1 00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:04,040 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class from how 2 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:12,800 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:16,600 Speaker 1: I'm Holly Fry and I'm Tracy P. Wilson, and it's 4 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:21,079 Speaker 1: We're in a new year, which means a lot of 5 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 1: people are making New Year's resolutions. I've talked about how 6 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 1: much I loved them before, uh, and it got me 7 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:29,640 Speaker 1: thinking about topics that might center around that, and a 8 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 1: lot of people at this time of year like to 9 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 1: kind of focus on maybe hitting the gym a little 10 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:38,640 Speaker 1: bit more. This is why when I've been in the 11 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:43,519 Speaker 1: regular gym going habit, I always basically take January to 12 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:47,960 Speaker 1: do other things. Yeah, it tends to be the big rush, 13 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 1: Like people that are regular gym goers will find like 14 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 1: this is the influx when they can't get a machine 15 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: or can't get you know, time in the spot they 16 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 1: want in the gym before everybody gets tired and wears out. 17 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: But it got me thinking about fitness and whether or 18 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 1: not we could find a good fitness related podcast. And 19 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:05,959 Speaker 1: at first I wanted to talk about sort of the 20 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 1: advent of the health club and the gym in America, 21 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:11,840 Speaker 1: which goes back much farther than you may suspect. But 22 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:14,200 Speaker 1: that's not actually we're going to talk about today because 23 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 1: while I was researching that, I then stumbled upon something 24 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:20,399 Speaker 1: else that got me really really excited, and that is 25 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: Katie Sandwina, who was a strong woman with sort of 26 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 1: just a wonderful, fascinating story, uh that made me laugh 27 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:35,280 Speaker 1: and also be amazed and say wow a lot and 28 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:37,560 Speaker 1: also send me lots of I M s. As you 29 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:40,759 Speaker 1: I was. I just every time I unturned a new 30 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 1: piece of information about her, I was like, oh, we'll 31 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 1: go stracy, guess what else? And then and then like 32 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 1: I turned into a child. So it seemed like I 33 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:50,320 Speaker 1: was on the right track in terms of exciting topics, 34 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 1: at least for me. So today we're going to talk 35 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 1: about Katie Sandwina and her sort of uh, really remarkable 36 00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 1: life but also just her remarkable nous as a human, 37 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 1: not just because she was so strong, but because she 38 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 1: was just a kind of a she's a fascinating story. 39 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 1: Sanduina was born Katherine Brumbach in Vienna, Austria, in four 40 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:16,119 Speaker 1: Her Bavarian parents, who were Philippe and Joanna Brumbach, were 41 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:20,240 Speaker 1: both circus performers and they wowed crowds with feats of strength. 42 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:23,919 Speaker 1: Philippe was a mountain of a man, standing and reported 43 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:28,000 Speaker 1: six ft six inches tall and weighing two hundred sixty pounds. 44 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 1: Joanna was a strong woman and she was a bad 45 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: six feet tall, and the couple had either fourteen, fifteen 46 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:38,920 Speaker 1: or sixteen children together, depending on which source you read. 47 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:42,639 Speaker 1: I saw kind of not almost equal smattering across all 48 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 1: of those numbers, but in any event, we're talking about 49 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:49,400 Speaker 1: a really sizeable family. Catherine, who went by Katie, was 50 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 1: the second oldest, and while she and three of her sisters, Barbara, Marie, 51 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 1: and Eugenia all performed with their parents in their strong 52 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:01,080 Speaker 1: Person act, it wasn't very long before Katie really stood 53 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 1: out as exceptional. Even as young as two years old, 54 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 1: she was able to hold a handstand really easily, like 55 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 1: they would do a trick where she would hold a 56 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 1: handstand on her father's hands as part of the show. Uh. 57 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:17,000 Speaker 1: And so she began gymnastics training pretty quickly to develop 58 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:20,079 Speaker 1: her natural proclivity in that direction, and she also started 59 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 1: appearing on stage pretty regularly with mom and dad. And 60 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 1: we're turning again a two year old. In her teen years, 61 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 1: Katie was already almost six ft tall and was quite 62 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: lean in a hundred and eighties seven pounds, and she 63 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:36,360 Speaker 1: worked really diligently to develop this natural strength that she 64 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 1: seemed to have. As her might grew, so did her looks. 