Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-03-19
Personal Rec0llectiOns of the Siamese
Twins.

puDIlSHSo Dg hOutItuBS, IL i1hSAoAiNt, &c
the following minute, entertaining and
lust now especially valuable account of
the habits of the Siamese twins. 1t was
written several years ago;
I do not wish to write of the personal
habits of these strange creatures only,
but also of certain curious details OF va
rious kinds concerning them which, be-
longing to their private lite, nave never
crept into print Knowing them mt
mately, | feel that am peculiarly well
qualified for the task have taken on my
self
The Siamese twins are naturally ten
der and affectionate in disposition, and
have chung together with singular fidelity
throughout long and eventful life Even
as children they were inseparable com
panions; and it is noticed that they
always seemed to prefer each others So
ciety to that of anv other persons. They
nearly always played together; and so &C
customed was their mother to this pecul-
iarity that, whenever both of them
CHANGED to be lost, she usually hunted
for one of them-satisfied that when she
found that one she would find his brother
somewhere in the immediate neighbOr-
hood. And yet these creatures were ignO-
rant and Observation-Disclosures them
selves, and the offspring Of barbarians,
who knew not the light of philosophy
and science. What whitening rebuke is
this to our boosted civilization, with it's
quarrelings, its wranglings and its sepa-
ration of brothers.
As men the twins have not always lived
in perfect accord; but still there has
always been bond between them which
made them unwilling to go away from
each other and dwell apart They have
even occupied the same house, as a gen
eral thing, and it is believed that they
have never failed to even sleep together
on any night since they were born. How
surely do the habits of lifetime become
second nature to us. The twins always
go to bed at the same time, but Chang
usually gets up an hour before his brother.
By an understanding between themselves,
Chang does all the indoor work and Eng
runs all the errands. This is because
Eng likes to go out; Changes habits are
sedentary. However, Chang always goes
along. Eng is Baptist, but Chang is a
Roman Catholic; still, to please his
brother, Chang consented to be baptized
at the same time that Eng was, on condi-
| ton that it should not count" During
the war they were strong partisans, and
| fought calamity all through the great
struggle-Eng on. the Union side and
Chang on the Confederate. They took
each other prisoners at Seven Oaks, but
| the proofs of capture were so evenly bal
anced in favor of each that a general
army court had to be assembled to deter
mine which one was properly the captor
and which the captive. The jury was un-
| able to agree for long time, but the
vexed question was finally decided by
| agreeing to consider them both prisoners
and then exchanging them. At one time
| Chang was convicted of disObedience of
orders and sentenced to ten days in the
guard house, but Eng, in spite of all ar
guments, felt obliged to share his impris-
onment, Notwithstanding he himself was
| entirely innocent; and so, to save the
| blameless brother from suffering, they
| had to discharge both from custOdy-the
just reward of faithfulness.
Upon one occasion the brothers fell out
| about something, and Chang knocked
Eng down, and then tripped and fell on
| him, whereupon both c3inChed and began
to beat and gouge each other without
mercy. The bystanders interfered and
! tried to separate them, but they could not
| do it, and so allowed them to fight it out.
| LII TIC Guu DUJu WtIG uISdDICeiJ tl1u "OIC
| carried to the hospital on one and the
| same shutter.
| Their ancient habit of going always to-
gether had its drawbacks when they
reached mans estate, and entered upon
| the luxury of counting. Both fell in love
| with the same girl. Each tried to steal
clandestine interviews with her, but at
the critical moment one would always
turn up. By-and-by Eng saw with dis
| traction that Chang had won the girls
affections, and from that day forth he had
to bear with the agony of being witness
to all their dainty billing and cooling.
| But with a magnanimity that did him in
finite credit he succumbed to his fate,
and gave countenance TO state of things
| that babe fair to sunder his generous heart
| strings. He sat from seven every evening
until two in the morning, listening to
the fond foolishness of the two lovers
and to the conclusion of hundreds of
squandered kisses-fOr the privilege of
| sharing only one of which he would
| have given his right hand. But he sat
patiently and waited, and gaped, and
yawned, and stretched and longed for two
| O'Clock to come. And he took long walks
| with the lovers on moonlight evenings
sometimes traversing ten miles, notwith-
standing he was usually suffering from
rheumatism. He is an inveterate smoker
| but he could not smoke on these occa-
sions, because the young lady was pain
fully sensitive to the smell of tobacco.
| Eng cordially wanted them married and
| done with it; but although Chang often
asked the momentous question the young
lady could not gather sufficient courage
to answer it while Eng was by. How
ever, on one occasion, after having walked
some sixteen miles and sat up till nearly
daylight, Eng dropped asleep from sheer
| exhaustion and the question was asked
and answered. The lovers were married.
All acquainted with the circumstances
| applauded the noble brother-in-law. His
unwavering faithfulness was the theme of
every tongue. He had stayed by them
through their long and arduous courtship
| and when at last they were married, he
| lifted his hands and said with impressive
JUNCTION, Bless We, my children, l will
never desert thee!'' and he kept his word.
Magnanimity like this is all too rare in
| this cold world.
By-and-by Eng fell in love with his sis
! ter-in-law, and married her, and since that
day they have all lived together in an ex-
| ceeding sociability, which is touching
and beautiful to behold, and is a scathing
rebuke to our boosted civilization.
The sympathy existing between these
| two brothers is so close and so refined
| that the feelings, the impulses, the emo
| tions of the one are instantly experienced
by the other. When one is sick the other
| is sick; when one feels pain the other
| -. ono ic aprprad tho q