he public, all of which are more or less used by
"strong men."

The recent officially recorded feats of strength that stand unequaled
in the last decade are as follows:--

Weight-lifting.--Hands alone 1571 1/4 pounds, done by C. G. Jefferson,
an amateur, at Clinton, Mass December 10, 1890; with harness, 3239
pounds, by W B. Curtis, at New York December 20 1868; Louis Cyr, at
Berthierville, Can., October 1, 1888, pushed up 3536 pounds of pig-iron
with his back, arms, and legs.

Dumb-bells.--H. Pennock, in New York, 1870, put up a 10-pound dumb-bell
8431 times in four hours thirty-four minutes; by using both hands to
raise it to the shoulder, and then using one hand alone, R. A. Pennell,
in New York, January 31, 1874, managed to put up a bell weighing 201
pounds 5 ounces; and Eugene Sandow, at London, February 11, 1891,
surpassed this feat with a 250-pound bell.

Throwing 16-pound hammer.--J. S. Mitchell, at Travers Island, N. Y.,
October 8, 1892, made a record-throw of 145 feet 3/4 inch.

Putting 16-pound Shot.--George R. Gray, at Chicago, September 16, 1893,
made the record of 47 feet.

Throwing 50-pound Weight.--J. S. Mitchell, at New York, September 22,
1894, made the distance record of 35 feet 10 inches; and at Chicago,
September 16, 1893, made the height record of 15 feet 4 1/2 inches.

The class of people commonly known as contortionists by the laxity of
their muscles and ligaments are able to dislocate or preternaturally
bend their joints. In entertainments of an arena type and even in what
are now called "variety performances" are to be seen individuals of
this class. These persons can completely straddle two chairs, and do
what they call "the split;" they can place their foot about their neck
while maintaining the upright position; they can bend almost double at
the waist in such a manner that the back of the head will touch the
calves, while the legs are perpendicular with the ground; they can
bring the popliteal region over their shoulders and in this position
walk on their hands; they can put themselves in a narrow barrel; eat
with a fork attached to a heel while standing on their hands, and
perform divers other remarkable and almost incredible feats. Their
performances are genuine, and they are real physiologic curiosities.
Plate 6 represents two well-known contortionists in their favorite
feats.

Wentworth, the oldest living contortionist, is about seventy years of
age, but seems to have lost no