Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-06-13
a CHILD WyI.E "a TAIL.
a. louisville Dctoroon Gives Firth to a
Child Which Puzzles the Doctors.

Child Which Puzzles the Doctors.
In shady lane below Thirty eighth
street, between Bank and Market,
stands neat frame cottage, newly
coated with wl,itewash. The house is
surrounded with trees and shr1lbbey;-,
and the front yard is divided into bloom
ing flower plants. The house is occu~
pied by James Clark, his wife and an
adopted daughter. The latter has been
given the name Of Ruth. On cold
winters night, Is years ago, she was
left on the door step, and Mrs. Clark
he's kindly watched over her ever since.
She has grown to be tall, and although
an octoroon, has complexion of almost
perfect Wilderness. Her hair is long and
black and curly. Her teeth shine like
two rows OF pearls, and are splendidly
displayed beneath her thin arched upper
lip.
Since Monday Mrs Clark AYERS that
"a thousand people have visited the
hou@e." The visitors have been mostly
colored people, with q considerable
Spril}I1ling ofmolicaI practitioners. Yes
tertlay q body Of % students were ut the
house IN hour, and went away promis
ing to return in q few days and bring
their note books with tncm.
Six weeks ego yesterday a message in
the shape Of a baby girl came to the
house OF James Clark. 1t was born to
lis adopted daughter, and presented
striking freak of nature. Celia Alex
ander, g. doctress, Of No. 3727 High ave-
nue., was called in to administer medi
cal attention. Being somewhat super
stitious, she is said to have declared shat
some great fatality WAS about to befall
the family when she viewed the infant.
It was pretty child, with black eyes
and black hair, perfectly formed, except
in the region Of its pelvis. The lower
end OF the verebra extends below the
trunk of the body, and formed
very marked and distinct tail. The
appendage measured an inch in dame
ter at the body and tapered gracefully
for length of four inches, when it end
ed abruptly with a slight curl, and
few strands of coarse hair. Another
striking deformitv was the double hips
which the child possessed. The ahnor-
NAL pair was like two banks Of flesh in
the center Of which could be felt hard
bony substance. To sum up, the child
had hips and a tail which bore 8 pro-
nounced resemblance to the American
hog. Since it's birth the little freak
has been very healthy, notwiths tanding
it's mother has been lying seriously i'll.
The tail and abnormal hips have devel
oped alarmingly rapid, and threatens to
become the most prominent features
about the child. The tail measured six
aud one-quarter inches, and the hips
would have made q fair showing in a
canvas ham bag. For this reason the
mother is uneasy. She is afraid the
child will turn into all tail and hips.
eff it does" she said, II will travel
with it with some circus. Two or three
of my friends have already told me that
I could exhibit the child and make a
barrel Of money" ~
But you won't do anything of that
kind" said Mrs. Clark angrily, who
heard the remark Of her adopted daugh
ter. IF that tail keeps on growing I
am going to cut it off, and, what's more,
those two arms must DO doctored some
way to stunt their growth. Why,
she never could walk around in styl-
ish dress with that deformity on her
hips"
1.-THE little freak will prove a wonder
to the profession" said DR.. II. W.
Peters, Of No. $50 Third street II in,
tend to observe it closely, and prepare
some sort Of an opinion about it myself.
Natures freaks are always interesting,
but one Of this character is doubly SO.
While its origin is easily accounted for,
such perfect development of the ab
normal parts as the child presents is
nothing short of a phenomenon. The
mother evidently was chased or fright
ened by a hog. Nothing else could
have produced such wonderful re-.
suit" - ~. ~ III
Meanwhile the infant continues to
grow and laugh and kick. It has al
ready exhibited peculiar fondness for
corn bread, and, unlike most children.
Of its age, has no desire for milk. 1t
will be. an object Of much curiosity
among ply sicians and eminent scientists.
Louisville Commercial. s.5..' s5s
r !. s.. 4t7s5