The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1878-09-26

H.ANA - -AaA- AAaAAr9 AAnH A-AaAAA
TWINS, and Frequent
" finds EeIIeTTn
, TrIDIeis.
: SIS Mrs. Austin in p" asked th
Past, upon being admitted to q nes
little cottage on the corner Of N an
Fourth streets, southeast, yesterday
"Thst's my name" replied the lad
who opened the door. "Hsve q seat
sir"
The Post man accepted the pronereu
chair, and, turning toward the lady
observed that she was above tn
medium height, OF a full figure, no
more than fifty years OF age, and
though ileshy, active. Her hair wa
sprinkled with gray, and the only eyt
she was Possessed OF, blae. That sh
enjoyed good health and a fine con
stitution her whole appearance indi
Gated and her manner was that Of ;
woman who wes confident she cOult
take care of herself.
"Mrs. Austin" began the reporter
"the Post sent me tO interview yOu.'
about what ? On, I know, abOuI
the children I've had. Amt thai
it ~
That's il, precisely, madam"
"Well, III tell you all about it.
I'm not ashamed OF it. I've given
birth TO fOrty-four children, and Pm
not an old woman yet, am /?
don't feel old. anyhow, and / DOM
believe / look old. Pm not quite
tifty-fOur yet, but yet Pm so near it ]
might as well call that my age; I'll
be ffty-four years old on the 18TH oi
this month. Amt young woman
10 have had that many children
| I've had forty since ! married my
! present husband, and he's right out
there in the back gard now" Step
ping toward the rear door she called
out: William, come in here J"
"Phen she resumed her seat near
the reporter, and, rsttling right on,
said
"My husband doesn't like me to tell
about the children I've had, but /
will do il. He's ashamed OF it, but
amt. Pm proud of it, and why
shouldn't l be D.? I've got cause.
Don't you think so ,"
The reporter replied that he had
seen people very proud Of q single
child, and on that principle Mrs.
Austin certainly had right become
eestatic 81 forty-iour. Just here q
gentleman entered the room, and
Mrs. Austin, pointing TO him, said !:
That's my husband, and forty OF
my children belonged to him. Now,
William, you needn't shake your
head at me ; Pm just going to tell the
reporter all about it. / say it's moth
ing to be ashamed Of, Then why
shouldn't 1 tell him II he wants to
know? Yes, sir, turning to the re-
porter, I've had triplets six times
and twins thirteen times. / never
had less than twins at time"
"HOw many of all these children
lived, Mrs. Austin ?"
'Only eleven OF them were born
alive; all the Others weTe fully de-
veloped, but were dead at their birth.
Why, pve got q sister only forty
three years Old and she had twenty
six children, and eight OF them are
living to-day. Her names Carry
Kinney, ana William, there-my
husbsnd-bas got sister that's had
fOrty-one children, and ten OF 'em are
living yet. She brought eleven OF
'em TO this tuwn."
"DOes she five here now >"
'NO; she's moved to Connecticut.
What's the name OF that place your
sister went to, William ? Oh! l
know now-NOrwalk. That's pretty
good for one family, amt it Where
can you find another family with
three women that's had as many
children as ne and my sister and my
husbands sister ?n
care you q native OF Washington,
Mrs. Austin ?'
mo, indeed / was born in South
Carolina and raised in Tennessee.
My grandfatber's name was Irby, one
Of the big families of South Carolina.
l come Of royal blood, 1 tell you. My
father was John G.. KIink, a printer.
He published paper in Memphis be-
fore the war. Casey Young knew
him well. Every body in Memphis
hneVP him. I've been tIIIUugu the
war, II ~ ----.sG ~ hIrO-- --Ls-lt that
I enlisted in 1862 in Tennessee"
son which side ?"
"On the Union side Tve never be-
trayed my country. pge always
tried to be q loyal and GOd-fesring
woman. was sent to hospital SER
vice In the Army Of the Cumberland,
and I've been right to the front and
taken the wounded off the battle field.
Oh, Lord that was an awful time.
rve been through the storm, can
tell you. You see I'm regular ply
sician, and nave been practicing for
twenty-five years. was one OF the
first women physicians who ever
practiced studied under DIR. Stone,
Of New Orleans. You've heard OF
him, haven't you? But 1 Know you
have, because he was a noted man.
| tended officers, and privates, too,
under General ROsecrans until after
the army fell back from Chicka-
mauga, and then / was sent TO the
Valley OF Virginia, and it was up
there / lost this eye"-tOuching the
sightless socket. ''I've got medals for
my service, and was given q regular
commission. My husband was all
through the war and was shct all to
pieces. Oh, my ! but l picked him
up out of the mud once just torn to
pieces. He had q great big hole shot
IN his head, and his skull was trepan-
ned with a silver quarter, and it's in
his head now. Come round here,
William, and show that place"
Mr.. Austin walked round to the re-
porter and leaned over so that his
head could be examined. The silver
coin was there, covering what had
been very ugly wound. During this
examination tue interviewer took Oc-
casiOn to study Mr. Austin little.
He is about five feet eight inches
high, compRctly built and finely de-
velOped /; black eyes and dark hair,
and Desrd scarcely tinged with gray I;
a well-shsped hesd and good eounte-
nance. He looked to be about forty
five years of age, and his conversation
proved him to be g man of sound
common sense and fair education.
After the hole in his head had been
examined Mrs. Austin said "But
that amt all. Show your arm, Will
liam.D The husband barred his arm
and showed where a minnie-ball had
passed through, crushing the bone
about two inches above the wrist, His
wife next called upon him to show
his injured leg. He barred his left leg,
and it was literally covered with scars.
At the battle OF Stone River the limb
had been struck by a shrapnel shell
and torn almost to pieces. The bone
was crushed and the flesh torn, il
places, from the limb. BY the same
shell the right leg was also badly hurt.
"And for all that" continued Mrs.
Austin, che only gets pension Of SO
8 month. When l saw him after he
was shot / never thought had live to
get any pension" 'She saved my
ieg,n put in Mr.. Austin, pointing to
| his wife.
"Yes," she added, somewhat We
hemently, "the fool surgeons wanted
| to cut it off, but told them l could
save it. They said it must come off,
but just got pistol, and told them
I'd put bullet through any man that
tried it. l knew l could save it, and
/ il would be better than no leg"
In the conversation the fact came
out that Mr.. Austin, and his vile too
had always been good Republicans,
and the reporter asked why that par
ty had not done something iOr so good