Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-05-02

4 most extraordinary woman IN her
peculiar lie, and one who is largely re-
Sponslbie for the rapid increase in the
population Of Phiiadelphia within the
past half century. il All old lady living
on Columbia avenue, in the northern
part OF that city. The New York -Aey-
cn'-y says she Is the mother of no less
tnan twenty-one children, the most of
whom are living. A representative of
the Mercury recently visited this whole
sale mother. The reporter was ushered
INTO tae sitting room Of her residence
one evening, and at first he was don5t-
fui whether he had dropped In on
sunday school N session or a misceila-
neous party. Theae was certainly
enough human material present to
make either or both. The old lady con-
sented to give full particulars, 'provid-
Ing. she said. "you do not publish nv
name. wouldn't like to have it spread
all over creation that l have had SO
many children"
IIs required promise being freely
given she said: "Yes, John and / were
married when l was sixteen. John was
twenty-five, and a handsomer KAN
could not be found In Philadelphia.
even If do say it myself. About year
and a-half after our marriage | surpris
ed John by presenting him with triplets.
Well says he, Mary, shis is good be-
ginning, anyhow John was only a
poor shoemaker, then, and three added
TO a family all at once make a great diff
ference, but three lovelier babies could
not be found in Philadelphia, even if |
do say 1t myself, and 50 We thought wee
get along. Two years after l became
the mother of twins. could see that
John felt little blue over this. But he
would have his little joke, would John.
We'll, Mary, says he, you're not doing
ter, thank God Fifteen months after |
that | bore one child only. a dear little |
boy. All then we had grand glorious |
family jollihcation. john, for the first |
time III his life, got as drunk as a lord, |
'Ah, SIS said he, we've got down to a !
proper economical basis at last At |
that time l was only twenty-one years |
old, and tell you what. to be the moth |
er of six children at that age seemed |
very queer, but still thought the worst /
was over. Many women at double that |
age have no larger families than l had |
then. Two years passed by and again |
became a mother. This time, to our |
astonishment, it proved to be another |
pair of twins. John got tight again, |
but this time from sorrow, and not |
from joy. 'Mo9her,' SAID he, this is |
awful You're right, john said l, |
but those two were a lovely little boy |
and girl, and their cute little ways and |
beauty soon put fresh hope and cour- |
age into our hearts. John opened a lit |
tie shop, work was brisk. and all went |
smoothly along until year and half |
after, when we had another pair of twins. |
This broke John all up, and he went |
on spree for three weeks. odd wo-
man, says he, can't support whole |
country Well, | soothed and sObered
him up, and got him to working again. |
for the lord knows there was need of 1t
then. During the next ten years l only |
had six children, being single births
only. John and | began to feel very
much encouraged. All, SIS says he.
we won't have SO much of a family at
ter ALL Three years passed away with
ont any addition to my family, when in
my thirty-eighth year / presented my
amazed husband with another pair of
twins. Mother says he, this is as
tonishing.' They couldn't have cone
in a worse time, for John, who had for
number of years done very well IN his
business, had jus: made a bad failure.
But the older children were working,
and we put the best face We could upon
the matter. Two years after, and when
/ was in my fortieth year, to our I'M
bounded surprise bore another set of
triplets. This, think, killed poor John.
Yes, sir, he's dead-died ten years ago
this coming June. Mother says he,
think I've lived long enough.
This remarkable woman is fifty years
of age. hale, hearty and well preserved.
Her parents came from Scotland, mar
rying and settling in this country early
in life. Her husband was of Irish de-
scent. His parents also emigrated to
the United States while quite young.
+" Yes" the old lady said, we did after
awhile have trouble to find the right
kind of names for the babies. First it
was easy enough, but after We had used
up all our family names we were |
botherd a good bit. / used to have the |
neighbors called in and we'd have a |
great time thinking of names. But one |
day John got an almanac which had in
and then we we're all right"
"Of my children, eleven were boys |
and ten were girls. All are living but |
two-one son who died in his fourth |
year, from Group, and little girl who |
was run over by street car when she |
was three years old, and killed. You |
see, had so many little things running |
around at that time that it was hard for |
me to look after them all. All the rest |
Of my family are hearty and we'll.