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

A most remarkable specimen of man,
after existing for many years in the wilds
of Jersey, unknown to the outside world,
has been brought to this city, and may
now be seen at a saloon on Walnut street.
Ever since his birth ne has been unable
Ito standtupon his feet, on account of the
weight of his head, which is of abnormal
size. For twenty-eight 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 would
probably have grown longe. had he been
in the habit Of taking physical exercize.
His head appears to be about six times
the ordinary size, and, his mother says,
has always been as disproportionate in
weight to the rest-of the body as it is
now. -
The measurement around the head at
the middle of the forehead is thirty-three
inches, while the line passing over the
crown and under the chin is forty-four
inches. Ofcourse the head could never
be weighed accurately, but its estimated
weight ut present is eighty pounds, which
is two.fifths of his entire weight. The
inner corners ofthe eyes are four inches
apart, the distance from temple to tenn
pie is thirteen inches, and the bridge OF
the nose is six inches below the upper
line of the forehead.
If it were case of hydrocephalus it
would doubtless be less remarkable, but
there is every physical evidence in sup.
port of statements made by several ply
sicians that it is neither more nor less
than an abnormal growth of skull and
brain. The head is solid, and its parts
nearly proportionate, except the fore
head, which in both height and breadth
measures about one aud have times as
much as it would if symmetrical with the
other parts of even so abnormally large
q head. The trunk of the body is
about the same in size as that of many a
big fat boy who walks the streets, but the
muscles are soft and weak for the want OF
activity. The measurement around the
chest is forty-four inches and around the
waist thirty-ive inches. His legs, how
ever, are no thicker than those of an
eight-year-old boy of ordinary size.
he extends his hands to visitors, bids
them good-day and chats with them in a
chilSish manner. He seems to have an
evenly-balanced mind, but it is that of q
prattling infant. He cannot read and
never would try to learn even the alpha.
bet, as his neck, although no weaker than
might be expected in person who has
always been confined to bed, was not
strong enough to move his head with
out giving him pain. 1t is thought that
he would not be so childish had he been
accustomed to sights and sounds beyond
the limits of bed room which few ex-
'cept his parents and their small number
of Jersey neighbors ever entered. His
parents have had no children but Charles.
The father is dead, but the mother is
with him here. Both parents we're
healthy, Of ordinary stature and possessed
the average physical development. They
were engaged in agricultural pursuits
about two miles from the village of
Bridgeborough, which is a leage from
Riverside, N. J. A notice of the case
got into the rural newspaper not long ago,
and this catching the eye of the proprie-
tor of the saloon he sought out the hum
BILE homestead and arranged to have
Charles kept at his place for exhibition.
Philadelphia Times.