present were Eugene Sandow, Professor Atkin- 
 son, Launcelot Elliott, Algernon Spencer, and 
 Reginald Spencer, besides a host of theatrical 
 celebrities, both male and female. 
 
 " Shortly after 5.30 Sampson appeared, dressed 
 in a green and maroon costume, trimmed with 
 gold. He spoke of his first appearance in Eng- 
 gland, when strong men were an unknown com- 
 modity, and he also called attention to the fact 
 that he was the first to discover the merits of 
 Cyclops, who was really the first to start the inter- 
 national matches. Sampson then issued a chal- 
 lenge to all the strong men, particularizing Louis 
 Cyr, whom he invited to test his latest lift — two 
 horses, two men, and a platform. This new feat 
 is done in the following manner: The platform, 
 which weighs 600 poimds, is suspended on four 
 iron chains, and at each corner there is a run- 
 ning wheel, which slides up the four brass 
 rods that support the platform upon which 
 Sampson stands. These chains are attached to 
 a leather collar, Avhich Sampson places on his 
 neck, and then grasping the two hand-rails, he 
 stands ready for his lift. When everything was 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 81 
 
 in readiness Sampson ordered out the two horses, 
 and Mr. Ludford, their owner, led them on the 
 stage. One was a big bay, standing i6 hands 
 3 inches, and weighing- 1,450 pounds ; the 
 other was a gray, standing 16 hands 3 inches, 
 and weighing 1,375 pounds, so that there was 
 2,825 pounds of horse-flesh on the platform. 
 In addition to this, two men, named J. Bevin 
 (weighing 12 stone 9 pounds) and H. Baker 
 (weighing 11 stone 13 pounds), stood on the plat- 
 form to hold the horses. This made the total 
 weight 3,809 pounds. In order to insure perfect 
 fairness, four judges were appointed to watch 
 the platform, and see whether it was lifted clear 
 from the stage. These were Professor John 
 Atkinson, Beverley Jevons, Mr. Vansittart, and 
 Mr. Snow. Ed. Plummer, representing the Sport- 
 ing Life, was selected to go on the top platform 
 with Sampson, to see that he used no unfair 
 leverage. 
 
 "After a little adjustment of the tackle Samp- 
 son braced himself for a supreme effort, and 
 lifted the mass about an inch from the floor. 
 The spectators shouted themselves hoarse, but 
 Sampson was not satisfied, and tried again, but 
 
82 STRENGTH. 
 
 this time he scored a failure. Then he asked 
 for a few moments' rest, and tried again for the 
 third time, which resulted in a pronounced suc- 
 cess. The platform was gradually raised up 
 until fully two inches of daylight could be seen 
 under it. The effort was a mighty one, and 
 the recoil proved too much for Sampson, for 
 when he tried to put his load down he fell 
 prone on his face, fainting, and many people 
 thought that he had burst a blood vessel. Real- 
 izing the athlete's danger, the Sporting Life rep- 
 resentative quickly removed the tackle from 
 Sampson's neck and lifted him to his feet, where 
 he stood dazed for some time; but after a res- 
 torative had been administered Sampson was 
 able to appear and bow his thanks. This lift 
 now forms the best of its kind in the world, and 
 supersedes the famous harness lift of William 
 B. Curtis, the American amateur, which was 3,300 
 pounds." 
 
 {Daily Graphic, November 2^, i8gi.) 
 
 "The Strongest Man on Earth. — Sampson, 
 the strong man, who is exhibiting his powers at 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 83 
 
 the Westminster Aquarium, has lately accom- 
 plished the feat of lifting a load of over a ton and 
 a half. Two horses, two men, and a platform were 
 the component parts of a weight of 3,800 pounds, 
 which Sampson raised after he had gone through 
 a familiar exhibition of his bar-lifting and chain- 
 breaking capabilities. The special apparatus re- 
 quired for the feat was formed of four uprights, 
 high enough to admit the horses and men beneath 
 a platform, on which Sampson stood. From the 
 ends of a leather collar round his neck depended 
 iron chains, which were attached in turn to a 
 movable platform below, made to slide vertically 
 on wheels. One horse, a bay, weighed 1,450 pounds, 
 and stood 16 hands 3 inches high; the other, a gray, 
 weighed 1,375 pounds, and stood 16 hands 2 inches; 
 the men weighed 12 stone 9 pounds and 11 stone 13 
 pounds respectively, and the platform 600 pounds. 
 A committee watched the performance, which was 
 also keenly scrutinized by the audience. Among 
 these was the redoubtable Sandow. Mounting the 
 upper platform by means of a ladder, and placing 
 the collar round his neck, Sampson braced himself 
 for the feat, amid breathless silence. To accom- 
 plish it appeared beyond even his powers. His 
 
84 STRENGTH. 
 
 form, in proportion to the enormous weight in the 
 huge structure beneath him, seemed absurdly in- 
 adequate. ' Keep the horses quiet ! ' he sang out. 
 * Ready ! ' He bent to the task, and strained till 
 his veins seemed about to burst. Then the plat- 
 form was seen to move slightly, but only slightly. 
 Sampson tried again — and failed. Begging for a 
 short rest, he made a third attempt after a few 
 seconds' interval, and, following a supreme effort, 
 the gigantic load was seen to move to a height of 
 at least three inches. The platform fell with a 
 resounding crash that was drowned in the deaf- 
 ening applause. It was a hardly-won triumph, 
 though. Sampson fell forward with a gasp and 
 groan, and lay prostrate for several seconds after- 
 ward." 
 
 Four weeks later I again set a new mark, 
 which I firmly believe will never be beaten, 
 by lifting 4,008 pounds. For this perform- 
 ance I was awarded the champion gold 
 belt of the world. The diploma that accom- 
 panied it is reproduced on page 10. 
 
 During this and my other trips to England 
 
UGHT DUMB-BELL EXERCISE-NO. 2. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 87 
 
 I performed throughout that country in all the 
 principal towns, attracting large audiences 
 everywhere. 
 
 In May, 1893, I again returned to America 
 and made, what I considered, the most gratify- 
 ing success of my life ; for, as the result of 
 taking part in the athletic competition at the 
 World's Fair, in Chicago on September 4th, I 
 was awarded, against all comers, the gold and 
 diamond medal. This trophy I value above 
 any other I have won, both for its unusual 
 artistic beauty, and because, in conjunction 
 with the other medals I now possess, it is a 
 definite and indisputable recognition that I am 
 what I claim to be — the champion strong-man 
 of the world. 
 
 Following is what was said of the perform- 
 ance by the Chicago Herald the next day : 
 
 {Chicago Herald^ September 5, iSgj.) 
 
 " Festival Hall Crowded Again — Excellent 
 Music and Sampson's Exhibition of Strength 
 Heartily Applauded. — Festival Hall did its 
 
88 STRENGTH. 
 
 usual immense business yesterday afternoon at 
 the international entertainment. Few of the 
 6,500 seats were empty. Beginning with the 
 overture by Captain Hecker's Elgin band of 
 sixty, there was much applause for each number. 
 The Guatemala Indians played the marimba 
 and the Hungarian orchestra executed several 
 selections., 
 
 " The best feature was the exhibition of giant 
 strength by Sampson. He broke, with his bare 
 hands and arms, chains which Chief Murphy of 
 the fire department had tested and kept in his 
 possession until used in public. He had them 
 hitched to a team of horses and a four and one- 
 half ton engine. Sampson broke them with 
 apparent ease. He also had twelve guards stand 
 upon his chest, his body being suspended between 
 two chairs." 
 
 I m.ay here add, that my challenge to the 
 world, offering odds of ten to one that no one 
 could perform my feats, has not been accepted, 
 though it has lain open since two years before 
 my victory at the Exposition. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 89 
 
 It would occupy too much space, and try the 
 patience of my readers, were I to describe at 
 length all my different feats. I will, however, 
 add a few more newspaper extracts giving 
 accounts of a few of my performances. 
 
 {^Evening Post, Chicago, September i, i8gj.) 
 
 " It is Sampson against Sandow. The former 
 was privately ' viewed ' yesterday at the Grotto, 
 and on Monday night will begin his engagement 
 there. He is a handsome fellow, of rather more 
 slender and perhaps more elegant figure than the 
 strong man of the Trocadero, and breaks chains 
 and coins with a merry nonchalance that suggests 
 the ancient Samson and the bonds he snapped 
 like so much flax. He, too, has a chest feat. San- 
 dow holds three horses upon his breast; Sampson 
 holds up a dozen men whose total weight is a ton. 
 On Monday night he will 'hold up' eighteen mem- 
 bersf of the orchestra — with their instruments 
 thrown in for make- weight. He holds a champion 
 belt for lifting in harness 4,000 pounds, and he 
 takes his ante-breakfast exercise with a 400-pound 
 dumb-bell. Sampson wants to meet Sandow in 
 
90 STRENGTH. 
 
 competition. He looks on Sandow as a Philistine 
 and wants to ' spoil ' him. A match may take 
 place at the Grotto. The two men met at the 
 Royal Aquarium in London, in November, 1889. 
 But the competition — which was witnessed by this 
 writer — was not altogether satisfactory. Sampson 
 and his managers considered that he was very badly 
 treated, and there was some ground for their dis- 
 satisfaction. It is, of course, no abridgement of the 
 reputation of Sandow to express a doubt of his 
 ability to do all that Sampson can. Sandow can 
 do many things which vSampson can not do. At 
 the Aquarium competition, the referees. Lords 
 Queensberry and De Clifford, declined to allow 
 Sampson to test Sandow except with the feats 
 which Sampson had been performing nightly. 
 They held that the challenge should be confined to 
 those strictly. All of these Sandow did perform, 
 and thus made a successful response to the chal- 
 lenge. But when Sampson proposed that Sandow 
 should try to break a certain strength of leather 
 strap around the chest, the referees declined to 
 allow it on the ground that Sampson had not been 
 regularly performing that feat at the Aquarium. 
 Whether Sandow could have broken it is an open 
 
LIGHT DUMB-BELL EXERCISE NO. 2. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 93 
 
 question. If the two men meet at the Grotto let 
 this be the chief and test feat to illustrate their 
 comparative muscular power." 
 
 {Newark, N./., Times.) 
 
 "Sampson a Wonder — Will Break Chains that 
 Brewery Horses Can't Break — An Exhi- 
 bition TO BE Given To-Day of a Marvelous 
 Feat of Strength — Sampson's Opinion of 
 Sandow — An Interesting History. 
 " Sampson, the strong man, who is electrifying 
 the audiences at Waldmann's Theater this week, 
 came by his immense muscular power in a strange 
 way. 
 
 "According to the story told by Sampson last 
 night to a Times man, he, at the age of fourteen 
 years, was struck by lightning. The shock ren- 
 dered him unconscious for several hours, and he 
 was confined to his bed for six months after. 
 
 " Soon after his recovery Sampson began to 
 take on flesh and soon developed great muscular 
 strength. Inside of a year the bed-ridden patient 
 for six months was giving displays of strength, 
 and he has kept it up for eighteen years. 
 
94 STRENGTH. 
 
 " Sampson claims to be the strongest man on 
 earth. This title he claims he fairly earned in a 
 test in London; with harness, Sampson lifted a 
 dead weight of 4,000 pounds. 
 
 "According to Sampson, Sandow, the much 
 talked about ' perfect man,' is a fancy-weight lifter. 
 Sampson declares Sandow is not in it with him, 
 else the latter would accept his challenge for 
 $10,000 a side (a $250 forfeit for which was posted 
 with the Police Gazette)^ at six feats at weight- 
 lifting. Sandow never answered Sampson's chal- 
 lenge. 
 
 " Bobby Manchester, proprietor of the French 
 Folly Company, would wager a good bit on Samp- 
 son against Sandow. Manchester is a game bettor 
 on a good thing. Recently he won $5,000 on the 
 Fitzsimmons-Creedon fight. Sampson is the origi- 
 nator of chain-breaking feats. Last night at Wald- 
 mann's six men tried to pull apart a chain that 
 Sampson snapped asunder on the biceps of his 
 arm, 
 
 " The latter claims that two horses can't break 
 these chains, and this morning a practical test is 
 to be made. At 11.00 a. m. two of Wiedenmayer's 
 brewery horses will try to pull the chains apart. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 95 
 
 If they succeed Sampson forfeits $ioo to charity. 
 If he fails then to break similar chains he will 
 forfeit another $ioo. The test will be made in 
 front of Waldmann's Theater. 
 
