The New York herald., 1871-11-17
TIE PENNSYLVANIA WILD CHILDREN.
Their Capture aud Reforma ation-Atfemps 10
Lrar1 Them 20 Talk--Ske.cb oil Their
Father and Mother he Former n Pho


n0Grnpher.
From the Scranton tPa., Republican Nov. 81
Be.ore Introducing our readers 10 the chl inren
we suspect That they woulu like to take glance AT
Their ataer, III whose companionsnlp and under
whose control tney have been from the heur OF their
birth 10 The present time. His name IL Thomas
Wells Parks lie Is small tim, wlr, man, and Is
aoouL hy. one years OF are. HIS hair IS lgnl. and
account ol not being interlered WIN much
by a como, Is disposed to curl. IL is possible that
his lace mas have made an acquaintance with
soap wafer at some PERIOD OF his
lie, but 1t IS long time since, and
he stands before us, grim and unsnaven,
as Adam might nave been AT the same age.
aller Eve had grown 50 indifferent as 10 cease 10
comb MS beard with her inger-, ana nimseli TOO
Tar removed from any Darner where he might IN
duge IN the luxury Of a ten cent shave. He wears
an ord stove pipe nat ina ml ut nave been IN
fashion a century ago, has on lne semDlance of a
snlrt ana dispays neck lie as distinguished Tor lis
wurn. He Was DORA In Exeter Iownsnip IN Lu1erne
County, at a place ciilc I GardnerS farm, IN me
Vi are, during wnicn lime he went 10 sCnOGl Occa-
sionaiy ioa scnoolmarm named kniaina bfOwn
his iather Lnen moved ino the woods m Monroe
toWnship Wyonil9 conntl, where ne mas Hveu
since. Aner taking up has residence heie he nent
10 scnool ~ Danold Hollow "nere pedlrosue
named Cnauncy sherwood profcssed 20 Initiate the
rising gen US OF ne dls rict IN Inc mysteries OF
reaalng, writing ano aii,nme'c. hs acquaintance
to his wife, ne beins co.lsn OF The man OF learn
lug" IL dia no, taAe ile iedlons process OF con-
veying ner quun- parties. spelling schools and
o,1er Ioin ssn wn.c il taxes win some country
swans 10 kiide the atns oi love III his bosom. HIS
wiie yum.ed rlgnt ihto ns ateclions me nrst time
he saw ner, and MS progress into ners being at
about the same rate, they .Oined nanls ald got
married. Ine person who urd the Knot was an
! miyidoa named Jonn Frer. VINO was squire ana
at the sam; time followed the holorAD Q uploy-
meut Of a ,nraer at oaoiown, nn me road be- os.
was twenty Iysix years OF age when ho
formed his conJugal alliance, and accorilng to
to TO his comor or lead nm 10 Iook back
on tile OCCASION with feelings Oi pressure. Though
giving no evldeace VI muon education, ne speaks
quite nuentiy and mas o variety oil words al
maud. he Is something ol an elOcuti0nst and
gives DaAiel Wepsler's eu.ogum on Mashihg,o on
with CONSIDERABLE power and eLeCt Perhaps his
most remarkable accOmpuslmenL ls tnat lie can
write system OF phonograpn which he p'cked up
out Ol the olu 10 *, win ccnsl ierdpe rapidly The
characters are made with great iegipiilty and he
can read tien al once. fhis Is strange accom-
/ pilsninent, and shows the manner in when has
| employsd his mlnd and his leisure moments III his
wd nome. lie uses tne pen IN otner ways with
| good zeal of uexerIy, MS specimens Ol printing
| being wortnv OF Inspection.
his wlie was twenty years OF age when he mar
mus eax1g er n spons saA ac yeacs s US o Of
m N says about the time the maple sap MAS rum
nlng, sns conanued TO share his iae. Dut le tnen,
ana though ne has heard runors VI her wie eabVut9
he ma, not been able 10 learn definitely het pla of
aDooe at present. The reason she assigned for lcav
tug MN, lie says, was tnat tue hoy was geiling too
strong Tor her. lnat she was becoming AFRAID OF HIM
ana nOt abe to nauaee aim. he nlnts, however.
reierriis To her dcsertlOn sDeAks win an evidenJ
expression Of sorrow and regret. On guEg away
she TOOK With ner one cnild, boy about three years
oi aye.
| we are now prepared to introduce our readers to
the main Objects o. curlos.ty-he chll,lrca. These
cannon speak definitely. lhe pracl,ce O civliized
lie o registering the ages Orspr,ng IN the family
Bible was followed by nIm; but he says his vile de-
srOy ell tne record or took the book away with her.
He suppOses. however, that the oldest chlId--the
| girl-was DurI about three yeais after their mar
| rage winch would make her age about twenty-five.
