The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1884-06-27
Beast-Men.


and raised by a wolf. an animal that he
has heard and read Of as being one Of
the most ferocinus Of all the carnivora.
thinks 10 himself what a terrible lot Of
liars these old classical authors were.
But of late years scientific investigation
has uuTaveled much that renders it not
improbable that the old Roman his
torians told the truth FOR children have
been discovered reared In caves posses
sing animal habits and tastes-woli
characteristics-that have led natural
lists To assert that wolves do raise chill
dren. The beast.men and wolf-chil-
dren of India and Europe resemble
savage races on one hand and many
wild animals ON the other in the nom
possession OF other shelter than that
which is afforded by the caves and for.
ests. They have no proper dwelling,
and no capacity for constructing any.
In India they live In caves just as does
lhe.wOlvts, with which they associate
and by which it rs believed in some in
stances they are brought up. Gerhardt
says that at the Lucknow madhouse
was an elderly fellow who had been
dug out Of a wolves den by an Euro
pean doctor. These wolf-children, as
they are called. tear and eat raw flesh
gather and guaw bones like dogs, catch
and swallow flies, bite the heads of
live fowls, lap up water with their
tongues. One Of them Is thus descrlb,
ed: lie drank water like a dog and
liked a bone and raw meat better than
anything else. His civilization has
progressed 80 far that he likes raw
meat less. though he will pick up
bones and sharpen his teeth on them
Then there are others who. before they
eat or taste food. smell il, and when
they don't like the smell they throw II
away. A boy found in company with
\ female wolf and her cubs rejected
cooked meat with disgust. but delight.
ed in raw flesh aud bones, putting them
out on the ground like dog. under lis
paws, so says oil. Sleeman. Prof. Max
Muller. who saw the same boy. says
the wolf-child would devour anything
hut preferred raw meats. ITe even ate
half lamb without any effort. Even
quilt stuffed with cotton. given him
IN cold weather, was torn 10y him aud
partly swallowed.
These children have a number OF
animal characteristics that have puZ
zled the scientists, such as the squlr
rel-llke habit of climbing trees, as Pc
ter of Hanover and Victor of Aveyrer
did; prowling at night and hiding in
solitary places, and sleeping by day
tapping and sucking water like an OK
horse or dog, which the Aveyron wild
boy did. eating raw flesh. swapping al
flies, and cannibalism, smelling fooc
before eating it, and eating acorns anC
raw fruits, such as seeds. roots. leaves
bark, grass, both of which character
istics were peculiar TO the boys above
mentioned. Ferocious biting-the boy
found with the wolf and her cubs in In
dia flew at aud tried to bite children
Such children never smile, are insensi
BILE to kindness, and show 70 signs Of
joy and have no sense of shame. They
have an absolute repugnance to cloth
ing of any sort, and have no spoken
language: only yell, how and whine
Hanoverion Peter uttered no sound
while Victor's voice was imperfec
and cultural. They cannot he educat
ed no more than an idiot. DIR. Arbu
thunot, at the request of George l., at
tempted to educate Peter the wild boy
but he could not be taught To do I'll,
simplest act without superintendent
One of a couple of wolf-children o
Onde. India, is described by Pro. See
ley, which died in the midst of Anglo
Indian civilization, but the child con
sidered that he was in captivity all tn
time. His habits in the woods hac
been those of a wolf, and despite al
the reformatory effects he died as h
lived, Il beast-child.
The re are some scientific men VIII
clam that these children are abondon
ed idiots who have been left to perish
but this would not account for the trait
that are so peculiarly woltsh. 1t is no
impossible that the common people ar
correct, and their foster-mothers ar
wolves.
There are many savages who live a
animals do, by grubbing up root,
Some relish lice, like monkeys. Dis
ger Indians eat lizards raw. only pull
ing out their tails. They eat dea
horses and moldy meat, while the Apa
ches love dead horses and asses. Tn
Dokos and Mencopies eat raw food an
/ Al Al