 " Sampson is about thirty-five years old, hand- 
 some, and finely formed. He was born in Metz 
 Lorraine, and came to America when but two 
 years old. His father is a Frenchman and his 
 mother of Spanish origin. In condition this 
 modern Hercules weighs 175 pounds. At present 
 the greatest feat in his daily performances is that 
 of bearing an immense model of the Ferris wheel, 
 lighted with electricity, containing twenty cars, 
 on his chest." 
 
 {Boston Herald^ Jtily 8, i8gj.) 
 
 " Stronger than Two Horses — Sampson Exhibits 
 His Great Strength in Private — Breaks 
 WITH His Biceps a Steel Chain Which Two 
 Large Horses Were Unable to Rend — 
 Gives an Exhibition of His Powers and 
 Explains His System of Training. 
 " Sampson, the strong man, spent yesterday 
 
 morning with his manager in driving all over 
 
96 STRENGTH. 
 
 Boston to find a steel chain of three-eigliths-inch 
 wire, which he desired to use in a private exhibi- 
 tion, to be given at the house of engine 26, back 
 of the Boston Theater. He was told by the hard- 
 ware dealers, that the chain which he himself used 
 to break over his biceps, a three-eighths-inch steel 
 wire link, was stronger than any chain they sold. 
 Being desirous of demonstrating to a skeptical 
 contemporary sheet, which had published the 
 story that he used acids on his chains, that he hon- 
 estly performed his feats of strength, Mr. Samp- 
 son obtained permission from the fire commis- 
 sioners for an adequate test at the above-named 
 place of the chains he used, and yesterday after- 
 noon at 2.30 o'clock he gave the private exhibition. 
 
 "Two chains of the sort Mr. Sampson breaks 
 nightly were produced. If the strain were insuffi- 
 cient to part the links he intended to break them 
 then and there himself. Chief Webber, Chief 
 Egan, Fire Commissioner Fitch, and a lot of 
 reporters were present to witness the feat. 
 
 "The two chains, which were linked so as just 
 to fit the strong man's biceps, were fastened 
 in such a way to a heavy wagon as to bear all the 
 strain when it should be started. The wagfon 
 
LIGHT DUMB-BELL EXERCISE NO. 3. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 99 
 
 happened to be loaded with cannel coal and was 
 estimated to weigh 5,500 pounds. Two big, sleek 
 horses were then brought out and hitched on to the 
 chains. They started the wagon without the 
 slightest injury to the chains. Heavy rocks were 
 then placed under the wheels, and thus prevented 
 the big horses from starting the wagon at all; 
 but still the little steel chains remained intact. 
 In the last trial the weight must have been several 
 thousand pounds heavier. 
 
 " Mr. Sampson then threw off his coat, and bar- 
 ing his arm, adjusted the two chains to his great 
 right bicep. He stiffened it once as a prelim- 
 inary, and then, summoning up the phenomenal 
 latent strength which is in him, he slowly drew 
 up his forearm. The tension of muscles was 
 tremendous and the perspiration started from his 
 face in little rivulets. Snap! went one of the 
 chains and flew several feet away. 
 
 "As is his custom, he had expected to break 
 both, but the chains having been slightly stretched 
 by the horses, he failed. Being dissatisfied, how- 
 ever, with the exhibition, he insisted on another 
 trial. 
 
 " Producing two other chains, and satisfying 
 
100 STRENGTH. 
 
 everyone present that they were in all respects as 
 sound as the others, he gave a still more wonderful 
 exhibition of his strength by adjusting the two 
 chains to his bicep and breaking them both by 
 another muscular contraction. 
 
 " There was no fake about this exhibition. 
 Mr. wSampson has a standing stake of ^50 with a 
 London sporting paper to meet any one in feats of 
 strength. Cyr, the Canadian strong man, he has 
 already vanquished. One of his feats is of grasp- 
 ing a quart champagne bottle by the neck with 
 his right hand, the bottle being filled with liquid, 
 and working it up through his hand by his thumb 
 and fingers until he has the bottle by the bottom 
 resting on his palm. Try it with a fairly good- 
 sized bottle and see if it is easy. 
 
 " He was born in Alsace in 1851, and for twelve 
 years has been breaking chains. He may con- 
 tinue it, as he says, for a few years longer, if his 
 strength lasts. But in lifting feats he may keep 
 his strength for many years yet. 
 
 "After the exhibition each reporter was pre- 
 sented with a link of the steel chain he had 
 broken." 
 
C^^.A 
 
 ^V^V^Uj^S^il/v^^,^^^^ 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 101 
 
 {Sporting Life, London, August lo, i8gi.) 
 
 "Sampson's Wonderful Feat — Working All Day 
 Lifting Mammoth Weights. 
 
 "Just how much strain the human frame can 
 endure has always been a mooted point, but it is 
 very doubtful if any human being ever went 
 through such a muscle-wrenching and strength- 
 exhausting performance as did Charles A. Samp- 
 son at the Royal Aquarium, on Saturday, when 
 he gave twenty of his ordinary performances 
 instead of the two seances that make up his 
 usual day's work. The cause of this marvelous 
 exhibition was a controversy that arose between 
 Mitchell Shmidt and Charles Sampson ten days 
 ago, in which the first-named claimed that he 
 could show feats of strength that were in no 
 wise inferior to those of Sampson. The latter 
 retorted in kind, alleging that while Shmidt 
 could not do his (Sampson's) feats once, he 
 could go through the performance himself 
 twenty times in any one day. Shmidt, thinking 
 he saw a chance to increase his bank capital, at 
 once offered to bet Sampson ;^ioo that he could 
 not make good his words. Just here a little 
 
102 STRENGTH. 
 
 hitch occurred, as Chairman Ritchie informed 
 Sampson and Shmidt that they could not settle 
 any wager in the Aquarium, but if they liked 
 to donate a certain sum to some charitable 
 institution the test might take place in his place. 
 This met the views of both men, and they 
 signed an instrument, the gist of which is as 
 follows : 
 
 " ' Articles of agreement entered into this the 
 first day of August, 1891, between Charles A. 
 Sampson of Detroit, Mich., and Mitchell Shmidt 
 of London, England, wherein Charles A. Samp- 
 son agrees to go through his regular perform- 
 ance twenty times during Saturday, August 
 8th, between 12 o'clock meridian and 12 o'clock 
 midnight. Failing to fulfill these articles of 
 agreement, Sampson agrees to donate ;!^2o to 
 the Westminster Hospital. Should Sampson ac- 
 complish the twenty performances, then Shmidt 
 must donate ;^2o to the Westminster Hospital. 
 The whole ^^40 is deposited with Mr. Ritchie, 
 who will forward same to Sporting Life, which 
 will be final stakeholder. The performances to 
 consist of the following feats : Lifting a bar- 
 bell, weighing 100 pounds, with left hand ; lift- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 105 
 
 ing a bar-bell, weighing i6o pounds, with two 
 hands ; lifting a bar-bell, weighing 200 pounds, 
 with right hand ; lifting a bar-bell, weighing 
 200 pounds, with two hands ; lifting a bar-bell, 
 weighing 320 pounds, with right hand ; lifting 
 a bar-bell weighing 320 pounds, with two hands; 
 lifting a bar-bell, weighing 1,202 pounds, with 
 two hands ; breaking- coins with the fingers ; 
 breaking a short piece of chain with a straight 
 pull ; breaking two bracelets on the left or 
 right arm ; breaking chains with the fist; break- 
 ing leather straps or chains on the chest. Should 
 Sampson miss two tricks in any one of the first 
 five performances, to be declared to have lost ; 
 should Sampson miss three tricks in any one of 
 the next fifteen performances he to be declared 
 the loser ; Sampson to have the right to leave 
 out any one trick that he may deem fit at each 
 performance, and also to be allowed to arrange 
 his programme as he sees fit ; Sampson to be 
 allowed an interval of fifteen minutes between 
 each performance, and also to be allowed his 
 usual attendants and his doctor on the stage ; 
 Eugene Sandow to act as Sampson's umpire, 
 and Shmidt to act as his own umpire.' 
 
106 STRENGTH. 
 
 "The only change in these articles was the 
 substitution of Captain Tyler for Eugene San- 
 dow as Sampson's umpire. The Sporting Life 
 appointed E. Plummer to act as referee. 
 
 " On the face of it Sampson was called upon to 
 lift 51,640 pounds in dead weight, but as he went 
 through the manual of arms with the 160-pound 
 bar, he had to use three distinct lifts, so that 
 his total or dead-weight lifting would be 61,240 
 pounds. Just what amount of pressure was used 
 in the breaking of the coins, chains, etc., is 
 merely a matter of conjecture, but it must have 
 been something enormous. Taking the per- 
 formance in its entirety, it was a marvelous one. 
 
 "Just before noon Mr. Shmidt made his way 
 on to the stage, and examined the weights and 
 chains. They were not put upon the scales, as 
 Shmidt said he was satisfied that the implements 
 were the same as Sampson used in his daily per- 
 formance. It is a pity that Sampson did not 
 elect to have his bells weighed, as he might 
 have gained a world's record for dead-weight 
 lifting. 
 
 " Sampson elected to give three shows at every 
 raising of the curtain, and this would give him 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 107 
 
 more time to prepare his paraphernalia, and give 
 him more rest. At first he worked a little slowly, 
 but he soon warmed up, and finished his thirty- 
 three feats (the breaking of the chains on the 
 chest was left out this time). The three shows 
 occupied just twenty-three minutes, which is 
 about half the time that one ordinary show takes 
 up. The second batch of shows were got 
 through in 24 minutes 15 seconds. This time 
 the full twelve feats were gone through, and in 
 the coin-breaking Sampson split a three-penny 
 piece, a sixpence, and a shilling. The seventh, 
 eighth, and ninth time passed off without any 
 special incident, but Sampson was perceptibly 
 slower, taking 28 minutes 30 seconds for his 
 thirty-six tricks. During the eleventh round 
 Sampson struck his first snag. It was while 
 he was breaking the short pieces of chain 
 with the straight pull. The perspiration had 
 saturated his gloves to such an extent that 
 this chain slipped through his hands. Mr. 
 Shmidt claimed a failure, which was not allowed. 
 Shortly after this Sampson's right arm began 
 to fail him, the iron bracelets cutting into his 
 flesh like a knife. He signified his intention of 
 
108 STRENGTH. 
 
 passing this feature, but the plaudits of the spec- 
 tators nerved him up to a final effort, and he 
 went through his task successfully. This turn 
 took 5 1 minutes 43 seconds. From this point 
 out there was no special incident, excepting 
 that Mr. Shimdt asked to have the weights 
 examined in order to see whether they had been 
 changed. As the officials had never lost sight 
 of the implements any substitution was impos- 
 sible. The fifth turn took up 27 minutes 3 sec- 
 onds, and the sixth, which made up the six- 
 teenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth performances, 
 occupied 32 minutes 30 seconds. The last two 
 performances; which were begun shortly after 
 II o'clock, were finished in 33 minutes. 
 Twice while lifting the 200-pound bell, the 
 weight overbalanced Sampson, but he finally 
 elevated the implement in good style. Finding 
 that he was getting dangerously tired, Sampson 
 left out lifting of the 300-pound bell. The 
 bracelets cut still farther into his arm, and 
 when he had finished, that member was in 
 a terrible condition, and it is very doubtful 
 whether Sampson could have gone through 
 another performance. Sampson was at work 
 
LIGHT DUMB-BELL EXERCISE NO. 3. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. Ill 
 
 for 3 hours 40 minutes i second. He missed 
 but seven feats out of the entire programme, 
 leaving him a leeway of thirteen. 
 