Between her age and the boz there Is three years.
making his a2e ABOUT ulne:een. AS they appear on
exnolilon tney ale c,olhed with red fanue shirt
| and pants, pu.t0ned lousely around them, the
only coming the length OF their knees Their
! appearance Is not all ldot.c, but rather
! sample Tne faces Of 10Th are siarp, the nos1s
prominent, The cnecSboncs h,gn, the mouths large,
tue foeneads thrown baca u ,litl,e, hut not low,
a laugh. Inc na,r OF their heads Is the lientlcai
coor o, tnclr ,athers ana IS long ana matted.
10 the habIe oi s.uatilni the ground w,tn both
their llmUs turned IN one direction. lheir SKIN Is
roagh aud hard and covered win blo,ches and
scratches from exposure. lnc pirl IS siouter than
the boz and Is very doce. Inc DO, mas Cne appear.
ance OF being ST .rveL aud has an upiy dlsposilion
father ana the giri 0ers The marks o several lnu
time however, they kindly disposed towards
each other, ana when pleased tho Toy nanlests his
face. alter winch he puts bus fingers III ms mourn
anu does 30 agan. rncf are con -taltly rutering
sonelnng 10 themselves. as II making an effort to
| SPEAK, but there Is no evidence that lhey under
stand eacn other. Their carry history may DC lo,d
| In few woras. Their mother was of delicate
nature and Dotl the cniiuren al an early age were
| supject 40 hts. They never manifeste,i ans dispo
siuon to articnate English. Inc intncr complains
that the mOsler let them run aoOuL through the
woods In the summer time naked, urging as
reason Tor her neglec. thai they did not
them mcccasins and put clotn around
tneir shoulders ana ouring the utmost ryors OF the
season this was their Oniy c.Othng. Tae gi,l, espe-
caiiy, Is very hardy anu adventurous. she mas
| been KNOWN to roam away several mIle, nom nome
and sleep out several nights IN lie most inlense
cold. Sue often anDeared nak,d upou tue puUllc
roads, aad UPON tie approach OF u tiavener wouu
her method oil lvcunivtion was on a-ouIs she nay-
| Ing graiualiy Decome haotddted TO tDiS system OF
progression Dy seeking ior beech nuts au,llg tho
ioayes III the woods. In5 might furnish Darwin VI
some oi the advocates oil the 'Deveiopnent hypo-
| tcssn win an instance OF 'Reyersion,'' ana ne
might find IN TINS creature Oae OF the miss.
Ing INKS SO l.ng sought ater. with the
exception OF the epleptic ATTACKS while young tho
cniId. EN- nave been very healthy. Their diet has
been principally I,utatues ana vth.r vegetables.
1heir iainer owns iiL, acres OF land wnere lhey
were reared. but they have never done any WORK.
The nearest negnoor was a mlle distant dis
name WAS Richard Rymon. n" was a iunocr
deaer and owned saw mlll, ana |! was principally
70 exHiuit the cnudren since the time Ol tneir
mo ncr's slcscrtlol tne a,her mas mad great dlt-
cuity In taking care oi ,he. especially as tue boy
has manifested lately disposllion or violence
toward the aIr. Wien he wsned 10 60 from n.:.-ie
he nat 10 resort 10 tying tncm distance .som eaca
other IA u means Or muJral safety;
Tne Iurniture VI the uut Was u bed and iew rude
SEATS, lHc ialile. says mat the house once could
boast Ol haviag a siuve called inc ssAol,IOr., a
round botioinsA pot anf Kettle ana pan, these
The OOy broke aud latteriy COOKING Was dvue Dy
mean, OF q huc win tue assistance OF some pieces
o. sheet iron. In speaking OF their nOuS.nvo pro-
perty nc SAID the iauiily owned three sneets
his VIE left, out these were REM and unit vr
vice. HIS cninawurc COZ isted OF lew deif plates,
| whIGn, however were kept In truUk, aiia only
tax n out upon the arrival oil company The chu-
drcn were led from TIN plates.
IL IS a.sing evidence rs to tho fdture OF
IN sse unfortunate ciiidrea tnac slace tneir miro
ductiou to civntled LIFE they nave improved IN dis
posLod AMI lapits an shows thai witi proper
their redemption rom ineir present barbarous
condition Is pvssIOlc. Ne children are simpy the
victins ol ili-usaSc ana ncglsc, anl n0twtustand-
lug Tue pfoic~stunS Ol the lathet o, Concern, ne
must iave rad the Instincts oi u Orue 10 permit
them 10 grow up III SuCn Il state Oi MISERY anu
dctrulailOn. AZ their case stands now tneir reor-
uiullOt and eIneuL would be the AIN mn