65 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 1: She was considered to be really a beauty, and so 66 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 1: her father developed a whole circus act around her. Yeah, 67 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 1: and it's maybe not the act you would expect at 68 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: the various circuses where the family performed throughout Europe. Uh Philip, 69 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 1: at the end of them showing off all of their 70 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:01,360 Speaker 1: feats of strength, would offer one urban marks cash to 71 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 1: any man or woman who could best Katie in a 72 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 1: wrestling match. And the prospect of wrestling with an attractive 73 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 1: young woman, Uh no doubt had serious appeal for the 74 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 1: gentleman who stepped up to try. They did very well 75 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:16,280 Speaker 1: with this this act. H and Katie took on many, 76 00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:20,839 Speaker 1: many challengers and she never lost a single fight. But 77 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 1: there was a sort of fun and surprising outcome from 78 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:28,599 Speaker 1: this act. Eventually, this act ended up adding to the 79 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:32,160 Speaker 1: Brumbach family. There was a young nineteen year old man 80 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 1: named Max Hayman, and he was an acrobat. He took 81 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:38,280 Speaker 1: the challenge to wrestle Katie and he stepped into the 82 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 1: ring with her, was promptly knocked out, and then she 83 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 1: carded him out of the ring up. She was at 84 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 1: that point sixteen years old, and in a terribly charming 85 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 1: twist to the story, the strong woman and her vanquished 86 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:56,039 Speaker 1: challenger Hayman fell in love. Uh. They were married two 87 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:58,960 Speaker 1: years later, and Max officially became part of the act. 88 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 1: And again, he was also an acrobat, so he when 89 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:05,400 Speaker 1: they were with the circus, he wasn't just being uh 90 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:07,760 Speaker 1: with Katie's act. He was also doing things like, you know, 91 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:11,599 Speaker 1: standing on horses as they ran around, and other acrobatic things, 92 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 1: and their match seems to have been really quite happy. 93 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:17,440 Speaker 1: They stayed together for the rest of Katie's life. In 94 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:20,520 Speaker 1: some interviews given later on in his life, Max tells 95 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:23,040 Speaker 1: the story as though he fell madly in love with 96 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:25,360 Speaker 1: her on that very day and then ran away with 97 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 1: her to get married, much to the chagrine of Katie's father, 98 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 1: but that does not add up given the census records. 99 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:37,840 Speaker 1: The Census reports that Max indicated that Katie and he 100 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:41,680 Speaker 1: had been married um when she was nineteen and he 101 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 1: was twenty one, so that was a couple of years 102 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:48,240 Speaker 1: after this whole thing happened. Yeah, that lines up with 103 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:52,680 Speaker 1: most of the histories about Katie. There are only these 104 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:54,919 Speaker 1: few sort of interviews with Max later in life that 105 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:56,680 Speaker 1: it seems like he may be played up the sort 106 00:05:56,720 --> 00:06:00,680 Speaker 1: of um whirlwind nature of their of their marriage. But 107 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 1: it's very cute because he'll talk about how all he 108 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:05,400 Speaker 1: remembers is stepping in the ring, seeing the blue sky 109 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:08,039 Speaker 1: when he fell down, and then coming to as Katie 110 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:12,159 Speaker 1: carried him away. Sort of a cute, fun start to 111 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:15,520 Speaker 1: a romance. I don't recommend knocking someone out as a 112 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 1: way to win their heart, but it's sure to work 113 00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:22,159 Speaker 1: in this case. Uh. In the nineteen nine Katie and 114 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:24,880 Speaker 1: her act made their way to the United States. She 115 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:28,640 Speaker 1: was performing with Max and one to two other gentlemen 116 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:32,840 Speaker 1: as the Sandwina's Uh. They actually took this name on. 117 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:36,039 Speaker 1: It wasn't the name they originally came over with because 118 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 1: on a visit to New York, she issued a challenge 119 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:41,200 Speaker 1: at the end of her act to anyone that wanted 120 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:44,560 Speaker 1: to try to lift more weight than she could. She 121 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 1: had one taker from the crowd, and it was a 122 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 1: doozy Eugen sand Out. And sand Out was a Prussian 123 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:54,919 Speaker 1: born bodybuilder. He'd always already become very famous as the 124 00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:58,719 Speaker 1: sort of the embodiment of the perfect male physique. He 125 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:01,640 Speaker 1: made a career of a peering on stage wearing nothing 126 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:04,480 Speaker 1: more than a fig leaf or other very scant clothing 127 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 1: and gladiator sandals to show off his extremely powerful muscles. 128 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:13,400 Speaker 1: Yeah these are they're hilarious to me. Pictures out there 129 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:16,680 Speaker 1: of him standing in his fig leaf like flexing so 130 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 1: you could see every you know, part of his body. 131 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 1: But so, he was widely believed to be the strongest 132 00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:26,120 Speaker 1: man on earth, and so when he emerged from the 133 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:30,360 Speaker 1: crowd to take this challenge, Katie was a little concerned 134 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:33,560 Speaker 1: that she had made a woeful misstep. Uh you know, 135 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:35,840 Speaker 1: remember this is a girl that never lost a fight, 136 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:38,720 Speaker 1: so the thought that she might be facing like defeat 137 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 1: in front of a crowd was probably very terrifying. But 138 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:45,120 Speaker 1: she did not back down and the weightlifting challenge began. 