 " During the evening Mrs. Sandow watched 
 the performance, and Professor Schalkenberg 
 cheered the athlete with some splendid music 
 on his electric orchestrion." 
 
 {^Extract from London ^'■Tit Bits,'' 1885, and 
 "Frankfurter-Zeitung. ' ' ) 
 "A native of Alsace is now exhibiting his extra- 
 ordinary muscular powers under the name of 
 Sampson. Among his most interesting feats are 
 the following: He takes an iron ring f-inch thick, 
 which he slips over his upper arm, after rubbing 
 the latter with oil. He then distends the muscles 
 of his arm, and the ring assmnes an oval form, 
 and is handed round among the spectators to con- 
 vince them that 'there is no deception.' He next 
 takes an iron chain, the links of which are f -inch in 
 thickness, and, after waving it two or three times 
 in the air, snaps it asunder with a jerk. The 
 pieces are shown around. He afterward takes 
 three chains — one in the left hand, the second 
 
112 STRENGTH. 
 
 over the neck, and the third round the right wrist. 
 All three are secured to the floor. Suddenly, 
 springing' up from a stooping position, he breaks 
 all three of them, ainid the plaudits of the crowd. 
 Two other instances of his Herculean strength 
 may be of interest. Last year Mons. Sampson 
 entered a factory where a small engine was at 
 work; he entered into a wager that he could stop 
 it with his- arms. Everybody laughed at him. 
 However, he made the attempt, and won his bet. 
 Not long ago he was taking several ladies home 
 from a party, when they encountered a group of 
 rowdies who made some offensive remarks. vSamp- 
 son struck fotir of the fellows to the ground, and 
 their yells attracted the police, who, taking him 
 for the aggressor, proceeded to handcuff him, to 
 which he quietly submitted. But no sooner had 
 he been thus secured than he snapped the chain 
 and put the policemen to flight, after a fruitless 
 endeavor to convince them of the real state of 
 the case." 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 113 
 
 {Buffalo Evening Times, February 27, 18^4.) 
 "Mighty Sampson — He Breaks Iron Chains as 
 Easy as Egg Shells — Supported Fifteen 
 Musicians on a Platform Upon His Chest. 
 
 "C. A. Sampson, 'the strong man,' who is with 
 ' The Paymaster ' company now at the Lyceum, 
 performed some really wonderful feats last night. 
 That which elicited the most unbounded applause 
 was one illustrating the possibilities of muscular 
 expansion. Taking a heavy iron chain which a 
 blacksmith pronounced to be perfect in every 
 link, Sampson placed it on his extended arm 
 between the elbow and the shoulder. Then he 
 slowly raised the arm, and when the forearm was 
 parallel with the body, the chain snapped as if it 
 were but a thread of egg shells, and fell to the 
 floor. The Marquis of Queensberry once saw 
 Sampson perform this feat in London, and as a 
 reward gave him a gold chain of the same weight 
 and pattern. 
 
 " Sampson also supported a platform upon his 
 chest upon which the entire Lyceum, fifteen in 
 number, stood at one time and played an air. 
 He also lifted dumb-bells and steel bars, weighing 
 200 and 300 pounds, from the floor with one arm, 
 
114 STRENGTH. 
 
 raising each straight before his head, and then 
 slowly lowered it again. To illustrate the strength 
 of his fingers, he broke in twain silver coins and 
 iron disks. 
 
 "After the performance Sampson gave a recep- 
 tion to the physicians of the city, many of whom 
 were present. Nearly all declared Sampson a 
 perfect specimen of manly strength. 
 
 " Sampson is perfectly sincere in his idea that 
 he can defeat any pugilist living by allowing them 
 to strike his adamantine flesh at close quarters, 
 thus giving him a chance to break their arms. 
 Yesterday he called on Jackson and proposed to 
 fight him for $10,000 a side three months after his 
 fight with Corbett is settled, but Jackson reiterated 
 his determination to retire from the ring forever 
 after that affair. It is quite within the range of 
 possibility that Sampson may be matched against 
 some good boxer. 
 
 "John L. Sullivan's whilom friend, but now 
 bitter enemy, Duncan B. Harrison of 'The Pay- 
 master' company, said when he first heard of 
 Sampson's scheme that he considered it supremely 
 ridiculous, but he now admits that there may be 
 something to it. 
 
LIGHT DUMB-BELL EXERCISE NO. 4 — RESTING WEIGHT ON TOES. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 117 
 
 " By the way, Harrison was in Corbett's corner 
 when he fought Jackson sixty-one rounds without 
 result, and declares that it is true that the black 
 man was suffering from an injured ankle. 
 
 " ' It was nearly, if not quite, as large as the calf 
 of his leg,' said Harrison, 'and if Jackson had 
 then been the man that he is to-day, Corbett would 
 probably have never been heard of east of the 
 Rocky Mountains. Wonderfully as Corbett has 
 improved since that time, he will have the task 
 of his life to defeat Jackson in their coming 
 encounter.' " 
 
 {TJie Detroit Free Press, December lo, i8gj.) 
 
 " Sampson, the strongman, is home again, after 
 successful seasons in the old country and at 
 Chicago. He was a World's Fair attraction and 
 was about the only thing worth seeing at the car- 
 nival of sports in the live-stock pavilion on Chicago 
 Day. For his fine performance on that occasion 
 the World's Fair Athletic Club gave him a hand- 
 some gold and diamond medal, one of the finest 
 in his collection. His last appearance was at New 
 Orleans, where, in addition to his salary at the 
 
118 STRENGTH. 
 
 theater, he picked up $500 rather easily. J. C. 
 Bach, a Crescent City sporting man, said one 
 night that Sampson's feats of strength were ex- 
 aggerated and, as Sampson happened in the same 
 cafe at the time, a warm argument followed. Ac- 
 cording to the Picayune^ Mr. Bach said that Samp- 
 son could not break a quarter made at the United 
 States mint, and that he would wager $500 upon 
 his statement. Sampson accepted the proposition, 
 and said he would be ready when Mr. Bach called. 
 The money was posted, and yesterday was selected 
 for the test. Harry McEnerny, 'Bantam,' was 
 asked to be stakeholder, and, although he declined, 
 he accompanied Sampson to the mint. 
 
 " Mr. Bach and several friends were waiting 
 there for the strong man's coming. Few people 
 knew of the wager, but those that were told of 
 it were eager to see the test, and it created a great 
 deal of excitement among the employes in the 
 money factory. 
 
 '' Sampson soon announced himself as ready to 
 
 break the money that would be offered. Mr. Bach 
 
 purchased a 25-cent piece and handed it over to 
 
 Mr. McEnerny, who examined the coin on behalf 
 
 . of Sampson. The money was then passed to the 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL. 119 
 
 latter. Sampson bared his magnificent pair of 
 arms and strained to get a grip on the small sur- 
 face, sufficient to enable him to use his full 
 strength in breaking it. Sampson tugged at the 
 coin for a minute, and Mr. Bach seeing the giant 
 grow crimson in the face, thought his wager was 
 won. Sampson did not release his hold and slowly, 
 but surely, the coin was yielding. Two minutes 
 elapsed, and the coin was not yet broken. When 
 the watch showed that he had been struggling 
 two minutes and a half, he began to smile, for the 
 coin had started to bend under the pressure of 
 those powerful arms; when three nlinutes elapsed, 
 the piece gave a snap and Sampson presented the 
 broken sections to Mr. Bach and his friends, prov- 
 ing to them that his feats were genuine. 
 
 " Sampson then turned to the gentlemen and 
 said: ' I will break a half-dollar as a compliment 
 to you.' Grasping a bright, new coin of that de- 
 nomination, he parted it in less time than his first 
 feat. Mr. Bach took his loss good-naturedly, and 
 Sampson made the party his guests at supper." 
 
 This concludes the history of my life, which, 
 as I said before, I have not narrated because I 
 
120 STRENGTH. 
 
 think it to be of any special interest or im- 
 portance, except in so far as it throws light on 
 the methods by which I attained my excep- 
 tional muscular power, and shows how my 
 system of training has resulted in gaining for 
 me the fairly-earned title, " THE STRONG- 
 EST MAN ON EARTH." 
 
LIGHT DUMB-BELL EXERCISE NO. 4. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 PRELIMINARY INSTRUCTIONS. 
 
 I SHALL now endeavor to place before my 
 readers, in as concise and simple a manner 
 as possible, the details of my original method 
 of developing the muscles and strengthening 
 the entire physical system — a method that 
 can be carried out without the use of any 
 expensive or complicated apparatus, and does 
 not necessitate attendance upon athletic 
 Schools. 
 
 A "strong-man," in the professional mean- 
 ing of the word, is born, not made. Every 
 man, unless he is physically incapacitated for 
 any effort, can develop a large measure of 
 strength by following my instructions ; but, 
 on the other hand, every man can not become 
 a successful professional strong-man by any 
 method, no matter upon what right principles 
 it may be based. It is not different in other 
 
 (123) 
 
124 STRENGTH. 
 
 walks of life. For instance : Anyone can 
 attain a certain degree of proficiency in acting 
 by constant practice ; but few possess the 
 inborn capacity, the natural gifts, that enable 
 them to become " star" actors. Alike with the 
 strong man and the actor, inherent aptitude, 
 in short — genius, is absolutely essential if he 
 is to reach the highest eminence in his pro- 
 fession. 
 I The primary requisites for a strong man 
 who would become a strong-man are, that he 
 should have head as well as heart; in other 
 words, that he should possess the fortitude 
 of a Spartan, pluck to endure punishment, 
 endless patience, extraordinary endurance, and 
 unbending will-power, all of which endow- 
 ments, though they can be developed to 
 some extent, are inborn qualities that can 
 not be wholly, or, indeed, in any very large 
 measure, acquired. But above and beyond 
 all these attributes it is necessary that he 
 should be possessed of that spark called 
 " genius," which alone empowers him to put 
 to their full use these primary requisites. 
 
PRELIMINARY INSTRUCTIONS. 125 
 
 If a man be sound in wind and limb ; if 
 his heart, lungs, and kidneys are not organ- 
 ically impaired, by [following my instructions 
 he can' harden his muscles, strengthen his 
 heart, and develop his lungs to an extent 
 that will surprise him, and enable him to 
 endure for hours exertions that, without such 
 training, it would be absolutely impossible 
 for him to stand; or, if he did accomplish 
 them, would lead to perilous or fatal exhaus- 
 tion. I wish, however, to state here, once 
 for all, that if any of the important organs of 
 the body are organically diseased, although 
 a man can not fail to be more or less bene- 
 fited by the course of training I am about 
 to suggest, he can not hope to gain any extra- 
 ordinary degree of strength by this or by 
 any other system. A strong heart to force 
 blood through tense muscles, powerful lungs 
 to thoroughly oxidize the blood on its return 
 trip to the heart, and healthy kidneys, are all 
 absolute necessities to him who would excel 
 in feats of strength. 
 
 The strong-man profession has made rapid 
 
126 STRENGTH. 
 
 strides within the last few years, and I think I 
 may say, without undue egotism, that the 
 records I have set have had no little to do 
 with the advancement ; for they have caused 
 many aspirants to emulate my feats. What 
 were considered great performances a decade 
 ago, have since been so far surpassed by myself 
 and others that they would to-day be laughed at. 
 
 My success has been largely due to the more 
 rational and natural system of training that I 
 gradually learned and perfected throughout 
 a long experience ; indeed there is as great a 
 difference between the methods I now pursue 
 and advise and those followed when I first 
 entered the profession, as there is between the 
 feats of to-day and those that were considered 
 great ten years ago. On pages 19, 23, and 29 
 the exact reproductions of three photographs 
 of myself, taken in Chicago during February, 
 1895, give a fair idea of the development of my 
 muscles under the system I follow and teach. 
 
 The following measurements of myself^ 
 taken at the time, will aid the better compre- 
 hension of the illustrations : 
 
PRELIMINARY INSTRUCTIONS. 129 
 
 Neck 17 inches. 
 
 Chest (contracted) 39 inches. 
 
 Chest (normal) ..43 inches. 
 
