The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1880-03-11
A WONDERFUL HEAD.

many years in the wilds of Jersey, un-
known to the outside world, has been
brought to this city and may be seen at
a saloon on Walnut street. Ever since
his birth he has been unable to stand up
! or 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 con-
| tinually. His name is Charles Erling,
and he was born in Burlington county,
| n. J. He lacks one inch of being FIVE
| feet in length, but would probably have
grown longer had he been in the habit
of taking physical exercise. His head
appears to be six times the ordinary size,
aud, his mother says, has always been
as disproportionate in weight to the rest
| of his body as it is now.
The measurement around the head at
the middle of the forehead is thirth- three
| 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 at present is thirty pounds, which
is two-fifths of his entire weight. The
inner corner of the eyes are four inches
apart, the distance from temple to temple
is thirteen inches, and the bridge of the
nose Is six inches below the upper line
of she forehead.
Il it were a 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 and half times as
much as it would if symmetrical with the
other parts of even SO abnormally large a
heal. The trunk or 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 want of
activity. The measurement around the
chest is fortyfour inches and around the
waist thirty-five inches. His legs, how
ever, are not thicker than those of an s.
year-old boy of ordinary size.
He extends his hand to visitors and
bids them good day and chats with them
in childish manner. He seems to have
| an eyen balanced mind, but it is ;hat of
prattling infant. He cannot read, and
nes-szs would try to loarn even tire 5tlpiia.
bet, rs his neck, though no weaker than
might be expected in a person who has
always been confined to bed, was not
strong enough to move his head without
giving him pain. 1t is thought that lie
woald not have been so childish had he
been accustomed to sights and sounds
beyond the limits of bedroom which
few except his parents aid their small
number of Jersey neighbors ever enter
ed. His parents have had no childs but
Charles. The father is dead, but the
mother is with him here. Both parents
were healthy, Of ordinary stature, and
possessed the average physical develop
ment. They were engaged in agricultur-
al pursuits about two miles from the
village of Bridgeborough, which IS /.
league from Riverside, n. J. A notice
of the case got into a rural newspaper
not long ago, and this catching the eye
of the saloon keeper, he sought out the
| humble homestead and arranged to have
Charles kept at his place for exhibition.
In recent conversation with w. B.
| Welles, of New York, / asked that gen
tleman's opinion of mining experts, as
they are known to miners. 81 can give
you my opinion in no better way" he
replied, ethan relating an incident in the
suit of the famous Emma mine, which
took place in Utah, and in which Schenk,
of Ohio, was seemingly mixed up. Dur
ing the trial, one Captain Tom Bates, a
man known throughout the mining re-
gions of the West, was on the witness
stand, and one of the lawyers, in cross
examination, asked:
''You are mining expert, Mr. Bates?''
'sNo, sir; 1 am not" was the answer.
''Did not understand you to say that
you had visited and inspected most OF
the known mines of the West2'
"You did. sir"
| "And you have not made mining g
study for years?"
81 have, sir.
"Well, then, please state to the court
your definition of mining expert"
"Well, sir, q mining expert is mar
who wears eye glasses, parts his hair IL
the middle, has graduated at Freiberg
and speaks very bad English
Then there was profound silence il
court, aud the captain sat down.-Er.
SCOTCH CoURTsHP.-Surely never wa:
declaration made in quainter fashion