139 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:47,880 Speaker 1: So the way this worked was that Katie would lift 140 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:50,560 Speaker 1: up a weight and then the challenger standout would have 141 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 1: to lift up the same weight. And this went on 142 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 1: for a while with an ever increasing weight load. Finally, 143 00:07:56,480 --> 00:08:01,920 Speaker 1: Katie lifted three pounds up over her head. When Katie 144 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:04,960 Speaker 1: had put the weight down and Sandow took the three 145 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 1: pounds up. He could only lift it to chess level. 146 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:11,720 Speaker 1: So the challenge was over and Katie had officially beaten 147 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 1: the most famous strongman in the world at a weightlifting competition. 148 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:19,960 Speaker 1: And so before we jump into how they've become the 149 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:23,200 Speaker 1: Sandwinas and what happens next, we're going to take a 150 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:28,200 Speaker 1: quick word from a sponsor. So back to uh, Katie Sandwina. 151 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:30,920 Speaker 1: It was after this challenge of a Sandow that Katie 152 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:35,000 Speaker 1: started appearing under the name Sandwena. So what we do 153 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:37,520 Speaker 1: know about the name is that it is intentionally a 154 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:40,199 Speaker 1: female derivative of Sandow. And what we do not know 155 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:43,440 Speaker 1: and has always been a little nebulous in the record, 156 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:45,920 Speaker 1: is whether this was meant to be a respectful nod 157 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:50,679 Speaker 1: to the famous bodybuilder or an insult after she beat him. 158 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:54,160 Speaker 1: After this challenge, the other big change to Katie's life 159 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:56,960 Speaker 1: besides her stage name was the nature of her act. 160 00:08:57,440 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 1: She was no longer a wrestling challenger. She came exclusively 161 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:04,760 Speaker 1: a strong woman act. Yeah. Once this, I mean this 162 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:07,199 Speaker 1: made big news, like the fact that a woman had 163 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:10,240 Speaker 1: beaten this huge male bodybuilder in public in New York. 164 00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:13,360 Speaker 1: It pretty much rippled out through newspapers pretty quickly, and 165 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:15,560 Speaker 1: so at that point she was just a strong woman. 166 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:18,440 Speaker 1: They didn't feel like they needed to bother with wrestling anymore. 167 00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:21,320 Speaker 1: And among the feats that she would demonstrate during the 168 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:24,240 Speaker 1: course of a show, we have a nice list here 169 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:26,360 Speaker 1: that Tracy and I will share with you. So one 170 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:29,480 Speaker 1: of the things she would do was juggling thirty pound cannonballs, 171 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:33,160 Speaker 1: lifting her husband Max, who weighed a hundred and sixty 172 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:37,600 Speaker 1: five pounds over her head with one hand. This one 173 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:40,920 Speaker 1: blew my mind. She would lift up horses. I don't 174 00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:42,840 Speaker 1: even know how you begin to lift a horse, because 175 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:45,880 Speaker 1: it's a live thing that might wiggle. In addition to 176 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 1: be extremely heavy and an unwieldy size and shape, she 177 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:51,720 Speaker 1: would hold fourteen people at a time on a carousel, 178 00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:54,800 Speaker 1: supported by her chest and shoulders. This one is also 179 00:09:54,880 --> 00:09:58,440 Speaker 1: wild to me. She would lift a halfton cannon on 180 00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:00,520 Speaker 1: her back around her chest. There's a we a picture 181 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:03,440 Speaker 1: that I found online of her with this cannon. Again, 182 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:06,280 Speaker 1: a full cannon, we're not talking about cannon balls, the 183 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 1: apparatus to shoot them, and it's balanced on her chest 184 00:10:09,679 --> 00:10:12,160 Speaker 1: by what would be the exit end of the cannon, 185 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:14,400 Speaker 1: with the wheels in the air and she's just sort 186 00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:19,120 Speaker 1: of standing there holding it. So that's again half a ton, 187 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:22,079 Speaker 1: So we're talking about a thousand pounds or four and 188 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:25,439 Speaker 1: fifties three kilos that she's just balancing on her chest. 189 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:32,680 Speaker 1: There's the strong act classic of bending iron bars. She 190 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:36,120 Speaker 1: would also break iron chains that she would just snap 191 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:39,439 Speaker 1: them as part of the act, and she would lie 192 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:41,800 Speaker 1: on a bed of nails while audience members were brought 193 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:44,600 Speaker 1: forward to hit an anvil perched a top of her 194 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:47,080 Speaker 1: chest with sledge hammers. Now as I was starting to 195 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:49,120 Speaker 1: read this, I was like, come on, bed of nails. 196 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:51,679 Speaker 1: I know people who do this. They do not do 197 00:10:51,720 --> 00:10:54,439 Speaker 1: this with an anvil on their chest. They may be 198 00:10:54,559 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 1: at the most have a cinder block. Yeah, she was 199 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:05,920 Speaker 1: pretty astonishing. I mean, she just did amazing things. And 200 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:09,120 Speaker 1: it's funny because you'll read some accounts where there was 201 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:12,800 Speaker 1: one piece that I read where they were talking about 202 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:17,319 Speaker 1: how she lifts in what was allegedly called the German method. 