 Chest (expanded) 58 inches. 
 
 Biceps 19 inches. 
 
 Wrist ■- . . 4^ inches. 
 
 Forearm 163^ inches. 
 
 Calf .16 inches. 
 
 Thigh 26^ inches. 
 
 Height 5 feet 7 inches. 
 
 Weight - .- 175 pounds. 
 
 It is well to remember that to develop mus- 
 cular power, and what is of equal importance, 
 to learn how to use one's strength, can not possi- 
 bly hurt anyone, old or young-. In particular 
 every boy should be taught early how to 
 develop his muscles and how to employ them. 
 The possession of the strength and knowledge 
 thus acquired, will make him healthier, more 
 self-reliant and manly, and furnish him a solid 
 foundation upon which to build during the 
 rest of his life. Should a youth excel in lifting 
 great weights and performing other feats of 
 
130 STRENGTH. 
 
 strength and endurance, it is by no means neces- 
 sary that he should become a professional 
 strong-man; he will be in the happy position, 
 however, where he can always defend himself 
 and possibly at times protect others. The 
 possession of strength and endurance, and 
 their almost universal accompaniment, cour- 
 age, far from inciting their possessor to deeds 
 of violence, develops a buoyant relf-reliance 
 that inclines to good-natured peacefulness. 
 The cowardly knife or pistol has never been 
 the weapon of the strong-man. He glories too 
 greatly in his own powers to descend to such 
 methods of defense. 
 
 As well as developing muscular strength, 
 and teaching how it may be fully utilized, 
 I find that my method unfailingly improves 
 the health of the delicate and maintains that 
 of the robust. When its details are studied 
 it will be found that I do not advise violent 
 exercise, which, especially in the case of un- 
 trained persons, is apt to prove highly injuri- 
 ous. Daily light exercise, increased reason- 
 ably as muscular development progresses, 
 
PRELIMINARY INSTRUCTIONS. 133 
 
 produces much better and more lasting results 
 than intermittent, severe effort. 
 
 The majority of prize fighters and profes- 
 sional wrestlers go through a course of ex- 
 treme exercise, pushed almost to the limit of 
 endurance, for a few weeks, to prepare them- 
 selves for a contest that may only last a few 
 minutes, or at most will be counted by hours, 
 after which they usually cease training and 
 live inactive lives until called upon to fit 
 themselves for the next contest. 
 
 All this is entirely against common sense, 
 and opposed to hygienic laws. It would be as 
 rational to stay in bed for weeks and allow the 
 muscles, nerves, heart, and lungs to lose tone 
 and become flaccid, and then suddenly jump 
 up and go through violent and exhausting 
 exercise. The result probably would be, if 
 disaster did not immediately occur, to sow 
 seeds of diseases which would blossom later 
 into fatal heart failure. Professional strong- 
 men never build up their strength by such vio- 
 lent methods, and, as a result, many hale and 
 hearty old men can be found who once were 
 
134 STRENGTH. 
 
 of that profession ; but to how many aged 
 prize fighters can one point? 
 
 Exercise carried to the point of exhaustion 
 I am entirely opposed to ; on tlie contrary, the 
 aim of my method is to develop and strengthen 
 the body with a minimum of exertion and 
 absolutely no straining, in a manner that Avill 
 result in a lifetime of vigorous bodily health, 
 associated with no less vigorous mental force. 
 Indeed, the latter endowment is so dependent 
 upon the former, that the full use of intel- 
 lectual power is impossible to one handicapped 
 by a feeble body. My system, therefore, in 
 a sense, aims to develop brain as well as body. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 HYGIENE. 
 
 The hygiene of my system is not onerous. 
 .1 do not advise any special course of diet; 
 the same intelligent temperance in eating 
 and drinking that is necessary to the perfect 
 use of mental or bodily faculties in, every 
 walk of life, is all that is necessary to obtain 
 the best results from my system. A few 
 general rules based on common sense may, 
 however, be laid down. 
 
 For those who have a tendency to corpu- 
 lence, it is advisable to eat as little butter 
 and fatty substances as possible, or foods 
 containing a large proportion of starch — 
 such, for instance, as potatoes and most vege- 
 tables "; but they need not fear to eat meat 
 (with as little fat as possible), nor eggs, in 
 ordinary moderation, nor bread, which, though 
 containing much starch, is the least fattening 
 of such foods. For those, on the contrary, 
 
 (135) 
 
136 STRENGTH, 
 
 who are inclined to be thin, starch and fats 
 are advisable. Pies and such trash are equally 
 poisonous to every class of person that seeks 
 to acquire strength. The severe course of 
 purging that used to b^ recommended by 
 athletic instructors as an introduction to train- 
 ing I believe to be worse than useless. 
 
 Since recovering from the effects of the 
 lightning stroke mentioned in my autobiog- 
 raphy, I never suffered a day's sickness, 
 except when it has been brought on by some 
 such accident as the sword-cut inflicted on 
 me at Strasburg. I know, therefore, very 
 little about drugs, and find the exercise I 
 take keeps me in perfect health, and I can 
 promise those who follow my system that 
 within a short time they can throw away all 
 doctor's prescriptions, medicine bottles, and 
 pill boxes. The only thing in the nature 
 of a drug that I have taken in years is sar- 
 saparilla. This natural blood-purifier I find 
 beneficial in spring and autumn — seasons 
 when one is apt to be a little out of sorts — 
 and, also, at times when, for some reason or 
 
HYGIENE. 137 
 
 other, I have been cut off from my usual 
 allowance of exercise. A few days of idle- 
 ness always make me listless, and when the 
 opportunity for exercise again presents itself 
 I feel disinclined t6 begin. I then take a 
 few doses of sarsaparilla, which soon frees 
 me from lassitude. Receipts for making a 
 decoction of this root can easily be obtained, 
 or the ready-made extract manufactured by 
 druggists will be found equally efficacious. 
 
 I am now about to tread on dangerous 
 ground by speaking of the use of tobacco and 
 spirituous liquors. Tobacco in any form, with- 
 out doubt, is injurious to him who would excel 
 in feats of strength. Nicotine, either volatil- 
 ized and absorbed as smoke, or taken into the 
 system through the chewing of tobacco, is a dis- 
 tinct heart depressant, and the folly of depriv- 
 ing the heart of any of its force is apparent 
 when the following facts are considered: 
 
 When a muscle is being exerted, the tissue 
 it is composed of becomes rigidly compressed, 
 and it takes the unimpaired power of the heart 
 to force the blood through the constricted veins 
 
138 STRENGTH. 
 
 and arteries of that muscle in sufficient quan- 
 tities. As has been before stated, it is a physi- 
 ological fact that when any organ or muscle 
 is brought into action an increased supply 
 of blood is immediately required by it, the 
 increase being proportionate to the severity 
 of the work performed by the organ or muscle 
 in question. If, for instance, the biceps are 
 brought into active play, a fuller circulation of 
 blood through them is an absolute necessity if 
 they are to perform their function properly. 
 During exercise, therefore, the heart is not 
 only called upon to pump a fuller supply of 
 blood, but it is also required to drive it 
 through veins and arteries contracted by 
 tensed muscles. In short, when muscles are 
 being exerted the heart is called upon to do 
 not only more, but harder work. The folly of 
 the use of tobacco, or any other substance that 
 tends to weaken the heart's power, by those 
 who aim to perform feats of strength, is 
 therefore at once apparent. 
 
 Another injurious feature of the tobacco 
 habit is the frequent expectoration of saliva, 
 
HEAVY CKJMB-BELL EXERCISE — READY. 
 
HYGIENE. 141 
 
 habitual with so many smokers, and all chew- 
 ers. Saliva is provided by nature as a sol- 
 vent to promote the digestion of food, and the 
 result of spitting- it away is either that the 
 food is imperfectly digested from a lack of 
 it, or that an increased supply is manufactured 
 to make the loss good — an extra tax being 
 imposed on the system in both cases. In 
 either event muscular development is retarded 
 and vitality is sapped. I know it is useless to 
 expect, except in very few instances, the 
 entire abandonment of the fragrant weed, 
 but I wish to impress upon my readers, as 
 strongly as possible, the advisability of not 
 smoking for at least half an hour before, 
 during, or half an hour after exercise. Such 
 abstinence does not call for any great amount 
 of self-sacrifice, and the resulting benefit 
 will far more than compensate for the 
 deprivation. 
 
 What I have advised as to eating applies 
 equally to drinking: be moderate. I realize 
 that the question of alcoholic liquors is even 
 a more ticklish one than tobacco to touch 
 
142 STRENGTH. 
 
 upon, and that no matter what I counsel, I 
 am bound to "wound the susceptibilities of 
 some. I shall, however, state my opinion — 
 which is entirely unprejudiced and based on 
 experience — without fear or favor. It must 
 be remembered, however, that w^hat I have 
 to say regarding the matter applies only to 
 those who put themselves under my athletic 
 tuition, and to no others. 
 
 To those inclined to corpulence, beer is 
 distinctly detrimental, whilst the light, white 
 wines of Germany appear to be harmless, and 
 are, in many cases, highly beneficial. With 
 most people these wines aid digestion and 
 promote assimilation, and anything that fur- 
 thers these important functions unquestion- 
 ably cooperates with exercise in the develop- 
 ment of muscle. 
 
 To those who do not acquire flesh readily, 
 a little beer is not detrimental if it is easily 
 digested, and both the white and red wines 
 of France and Germany are usually advan- 
 tageous. There are, of course, many persons 
 so constituted that they should leave alcoholic 
 
HYGIENE. 143 
 
 beverages of every kind severely alone — those 
 disposed to gout, for instance. - 
 
 Spirits and water, instead of wines or beer, 
 are preferred by some people, and apparently 
 suit them better. There is no reason, as far 
 as muscle development is concerned, why they 
 should not indulge their taste in moderation. 
 
 In all cases I strongly deprecate the use of 
 stimulants between meals, and advise their use 
 only whilst eating. 
 
 Over-indulgence in any form of alcoholic 
 drink is fatal to the acquirement of sound 
 muscle or the performance of feats of strength. 
 The artificial stimulation of the heart's action 
 caused by such excess is followed by a severe 
 depression, which is accompanied by all the ill 
 effects, greatly accentuated, described as result- 
 ing from the use of tobacco ; and this is but 
 one of the innumerable injurious consequences 
 that are sure to follow intemperance in this 
 direction. 
 
 It is, perhaps, superfluous to add that it is 
 of the first importance that all liquors should 
 be pure and of the best quality. New or 
 
144 STRENGTH. 
 
 adulterated wines, spirits, or beer are poisons 
 to the athlete. 
 
 A cold bath or sponge-down, followed by a 
 smart rubbing with a rough towel, will be 
 found of the greatest service after exercise. 
 The benefit resulting from this practice is two- 
 fold. In the first place, the slight shock caused 
 by the sudden application of cold water to the 
 skin is followed, in the healthy, by a reaction 
 that is invigorating and tonic; and secondly, 
 the pores of the skin are kept open and in. free 
 working order. The importance of this latter 
 result is evident when the following facts are 
 considered. 
 
 The blood is continually building up new 
 muscle-tissue, the old breaking down and 
 being carried off by the special organs which 
 nature has provided for that purpose. If the 
 first of these functions — tissue building — is 
 retarded, in so much will the development of 
 muscle be diminished ; hence, the necessity 
 for a full supply of the rich blood which is 
 m.anufactured from appropriate food, prepared 
 by a healthy digestion. But what is of fully 
 
HEAVY DUMB-BELL EXERCISE NO. 1. 
 
HYGIENE. 147 
 
 equal moment is to keep the organs that carry 
 off the broken-down muscle-tissue in full and 
 unimpeded working order. One of the chief 
 means by which the body rids itself of this 
 debris — which soon decomposes and becomes 
 poisonous if not regularly excreted — is by 
 casting it out through the pores, which are 
 nature's drains. Nothing is more certain than 
 that if broken-down tissue is not quickly and 
 entirely expelled impaired health will result. 
 This fact is powerfully exemplified during an 
 attack of fever, when more tissue is broken 
 down than can at once be carried off, the 
 undischarged excess decomposing and caus- 
 ing blood poisoning, and possibly death. 
 
