The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1871-12-09
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Pennsxl,anla Vic CnIIdren.

From the Scranton Republican.
Yesterday we paid visit to the "WiId
I Mutes, as they are called, on exhibition
in the store lately occupied as the agency
Of the Elias II owe sewing machine
I When the attention Of the public was
/ first called to the history and condition
at these extraordinary specimens Of hu-
manity, We were inclined, as were great
many others, to deduct about two-thirds
from what had been said concerning
! them, in order to get at the truth, and
/ place the amount deducted 10 the credit
Of the Imagination or disposition TO ex-
aggerate cf those who first threw light
upon their condition. But We fnd that
little has been written concerning them
that Is not true, and taking into consid-
GRAFTON all the incidents attending their
existence, their history is one that has
few parallels, aud is one of the stTangest
anomalies of civilized life.
We are now prepared to Introduce our
readers to the main objects Of curiosity
the children. These are a boy aud
girl As to their exact ages the father
can not speak definitely. The practice
OF civilized life OF registering the ages
Of offspring in the family Bible was fol-
lowed by him but he says his wife de-
stroyed the record, or took the book
along with her. He supposes, however,
that the oldest chiId-the girl--was born
about three years after their marrisge,
which would make her about twenty two.
Between her age and the boys there is
three years. making his age about nine
teen. As they appear on exhibition,
they are clothed with red flannel .shirt
aud pauts, buttoned loosely around them,
the pants being little lacking in loDgi-
tude, and only coming the length Of their
knees. Their appearance IS not all
idiotic but rather simple Their skin
is rough and bard and covered with
blotches and scratches from exposure.
The girl is stouter than the boy, aud Is
very docie. They never manifested any
disposition to articulaie English. Tho
father complains that the mother let
them run about through the woods in the
summer time naked, urging as reason
for her neglect that they did not require
any clothing. In the winter she made
them moccasiDs and put a cloth around
their shoulders, and during the utmost
rigors Of the season this was their ouly
clothing. The girl, especially, is very
hardy aud adventurous She has been
known to roam away several miles from
home and sleep out several nights in the
most intense cold. She often appeared
naked upon the public roads, and upon
the approach Of traveller would run
into the woods Before being on ezhi-
ton her method of locomotion was on
all fours, she having gradually become
habituated to this system Of progression
by seeking for beech nuts among the
leaves in the woods This might furnish
Darwin or some Of the advocates OF the
" Development hypothesis with an ia.
stance of "reversioD,' aud he might fad
in this creature one OF the missing links
so long sought after.
The furniture OF the hut was bed AID
a few rude seats The father says that
the house once could boast of having
stove called the Monitor, a Foai4d
bottomed pot and kettle AID pan but
these the boy broke, and lattery cooking
was done by means Of a fue, with the
assistance Of some pieces Of sheet iron.
In speaking Of their household proper
ty, he said the family owned three sheets
before his wife left bat these were rent
aud unfit for service lis ehinuware
consisted Of few deli plates, which,
however, were kept in trunk, and only
AIKEN out upon the arrival Of company.
The children were fed from tin plates.