The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-26
AN EMBRYO GIANT.
Samuel Reynolds Tompkins, the Biggest Baby
Boy in the United States.

NEW YORK, March 25.-Samuel Reynolds
Tompkins, his parents confidently believe, is the
biggest baby boy in the United States. He was
thirteen months old on March 8, and he weighs
eighty three pounds and few ounces over. He
lives with his father and mother at 113 Main
street, Norwalk. When he was born he didn't
weigh five pounds At the age Of three months
his weight had doubled Three more quadrupled
that and when the infant was ten months old he
weighed seventy-two pounds or almost as much
as his mother Since then he has grown heavier
and she has grown thinner, and Sammy is the
bigger now. Charlotte Frazer was the mothers
name before she married Henry Tompkins, in
1875 She was born 10 1856 at Sligo. Ireland and
is CHEEKY, blueeyed little woman, about five
feet high, and weighing seventy seven pounds.
SammyS father was born at Armonk, West
chester county, the same year as his wife. He
Is over six feet high and weighs 100 pounds.
Sammy Reynolds is their first and only child.
He was named after Samuel Reynolds Smith,
blacksmith of Armonk Mr.. Tompkins was
working for Fancher, Russo 81 Co., at New
Canaan, when Sammy was born. In last May
he moved to Norwalk and works in another of
the same firms factories now. Sammy is a
healthy child and his fat is soldy laid on in big
rolls and chunks. The only time that he was
ever sick in his life was when he had little
touch Of cholera infantum at the age of two
iuOuGHS. ne mas an enormous dppeulUe anu d
strong digestion. He is not yet weaned, but
nevertheless he manages to eat every day at
noon little rare and juicy steak and one potato
When his father comes home from his work in
the evening he gives Sammy some more meat,
and after that he invariably goes to sleep for the
night Ho does not like cake or candies,
and his natural appetite Graves just what the
doctors say everybody should live on.
Sammy is a good boy. He does not cry
except when people clumsily try to lift him. He
ell cfo
AS long as he is in his mothers lap he is happy,
Sammy held reception yesterday. Callers
climbed up the hill to the little home all day, and
Mrs. Tompkins.was kept busy explaining about
her son. He hasn't any shoes, as his mother
can't get pair shaped for him, his toes are so
small and his ankles so fat His eyes are blue
and his hair long and faxen. There are twenty
teeth in his mouth all of them double but the
two top front teeth, and some of them are be-
ginning to fall away already. He is expected to
his wisdom teeth at 6. Notwithstanding his fat,
Sammy is a shapely child and is quite good
looking The fat is evenly distributed
over his shoulders, chest stomach, legs
and AIMS His hands and feet are as small as
those of any baby of his age. Drs Branson.
Hickey, Cummings and any number of
others have been investigating him, land they say
he is a healthy child. They advise that no re-
straint be put on him, but that he be allowed to
grow naturally. His waist and chest are al
ready yard round, though when he stands on
his feet he isn't as long as yardstick. A six
and a-haf hat would fit his head. The circum-
ference of his leg is sixteen and a half inches
above the knee and forteen inches below, bigger
than his fathers His skin is soft and clear.
AS he sat on the floor beside his crib, yesterday,
he had three fat-irons and heavy cane for toys
to play with. The irons weighed between five and
seven pounds, and musular Sammy tossed them
around as an ordinary baby would play with
wooden blocks. He is proud of his strength,
and appreciates it when any one mentions it in
his hearing. His development has been
steady, though it started all of a
sudden when he was three months old
and began to eat cabbage and potatoes
He is pugnacious Mamie Moore, the little
daughter of neighbor, dropped in on Thursday
evening to play with Sammy. They did not get
along very WE'LL and Sammy hit Mamie in her
eye, and blackened it. He had a slight disagree
ment with his mother and blackened her eye
the other day. Yesterday he threw around his
heavy cane When he goes to hit he clenches
his teeth and congresses his lips.
"Your son is the coming rival to John L. Sui
livan," said visitor to Mrs. Tompkins Sammy
seemed to understand, or it may have been a CO.
incident
"My husband is Methodist and am a Cath
Ollie" said Mrs. Tompkins. 81 will never exhibit
my son, or use him to make money He is self
willed at times and hauled off and hit me the
other day; but on the WHOLE he is good boy,
though he is a terror to the other children, and
they are afraid of him. People have asked me
if / wouldn't let them have my son; but won't,
not even if Barnum himself were to come for
him"