 One of the effects of exercising a muscle is 
 to break down its tissue with increased 
 rapidity. Hence, for those who exercise their 
 muscles there exists a double necessity for pre- 
 caution, lest the channels which are intended 
 to carry away the poisonous, broken-down 
 muscle-tissue should become clogged or inac- 
 tive. Nothing is better than the cold bath, 
 followed by vigorous rubbing, to keep the 
 
148 STRENGTH. 
 
 pores unimpeded and in good working order. 
 By those unfortunately-constituted people who, 
 because of a weak power of reaction, can 
 not stand the delightful shock of cold water, 
 tepid water can be used, the temperature of it 
 being gradually lessened from time to time, 
 until at length entirely cold water very likely 
 can be borne. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 TRAINING WITHOUT APPARATUS. 
 
 Walking is an excellent adjunct to the 
 special course of exercises I advise hereafter, 
 and is particularly beneficial to business men 
 who lead a more or less sedentary life. 
 
 As with every other form of activity, walk- 
 ing should be practiced in moderation. How 
 long a distance constitutes moderation is easily 
 learned from nature, for immediately weari- 
 ness is experienced the limit of safety has 
 been reached. Tiredness precedes exhaustion, 
 and is in the nature of a warning that that 
 danger point is being approached. Be satis- 
 fied to begin with a mile or two miles a day 
 if a longer distance fatigues. 
 
 During the walk practice inflating the chest 
 to the utmost extent and then driving out the 
 air till not an atom is retained in the lungs. 
 This is a most excellent exercise, which not 
 only develops the lungs and the muscles of 
 
 (149) 
 
150 STRENGTH. 
 
 the chest to a wonderful extent, but also 
 thoroughly oxidizes and purifies the blood, 
 and drives out poisonous remnants of carbonic 
 acid gas that are apt to linger with ill-effect 
 in unused corners of the lungs. The feeling 
 of vigorous exhilaration that follows half an 
 hour of this practice is delightful. 
 
 It is an instructive lesson in this connection 
 to measure the circumference of the chest 
 before beginning a course of this exercise. 
 Run the tape around the chest when it is at its 
 natural middle expansion; again when it is 
 fully inflated, and a third time when con- 
 tracted by complete exhalation. A month 
 later repeat the measurements, and compare 
 the figures then obtained, with those first 
 noted. It will be found that the chest, even 
 in that short time, has increased in girth, and 
 that there is a greater difference between the 
 contracted and expanded measurements than 
 formerly. This habit of deep breathing, with 
 all its attendant benefits, will before long 
 become second nature to those who practice 
 it as I advise. 
 
HEAVY DUMB-BELL EXERCISE NO. 1. 
 
TRAINING WITHOUT APPARATUS. 153 
 
 Extreme inhalation and exhalation should 
 not be practiced in ill-ventilated rooms, nor 
 in places where many people are gathered 
 together, and where, therefore, the air is 
 sure to be more or less vitiated. Keep this 
 exercise for out-of-doors and, best of all, 
 practice it whilst walking, but never when 
 smoking. A slight soreness of the muscles 
 of the chest may at first be caused from their 
 unaccustomed stretching, but this will soon 
 pass away, and is of no importance. 
 
 If business men would make a habit of 
 thus breathing, and of walking a part of or 
 all the way to their offices in the morning, 
 instead of riding, they would find their heads 
 clearer during the day, and be less liable to 
 fatigue from' severe brain work, and by repeat- 
 ing the performance when going home, an 
 appetite for dinner (or whatever the evening 
 meal may be) would be created, recalling the 
 happy, hungry days of youth. 
 
 The proper way to perform this breathing 
 exercise is to draw a long, slow breath, throw- 
 ing the shoulders slightly back and inflating 
 
154 STRENGTH. 
 
 the lungs until one nearly lifts himself off 
 his feet, and it becomes an absolute impossi- 
 bility to inhale another atom of air or to 
 distend the ribs a hair's-breadth farther. 
 Retain the air thus drawn in for two or three 
 seconds, then slowly expel it and contract 
 the chest until it feels as if the breastbone 
 were touching the spine ; in fact, squeeze out 
 the lungs until they are absolutely empty of 
 air; then slowly inhale again, and keep on 
 repeating the performance ad infinitum. This 
 grows to be a favorite exercise with every one 
 who gives it a fair trial. 
 
 It should be observed as an invariable rule 
 not to actively exercise for an hour or two 
 after eating. During the process of digestion 
 an extra allowance of blood is called for by 
 the stomach, and it is detrimental to draw it 
 away from that organ and impair its action, as 
 would be done if muscles in other parts of the 
 body were actively exercised. It is nearly or 
 quite as dangerous, however, to exercise when 
 hungry or faint, or when more than five or six 
 hours have elapsed since a meal. When any 
 
TRAINING WITHOUT APPARATUS. 155 
 
 of these latter, conditions exist and I am obliged 
 to exert myself, I take a cup of broth made 
 from some beef extract. This is absorbed and 
 assimilated almost immediately, its invigor- 
 ating and nourishing influence being at once 
 felt. After prolonged exertions, also, I re- 
 cuperate myself in the same way. Some- 
 times after a protracted performance, when 
 the audience has insisted on the repetition of 
 feats that, even when done once, call for the 
 use of my utmost strength, naturally I am 
 fatigued, more or less, and feel the want of 
 some readily assimilable nutriment. From 
 time to time I have tested the efficacy of tea, 
 coffee, and alcoholic beverages for this purpose, 
 but now have discarded them all as inefficient, 
 using in their stead one of the many concen- 
 trated extracts of beef which are now to be 
 found on the market. The broth can be pre- 
 pared at a. moment's notice, which is an impor- 
 tant consideration, by simply putting a tea- 
 spoonful of the extract in a cup of hot water 
 and stirring it for half a minute. I now use 
 it just before and, when there is a break in 
 
156 STRENGTH. 
 
 the programme, during the exhibition, as well 
 as afterward. 
 
 I have before warned my readers against 
 exercising to the point of exhaustion, but 
 should they ever unwittingly do so, they will 
 minimize the evil effect as far as possible by 
 the use of some such preparation as this, which, 
 in such cases, is far preferable to the alcoholic 
 stimulants that formerly were considered the 
 proper restoratives. Even when exertion has 
 not been carried to the point of exhaustion, but 
 one feels healthily tired, it will be found bene- 
 ficial to take a cup of beef extract, for when 
 tissue has been rapidly broken down — as it is 
 when muscles are actively used — the system 
 is in a peculiarly fitted condition to absorb 
 nutriment and build up strong new tissue in 
 place of that which has been lost. Some food 
 that is quickly assimilable is then called for, if 
 full advantage is to be taken of the oppor- 
 tunity. 
 
HEAVY DUMB-BELL EXERCISE NO. 1. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 SPECIFIC EXERCISES. 
 
 I SHALL now proceed to give instructions 
 regarding the_ use of the few apparatus requi- 
 site to carry out my system fully. 
 
 The appliances necessary are rings, dumb- 
 bells, and a Roman column, the last mentioned 
 not being absolutely essential, as will be 
 explained later on. 
 
 The Use of Rings. 
 
 The value of rings as apparatus for muscle 
 development was discovered accidentally by 
 me during my childhood, whilst lying ill in bed, 
 as narrated in the pages giving an account of 
 my life. From that time — now so many years 
 ago that I hardly like to number them — until 
 to-day, I have never ceased using these great 
 promoters of strength and health, my faith in 
 them ever increasing as I witness fresh evi- 
 dences of their value. 
 
 (169) 
 
160 . STRENGTH, 
 
 The prime object of the ring is to compress 
 the muscles which it encircles, and thus to 
 automatically massage them whenever move- 
 ment of the part takes place. How effectually 
 this is done can be learned by firmly grasping 
 the arm around the biceps and then raising 
 and lowering the forearm. The biceps will 
 be found to change in shape with every 
 angle of motion^ so that when they are con- 
 stantly grasped, as they are when the ring is 
 worn, continuous and thorough massage of the 
 part is effected by the multifarious use to 
 which the arm is put during the day. 
 
 The great benefit of massage in limbering 
 muscles stiffened by disuse or disease is now 
 fully recognized by physicians and advanced 
 professors of physical training, and my experi- 
 ence has led me to the conclusion that it is 
 certainly no less useful to muscles possessing 
 their full vigor. A few minutes' consideration 
 of the subject will show it is but natural that 
 this should be the case. 
 
 It has been explained before that muscle- 
 tissue, after it has reached its age of useful- 
 
SPECIFIC EXERCISES. 161 
 
 ness, breaks down and is carried off by the 
 excretory organs, and that new tissue is built 
 up in its place, made of substances taken from 
 the blood during its circulation ; and, also, that, 
 if a muscle be used insufficiently, the old tissue 
 does not break down and give place to young 
 tissue with sufficient rapidity, the result being 
 loss of vigor in proportion to the amount of 
 old material retained. 
 
 The vegetable kingdom presents a parallel 
 to this physiological fact. An old bough of an 
 apple-tree, as age impairs its function, pro- 
 duces less and less fruit. Should the winds of 
 winter spare it, or the pruning-saw be not 
 applied, it soon ceases to bear altogether, and 
 eventually dies of senile decay — the poison 
 distilled within itself more than likely infect- 
 ing other parts of the tree and causing its 
 entire destruction. If, when the symptoms of 
 old age first appeared, the bough had been cut 
 off, fresh young branches would have grown 
 in its place, that would have borne as fruit- 
 fully as the discarded bough in the time of its 
 
 vigorous youth. The intelligent orchardist, 
 11 
 
162 STRENGTH. 
 
 however, goes farther than merely removing 
 dying boughs, and cuts off branches before 
 they reach the age of diminished productive 
 power, precisely in the same manner as one 
 who would be vigorous and healthy should 
 break down and eliminate muscle-tissue before 
 it has reached the stage of unusefulness. For 
 just as a -tree is strengthened and its growth 
 accelerated by the cutting off of youthful 
 branches, so is muscle strengthened and more 
 rapidly formed by the breaking down and car- 
 rying away of tissue that is yet vigorous. 
 That rapid breaking down of tissue leads to an 
 even more rapid up-building is evident from 
 the fact that, up to a reasonable limit, the 
 exercises of a muscle increases both its size 
 and its density. 
 
 It is well, therefore, to bear in mind the 
 facts that non-exercise of a muscle permits the 
 retention in it of old tissue that should be dis- 
 integrated and carried off ; that insufficient 
 exercise removes senile tissue only, and that 
 adequate exercise breaks down and removes, 
 in addition to all the worn-out tissue, some 
 
HEAVY DUMB-BELL EXERCISE NO. I. 
 
SPECIFIC EXERCISES. 165 
 
 which has not yet reached the stage of unuse- 
 fulness, and so stimulates the muscle that it 
 absorbs from the blood not only enough nutri- 
 ment to make up for what it lost, but to add to 
 its size and density. 
 
 Unceasing exercise, of sufficiently active 
 character to be of appreciable service — benefi- 
 cial as it would be to muscular development — is 
 of course out of the question, and, even if it were 
 practicable, would call for such a continuous 
 expenditure of nerve force as to be exhausting 
 and injurious to the system as a whole, and do 
 more harm than good. But no such impossi- 
 bility or disadvantage attaches to continuous 
 massage, zvJiicJi performs all the functions of 
 exercise without calling for expenditure of nerve 
 force. This fact explains in a nut-shell the 
 advantages attached' to the use of rings. They 
 provide all the benefits that would attend con- 
 tinuous exercise without any of its accompany- 
 ing evils. Their usefulness is so apparent, and 
 their application so simple, that it is quite 
 remarkable they have never been advised 
 before. 
 
166 STRENGTH. 
 
 As generally illustrative of how the ring 
 should be employed, I shall explain its applica- 
 tion to the biceps and triceps. 
 
