Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-05-28
EARTH-MEN FROM AFRICA
4 Strange People Who Have Recently
Landed at New York.


landed at New York.
Sitting IN waiting-roOm OF the Cen
trail railroad ferry-house a few days
ago was rs uncouth a collection of hu-
man beings rs falls to the lot of New
Workers TO witness. Wrapped in coarse
striped blankets, their heads covered
with cloth caps two sizes too large for
them. the small, peaked faces peered
out OF their coverings with a monkey
like gaze at the crowd of inquisitive
Americans who gathered around.
They were African earth-nen or pyg-
mics, recently brought here from the
region of the Congo. Until lately the
existence OF these people has been
questioned by scientific writers, but
recent discoveries have proved the
truth Of the well-known assertion of
Herodotus regarding the mysterious
tribe OF dwarfs who burrowed in the
earth far back toward the center of the
dark continent. Du Chaillu was the
first modern traveller who inv estigated
the matter and saw them in their own
land, and described them as being
small in stature, but larger than one is
led to expect from the description of
Herodotus, being something over three
and a half feet tall, but still they are
diminutiye specimens of humanity.
Their figures are slim and delicate, but
very well formed
The woman especially is capable Of
posing for an artist as bronze Venus.
They are all well clad, the women
wearing coats and pants of coarse but
warm material, and they frequently
emitted dry, hacking cough that
showed the effect which our climate
and that of England, whence they
came last, is having upon them. Their
faces denote but little intellect, yet
they are possessed of much intelligence,
and the children are surprisingly
bright. The baby, sitting under can
opy OF cap, was study in himself.
His big, black eyes twinkled and
snapped as he peered this way and that
at the crowd, and he looked the bright
est and best of the lot. His father, the
king-they are all kings that come
here-sat enwrapped in his royal
blanket, with long bow in his hand,
and he appeared to notice nothing that
went on around him. He wore attach
ed to his hair in front, three small
shells filled with some kind of cement
or dirt to hold them on. These are
royal trademarks, none but he being
allowed to decorate bangs in that man
ner, and he looked every inch a king
of that sort. On their cheeks they all
had ragged scar-thiS is also royal
mark, and is made by scratching with
an arrow and rubbing in coloring mat
ter-a rude sort of tattooing. In adj
dition to these marks each one had the
joint of his right hand little finger tax
en- Off This is general tribal mark
They all showed their fingers and all
were alike in this Disagreement. Their
skin is not black, but a sort of coppery
brown, something like our Indians, but
a shade or two darker and richer in
tone. They have but little hair and
that is curled like pigtails.
The most curious thing about them
is their language. is a series of in
describable clucks, made by turning
the tongue backward against the roof
of the mouth and swapping it forward
not the sound one makes when start
ing a horse, but just as inarticulate
and seemingly unintelligible to a hui
man being. They clicked and clucked
among themselves, and the gentleman
in charge clipped in and fired his
tongue at them, and then the reporter
tried it, and clucked them, Here's my
regards"
1t seemed incredible that men could
converse among themselves with such
an elementary form of speech, it not
l.: Il Oh =
sparrow. One certainly could easier
translate the banks and whines OF his
dog into English. They seem to be
satisfied with it, and that is certainly
enough.
They have quite a collection of At
rican arms and curiosities in their pos
session-short and long bows, with
sinew or hide strings; spears and ar
rows of reed, poisoned with the juices
of plants, and capable of making havoc
IN the ranks of an enemy. 1t is, in
fact, in this manner only, that they
can be formidable as an ordinary white
man could easily manage three OF
them. They decorate themselves in
the manner usual among sayages, with
shells, beads, and feathers, the latter
being quite ornamental and artistic.
The: have collection of ostrich feath-
ers, heads and horns of gazelles, gems
boks and Glands, tiger and leopard
skins, and lions claWs-all trophies
OF their skill in the chase and showing
what q superiority even pygmies have
over the brute creation. -NeW IoT6
H0T!d.
Family E1aaI;po a mono CATS