The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-03-11
4 Curiosity from Jerseys Wilds.

a most remarkable specimen of man,
after existing for many years in the wilds
Of Jersey, unknownto Che outside world,
has been brought TO this city, and may
n.,w be seen at q aaloon ON Walnut street.
Essrs einoe hia birth he haa been unable
| Ito.GtaLdtnpon bis feet, on account of the
weight of his head, which is Of abnormal
size. For twenty-elght years, the length
of his life, he has been compelled TO lie
abed continually. His name is Charles
Erling, and he was born In Burlington
County, New Jersey. He lacks one inch
of being five feet in length, but wo I'D
probably 3haye grown longer had he been
In the habit Of taking physical exorcize.
His head appears to be about six times
the ordinary size, and, his mother says,
has always been as disproportionate in
weight to the restcof the body as it is
now.
The measureinent around tho head a.
the middle Of the forehead is thirty-tbree
inches, while the line passing over the
crown and under the chin is forty-four
inches, Of;course the head could never
be weighed accurately, but its estimated
weight Of present isoighty pounds, which
is tWo.fifths OF his entire weight. The
inner cornGrB of the eyes are four inches
apart, che distance from temple 10 tenn.
EE;.le !s sh;:::..SS;t iuches, and the bridge of
the nose Is six inches below tho npper
line Of che forehead. - e : -''''
If it were q case OF hydrocephaius it
would donbtless be less remarkable, but
there Is every physical evidence In sup.
port OF statements made by several ply
sicians that 1t is neither more nor less
than an abnormal growth of skull and
brain. The heRd is solid, and It's parts
nearly spr0portionate, except the FORE
head, which in both height anu breadth
measures abput.o one aud a'have times as
much as it would if ifsymmotrical, with tho
other parts of even so abnormally large
q head. The trcnk Of the body is
about the Bame in aize as that Of many q
big fat boy who walks the streets, but the
muscles are aoft and weak for the want of
activity. The measurement around the
chest is forty -four inches and around the
waist thirty-Eve inches. His legs, how.
ever, are no thicker than those of nm
eight.year-old boy of ordinary size.
lie extends his hands to visitors, bids
them good-day and chats with them in
chilaish manner. He seems to have an
evenly.balauced mind, but it is that of O
prattling infant. He cannot read and
never would try to learn even the alpha.
bet, % his neck, although no weeke than
might he expected in q peEson who has
always been confined to bed, was not
strong enough to move his head with
out giving him pain. It is thought that
he would not be go childish had he been
accustomed to sights and sounds beyond
the limits Of q bed room which few ex,
.cept his parents and their small number
of Jeraey neighbors ever entered. His
parents have had ne children but Charles.
The father is dead, hut the mother Is
with him here. Both parents were
healthy, of ordinary stature md possessed
the average physical development. They
we're engaged in agricultural pursuits
about two miles from the village Of
Bridgeborough, which 10 leage from
Riyelside. n. II "a notice of thu case
got Into the rural newspaper not long ago,
and this catching the eye of the proprfe.
tor of the saloon ho sought out the hum
BILE homestead aud arranged to have
Charles kept at his place for exhibition.
- AiicdsipkiG Times. lI 56I