 When first used, the ring should be of rub- 
 ber, of such size and strength that it will grasp 
 the arm in the position indicated in illustration, 
 page 40, with sufficient pressure to slightly 
 impede the circulation of the blood. For those 
 with medium-sized biceps and triceps, and aver- 
 age heart-power, what is known by stationers 
 as rubber-band No. cxx)0 }{ will be found about 
 right to begin with. For a day or so after it 
 is first used a little numbness or prickling may 
 be felt in the hands or fingers, and some incon- 
 venience be caused thereby. If the sensation 
 is more than slight, or does not pass away 
 within a couple of days, it is a sign that the 
 ring is too small or too strong, and that it 
 should be replaced by a larger or weaker one. 
 Within two or three weeks the circulation will 
 have overcome the obstruction the compres- 
 sion causes, by cleaning out and enlarging 
 numerous small veins, leading throus^h the 
 biceps and triceps, that hitherto had been but 
 
SPECIFIC EXERCISES. 167 
 
 little used, and thus early in the course these 
 muscles will be provided with a more generally 
 distributed blood supply, enabling them to 
 more easily absorb nutrient matter. 
 
 At first the band should not be worn at 
 night, but after a few days its use should be 
 continuous, and will not then be found dis- 
 tressing. 
 
 When two weeks or so have passed, and 
 the rings have ceased to cause any incon- 
 venience, they should be exchanged for others 
 that exert a somewhat greater pressure, and 
 when, in time, these entirely cease to be felt, 
 still stronger and smaller' ones should take 
 their place, but never should they squeeze so 
 as to cause permanent annoyance. When 
 this stage of tolerance is reached, a section 
 of a pneumatic bicycle tire, an inch long, 
 should be obtained and worn for a few 
 minutes each day, the forearm during the 
 time being worked up and down, the fist 
 tightly shut, and the muscles straining against 
 the pressure to the utmost. To get this last- 
 mentioned ring to its proper position, the aid 
 
168 STRENGTH. 
 
 of an assistant is required to stretch, it and 
 slip it up the arm and gradually release it 
 around the biceps. At first the pressure will 
 be found to be extreme, but after a few days 
 it can easily be borne for two or three minutes 
 at a time, which is all that is required for the 
 best results. Rings should be worn during 
 the dumb-bell exercises hereafter taught, and 
 when dumb-bells are not at hand the same 
 motions should be gone through without them, 
 with the fists tightly clinched. 
 
 When these practices have been persevered 
 in for a few months, the pupil is prepared for 
 the more severe form of pressure exerted 
 by a steel ring. This ring should be a 
 circle of ^-inch steel, of such size that it 
 closely fits. the biceps when the arm is straight- 
 ened out. Whe'n it is placed in position, clinch 
 the fist tightly and slowly bend the arm at 
 the elbow, raising the forearm until the pres- 
 sure of the swelling biceps against the ring 
 prevents further reduction of the angle ; then 
 straighten out the arm again and repeat the 
 performance for two or three minutes. Within 
 
HEAVY DUMB-BELL EXERCISE NO. 1 —TWO-HANDED LIFT. 
 
SPFXIFIC EXERCISES. 171 
 
 a few weeks the biceps will have so hardened 
 and strengthened that a chain or rope, capa- 
 ble of withstanding a strain of 200 pounds, 
 closely fitted around them, can be burst by 
 the slow, forceful elevation of the forearm ; 
 and before much longer the power to force 
 the steel ring out of shape will be attained. 
 When this is accomplished the performer 
 may rest assured that he has biceps endowed 
 with a strength possessed by few men in the 
 world who have not developed it by this 
 system. I, have myself burst a chain in this 
 manner that withstood a strain of over ten 
 thousand pounds, which may seem an extraor- 
 dinary statement, but is nevertheless true, 
 as many witnesses can testify. 
 
 Some persons are so proportioned as never 
 to be able to slip a steel ring of the right cir- 
 cumference to the biceps, because of .the 
 greater, size of the forearm.. Such people 
 must rest content with the use of the pneu- 
 matic tire ring already spoken of, which can 
 be placed in position on all persons by an 
 assistant. 
 
172 STRENGTH. 
 
 If the skin be tender, a little vaseline 
 applied to the inside of the rings will prevent 
 abrasion. After all the severer exercises the 
 muscles that have been encircled should be 
 bathed in cold water. 
 
 The muscles of the thigh should be treated 
 in exactly the same way as the biceps, except, 
 of course^ that a section of pneumatic bicycle 
 tire is too small to be used. Specially-made 
 rings that exert about the same pressure 
 should be procured for the purpose. To mas- 
 sage thoroughly the several muscles com- 
 pressed by the thigh rings, the dumb-bell 
 exercises should be gone through whilst 
 wearing them. 
 
 A strap tightly buckled around the chest, 
 when it is at a little less than its normal 
 expansion, operates on the muscles that gov- 
 ern the breathing apparatus in precisely the 
 same manner as a ring does on the biceps. 
 This strap should be used for a few minutes 
 every day, the lungs at every breath being 
 expanded to the utmost to overcome its pres- 
 sure. The resistance it offers to the muscles 
 
SPECIFIC EXERCISES. 173 
 
 that inflate the chest develops them to an 
 extraordinary degree, and before long an 
 ordinary strap, and eventually a quarter-inch 
 wire rope, can be burst asunder by the highly 
 developed power of expansion. No exercises 
 that I know of so beneficially affects the gen- 
 eral system. Deep breathing becomes easy 
 and natural, and the risk of acquiring lung 
 affections is reduced to a minimum. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 LIGHT DUMB-BELL EXERCISES. 
 
 The light dumb-bell exercises I advise are 
 simple and only six in number. 
 
 They should be performed whilst wearing 
 the rubber rings already spoken of around the 
 upper arm and thigh, of a strength and size 
 that cause as great pressure as can be borne 
 without inconvenience. 
 
 For a beginner the dumb-bells should not 
 weigh more than two or, at most, three pounds 
 each ; but as time goes on, and the muscles 
 harden and develop, their weight should be 
 gradually increased until, at length, those 
 weighing ten or twenty pounds apiece can be 
 handled as easily as the light ones were at 
 first. 
 
 The right weight of the dumb-bells to be 
 used can be ascertained easily in the following 
 manner: On the first occasion that the two or 
 
 (174) 
 
HEAVY DUMB-BELL EXERCISE NO. 2. 
 
LIGHT DUMB-BELL EXERCISES. 177 
 
 three pound dumb-bells are used, note how 
 many times Exercise No. i is performed before 
 the muscles ache to the degree that calls for 
 rest. A month later perform the same exer- 
 • cise with bells a pound or two heavier. If the 
 same number of motions can then be gone 
 through with the heavier bells, by the time the 
 stopping degree of ache is reached, as were 
 performed at first with the lighter ones, the 
 new bells are not too weighty; whilst, on the 
 contrary, if the muscles ache to the stopping 
 degree after fewer motions than were gone 
 through at first, it is an indication that the 
 additional weight is too great. 
 
 For instance: If Exercise No. i was gone 
 through ten times on the first occasion the 
 lightest dumb-bells were used, and can be per- 
 formed the same number of times, with equal 
 ease, on the first trial with the heavier bells, 
 the increase of weight is not excessive or pre- 
 mature; but, if ten motions with the heavier 
 bells cause a greater degree of ache than was 
 experienced by ten motions with the lighter 
 dumb-bells on the first trial, it is evident that 
 
 12 
 
178 STRENGTH. 
 
 the proper time has not yet arrived for increase 
 of weight, and that a few weeks more of exer- 
 cise with the lightest ones is called for, after 
 which time the test can be made again. 
 
 For persons in all ordinary walks of life 
 dumb-bells of twenty pounds each are the 
 heaviest that ever should be used. Of course, 
 for those who are in training for professional 
 exhibitions much heavier ones must be prac- 
 ticed with, but never should their combined 
 weight exceed that of the performer. 
 
 I would here, once again, impress upon my 
 readers the fact that any exercise which 
 severely strains, or that is carried to the point 
 of exhaustion, is worse than useless. Do not 
 use dumb-bells that can not be handled, if not 
 with ease, at least without extreme exertion. 
 
 For those who are naturally of a weak 
 constitution, or who are temporarily ener- 
 vated by sickness, if the two-pound dumb- 
 bells are exhausting, let them go through the 
 motions with those that weigh one pound, or 
 even with nothing whatever in the hands, 
 until the muscles develop somewhat; and, fur- 
 
LIGHT DUMB-BELL ■ EXERCISES. 179 
 
 ther, if ten minutes' exercise exhausts, cut 
 down the time to five minutes, or two min- 
 utes — a period that can be gradually length- 
 ened as the muscles strengthen. 
 
 For most persons half an hour's practice 
 each day is all that is required, and this time 
 is best divided into tw^o terms of fifteen min- 
 utes each, preferably ju.st before retiring and 
 on rising in the morning. 
 
 The exercises should be gone through in 
 light, loose clothing, or in underclothing alone. 
 These latter garments are convenient when 
 the admirable practice of exercising before 
 going to bed is followed. Neither belt nor 
 suspenders should be worn to sustain the 
 trousers, which should be so made as to stay 
 in place by merely being buttoned. If these 
 exercises are performed in a bedroom, or 
 other inclosed space, it is of the first impor- 
 tance that there should be free ventilation 
 and fresh air. It is worse than useless to 
 exercise in a vitiated atmosphere, such as is 
 sure to exist in a badly ventilated bedroom 
 that has been slept in all night. 
 
180 STRENGTH. 
 
 As mentioned under caption Hygiene, a 
 cold or tepid bath and brisk rubbing should 
 follow these exercises. 
 
HEAVy DUMB-BELL EXERCISE NO. 2. 
 
LIGHT DUMB-BELL EXERCISES. 183 
 
 Exercise No. i. 
 
 Stand upright; shoulders thrown well back; 
 back straight; stomach not protruding; heels 
 touching, the weight of the body resting more 
 on them than on the toes; feet forming a right 
 angle (or one a little less); dumb-bells lying on 
 the ground parallel, and close to, outside of 
 each foot. (See illustration, page 53.) 
 
 Stoop down and firmly grasp the dumb-bells 
 without bendmg the knees. (See illustration, page 
 59.) Straighten up the body to previous posi- 
 tion ; bend the arms at the elbows and bring 
 the dumb-bells up to the front of and on 
 a level with the shoulders, the backs of the 
 hands outward, palms facing, dumb-bells par- 
 allel, inside of upper arms touching sides of the 
 chest (see illustration, page 64), forearms press- 
 ing against the biceps as tightly as possible. 
 This attitude is called "first position," and will 
 be referred to as such afterward. (For some 
 persons it is a difficult or impossible thing 
 at first' to pick up the dumb-bells without 
 
184 STRENGTH. 
 
 bending the knees, and for a few days 
 it may be necessary to flex them slightly 
 before the dumb-bells can be grasped. If, 
 however, the practice is persevered in, with 
 a full determination to succeed, the muscles 
 of the legs and back will, before long, become 
 so limbered that the feat can be performed 
 with ease by the corpulent as well as by the 
 slender,) 
 
 Straighten out right arm to its fullest extent 
 in line with the shoulders, the dumb-bell not 
 being allowed to fall below the level of the 
 shoulder. (See illustration, page 72.) Proceed 
 in like manner with the left arm, and, as it is 
 being extended, flex the right arm at the elbow 
 and bring the dumb-bell back to a point im- 
 mediately over the right shoulder. (See illus- 
 tration, page 78.) Bend the left arm in the same 
 manner whilst again straightening the right, 
 one arm coming in as the other goes out; repeat 
 this rotation until the muscles ache. During 
 this exercise the inside of the forearm should 
 face upward. Look always at the dumb-bell 
 that is being extended; the turning motion 
 
LIGHT DUMB-BELL EXERCISES. 185 
 
 thus given to the head limbers and develops 
 the muscles of the neck. Breathe as deeply as 
 possible. Perform the exercise quite slowly, 
 spending a little more than a second on each 
 motion. 
 
 This exercise develops the muscles of the 
 wrist, forearm, upper arm, and shoulders, 
 besides those of the neck. 
 
186 STRENGTH. 
 
 Exercise No. 2. 
 