203 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:19,240 Speaker 1: I don't I have no knowledge of whether or not 204 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:22,600 Speaker 1: this is a valid nomenclature for it, where she when 205 00:11:22,640 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 1: she would lift particularly heavyweights, she would kind of be 206 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:29,120 Speaker 1: rolling them up over her belly and chests to get 207 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:31,480 Speaker 1: them up rather than like a clean and jerk. If 208 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:35,400 Speaker 1: I'm getting this correct, I'm still standing here going yes, 209 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:38,760 Speaker 1: but three hundred pounds. I don't care how she got 210 00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:40,960 Speaker 1: it in the air. I'm sure if you are a 211 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:44,480 Speaker 1: weightlifting expert, you will know that that is clearly a 212 00:11:44,559 --> 00:11:47,360 Speaker 1: layman's take on things. But I'm still pretty amazed that 213 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:49,880 Speaker 1: she was just hucking this kind of weight around as 214 00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:51,840 Speaker 1: part of an act that she was doing over and over. 215 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:54,720 Speaker 1: It wasn't like a one time shot. She toured the 216 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:58,480 Speaker 1: United States first on the Orpheum Vaudeville circuit, and while 217 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:00,880 Speaker 1: on tour in the early nineteen hon Rids, she and 218 00:12:00,960 --> 00:12:04,800 Speaker 1: Max had a baby. They had a son, Theodore Roosevelt 219 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:08,880 Speaker 1: Martin Beck Sandwina, and through her whole pregnancy she continued 220 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:11,040 Speaker 1: to do her stage appearances with all of her usual 221 00:12:11,040 --> 00:12:14,520 Speaker 1: tricks and feats of strength. The night before he was born, 222 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:18,840 Speaker 1: she did not one, but two shows. Yeah, I could 223 00:12:18,880 --> 00:12:23,920 Speaker 1: never find any good uh info on you know in 224 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:27,320 Speaker 1: the what were You thinking? Arena? Like that seems like 225 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:30,000 Speaker 1: an awful lot to be doing to your body, particularly 226 00:12:30,040 --> 00:12:32,120 Speaker 1: using your core at a time when you were carrying 227 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:35,280 Speaker 1: a little person. And I know, exercising throughout pregnancy is 228 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:37,679 Speaker 1: considered healthy as long as you're not kind of going 229 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:40,760 Speaker 1: harder than you were before you got pregnant. But having 230 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:43,920 Speaker 1: people hit you with sledgehammers on a bed of nails 231 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:46,120 Speaker 1: seems unwise when you're carrying a child. But what do 232 00:12:46,200 --> 00:12:50,040 Speaker 1: I know. Uh. Katie, for her part, really seemed to 233 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:54,000 Speaker 1: take motherhood and stride though. The press nickname Theodore super Baby, 234 00:12:54,400 --> 00:12:57,480 Speaker 1: as he was not surprisingly a large child, even though 235 00:12:57,520 --> 00:13:00,560 Speaker 1: his father was not a particularly large and you know, 236 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:03,400 Speaker 1: he still came from Katie's stock and so by the 237 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:07,439 Speaker 1: age of two, he reportedly weighed fifty pounds. And for comparison, 238 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:10,400 Speaker 1: in case you are not a parent, the modern CDC 239 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:12,640 Speaker 1: charts put the average weight of a two year old 240 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:15,800 Speaker 1: boy at twenty eight pounds, so he was almost twice 241 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:21,480 Speaker 1: normal expected modern size anyway, so we can conclude pretty 242 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:23,120 Speaker 1: logically that this had a lot to do with his 243 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:27,679 Speaker 1: mother's genetics. But it really prompted reporters to start asking 244 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:32,120 Speaker 1: Sandwina for feeding and care tips for healthy babies, like 245 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:35,800 Speaker 1: you two could raise a colossus. I don't know how 246 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:39,960 Speaker 1: on earth that would happen. And while Teddy was still 247 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:42,360 Speaker 1: young Katie and Max headed to Europe to tour, and 248 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:44,280 Speaker 1: they did not always take Teddy on tour with them, 249 00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:47,720 Speaker 1: sometimes he was at boarding school, but in any case, 250 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:51,000 Speaker 1: it was not long before John Ringling spotted Katie's act 251 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:53,760 Speaker 1: and signed the husband and wife for the Barnum and 252 00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:56,720 Speaker 1: Bailey Circus. And at this point, Ringling and his brothers 253 00:13:56,720 --> 00:14:00,000 Speaker 1: had just bought the circus for a reported four thousand 254 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:02,959 Speaker 1: and dollars and again this is in like nineteen ten money, 255 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:05,640 Speaker 1: so it's quite a significant investment, and so they wanted 256 00:14:05,679 --> 00:14:09,360 Speaker 1: to fill their roster with interesting and star acts. So 257 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:13,040 Speaker 1: in nineteen eleven they headed back to the States, but 258 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:15,959 Speaker 1: Katie was not, as it turned out, a featured performer 259 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:19,000 Speaker 1: for the Barnam and Bailey Circus. Instead, her act, which 260 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:22,080 Speaker 1: was the San Duenas, was one of four strength based 261 00:14:22,080 --> 00:14:27,760 Speaker 1: attractions that ran simultaneously. Yeah, Wrangling had envisioned this scenario 262 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:30,640 Speaker 1: with all four of these strength acts sort of vying 263 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:34,720 Speaker 1: for the audience's attention is like one huge spectacle. But 264 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:39,520 Speaker 1: of course Katie drew all eyes. She drew