The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1878-06-19
TALLEST PAIR IN THE WORLD.


pie in the world, which, for the pecul-
iarity of the details and the vividness
with which they are given, is quite in
teresting:
Captain Martin Van Buren Bates was
born in Whitesburg, Letcher county,
KY, November 8, 1S46. he is seven
feet eleven and one-half inches in
height and weighs AIS pounds. His
father was about six feet tall and his
mother was lady of ordinary stature.
He was the youngest of twelve children,
seven boys and five girls, and the tallest
of his family, except himself, was q
brother who was killed at Vicksburg
during the war, and who was six feet
and two inches in height No cases of
extraordinary size have ever been known
In any of his ancestors, and his extraor-
binary development must be viewed
simply as a freak of nature, as IL cannot
be accounted for on any scientific
grounds.
Nature, as usual, did not propose to
do things by halves, and in 1849 Miss
Anna II. Swan was born in Colchester
county, Nova Scotia, and, as the sequel
shows, she was intended as companion
for the big boy. Her parents were
rather small-sized people, her father
being but five feet and four inches in
height and weighing las pounds, while
the mother was five feet aud two inches
and weighed ITO pounds when in robust
health. She had three brothers and
FIVE sisters, all of ordinary size, and no
other case of remarkable growth has
ever been known among her progeni-
tors. Mrs. Bates was as tall as her
a, @G l.,-A 81,
continued to shoot upward until to-day
she is exactly the same height as her
husband, seven feet and eleven and one
half inches, her weight being 413
pounds.
Both the lady and gentleman are per-
fectly proportioned, every member COR
responding and aiding to produce a SYM
metrical but colossal figure. When The
reporter called Mrs. Bates, who is an ex-
ceedingly fine-looking lady, was dressed
in handsome blue silk, cut in the most
fashionable style, with bands of delicate
white lace at the throat and wrists. She
wore a quantity of very elegant iewelry
and her hair was dressed high, thus
making her appear taller than her state
ly lord.
Captain Bates is a perfect Apollo in
u figure and quite Chesterfield in man
ners. he has a frank, pleasant face,
giving clear indication of the massive
heart within him. His garments are
all of the latest style and fit perfectly.
He affects only neatly waxed mus
tache, his broad cheeks giving evidence
of close intimacy with keen razor.
Captain and Mrs. Bates are people of
more than ordinary intelligence, and
show that they have improved the op-
portunities they have had for acquiring
information of people and places during
their extended travels.
"Do you think you have stopped
growing, captain ?" asked the reporter.
Captain-Well, hope have. have
reached the height of my ambition and
have got things pretty well fixed to en-
Joy life as am now.
Reporter-Were you brought up tc
any business?
Captain-I am a thorough granger
was brought up on farm and now
, own one myself at Seville, Medina coun-
, ty, Ohio. 1 have 161 acres in fine shape
and take great pride in it.
! Reporter-You have a giants castle
on it?
Oaptain-Yes, we have a pretty good
house; the lower story is twelve anG
one-half feet in height and the upper
one twelve feet; our doorways are eigh
and one-half feet high, while ordinarily
they are seldom over six and one-half.
Reporter-Of course your furniture
compares with the building?
Oaptain-In every room we have chairs
for my wife and myself, but of course
we have ordinary furniture for our friends
and servants. Our own furniture was
. made expressly for us by Herndon, oi
Cleveland. The bedstead is eight feet
and four inches long and five feet si1
inches in width. The chairs, bureau
, washstands, and in fact everything, cor.
| responds. We experienced good dea
of inconvenience when travelling on ac
, count of the dimiuutive size of the ordi
5 nary furniture. / took a fancy to
2 spring bed, and had one made at Hart
! ford. B 1t is big thing.
: Reporter Where you have been sine
you left the farmP
: Captain-I served in the Fifth Ken
t lucky infantry during the war. Confed
Y crate, you know; but was in one of tn
e bravest brigades the world ever saw
|. Since thea have been amusing mysel
r mostly by travelling about looking a
q little men and women.
e Reporter-The ready-made good
It stores are of but little use to you, cap
It tain.
: Captain-Not a Bit There is not
;, single garment or article use but wha
8 has to be made especially for me. M
a boots are about No. II, and are mad
b for me by a man in Seville. Ny hat
h are nearly nine, my collars twenty-fv
, inches, and guess if my gloves wer
e gauged they would run up to at leas
fourteen. I have the most trouble wit
my clothes my trousers, in fact. Yo
see the cloth is made narrow, and Will
it is all right for men of ordinary size,