 Bring dumb-bells to first position (see illus- 
 tration, page 64); elevate the right dumb-bell 
 straight up to the extreme limit (see illustra- 
 tion, page 85) ; then lower to the first position, 
 and whilst doing so elevate the left dumb-bell 
 (see illustration, page 91) so that as one arm 
 goes up the other comes down. Look at each 
 dumb-bell as it ascends. Speed should be 
 similar to that directed for the last exercise. 
 The body should be erect, the shoulders thrown 
 well back, feet as before, the breathing deep. 
 
 The muscles exercised are all those used 
 in Exercise No. i, besides those of the back 
 and chest. 
 
LONG BAR DUMB-BELL EXERCISE NO. 1, 
 
LIGHT DUMB-BELL EXERCISES. 189 
 
 Exercise No. 3. 
 
 Touch the ends of the dumb-bells, the arms 
 being extended to their utmost, straight above 
 the head. Describe an arc of ninety degrees 
 by swinging the bells forward and downward, 
 stopping them in front of the chest, the ends 
 still touching, the arms stiff at right angles 
 to the body, parallel to the floor, the back 
 af the hands remaining upward (see illus- 
 tration, page 97). Swing both arms slowly 
 backward, on the same level, until they 
 form one straight line broken in the center 
 by the body, at the same time turning the 
 hands so that the palms will face upward 
 when this position is reached. (See illustra- 
 tion, page 103.) 
 
 From this position swing the arms slowly 
 backward and downward, turning the wrists so 
 that the hands will be back to back, when the 
 extreme possibility of the backward motion of 
 the arms is reached (see illustration, page 109); 
 then bring back the dumb-bells to their posi- 
 
190 STRENGTH. 
 
 tion over the head, as at the beginning of the 
 exercise, the return motions being exactly- 
 similar to those just gone through, but in 
 reversed rotation. Position of body and feet 
 same as that for Exercise No. i ; breathing 
 slow and deep. 
 
 All the muscles already mentioned are 
 strengthened by this exercise, especially those 
 of the back and shoulders. This is a trying 
 exercise to beginners, and should be practiced 
 in moderation at first. 
 
LIGHT DUMB-BELL EXERCISES. 191 
 
 Exercise No. 4. 
 
 Bring dumb-bells to " first position," heels 
 together ; feet at an angle of about ninety 
 degrees ; weight of body resting on toes. 
 (See illustration, page 115.) Bend knees and 
 slowly bring down buttock to as near the 
 heels as possible, keeping back straight, 
 knees apart (see illustration, page 121). Rise 
 again slowly until perfectly erect, repeat the 
 alternate rising and lowering very slowly; 
 and finally, while squatting, go through all the 
 exercises already performed. 
 
 As well as strengthening the muscles acted 
 on by these motions when performed stand- 
 ing, those of the thigh, calves, and loins are 
 vigorously brought into play and developed 
 by this exercise. 
 
192 STRENGTH. 
 
 Exercise No. 5. 
 
 Lie flat on the back and bring dumb-bells- to 
 first position. (See illustration, page 126.) Go 
 through the first two movements of Exercise 
 No. 3. 
 
 This exercise particularly strengthens the 
 muscles of the chest, shoulders, and stomach, 
 as well as those of the arms and back. 
 
LONG BAR DUMB-BELL EXERCISE NO. 1. 
 
LIGHT DUMB-BELL EXERCISES. 195 
 
 Exercise No. 6. 
 
 While lying on the back bring dumb-bells 
 to the first position and then rise to a sitting 
 posture without raising the feet or legs from, 
 the floor, keeping the back straight (see illus- 
 tration, page 132). Repeat this motion several 
 times. 
 
 This, at first, is a difficult feat to per- 
 form, and it may be necessary to pass the 
 ankles under straps, fastened at both ends to 
 the floor, against which pressure can be exerted 
 to keep the feet from rising. Possibly some 
 heavy piece of furniture, such as a bureau, ele- 
 vated a few inches from the floor, may afford 
 facilities that will obviate the necessity of using 
 straps. When in a sitting posture go through 
 exercises i, 2, "3, and 4, once each in rotation, 
 and repeat. 
 
 The muscles of the loins, legs, back, and 
 stomach are all strengthened by rising to 
 and lowering from the sitting posture as 
 directed. The arms, shoulders, etc., also, 
 
196 STRENGTH. 
 
 are developed by the motions made whilst 
 sitting. 
 
 I have known many cases of obstinate dys- 
 pepsia entirely cured by raising and lower- 
 ing the body in this manner, either with 
 or without dumb-bells. It strengthens the 
 muscles of the stomach and bowels to a 
 degree that is surprising to those who have 
 not tested its efficacy. It is a particularly use- 
 ful exercise for the obese, quickly reducing 
 intestinal fat. 
 
LONG BAR DUMB-BELL EXERCISE NO. 1. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 HEAVY DUMB-BELL EXERCISES. 
 
 The performance of these exercises is 
 advised only for those who intend to fol- 
 low the strong-man business, and for ama- 
 teurs who wish to emulate professional ath- 
 letes. To those with weak hearts, or who 
 are not in every way lusty and strong, the 
 lifting of heavy weights is highly detrimental, 
 and these exercises must on no account be 
 practiced by such. Business men and others 
 leading sedentary or semi-sedentary lives 
 can keep themselves in vigorous health and 
 strength, and in trained muscular condition, 
 by the use of the ring and the light dumb- 
 bell exercises already advised. In any event, 
 practice with heavy dumb-bells should not be 
 begun until the light bells can be handled for 
 half an hour at a time without fatigue. 
 
 The dumb-bell I use when practicing these 
 
 (199) 
 
200 STRENGTH. 
 
 exercises weighs 75 pounds; that at my ordi- 
 nary public performances 150 pounds. The 
 heaviest I have ever been called upon to 
 handle for record-breaking purposes scaled 
 300 pounds. For the beginner, one of 50 
 pounds is sufficiently heavy, the weight to 
 be increased gradually, the same method of 
 test being applied as directed for light dumb- 
 bells. 
 
LONG BAR DUMB-BELL EXERCISE NO. 1. 
 
HEAVY DUMB-BELL EXERCISES. 203 
 
 Exercise No. i. 
 
 Stand erect; lieels about one foot apart, 
 the feet forming nearly a right angle ; the 
 dumb-bell lying between them, bisecting the 
 angle, the bulbs facing front and rear ; the 
 center of the shaft, which should be 6 
 inches long and i inch in diameter, oppo- 
 site the insteps (see illustration, page 139). 
 Bend down by flexing the knees and hips, 
 keeping the back unbent. Rest the left hand 
 on the thigh, halfway to the knee, and grasp 
 the dumb-bell with the right hand as near 
 the rear bulb as possible (see illustration, 
 page 145). Take a long, deep breath, and 
 swing the diimb-bell up onto the right 
 shoulder, assisted by the pressure of the left 
 hand on the thigh ; whilst swinging up the 
 bell straighten up the body. When the dumb- 
 bell is resting on the shoulder (see illustration, 
 page 151) move the hand grasping it to the 
 center of the shaft, and drop the left arm 
 loosely by the side. Draw a long, deep 
 
204 STRENGTH. 
 
 breath ; bend the knees slightly (see illustra- 
 tion, page 157), and then straighten them out, 
 with more or less of a jerk, taking advantage 
 of the upward impetus of the body to shoot 
 up the dumb-bell to the extreme length of the 
 right arm, keeping the eyes firmly fixed on 
 the dumb-bell during the motion (see illustra- 
 tion, page 163). 
 
 This exeircise, though of course requiring 
 considerable strength, is more or less of a 
 knack, the art of fully taking advantage of the 
 upward momentum of the body not being 
 learned without considerable practice. This 
 exercise should also be practiced with the left 
 arm,, the right hand resting on the right thigh, 
 whilst the dumb-bell is being swung onto the 
 shoulder. 
 
 If at first it be found that the dumb-bell 
 can not be swung onto the shoulder with one 
 arm, reinforce it by -placing the other hand 
 under and around the one grasping the dumb- 
 bell (see illustration, page 169) and swing it up 
 with both arms. It will be found that a greater 
 weight can be elevated from the shoulder by 
 
LONG BAR DUMB-BELL EXERCISE NO. 2. 
 
HEAVY DUMB-BELL EXERCISES. 207 
 
 one arm than can be swung onto it by one 
 arm. 
 
 There is hardly a muscle in the body that is 
 not called into play and developed by this 
 exercise. 
 
208 STRENGTH, 
 
 Exercise No. 2. 
 
 The dumb-bell for this exercise may be 
 somewhat heavier than for the last. Swing* 
 the dumb-bell onto the shoulder with both 
 hands, as directed in the previous exercise, 
 and then move the hand to the center of 
 the shaft. Shift the left foot six inches or so 
 toward the left, turning its toe so that the heel 
 points toward the instep of the right foot (see 
 illustration, page 175). Grasp the left thigh 
 just above the knee with the left hand, and 
 throw the whole weight of the body onto that 
 leg (see illustration, page 181). Take a long, 
 deep breath and slowly elevate the dumb-bell ; 
 at the same time gradually bend the left side 
 of the body downward and the left shoulder 
 forward, giving way slightly with the left elbow 
 and knee, and swing the right shoulder and side 
 backward. This movement will bri^ nearly 
 every muscle of the body " ito play, and will 
 enable a much greater weight to be elevated 
 than if the body had remained unmoved ; for 
 
LONG BAR DUMB-BELL EXERCISE NO. 2. 
 
HEAVY DUMB-BELL EXERCISES. 211 
 
 if the position described be properly taken, the 
 body will be directly under, and act as a sup- 
 port to, the elevated arm as it is being raised 
 (see illustration, page i8i), and all the muscular 
 force possessed will be utilized. Keep the eye 
 firmly fixed on the rising dumb-bell, and when 
 the right arm is fully extended, straighten up 
 the body, allow;ing the left arm to hang loosely 
 by the side. 
 
 It takes long practice and hard work to per- 
 form this exercise with anything approaching 
 perfection. It is well, therefore, to repeat it 
 frequently with a light dumb-bell in the hand, 
 thereby, without undue strain, acquiring the 
 knack of properly swinging the body. This 
 exercise should also be performed with the 
 left arm. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 LONG BAR HEAVY DUMB-BELL EXERCISES. 
 
 The weight of the long bar dumb-bell for 
 the beginner should be seventy-five pounds, 
 to be gradually increased as expertness and 
 muscular development indicate, until, eventu- 
 ally, one as heavy as the performer himself 
 can be used. The shaft should be five feet 
 in length (including balls) and one and one- 
 half inches in diameter, the exact center of 
 it being marked in some way, so that it can 
 be grasped in the proper place without diffi- 
 culty. 
 
 (212) 
 
LONG BAR DUMB-BELL EXERCISE NO. 3. 
 
LONG BAR DUMB-BELL EXERCISES. 215 
 
 Exercise No. i. 
 
 Stand with the body upright, as directed 
 in Light Dumb-bell Exercise No. i, the heels 
 separated about one foot, the feet being at 
 such an angle that the toes are two feet 
 apart, the insteps under the shaft of the 
 bar-bell, the center of which should be exactly 
 equidistant from each foot. Take a long, 
 deep breath, flex the hips and knees, keep- 
 ing the back nearly straight, bend down and 
 grasp the shaft with both hands about nine 
 inches each side of the central mark, the back 
 of the hands facing outward. (See illustration, 
 page 187.) Swing up the bar-bell, bringing it 
 into position shown in illustration, page 193, 
 back of hands facing inward, straightening 
 out knees and hips whilst in the act of 
 swinging it up. Take a long, deep breath, 
 flex knees slightly (see illustration, page 197), 
 and then straighten them out with a jerk, at 
 the same time shooting up the arms and 
 extending them to the utmost above the head, 
 
216 STRENGTH. 
 
 keeping the eye fixed on the central mark. 
 (See illustration, page 201.) The impetus given 
 is the same as that described in Heavy Dumb- 
 bell Exercise No, i, and requires a similar 
 degree of practice before proficiency is reached. 
 The muscles of arms, legs, chest, shoulders, 
 and back are all used and benefited by this 
 exercise. 
 
