The Weekly Kansas chief., 1874-02-05
THE sIAMRsR TWINS.
And in Death They Were not Dividcd-Thefr
Social Ways-Their Wives and Families,
and Metal Characteristics.

1
The New York SRn says: Barnum got the
| twins in 1850, and for several years they were
shown in his old museum. At that time they
| spoke English very imperfectly. They were be.
| low the medium size. Chang was larger than
| Eng, and looked several years younger. lie was
too, the mental superior of his brother, although
| both were ignorant and had intelligence that
scarcely rose above low cunning Their faces
were peculiarly repeling, sallow in hue, aud
closely resembling those of the Chinese cigar
sellers of Chatham street. Chang was the most
r"bust and good Datured. Eng was often sick
| and always morose and peevish They had n
sleeping room in tho museum, as did the other
curiosities and one night rumpus was heard in
| it. On breaking open the door the twins were
found fighting. Eng was on the floor under
meath Charg, who was choking him. Their pay
| was 500 a week at the beginning of this engage
ment, which they equally divided and put into
| the savings banks. They never visited their
home, and seemed to have no care for their FAM
| iy. When Eng was sick Chang nursed him; but
perhaps did from selfish motives, rs the seri-
Gus illness of one made it necessary for the well
one also to go to bed. Chang had something of
an apprrciatiye vein of fun, liked to give sense
less answers in his broken English to the num-
berless questions of visitors. They remained
with Barnnm until 1855, and il is believed that
they had then saved about $4,000 each. Grow
ing tired of show life, they decided to settle
down in warmer part of the United States.
In their travels they had been in North Caro-
lima, and its climate had pleased them. So they
bought two plantations, and secured wives 10
complete their domestic establishment. Here
they took the surname of Bunker. They were
then bachelors of forty-four. They married
English r sisters, , aged twenty-six and twenty
said that Lancashire dialect still cings to
them. The making of the double match involv-
ell much trouble, for although the twins were
not unduly exacting. it was hard to find women
who were both willing aud at all desirable
M lnUa liprx haf,r L..
ment, the courting was done BY proxy and cor
respondence, aud the ladies had seen their fu-
ture husbands only at show in London when
they accepted the offer of marriage. The twins
based their choice upon ikenesses forwarded by
their agent, who gave assurances of the respec-
liability Of the girls. All having been arranged
they were brought to America, the twins paving
their expenses, and the marriage was solemnizsd
quietly in Salisbury. The wives were not beau
tiful, but were strong, healthy English working
girls. The domestic lives of the couple were Pc
culiar. Each family had its own house. servants
and domestic establishment. The plantations
were owned and managed separately, although
in matters of consequence Chang was usually the
master. The wives lived entirely at their respcc
tive homes and the husbands alternated-stay-
ing one week at Chang's house, and the next
week at Eng's. Each looked after his planta-
tion and other business during the weeks of liv-
ing at his own place, and the visiting brother
was not supposed to interfere. The wives did
not agree very well, and the strangely tied fami-
lies quarreled so seriously that the sisters fire.
quently had periods of complete estrangenent,
lasting for weeks at time.
So, although Chang and Eng were rich, they
did not live happily. Mrs. Chang had the first
child, and it was deaf mute. The families in
creased rapidly until Chang had six children and
Eng five. Of these children four never heard
nor spoke, although in other respects all were
strong and not dcformed. Eight ere living, the
oldest-a daughter of sevcnteen-having lately
been married to the lessee of a neighboring plan
tation. Before the emancipation their slaves
were the most whipped of any in the region. |
The rebellion freed their slaves and otherwise
seriously impaired their wealth. To repair their
the country; but they were only moderately sue |
cessfu, owing partially to q rapacity which pre- |
vented managers from having anything to do |
with them. A greater curiosity had sprung up |
too, in the two-headed girl-two negro children |
from South Carolina-who are Joined at the hips |
Chang and Eng had grown uglier as they had |
grown older, the latter especially being wrink-
led, thin and bent. Their tempers were soured.
and they quarrelled with each other frequently.
They had gained greatly in intelligence howev-
er, and were more sensitive to the gaze of the
crowd. They retained secession proclivities.
During their absence their wives managed their
plantations. Those of the children who were
not deaf mutes were sent to school, aud are now
we'll educated.
Ihe cause Of their moroseness as they grew
oider is believed to have been the probability Of
IN Inc fatal effect of ones death upon the other
4 ne idea OF separating them by a surgical opera
fion had been often broaebed. but pbvsicians b.d
gen neraliy agreed that it would Kill .Iem There
Iore each was haunted with dread of being left
pound TO his dead brother, with almost n certain
Y OF dying under any attempt to sever him from
.ne corpse. While III Paris and London they
consulted the most eminent surrrons One .r,
oerlment, however, dashed all hope of separat.
'xlsience. The lsature was compressed until
Ill circulation of blood between them was SION
,ed. Eng soon tainted, and a removal of the Z
compress was necessary to prevent death. This
'roved that neither could sustain a seuaratc cir
ulation of the blood, and to have cut the Iira-
ure would have killed both. e