ving engaged the largest
hall in Boston, (the Music Hall,) I delivered my lecture--in the words of
the newspapers--"with _eclat_." The illustrations of strength which I
exhibited on the occasion, though far inferior to subsequent efforts, were
looked on as most extraordinary. The weight I lifted before the audience,
with my hands alone, was nine hundred and twenty-nine pounds. This was
testified to by the City Sealer of Weights and Measures, Mr. Moulton. My
success induced me to repeat my lecture in other places. Invitations and
liberal offers poured in upon me from all directions; and during the
ensuing seasons, I lectured in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Cincinnati,
Albany, and many of the principal cities throughout the Northern States
and the Canadas.

To return to my lifting experiments. I had promised my father to "stop at
a thousand pounds." In the autumn of 1859 I had reached ten hundred and
thirty-two pounds. An incident now occurred that induced me to reconsider
my promise and get absolution from it. One day, while engaged in lifting,
I had a visit from two powerful-looking men who asked permission to try my
weight. One of them was five feet ten inches in height, and a hundred and
ninety-two pounds in weight. The other was fully six feet in his
stockings, and two hundred and twelve pounds in weight,--a fearful
superiority in the eyes of a man, under five feet seven and weighing less
than a hundred and fifty pounds. The smaller of these men failed to lift
eight of my iron disks, which, with the connections, amounted to eight
hundred and twenty-seven pounds. The larger individual fairly lifted them
at the second or third trial, but declined to attempt an increase. They
left me, and I soon, afterward heard that they were practising with a view
of "outlifting Dr. Windship."

My father had incautiously remarked to me, "Those huge fellows, with a
little practice, can lift your weight and you on top of it. You can't
expect to compete with giants." This decided me to test the question
whether five feet seven must necessarily yield to mere bulk in the
attainment of the maximum of human strength. I had the start of my
competitors by some two hundred pounds, and I determined to preserve that
distance between us. In the autumn of that year I advanced to lifting with
the hands eleven hundred and thirty-three pounds, and in the spring of
1860 to twelve hundred and eight. I have had no evidence that my
competitors ever got beyon