LONG BAR DUMB-BELL EXERCISE NO. 3. 
 
LONG BAR DUMB-BELL EXERCISES. 219 
 
 Exercise No. 2. 
 
 Bring bar-bell to position it was in imme- 
 diately previous to elevation over the head ; 
 advance the left foot a few inches, turning 
 its toes outward, keeping the legs unbent. 
 (See illustration, page 205.) Throw shoulders 
 well back, hollowing the back ; take a slow, 
 deep breath, and slowly press the bell upward 
 over the head, without any jerk, to the fullest 
 extent of the arms, keeping the eye on the 
 central mark. (See illustration, page 209.) 
 
 This exercise calls into play the same 
 muscles that are used in the last exercise, 
 but it is more difficult of performance and 
 calls for a much greater degree of strength. 
 
220 STRENGTH. 
 
 Exercise No. 3. 
 
 Elevate the bar-bell over the head as 
 directed in the last exercise, keeping feet 
 and legs in the position there directed, the 
 weight of the body chiefly resting on the 
 heels. Bend the extended arms slightly back- 
 ward, the head slightly forward ; take a slow, 
 deep breath, and then gradually lower the bell 
 behind the head (see illustration, page 2 1 5) until 
 it eventually rests on the nape of the neck 
 (see illustration, page 217); then again elevate 
 it and bring it down in front of the chest. 
 
 This is an exercise that causes considerable 
 muscular strain and one very difficult of per- 
 formance. It should be practiced first with a 
 piece of gas-pipe or an iron bar, and never 
 with the bell until Exercise No. 2 is easy of 
 accomplishment. 
 
 There is hardly a muscle of the body that 
 is not more or less called into play by the 
 motions of this exercise. 
 
ROMAN COLUMN, FIRST POSITION. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE ROMAN COLUMN. 
 
 To REAP full advantage from the following- 
 exercises, what is known as a Roman column 
 is required, although much benefit may be 
 derived from a simple substitute, as will be 
 explained later. 
 
 The column is more or less a ponderous 
 apparatus, and it is not always convenient to 
 spare the space necessary for its erection. 
 This drawback, together with the fact that its 
 use calls for very severe muscular exertion in 
 adults, leads me to recommend it alone to those 
 who are in training for professional or high- 
 class amateur exhibitions, and for children, 
 who, because of the lightness of their bodies 
 compared with their strength, are enabled to 
 perform the feats without undue exertion, and 
 to whom they are immensely serviceable. In 
 any event, the exercises should not be prac- 
 
 (223) 
 
224 STRENGTH. 
 
 ticed by adults until their muscles are well 
 developed, and brought into vigorous working 
 order, by the preceding course of training. 
 
 The Roman column consists of a three-inch 
 iron pipe, nine feet long, standing perpendicu- 
 larly, firmly fixed in a socket in the floor, and 
 braced by three guys of wire or other strong 
 rope. At a point that can just be reached by 
 the upstretched clenched fist, when kneeling 
 at the base of the column, are two projections 
 opposite each other, standing out at right 
 angles (see letter B, illustration, page 231), and 
 four inches above them two others similarly 
 placed (see letter A, illustration, page 231). 
 These projections are made of angles of flat 
 iron, three-eighths of an inch in thickness, three 
 inches wide, and fourteen inches long. The 
 projection stands out six inches, the plate lying 
 along the column being eight inches in length, 
 with three holes in it two inches apart, through 
 which to screw it to the column. The two 
 upper projections are padded on the under 
 side, fully an inch in thickness; so that the 
 space between the upper and the lower pro- 
 
THE ROMAN COLUMN. 225 
 
 jections is reduced to three inches. The surface 
 of the projections slope at an angle of about 
 thirty degrees toward that side of the column 
 which will be next the performer. This slope, 
 as will be seen later on, is necessary to prevent 
 straining of the ankles. A few extra screw-holes 
 in the column enable the plates to be slipped 
 up or down if the position of the projections be 
 found to be too high or too low. On the left 
 side of the column, one-third of the way up to 
 these projections, is a step (see letter D, illus- 
 tration, page 231), and two-thirds of the way up 
 another on the right side (see letter C, illus- 
 tration, page 231), Round, half-inch iron 
 passed through the column answers for these 
 steps. Two steel chains, with a snap-hook at 
 their lower ends, hang from a collar set around 
 the upper point of the column, and are of such 
 length as to touch the upper projections. The 
 collar, chains, and hooks should all be of the 
 best possible material, for their breakage whilst 
 in use might lead to very serious results. 
 There are also required a couple of straps about 
 two inches wide and softly padded, of such 
 
 15 
 
226 STRENGTH. 
 
 length as to buckle tightly around the leg 
 immediately below the knee. To each of these 
 a strong steel ring is attached. The leather, 
 buckle, and ring should all be of the very best 
 material, and so made that, when worn, the 
 buckles will be on the outside of the legs and 
 the rings in front. 
 
 Having set up the column, and being fully 
 assured that it is firmly set and securely guyed, 
 buckle on the straps immediately below the 
 knee. Grasp the upper left projection with 
 the left hand; place the left foot on the left 
 step and raise yourself to its level. Follow 
 similarly with the right foot on the other step, 
 the right hand grasping the right chain. Next 
 place the left foot as far as the instep between 
 the two left projections, and grasp the left chain 
 with the left hand; with the right hand, hook 
 the snap of the left chain to the ring of the left 
 leg strap. Proceed similarly with the right 
 foot, strap, and chain. Holding a chain in each 
 hand, gradually lower the body back until the 
 sitting position is reached (see illustration, page 
 221); then release the hands from the chain, and 
 
ROMAN COLUMN, SECOND POSITION. 
 
THE ROMAN COLUMN. 
 
 straighten out the body to the attitude shown 
 in illustration, page 227, and continue to lower 
 it until the body hangs straight down from 
 the knees, as shown in illustration, page 231. 
 After a few seconds' pause, by degrees bring 
 the body back to the straight, and then the 
 sitting posture, the arms throughout being kept 
 close to the sides. 
 
 At first few people are able to go through 
 this exercise without aid. The hand of an 
 assistant, placed between the shoulders of the 
 pupil, giving slight support during both the 
 lowering and return, will enable the perform- 
 ance of the movements. 
 
 The muscles of the back, stomach, and legs 
 will be greatly developed by this exercise, but 
 it must not be forgotten that the liability 
 to strain is considerable, unless the performer 
 is in a thoroughly trained condition, for the 
 muscular exertion called for in a full-grown 
 man is extreme. The exertion for children 
 is proportionately far less, and I know of 
 no exercise that so thoroughly and evenly 
 develops the young. 
 
230 STRENGTH. 
 
 After a time, when the movements can be 
 performed with ease, the pupil should practice 
 picking up dumb-bells from the floor whilst 
 hanging from the knees, bringing them to the 
 first position as described in Light Dumb-bell 
 Exercise No. i, and then raising the body as 
 directed above. After a time the heavy long 
 bar dumb-bell can be lifted up and placed across 
 the knees, and then a second descent be made 
 and a pair of heavy dumb-bells be lifted up 
 also. 
 
 If space for the erection of a column is not 
 available, fasten the chains to the wall, nine 
 feet from the ground, attaching also projections 
 and steps at the right heights ; or, if this is not 
 convenient, a strong chair will fairly well take 
 the place of the column if prepared in the fol- 
 lowing manner : Attach the chair securely to 
 the ground ; across the seat, from side to side, 
 fasten a strong strap sufliciently loose to permit 
 the feet to pass under as far as the instep, the 
 center of the strap being nailed down so as to 
 leave a loop, for each foot. Pad the top of the 
 chair back. The back of the chair, from the 
 
ROMAN COLUMN, THIRD POSITION. 
 
THE ROMAN COLUMN. 233 
 
 seat to the top, rtmst measure the same as from 
 the ankle to the knee of the pupil. It is used 
 in the following manner : Stand on the chair, 
 the calves against its back ; place the feet, as 
 far as the instep, under the strap loops and let 
 the body slowly back, the padded top of the 
 chair-back acting as the leg straps do, when 
 the Roman column is used. The motions 
 can then be gone through as already directed. 
 None of these exercises should at first be per- 
 formed without some one near at hand, so that 
 should the performer's strength fail, assist- 
 ance would be at hand to release him from 
 apparatus. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 HEAVY-WEIGHT HARNESS-LIFTING. 
 
 This exercise is only for those intending 
 to publicly exhibit their strength. 
 
 
 I have not been able to improve upon the 
 collar I used when breaking the record for 
 lifting heavy weights in London, in the year 
 
 (234) 
 
BREAKING THE HARNESS-LIFTING RECORD. 
 
HEAVY-WEIGHT HARNESS-LIFTING. 237 
 
 1 89 1. It is the form, therefore, that I now 
 advise, and consists of a four-sided piece of 
 very strong flexible leather, about two feet 
 across each way, of the shape shown in cut on 
 page 234. A strong steel ring is attached 
 to each corner, the hole in the center being 
 of such size that the head can freely pass 
 through, and the neck not be chafed when it 
 is worn. The whole collar is softly padded 
 on the inside. 
 
 The performer stands on a platform im- 
 mediately above the weight to be lifted. A 
 railing on each side, which the performer 
 grasps with his hands, enables him to use 
 the muscles of his arms. The chains should 
 be of such length, that, when the knees are 
 flexed sufficiently to lower the body six inches, 
 they will be taut when fastened to the weight. 
 
 In illustration, page 235, 1 am shown raising 
 two horses and two men, the chains from the 
 collar being attached to the four corners of a 
 movable platform, on which the horses and 
 men are placed. 
 
 Success in lifting heavy weights depends 
 
338 STRENGTH. 
 
 Upon the art of bringing the greatest possible 
 number of muscles into play at the same time. 
 How to do this can only be learned through 
 experience, gained by constant and intelligent 
 practice. It is obvious that if the muscles of 
 the back alone are used, as is the case when 
 some object is lifted by merely straightening 
 the curved spine, that as great a weight can 
 not be raised as if other muscles also were 
 called into service. Likewise, when the mus- 
 cles of the legs alone are used, and the lift 
 is performed by merely straightening out the 
 bent knees and hips, the full powers are not 
 utilized. The muscles of the back, legs, and 
 arms must all be called into action and act 
 in unison. To attain this end, when harness- 
 lifting, very slightly round the spine, and as 
 slightly flex the knees, hips, and elbows ; grasp 
 the railings at each side with the hands, the 
 heels being placed about eighteen inches 
 apart, the feet at a comfortable angle. After 
 drawing a long, deep breath, and with a fixed 
 determination to succeed, the mind being in- 
 tensely concentrated, straight'en out legs, arms. 
 
HEAVY-WEIGHT HARNESS-LIFTING. 239 
 
 back, and liips gradually and absolutely simul- 
 taneously, thus elevating the body and rais- 
 ing the weight. It is a simple matter to 
 thus instruct, and the simultaneous use of 
 many muscles may appear a task easy of 
 performance, but it will be found that long 
 and earnest practice is required before it can 
 be fully accomplished — development of will- 
 power being no less necessary than develop- 
 ment of muscle. 
 
 As before stated, I broke all harness-lifting 
 records by raising 3,800 pounds in this manner ; 
 and later surpassed myself, and won the gold 
 champion belt of the world, by raising 4,008 
 pounds. A reproduction of the certificate I 
 received for the latter feat is shown on page 10. 
 
 It has been stated that a greater weight 
 than this has been lifted by others, but their 
 claims entirely lack confirmation, and my 
 challenge to the world to compete with me 
 in harness-lifting still remains open for accept- 
 ance by anyone. 
 
 This is an exercise fraught with much dan- 
 ger to all those who are not absolutely sound 
 
240 STRENGTH. 
 
 in every organ, and in a state of perfect mus- 
 cular training. At first, tlie weight practiced 
 witli should not exceed 500 pounds, a load 
 that can be increased gradually as time goes on. 
 
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