Funny that all the black bodybuilders of today aspire to have a statue of this man! Haha.
I have read Eugene Sandow's book "Strength and how to Obtain it" recently, I was delighted when I read a section of the book which was highly racist. Sandow talks about his first hour in the USA and his encounter with a black bell boy at a Hotel. It ended with Sandow holding the black boy dangling over the balcony at the 16th floor.
Note everytime it says guy in the text is where getbig changes the N-word automatically to guy, so Sandow used the N-word in one of his books haha.Source:
https://archive.org/stream/strengthandhowt00sandgoog/strengthandhowt00sandgoog_djvu.txtquote
CHAPTER VI r.
MY FIRST HOUR IN AMERICA.
First experiences are occasionally curious. You shall hear
mine.
Although the day we reached New York was the hottest
that had ever been known in that great country of w^onder-
ful records, no heat, however extreme, could detract from
the glories of New York Harbour, certainly the finest
harbour I have ever seen. Numerous people, including, of
course, the ubiquitous newspaper men, came on board to
welcome me, bands were playing, and there was a gay and
busy time generally.
Having landed, I entered a cab. Everyone, I suppose,
has a vivid recollection of his first cab in America. The
independence of the American cab-driver is sublime. It is
something too great for words. You can only draw a long
breath — and admire it. The particular journey which I was
undertaking would have been in England something con-
siderably less than a shilling fare. Hoping to be generous
I proffered the driver an equivalent in English money to two
shillings. To my surprise he said, **I guess. Colonel, that's
for myself ; your fare is four dollars," just eight times as
much as I had offered. Of course, I could not argue with
the man. He knew better than I, and there was nothing
for it but to pay promptly what he demanded. Moreover,
in America, it must be remembered, they charge, not for the
drive, but for the cab.
Mr. Abbey, who met me on the boat, accompanied in e to
the hotel at which I was to stay. At the office his attention
was called away for a moment, and I was left to the tender
124 STRENGTH :
mercies of the bell boy, a ni gger, who was asked to show me
the rooms.
" Come along, sir," the boy drawled. And along I went,
making my first acquaintance with an American elevator, in
which we were shot up heavenwards.
" How high are we ? " I asked, as we got out.
" Oh, this is the sixteenth floor," replied the boy, in an off-
hand manner, " you can see if you look down." I did look
down. By Jove, the depth down that staircase was tremen-
\ dous.
'\ Having selected my apartments, the boy coolly stood
beside me in my own room rolling a cigarette and lighting
it in my presence. This action seemed a little impudent,
■ but it was nothing to that which was to come. Remarking
that I desired to wash, I also asked the boy if he would
clean my boots.
" Clean your boots," he exclaimed, in blank astonishment,
" we don't do that in America, we (speaking of course for
himself and the n iggers like him) don*t clean boots here."
" Who then," I asked, " does clean them ? "
" Oh, you must go down stairs for that." And with these
words he reclined on my sofa, rolled another cigarette, and
calmly smiled at me.
This was really too much for white flesh and blood to bear.
I said to him sharply, '* Look here, young man. I may be a
stranger in this country and ignorant of some of its ways,
but 1 know enough of Americans to be quite sure that it is
not right for you to conduct yourself in this way. If you
don't promptly clear oft' I will report you ? "
But the boy was not easily to be moved. Instead of
taking himself off he squared up and wanted to fight me.
So I just took hold of that boy, and, testing his jacket and
trousers to be sure that they would bear the strain, I swung
him over the sixteenth floor staircase. And there for a few
moments I held him, just to give him a view of the depth,
which was so tremendous.
My word, didn't that boy shout and scream. I assured
him that he was quit€ safe in my hand so long as it was
closed, but if he ever attempted his impertinences again I
would bring him to the same spot and open it. And
AND HOW TO OBTAIN IT. 125
I reminded him that a drop through sixteen floors would not
be good even for n igger boys who smoked cigarettes in
private rooms and affected to be indignant at the suggestion
that they should clean a visitor's boots.
The boy's cries drew a small crowd, including my guest
and pianist, Martinus Sieveking, and the manager of the
hotel. The manager fully agreed with the warning I gave
the boy, and was profuse in his apologies, saying that such
conduct from a bell boy was unprecedented.
/quote
