Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1871-11-30
A Wild Family in Pennsylvania.

The editor of the Pittston ('Vyoming
county, Pa.) Comet gives the following
particulars Of Il visit to u nomadic
family, living but thirteen miles from
Plttston:
A rude hut, not Il mouthfrl in it to
cat, nothing to cook with or eat from
no beds, chairs, nor stools-the old man
was found digging hole in the ground
to get into to keep warm; himself only
half clad, his daughter, twenty three
years of age, a wcll-formed young
woman, stark naked, not stitch on to
hide her shame the boy half starved
und emaciated to deaths door, and
what makes the matter more
incxplicable, the father described
as a man of extraordinary mental at
tributes, in reality a walking biblical
encyclopedia, being enabled to refer,
with promptncss, to any text in the
Testament, and recitc the major por-
tion OF the Bible without hesitation or
prompting. This mans name is Wells
Parkrs. The girls name is "Mclvina"
and the boys ''Billy." When the
party arrived on the scene, the girl was
on the hill side among the thistIes.
pl(hlHS tuC1u Vic SO1C OONuf
blows. There was not vcstigc of any
thing upon her naked form to cover
her shame, or protect her from the
weather, thorns, and briers Of the wood.
Her father calling her. she started
| for the house as obediently US a dog
would answer the whistle of it's master
AS she approached, she seemed utterly
regardless of the thorns and stones that
lay in her path. Neither of the child
rem have ever spoken word. Melvina 8
hair is of chestnut color, and although
it has never been cut, it does not hang
down in the neck, but is faizzled and
matted together. The boys hair is
some lighter, and about the same
length and matted in curls. The girl
is wcll-formel land with the exception OF
of slight inclination to lean forward,
is model OF symmetry in form and
feature.
Her skin is darhly tanned, and from
the solcs Of her feet to her waist it bears
the appearance OF being burned, and
the SKIN is wrinkled and looks thick
The boy is not SO much given to roam
ing in the woods as the girl, and is not
as he*hy or we'll rmed. His tempe,
is at first garrulous, but he will APP
preach strangers after much pcrs,la
sion. The girl is more timil. She
would not allow us to shake hands
with her, ;ls her brother. And hcl
father only seemed to be able to APP.
proach without arolsing her fears and
screams. When told to lie down he.
side her brother under the blanket, she
would not do SO until he had tnrnc,
His back to her.
Parker is fifty -olie years old, and wa:
married twenty five years ago to girl
named Brown. She lived about six
miles above Tunkhannock, near Spring.
willie. His wife is still living. but she
had left Inn about sap time last spring,
and has not been back since. She is
now near Nnltoy, nursing sick wo.
man. By her he had nine children
these two, Billy and Mclyina, being
the eldest. The rest arc healthy and
bright children.
P1NKEKroN, the detective, had in his
office before the fire, some invaluable
records which, having been destroyed,
can never be replaced. He claims that
for the mere clerical work upon them,
extending over period of twenty
years, he had paid $4,000. These
were records in criminal cases. Pink
erton also possessed complete records
of the secret service of the Army of
tho potOmoc These too wora do