reporters as 265 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:42,840 Speaker 1: well as audiences. So the circus launched this plan to 266 00:14:42,920 --> 00:14:45,320 Speaker 1: really play up her role and they arranged a press 267 00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:48,400 Speaker 1: conference to feature their new star and kind of announce 268 00:14:48,440 --> 00:14:52,480 Speaker 1: her as like the new um you know, spotlight performer 269 00:14:52,640 --> 00:14:55,680 Speaker 1: of Barnamin Bailey's and so her act was also renamed 270 00:14:55,720 --> 00:14:58,520 Speaker 1: so they no longer went by the Sanduenas. The name 271 00:14:58,560 --> 00:15:03,040 Speaker 1: was actually updated to Katie Sandweina and Troop. This was 272 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:06,600 Speaker 1: the first of many press conferences that Sandwina would give 273 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:09,280 Speaker 1: while she was with the circus, and it became the 274 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:11,240 Speaker 1: norm for the press to really want to see her 275 00:15:11,320 --> 00:15:14,960 Speaker 1: anywhere that the circus toured. Doctors would show up to 276 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:18,560 Speaker 1: way and measure her publicly. The press would report on 277 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:24,200 Speaker 1: her figure and marvel at her sixteen inch calf muscles, 278 00:15:25,880 --> 00:15:29,160 Speaker 1: and Katie did not seem to mind doing this at all. 279 00:15:29,240 --> 00:15:33,080 Speaker 1: For her part, she actually accentuated her size by wearing 280 00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:36,000 Speaker 1: boots with heels and some height enhancing up dudes like. 281 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:37,800 Speaker 1: She would pile her hair on top of her head 282 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:42,240 Speaker 1: to further accentuate her stature and especially in contrast to 283 00:15:42,280 --> 00:15:45,920 Speaker 1: her five ft six husband. And then to conclude these 284 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:49,360 Speaker 1: press appearances, she would lift Max into the air, and 285 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:52,600 Speaker 1: then she would follow that by lifting both Max and 286 00:15:52,640 --> 00:15:55,480 Speaker 1: their son Teddy with one arm. There's actually a rather 287 00:15:55,560 --> 00:15:59,040 Speaker 1: charming photo of the family in this arrangement floating around online. 288 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:01,440 Speaker 1: For Katie's in the beautiful dress and she's just got 289 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:03,360 Speaker 1: her husband in her arm, and her husband is holding 290 00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:05,800 Speaker 1: the child, who's not an infinite at that time. He's, 291 00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:09,040 Speaker 1: you know, more of like a young child. It's kind 292 00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:13,840 Speaker 1: of wonderfully wacky. So in addition to showing off Katie's 293 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:17,680 Speaker 1: size and her strength, these press conferences also really accentuated 294 00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:22,000 Speaker 1: her femininity. Press members wrote at great length of her 295 00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:25,760 Speaker 1: tightness beauty. The promotion push on the part of the 296 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:28,400 Speaker 1: circus worked really hard to balance her charm and good 297 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:30,800 Speaker 1: looks with her strength in the public eye to create 298 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:33,800 Speaker 1: this irresistible act that was sure to dry in spectators. 299 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:38,200 Speaker 1: Even reporters who doubted the strength claims that Barnum and 300 00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:41,880 Speaker 1: Bailey made uh they were quick to acknowledge Katie's appeal 301 00:16:41,880 --> 00:16:45,280 Speaker 1: and magnetism. It seemed like she was as likable as 302 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:48,080 Speaker 1: she was strong. And what's really fascinating is that she's 303 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:52,000 Speaker 1: never described as being masculine during the press junket, despite 304 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:54,320 Speaker 1: being bigger and stronger than many men of the era, 305 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:57,880 Speaker 1: or I would say many men today. Descriptions of her 306 00:16:57,920 --> 00:17:01,120 Speaker 1: always call her a venus and a commy ending beauty man. 307 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:04,840 Speaker 1: According to one female reporter quote, she was an unconsciously 308 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:11,760 Speaker 1: perfect illustration of her text that beauty is strength, strength beauty. Yeah. 309 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:14,720 Speaker 1: I really was expecting, as I was doing research on this, 310 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:19,360 Speaker 1: to find some weird thing about, you know, how manly 311 00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:21,440 Speaker 1: she was, but none of them seemed to you there's 312 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:25,440 Speaker 1: some that kind of suggests, like, you know, men might 313 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:28,480 Speaker 1: be in trouble if you know, if women are like this, 314 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:31,440 Speaker 1: then if this is how we're going, we're gonna lose 315 00:17:31,480 --> 00:17:37,560 Speaker 1: some power. And uh, that's actually pretty Germaine to what 316 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:39,240 Speaker 1: we're going to talk about next, which is that while 317 00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:42,920 Speaker 1: Katie really easily handled this role of basically being also 318 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:46,679 Speaker 1: a pr act for Barnamin Bailey Circus, she also served 319 00:17:46,680 --> 00:17:50,520 Speaker 1: to some degree as a mouthpiece for women's suffrage. Because 320 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:52,560 Speaker 1: she was in the public eye, she was very likable, 321 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:56,000 Speaker 1: she was considered attractive, and she was a wife and mother. 322 00:17:56,600 --> 00:17:59,000 Speaker 1: She was admired by many. It was like people could 323 00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:02,000 Speaker 1: both admire her beauty, women could identify with her because 324 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:05,280 Speaker 1: she fulfilled roles that they were living, even though she 325 00:18:05,359 --> 00:18:08,360 Speaker 1: was also living this life of a circus performer. But 326 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:10,240 Speaker 1: because she was also part of a marriage where she 327 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:13,720 Speaker 1: was seen as at least physically dominant over her husband. 