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Jncidents in My Professional Career

IIIAV! ’. traeeled in many countries and appeared in every town of notę in England and America, and naturally have expcri-cnced many interesting and exciting experiences, sonie comic and sonie well-nigh tragic. When, for instance, at Challiam, tlić stage brokc down while I was supporting a plank with 12 men on, I was somewliat scrinusly injured. and tliis incidcnt was well-nigh iragic; hut at F.xeter we liad tlie langli, I think, over tlie Exeter weight-li lters in tlie following manncr: Our challenge and oller ot $250 to anyone who niiglil lift niyheavy bar beli remained unaccepted, night after niglit, so we hit on tlie idea of unload-ing tlie beli, and leawing it quite liglit and emply at tlie entrancc to tlie place of entertainment we were appearing at. Naturally tlie strong men of tlie town canie around and tested tlie beli pri-vatel_v, and on iinding how easily tliey could lift sanie, tliey all were ccrtain tlie $250 was as good as in their pockets. Tliat niglit, instcad of a dead sileuce as before, when my challenge was issued, quite a inunber of eagcr weiglit-lifters anxious to iniproec their finaneial position, jumped into the ring, and nislied for tlie beli, which I liad raised easily with one hand, but, much to their surprise. the 150-pound bar beli liad changed into a 300-pound one, and the disappointed weiglit-lifters retired scratching their heads in an endcavor to understand the trick whicli liad heen played on tliein. Naturally. most of tlie incidciits w bieli eonie into my niind likely to interest readers of tliis book are conncctcd with weight-lifting. When a man has the ability to raise enorinous wcights, be also has the ability as opporlunity occurs to create a surprise whereeer lie may be when the cpiestion of strength crops up, and though I aluays make a ]>oiin of avoiding the practice of

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