The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1885-08-01
PEOPLE WITH TAILS.
A Dsfornity Not as Unusual ~ Many
suppose.

The discovery OF the tailed man has
been SO often announced that until
lie is actually captured, photo
graphed, lioG;zed and duly reported
on we shall continue skeptical regard
ing the "well authenticated state.
ment" OF this interesting parsonage
running wild-and presumably naked
-ih the woods Of New Britain. The
fact that some extremely inaccessible
spot has invariably been selecie for
his abode has enabled successive gem
erations Of romancers to remain un-
contradictcd until they and their story
were forgotten. Since the famous
Lord Monboddo's time there have
been plenty of assertions which would
have been good enough proof for u
theorist ready to catch at any straw,
though hardly weighty enough for
ethnologists. For example, u certain
Colonel Du Corret reported tc the
French Academy that when in Mecca
forty-thrce years ago, he saw at the
house Of the Emir "ihilane" slave
named Bellal, who had tail three
inches long and as flexible as a
monkeys. Unfortunately Colonel
p1 Corr-s 70 ~~' ~a~"-"'i. "d'-'''"a
TO have ever been in Mecca, though
the account which he gives has to an
apprcciable extent been repeated, ii
not confirmed, by other tellers OF
wondrous tales.
John Struys, Dutch traveller, who
visited Formosa in 1877, asserted that
he saw in the interior OF that island
n savage with q tail moro than a
foot long, covered with red hair, and
very like that of cow" an append
age which, he adds, was common to
ali the inhabitants and was the ef-
feet OF the climate" Hornsman
transferred the story to the Mann
Mans, who were evidently the peo-
pie to whom NJ. Du Corret referred.
Again and again have travellers in
Ethiopia alluded to the belief in tho
tailed men which exists among the
Abyssinians. DR. Wolf was quite
convinced Of the truth OF the story OF
there being men and women in
Abyssinia with tails like dogs and
horses''--so ponderous that they use
them as weapons and adds that
such people also live near China. DIR.
Hubsch afiirms that he saw in 1852,
in the Constantinople Hospital, to
which he was physician, Nam Nam
woman with tail two inches long
and a wolfsh expression quite in
keeping. DR.. Hubsch was man OF
good stature, though at times his
reputation for strict adherence to the
truth was not tnnquestioned by skep-
tics. In reality, it Is now known
that such de~iations from the normal
state OF matters are by no means
unique.
Setting aside the story Of child In
Newcastle, which was born with q
tail one and one fourth inches long,
Mr.. Max Mertels. a distinguished
German anthropologist, has within
the last four years investigated
t~enty-one we'll authenticated cases
OF persons having been born with
tails. There is, therefore, no reason
for scouting the idea that men pro-
vided with the superf1uity may exist,
since 1t is an essential principle of
modern biology tn at any popularity
may become hereditary and that
there is tendency to perpetuate
these accidental "sports" for "the
good Of the species" In early life
the oscoccyRis, or termination Of the
sacrum-:which In the adult condi-
ton Is tucked in--projects somewhat,
and Professor Ernest Heckl, who re-
CARDS the bones as an undeveleped
tail, declares that there exist rudi.
mentary muscles, the remains OF
which, according to the somewhat
Wild evolutionist, ,servcd to make
the tail of our ancient progenitors."
Unfortunately, the subject has never
yAs been reasonably treated from a
popular point Of view, the idea lend
Ing iteelf too much to burlesque or to
yidiculs for that calm discussion
which % grave = possibility demands.
II y indeGd-so Mr.. Barring Gould
tails us--a widespread superstition
among Devonshire children that
CornishInen are born with tails. ani
according toa similar legend referred
m nv Andrrw Marvel 10 his Loyal