The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-02-05

not only on account of the almost nm
precedented peculiarly of their condi
, tion, but because they have been so ex
tensively known and gazed upon in al
parts Of the world. Their parents were
fishers on the coast Of Siam. and of the
lowest order of that people. The band
of flesh which united them was flexible
and possessed a sufficient faculty of ex
tension to allow the twins to face eacI
other, and TO stand back to back. Theil
breathing when asleep was simultane-
Ous, but when awake was subject to the
individual Will. Each seemed to be
master of his own physical feelings and
sensations without regard to the other.
but they shared IN the pain caused by
pinching or otherwise iniuring the cen
tire of the feshy hgament. Barnum OBJ.
tanned them in 1850, and from that time
they became great celebrities. For
years they were exhibited at the old
museum on the corner OF Broadway and
Ann streets, n. Y, the site now occupied
by the Herald building. At that time
they spoke English very imperfectly.
They were below the average size, but
Chang was the larger, more intelli-
gent and more robust. Chang was good
natured and cheerful, and not without
a certain perception of humor. Eng
was peevish, Elorose and given to find
ing fault. It is said that the two did
not always agree, and, indeed, there is
a tradition that, hearing great row In
the room they occupied in the old
museum building III Ann street, Bar
mum went there to find out the meaning
of ito discover that the two Siamese
brethren were engaged in a vigorous
game of fisticuffs. As a rule, however,
Chang submitted to the April moods of
his brother without dissent. They
learned to play checkers together, and
passed much of their leisure time in
! that way. Their salary during their
| contract with Bsrnum was 800 week,
and this sum they equally divided and
| placed Ia savings bank. They re
manned with Barnum until 1855, and it
was then believed that they had man
| aged to accumulate $40, 600 apiece. At
this time they retired from public life.
| During their travels they had visited
North Carolina, and, the climate and
the locality pleasing them, they located
there, and with their joint property of
$50, 900 purchased two plantations at
Mount Airy, near Salisbury. At this
time they were bachelors of fOrty-four.
Having made up their minds to settle
down they took a notion to get married.
There was no romance in their love-
making. On the contrary, it was on
of the most prosaic OF matchmaking.
They wanted wives, and were not very
particular as TO who they were, so long
as they would marry them. After a
long search, two Lancashire lasses, who
had seen the twins in London at a show,
but who had never been seen by the
brothers, were found willing to enter
into the married state with them. Cor
respondence brought the match about,
and the two English girls were pro-
vailed upon to come to America. The
marriage was solemnized very quietly
at Salisbury, N. @. Their domestic
arrangements were peculiar to them
selves. They lived upon different plan
tations. One week Chang lived with
Eng at his plantation, and the next,
Eng with Chang. Each brother, during
the weeks residence at his own house,
transacted the business of the farm,
without the interference of, though
often with the advice of, the other.
The wives lived entirely at their re-
spective homes. The sisters did not
always agree, and in time their quarrels
became so frequent that the life of the
twins was anything but happy. To the
family of Chang was born the first
child, but it was q deaf mute. The
families increased rapidly, until Chang
has six children and Eng five. OF these,
four were like Ohang's first child, deaf
and dumb, but in every other respect
strong, healthy, perfect children. Eight
of the eleven are still living, and but
a short time ago, the oldest living, a
daughter of Chang, seventeen years of
age, was married to q neighboring
planter. The course of life of these
strange beings was such as to secure
the respect, at least of their neighbOrs.
Their dealings with their fellow men
were Just and honorable. About eight
years ago, both Chang and Eng became
converts to the Baptist faith and were
received into that church through the
ceremony of submersion, and until the
day of their death they remained in
good standing. However, it is said
that even with this change they were
not of the best temper, and it is re-
ported that in anti-war times the slaves
of no plantation, for miles around, were
whipped 50 often and 50 severely as
those of Chang and Eng. A consider
able portion of their wealth was inves-
ted In negro slaves, and, of course, with
the emancipation proclamation their
slaves were freed so they suffered a
loss. Though not taking an active part
in the rebellion, they were fierce seces-
sionists. The rebellion over, to repair
the losses they had incurred, the twins
went again before the public, and ap-
peared at Woods museum. But they
were not as successful as they had hoped
to be. Their Tapacity made 1t difficult
for managers to deal with them, and
they had become old and wrinkled and
thin. Their misfortunes had snured
them with the world, and they con-
.raNH,
burden of their conversation was a Ia
ment over the necessity which had
driven them back again to show life
and the injustice the north had heaped
upon the south
During their absence the wives man
aged the affairs of their plantations.
They travelled through this country and
finally went to Europe, from whence
they returned about a year ago, and
again, with fortunes somewhat i'm
proved, settled in North Carolina
Their lives thereafter were not happy.
They grew mOrOse, eOnyersed but little
with each other, and were full of gloomy
forebodings. This is attributed TO the
fact that while in Europe a serious
attempt was made to separate them. As
a preliminary experiment, the igature
which bound them was compressed until
Hi GuCAlAAAgu VI AAAG D4OO0 BGEMGG4
them was stopped. Eng tainted and
Chang manifested the greatest suffer
ing. To the surgeons this proved that
neither could sustain separate cireu-
lation of the blood, and that to cut the
hgature would produce death to both,
and that in the event of the death of
one, the other would die, too. Each
was haunted with the fear of the death
of the other. After arriving at home,
Eng's heart failed him, and shortly after
Chang sustained a shock of paralysis,
and life to the brothers become unbear-
able. Much of the time, the well
brother was compelled to remain in
bed with his brother, who was too weak
to go about, although the well man
was in good health. Eng's health rap
idly declined, and he took to drink as
a relief from his sufferings. And now
comes the singular part of this story.
Chang, who all his life had been the
strongest and in the best health, was
finally stricken with another stroke Of
paralysis, and after a few days died
on tie 18th day of this month. Within