328 00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:16,840 Speaker 1: She was also this model of liberation, and starting in 329 00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:19,399 Speaker 1: nineteen twelve, she actually served as vice president of the 330 00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:23,800 Speaker 1: Circus's women's suffrage group, thus earned her the nickname Sandwina 331 00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:28,320 Speaker 1: the Suffragette in some news stories. And then before we 332 00:18:28,359 --> 00:18:31,320 Speaker 1: get to sort of how her um life shifts at 333 00:18:31,359 --> 00:18:33,800 Speaker 1: this point, we are going to have another word from 334 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:37,960 Speaker 1: a sponsor, if that's cool with Tracy so Um. At 335 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:40,440 Speaker 1: this point, you know, Katie has really achieved some level 336 00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:44,200 Speaker 1: of fame, and she and Max have been touring the world, 337 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:47,080 Speaker 1: and at one point, while they're touring Europe in eighteen, 338 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:50,680 Speaker 1: they actually had their second son, Alfred, and Alfred's birth 339 00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:55,119 Speaker 1: took place during some of the unrest of the Hungarian Revolution, 340 00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:56,800 Speaker 1: which we talked about a little bit in our Bella 341 00:18:56,840 --> 00:19:01,400 Speaker 1: Leegoti episode, and the story goes Although there's no substantiation 342 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:02,960 Speaker 1: I could find on this, but I did see it 343 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:06,399 Speaker 1: reported similarly in several places that Katie actually had to 344 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:09,399 Speaker 1: crawl under like a barbed wire fence to get to 345 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:12,200 Speaker 1: a hospital when she went into labor, and she ended 346 00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:14,600 Speaker 1: up actually giving birth on the floor of the hospital 347 00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:17,359 Speaker 1: because it was completely overcrowded and there was nowhere for 348 00:19:17,359 --> 00:19:20,080 Speaker 1: her to go. They couldn't admit her. So Alfred was 349 00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:23,159 Speaker 1: kind of born in not ideal circumstances, but seemed to 350 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:25,720 Speaker 1: turn out just fine. And just like with Theodore, she 351 00:19:25,840 --> 00:19:29,440 Speaker 1: was performing right up until she gave birth. Katie continued 352 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:31,960 Speaker 1: to draw crowds as a strong woman into the late 353 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:34,840 Speaker 1: nineteen forties, and at this point she was in her sixties. 354 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:37,320 Speaker 1: But there were some bumpy times towards the end of 355 00:19:37,320 --> 00:19:41,920 Speaker 1: her career as a strong woman. Yeah, having nothing really 356 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:44,679 Speaker 1: to do with her during the nineteen thirties. In the 357 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:47,879 Speaker 1: early nineteen forties, the Ringling brothers and their various business 358 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:51,000 Speaker 1: ventures were really struggling. You know. The Great Depression impacted 359 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:54,400 Speaker 1: the circus just like everyone else, and many performers lost 360 00:19:54,400 --> 00:19:58,440 Speaker 1: their jobs For a brief period. During the depression, the 361 00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:01,280 Speaker 1: Works Progress Administration and the circus, which is the only 362 00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:04,240 Speaker 1: state run circus the United States has ever had, was 363 00:20:04,359 --> 00:20:07,800 Speaker 1: organized by the federal government. This gave circus performers the 364 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:11,399 Speaker 1: opportunity to stay afloat and to keep entertaining, and Katie 365 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:13,840 Speaker 1: and Max worked with the w P A circus after 366 00:20:13,920 --> 00:20:19,080 Speaker 1: leaving Barnum and Bailey and UH as sort of a 367 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:23,880 Speaker 1: fascinating financial side note related to the circus. As Ringlings 368 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:26,200 Speaker 1: Barnum and Bailey Circus was getting back on its feet 369 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:30,600 Speaker 1: in the forties, UH and Katie and Max were still 370 00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:33,840 Speaker 1: working with them, a fire actually destroyed the main tent 371 00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:35,920 Speaker 1: during the show. I don't think Kati Max were at 372 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:39,480 Speaker 1: this particular event. This horrible fire killed a hundred and 373 00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:42,520 Speaker 1: sixty eight people and it injured hundreds of others. And 374 00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:44,880 Speaker 1: as the financial mess of it was being sorted out, 375 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:47,880 Speaker 1: the resulting ruling of the courts was that the circus 376 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:50,360 Speaker 1: had to continue operation in order to bring in enough 377 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:53,919 Speaker 1: money to settle the resulting lawsuits and operation losses. And 378 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:57,360 Speaker 1: this actually became the first Chapter eleven bankruptcy case, which 379 00:20:57,440 --> 00:21:00,240 Speaker 1: is just sort of a fascinating historical side note. It 380 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:03,600 Speaker 1: also wasn't long after this that Katie Sanduina and her 381 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:06,840 Speaker 1: husband wound up leaving the circus for good. Yeah, we 382 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:09,560 Speaker 1: don't know how much, you know, sort of the fiscal 383 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:13,680 Speaker 1: problems or the financial problems of the circus actually incited 384 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:15,240 Speaker 1: them to leave her if it was just feeling like 385 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:18,000 Speaker 1: time to settle down and stop touring constantly. But in 386 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:21,399 Speaker 1: the late nineteen forties, Sanduina finally made her last stage 387 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:23,720 Speaker 1: of appearance and she retired from her job as a 388 00:21:23,720 --> 00:21:26,679 Speaker 1: strong woman at the age of sixty four, and she 389 00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:28,679 Speaker 1: was still doing those same crazy tricks that she had 390 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:30,560 Speaker 1: been doing since she was like a teenager in a 391 00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:34,080 Speaker 1: twenty year old and a pregnant lady like she just was. 392 00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:39,920 Speaker 1: I am perpetually sort of agog at her amazing physical 393 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:42,679 Speaker 1: prowess and her strength