Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1862-03-01

strong attachment for his princely patron,
from whom in jest he received the name
of "Bebe." This name originated in the
inability of Ferry to pronounce the eonso-
nants, all of which he called "B.'--Stan.
islaus, in jest, initiated his voice and called
him "B. B." Hence the mex name, which
he never lost.
Like Jeffory Hudson, Bebe was made
the subject of pastry-surprise. The pie
being placed on the table, the dwarf sud-
denly leaped forth, fired pistol, drew his
sword, and pretended 10 attack the COM
pany. The story Of this pastry is nara
ted at full length in the journals of that
day. People came from all ports to see
the wonderful dwarf, and attempts were
made to carry him of. Now he has sly
ly pocketed, now hidden capacious boot,
but his cries for help saved him; and
proper precautions were Afterwards taken
to secure him frQm such peril Poor Be-
be died at an early age, before he had
quite reached his twenty third year.-IIis
funeral was conducted with great magnif-
ieence. His statue mod led in wax is pre-
served in the cabinet of the Faculty Of
Medicine, Paris his skeleton is in the
Museum Of Natural History ia the same
metropolis; his heart is in the mausoleum
erected to his memory in the Church des
Minemcs, at Luneville.
The dwarfs with which the public Lave
| been the most familiar are those which
have been publicly exhibited. One of
the most Interesting of this cass was Nan
netta Stocker, native of Austria, who
was exhibited as dwarf in the early part
Of this century. She was two feet nine
inches in height, very intellectual, and
having great skill in the pianofortc. But
no modern dwarf has excited so much in
terest as General Tom Thumb. This
miniature man, one and twenty inches high
perfectly formed, graceful in every move
ment, with shrewdness and wit worthy
of his country, obtained hold on public
patronage such as no other shcw dwarf
has ever achieved. Mr.. Barnum found
Tom Thumb real nugget of gold, and
the public found Tom Thumb q reality
nothing of the woolly horse or tie Fejee
mermaid school about him; no wonder the
General should attain so much popularity
and achieve so great success. Every
where the General was we'll received, his
own levees were thronged with visitors, and
on more than one occasion was he COM
manded to attend upon her Majesty, tc
dance the Highland fling and sing cyan
kee Doodle" His coach and servant:
were the objects of attention wherever they
appeared; the announcement of any
change in the character of Lis perform
ances increased the crowds at his levees
presents numerous AID valuable were
poured in upon him By ladies, who con-
tended for shake of the Generals hant
or kiss from the Generals lips. Ton
Thumb and Barnum reapcd golden har
vest, and no doubt, as the General tolt
Queen Victoria, he "fclt as big as any
body"
Opposition dwarfs emulatod the popu-
larity of Tom Thumb, but not with tht
same success. The most interesting
dwarfs since the Tom Thumb furore ar,
the Chinese Manikins, exhibited in Europe
Both the male and female were some inch
es taller than Tom Thumb but they wcrt
perfect in form, extremely intelligent ant
agreeable. The thoroughly MoDgolial
expression and character Of the face woulC
without the addition of the national cos
tune, have settled their identity with th'
Chinese race, but the dress, the nationa
peculiarities, the sigularity of their per
formances, gave increased interest to thu
exhibition and the Passages Jouffroi
p aris, where tho dwaris were exhibited, il
1856, was always well atteuded.
Dwarfs are usually regarded merely a:
matters of curiosity. Their conformation
and history, however, are of immenS'
Importance to the Psychologists
The cause of dwarfsm is still involved il
obscurity, and is probably to be found il
nothing more than we commonly designat
as freak of Nature. & weak or disor-
dored frame, or a bad or ignorant nursing
are no doubt detrimental to the soundness
vigcr, and due development of the humai
frame. These causes may account foI
smallness of stature, associated with nal
formation or with grevious malady but i
does not account for the miniature men
: the playthings Of Nature, the dimInisiv
mcdels Of humanity which we Occasicnall
, find cf which JofTerv. Hudson. Bobe, TOl