The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-10-14
SIX CHILDREN AT A BIRTH.

NE Hhu inc following -
the last issue Of the Western Rural, written
by a scientific gentleman Of this city, which
will abundsntly repay pernsaI
EDIroR WESTERN RURAL! Dear Sri
clip the following, which is correctly quot
cd from the daily paper to which you REFER,
from your issue Of Sept. %, 1862
The Rock Island Usiom say. Mrs. Helm,
residing at Presumption, lll,os the evening Of the
7th instant, gave birth 90 six children, and that
the mother and children are doing well.
Now, in the human species. the greatest
number Of young ever produced at q single
birth is well known TO be four; and even
| such cases as these last are OF extreme rGr'
ity, probably not more than dozen Of them
occurring in whole century, in civilized
christendom If all the officiating minls'
tiers Of the township, and one hundred Of
the most respectable hOuse.holders resident
therein, were solemnly TO swear that they
were actually present when fire children
were brought into the world at single birth,
might, perhaps, be reluctantly induced to
think such o portentous event within the
range of bare possibilities. But II all the
clergymen in the United States, backed by
an equal number Of sections, pew'openers
midwives and physicians, we're to testify
upon oath to SIR children at birth, should
tell them oil to their faces that they were
either fools or rogues-or perhaps a delight
full kind Of cross between these two cate
CORES.
With such views as these, and the circum
stances narrated above being said to have
occurred in my own immediate neighbor
hood, and the paragraph on the subject ap
pearing in my own local paper, | callec
forthwith upon the editor, to ask for som'
explanation OF the mystery. The matte
had been gravely set forth in his paper, a
simple news item, and there was not th'
least intimaton Of its being a mere joke
Upon talking to the editor, however, | soor
ascertained that the occurrence had been re
ported to him precisely as he had printed II
by a clergyman residing in the same plac
where the so called facts had taken place
bat that the real truth of the matter wa
. not that any woman had been actual
n brought to bed of six children at birth
r but simply that a UidoUer NTH his sir Chi
sren had married another WJe!!! SO tn
u miraculous mountain, after sll the throes
o parturiIion, produced at last nothing br
). this insignificant little mouse Neveth'
, less, the sensational paragraph is going tn
rounds of the press and will perhaps b
quoted q hundred years hence as an instant
/. of the fecundity Of the ladies Of the nine
o teenth century, and Of the sad degenerate
>, Of the sex in the poor eiiete and degrade
specimens Of humanity that will cumb'
d the earth in the twentieth century ait
II Christ!
A. think we may derive useful Jesse
Ia from the above simple explanation OF
utterly incredible statement. When yc
~ read wonderful chronological stories in tt
re newspapers instance, about toma
worms stinRing people to death with Il
horn on their tail, or about the same poe
Re slandered and yiliGed insect discharging fro
/. its mouth, to a distance of three feet, {
IN scrid fluid of so poisonous l. nature, as
cause death within few hours to any pc
10 son whose flesh is touched by this hor-ib
's saliva,-dO not believe a word of such Sc
n sationa nonsense 1t is contrary to all e
" Genealogical experience, that such a harl
: ess creature as the tomato.worm shou
. ever do anything of the kind; but it is
IL no means contrary TO experience that orc
ID nary laymen, and, upon very rare occasion
q editors and, once or twice in centur
even clergymen should--well, not to ?
~ too fine a point upon tile most abomin
BILE and confoundedly.
10 To return to our Rock Island story l
ID clerical author of this miraculous tale W
II, evidently no scientific man, or he wou
" have known that, wilfully to mistake scie