and her just ability to do 394 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:46,639 Speaker 1: these things again into her sixties. And at that point 395 00:21:46,640 --> 00:21:48,960 Speaker 1: she and her husband Max opened a restaurant in Queens, 396 00:21:48,960 --> 00:21:51,560 Speaker 1: New York, and while she wasn't appearing with the circus, 397 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:54,000 Speaker 1: she would occasionally kind of pull out the old tricks 398 00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:57,880 Speaker 1: and entertain patrons by lifting Max into the air. She's 399 00:21:57,880 --> 00:22:00,359 Speaker 1: also said to invent steel bars and broken horror shoes 400 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:02,800 Speaker 1: to entertain the diners and and people that came in 401 00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:05,040 Speaker 1: to have a drink there. There's actually a picture in 402 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:09,159 Speaker 1: one of the the articles that I looked at, and 403 00:22:09,160 --> 00:22:11,520 Speaker 1: it's actually kind of a reprint of an older article 404 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:13,800 Speaker 1: from the forties, or from the very late forties when 405 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:16,000 Speaker 1: they were first starting out in the the bar and 406 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:19,840 Speaker 1: grill business. That's kind of uh couched within a bigger, 407 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:22,480 Speaker 1: more modern article about her, and there's a picture of 408 00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:26,399 Speaker 1: her again, a retired woman in her sixties, doing the 409 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:29,720 Speaker 1: bed of nails trick with the sledgehammers in the bar 410 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:33,640 Speaker 1: to entertain people. So she really never gave up performing, 411 00:22:33,680 --> 00:22:38,320 Speaker 1: even though she wasn't on stage anymore. That first year 412 00:22:38,359 --> 00:22:40,639 Speaker 1: of running a bar and grill wasn't really easy for 413 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:43,120 Speaker 1: the pair, which is not surprising it's hard to start 414 00:22:43,119 --> 00:22:46,560 Speaker 1: a restaurant, but they eventually got a regular clientele and 415 00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:50,119 Speaker 1: settled into the business. One of Katie's jobs would be 416 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:52,040 Speaker 1: that she would deal with the patrons who had too 417 00:22:52,119 --> 00:22:55,080 Speaker 1: much to drink, and, according to an interview that the 418 00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:58,439 Speaker 1: two of them gave in late nineteen seven, usually the 419 00:22:58,520 --> 00:23:03,720 Speaker 1: inebriated man would later return apologetically and beg her pardon 420 00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:09,640 Speaker 1: after sobering up. Yeah, she uh, and again I love 421 00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:12,040 Speaker 1: it because she still was considered sort of girly in 422 00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:14,520 Speaker 1: many ways. Her daughter in law that was married to 423 00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:16,679 Speaker 1: Alfred said that she always had her nails painted and 424 00:23:16,720 --> 00:23:18,520 Speaker 1: she was really one of the most feminine women she 425 00:23:18,600 --> 00:23:22,320 Speaker 1: had ever known. But unfortunately, just four years after she 426 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:24,600 Speaker 1: retired from performing and really as their bar and grill 427 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:28,080 Speaker 1: was getting really, really stable and good. Katie actually died 428 00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:32,960 Speaker 1: of cancer on January twenty one. N Katie and Max's 429 00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:36,320 Speaker 1: sons each followed into the family business in their own ways. 430 00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:39,800 Speaker 1: Their first son, Theodore, became a heavyweight boxer under the 431 00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:43,159 Speaker 1: name Ted s Sandwina, and there's a brief video of 432 00:23:43,240 --> 00:23:46,600 Speaker 1: his mom giving him boxing lessons in the twenties on YouTube. 433 00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:50,080 Speaker 1: After his brief boxing career, he worked in the bar 434 00:23:50,160 --> 00:23:53,880 Speaker 1: with Katie and Max, and Alfred, for his part, went 435 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:57,280 Speaker 1: on to become a fairly successful actor as Alfred Sandor. 436 00:23:58,119 --> 00:24:00,800 Speaker 1: While his career struggled in the u US initially, he 437 00:24:00,840 --> 00:24:03,920 Speaker 1: eventually became known in Australia for a long running gig 438 00:24:03,960 --> 00:24:06,800 Speaker 1: on the soap opera The Young Doctors, and he also 439 00:24:06,840 --> 00:24:09,439 Speaker 1: appeared on the cult drama series Dark Shadow. So if 440 00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:13,040 Speaker 1: any of our listeners ever watched that, he was on 441 00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:16,120 Speaker 1: one episode, but just kind of a noteworthy spot for him. 442 00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:20,840 Speaker 1: Uh yeah, Oh, I'm I'm so delighted by her story. 443 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:27,520 Speaker 1: What a fun, wacky lady. I like the beats of 444 00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:31,680 Speaker 1: strength that sounded possible. I know, they just they blow 445 00:24:31,720 --> 00:24:33,680 Speaker 1: my mind. And it's one of those things like I said, 446 00:24:33,720 --> 00:24:36,119 Speaker 1: they're reporters that were even like, I don't know that 447 00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:39,960 Speaker 1: Barnama Bailey are being entirely accurate with their claims, but gosh, 448 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:42,639 Speaker 1: I really like this woman, Like I want to go 449 00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:45,920 Speaker 1: see her show. But even like if if those sort 450 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:51,119 Speaker 1: of wild claims were overblown, in most cases, if you 451 00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:53,920 Speaker 1: have them, they would still be really mind boggling feats 452 00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:56,600 Speaker 1: of strength. But there are pictures of her lifting multiple 453 00:24:56,600 --> 00:24:58,879 Speaker 1: people at a time, and they're like I said, I 454 00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:01,159 Speaker 1: saw a photograph of her at the cannon balanced on 455 00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:04,399 Speaker 1: her chest, and so there is photographic evidence of some 456 00:25:04,480 --> 00:25:06,760 Speaker 1: of these things. And in some cases you could say, oh, 457 00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:09,360 Speaker 1: that's a prop and it was probably lighter, but they 458 00:25:09,359 --> 00:25:12,440 Speaker 1: were not prop. People that were walking across the pie's 459 00:25:12,480 --> 00:25:16,359 Speaker 1: a board that were that was balanced on her chest. Like, Yeah, 460 00:25:16,359 --> 00:25:18,240 Speaker 1: the cannon is the one thing that makes me go, 461 00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:22,040 Speaker 1: I wonder if something was going on with that cannon. Yeah, 462 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:24,520 Speaker 1: I don't know, But again, you see her with like 463 00:25:24,760 --> 00:25:27,480 Speaker 1: you know, four and five people climbing on her shoulders, 464 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:30,679 Speaker 1: it's pretty aweso a lot of that's a lot of 465 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:34,440 Speaker 1: human Yeah. Uh, do you have some listener mail for us? 466 00:25:35,119 --> 00:25:39,040 Speaker 1: I do? I have a few pieces, Um, First, I 467 00:25:39,200 --> 00:25:41,760 Speaker 1: have a really lovely holiday card that we got from 468 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:44,520 Speaker 1: our listeners, Zack and Paloma, and I just wanted to 469 00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:46,560 Speaker 1: give them a shout out because this card made me 470 00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:49,159 Speaker 1: laugh with such delight when I opened it. It is 471 00:25:49,440 --> 00:25:52,760 Speaker 1: them in very silly poses with their four cats, and 472 00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:54,439 Speaker 1: then a very cute picture in the center of the 473 00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:56,760 Speaker 1: two of them gazing at each other. It is so cute, 474 00:25:56,760 --> 00:25:58,560 Speaker 1: and it just says that they're wishing us a weird 475 00:25:58,600 --> 00:26:01,080 Speaker 1: holiday season in an interesting a year. I couldn't wish 476 00:26:01,080 --> 00:26:04,880 Speaker 1: for more. And your cats are all super gorgeous. I'm 477 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:07,240 Speaker 1: gazing at the cats as I say this. Uh. And 478 00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:09,120 Speaker 1: another one. This is a call back to a little 479 00:26:09,119 --> 00:26:11,399 Speaker 1: bit of an older episode. But we heard from a 480 00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:15,240 Speaker 1: couple of people. First. I heard UH directly contacted to 481 00:26:15,280 --> 00:26:17,440 Speaker 1: me from my friend Brian, who also listens to the show. 482 00:26:17,720 --> 00:26:20,480 Speaker 1: He said, Cards Against Humanity just totally pulled a big 483 00:26:20,480 --> 00:26:23,200 Speaker 1: inch land promotion. I just received a deed for one 484 00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:26,200 Speaker 1: square foot of Hawaii to a private island they bought 485 00:26:26,240 --> 00:26:28,560 Speaker 1: on a lake in Maine. I thought it would amuse you. 486 00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:31,480 Speaker 1: It came with a deed with excellent disclaimers, a flag 487 00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:33,560 Speaker 1: to plant on my foot of land, and an absurd 488 00:26:33,640 --> 00:26:36,480 Speaker 1: map of the island. And then our listener Kate also 489 00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:38,560 Speaker 1: sent us a message on Facebook and she said, Hi, 490 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:40,760 Speaker 1: my boyfriend just received a deed do a square foot 491 00:26:40,760 --> 00:26:43,080 Speaker 1: of land on a private island, given to him by 492 00:26:43,080 --> 00:26:46,480 Speaker 1: Cards Against Humanity. He was both excited and a little confused. 493 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:48,840 Speaker 1: But I pointed him to the historical precedent set by 494 00:26:48,840 --> 00:26:51,640 Speaker 1: the Klondike Big Inch Land Company that I heard about 495 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:54,400 Speaker 1: on your podcast a few months ago. I nerded out 496 00:26:54,440 --> 00:26:57,040 Speaker 1: about them, obviously making a reference to that. He did 497 00:26:57,080 --> 00:26:59,760 Speaker 1: not seem so excited about the historical connection, but I'm 498 00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:01,480 Speaker 1: glad people are still getting a kick out of the 499 00:27:01,520 --> 00:27:05,000 Speaker 1: idea either way. That just cracked me up. I love it. 500 00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:07,960 Speaker 1: I love it. I hope I'm gonna coerce Brian and 501 00:27:08,040 --> 00:27:09,800 Speaker 1: Kate can do so if she wants as well, to 502 00:27:09,840 --> 00:27:13,159 Speaker 1: send me pictures. I want to see the flag and 503 00:27:13,320 --> 00:27:16,639 Speaker 1: whatever other stuff and uh, you know, and the disclaimer. 504 00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:20,000 Speaker 1: That's what I want to see, the wording on that disclaimer. Uh. 505 00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:21,600 Speaker 1: If you would like to write to us and tell 506 00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:24,280 Speaker 1: us about your great windfall of land in Hawaii too, 507 00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:27,000 Speaker 1: or anything else that you want to talk about, you 508 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:29,200 Speaker 1: can do so at History Podcast at how stuff works 509 00:27:29,200 --> 00:27:31,480 Speaker 1: dot com. You can also connect with us on Twitter 510 00:27:31,600 --> 00:27:34,399 Speaker 1: at misst in history, at Facebook dot com, slash missed 511 00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:37,160 Speaker 1: in History at missed in History dot tumbler dot com, 512 00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:40,080 Speaker 1: and we'll be on Pinterest at pinterest dot com slash 513 00:27:40,119 --> 00:27:43,720 Speaker 1: missed in History. I have the excitement about penning lots 514 00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:46,720 Speaker 1: of pictures of Katie Sanduina and in fact also Ugen 515 00:27:46,800 --> 00:27:50,000 Speaker 1: Sandow because that fig leaf is hilarious. You can also 516 00:27:50,119 --> 00:27:52,800 Speaker 1: visit our spreadshirt store at missed in History dot spreadshirt 517 00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:57,040 Speaker 1: dot com to buy shirts and bags and uh phone 518 00:27:57,040 --> 00:27:59,320 Speaker 1: cases and mugs and all kinds of good ease if 519 00:27:59,359 --> 00:28:01,280 Speaker 1: you would like, you wear your love of history on 520 00:28:01,359 --> 00:28:05,760 Speaker 1: your sleeve or your chest or your book bag. And 521 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:08,600 Speaker 1: you can go to our parents site, how stuff works 522 00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:10,600 Speaker 1: dot com. Type in the words circus in the search 523 00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:12,720 Speaker 1: bar and you will find an entire section on circus 524 00:28:12,840 --> 00:28:15,640 Speaker 1: arts storm. We have a variety of really fun articles 525 00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:19,199 Speaker 1: about how various circus performers do their jobs. You can 526 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:21,119 Speaker 1: also visit us at missed in history dot com for 527 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:24,040 Speaker 1: show notes and archive of all of our past episodes. 528 00:28:24,119 --> 00:28:27,480 Speaker 1: The occasional blog post lots of cool stuff, and we 529 00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:29,480 Speaker 1: encourage you to do that so visit us at both 530 00:28:29,480 --> 00:28:36,560 Speaker 1: house to Works dot com and Missed Industry dot com. 531 00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:39,000 Speaker 1: For more on this and thousands of other topics, is 532 00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:52,520 Speaker 1: how stuff Works dot com.