Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-08-14
Some Of the Wonders Of Allen and
Barren Counties.

Guy OF HOpKlnsVllle, only q lew days
ago, | have had occasion to witness
some strange freaks of nature and if
you will allow me through the col
umns Of the SOUTH KENTUCKIAN, /
will endeavor to give its readers, as
best can, the benefit of what l have
witnessed in my travels, and let me
say in the beginning, that all l
shall state is as true as truth itself.
Among the hills in Eastern Allen,
about 4 miles north of Scottsville,
KY, there lives young damsel (over
whose brunette head ID summers
have passed) by the name of Devine.
She has bright and sparkling black
eyes and is little beauty other than
her peculiarities and deformities /;
since an infant she has been deaf and
dumb and badly defOrmed, but the
strangest thing about her, she tcas
never known 10 cat anything. No
doubt many who read this will say
that this is a "MulhattOn statement"
but have the papers on this and
can prove all that l say TO be true.
She is in extra good health and is
very playful and is unusually active,
Notwithstanding she can not walk a
step, but rolls and tumbles over the
yard at fearful rate, climbs trees
and fences, and can be seen at most
any time lying OH an inch board of a
plank fence. Her father says he ex-
poets to find her with neck broken
whenever he comes home.She is very
fond of playing hands, and if you
don't notice her there is considerable
danger of losing, not your heart
but finger. ] do not mean to say
that | was playing hands with her,
as that's something my mother never
allowed.
Travelling from one saw mill
to the other, over hills and val
leys l came TO where there was one
that did enough eating for both, judg-
ing from its size. This "little" girls
name is Annie Bell Chambers, she
lives with her parents in southern
Barren county,on Peters Greek, about
10 miles from Glasgow, KY, where
| am spending some days. This child
is certainly another one Of Natures
wonders. She is only years and s
months old, and weighs ITO pounds.
Mr.. and Mrs. Smith Chambers, its
parents, are said to be very closely
related. There have been born TO
these unfortunate parents five chill
dren, all of whom have been physi-
cally disabled by excessive corpulen-
cy, all weighing about as much or
more than the child mentioned. Her
father told me that one of the chill
dren weighed 2l0 pounds at 5la years
old. The children have all died, ex-
cept the youngest, at from three 10
six years of age. One died OF whoop-
ing cough, and two of Group. The
parents are of ordinary size. The
only cause attributed to the above is
a curious freak of nature, which
would be difficult to explain.
AS approached the house l heard
the child talking to its parents, but
as soon as l entered she refused TO
talk. She talks freely to those whom
she is acquainted with, but does not
talk to strangers. shook her pref
ty dimpled hands, and tried to get
up a conversation with her, but fail
ed. 1t is certainly worth ones trou-
BILE to see her. Imagine child five
years old, ordinary height, weighing
ITO pounds, unable to walk except
holding on to rocking chair
and pushing it over the
floor. For fear some one might say
that l differed from Geo. Ratchet in
point of truth, L will state that
Miss Devine is very fond Of milk ; she
only drinks four gallons of sweet
milk per day. So you see 1 have not
misrepresented anything to you.
This George differs widely from the
other George in many respects, one
of the main differences is George
could not vary from the truth" This
one can but through the respect he
has for himself and friends he will
not. 1 often think of the many hap
ply hours spent in and around Hop
kinsville, and long for the time to
come when / shall be with the dear
people of "Old Christian" again.
Travelling through the timber portion
of this state 1 meet with great many
different classes of people. AS my
business is altogether with saw mill
men, you can very well imagine the
rough times that often have, as most
of the mills are from 20 to 40 miles
from any rail road, in this portion OF
the State. Close to the mill will be
seen mud hut made out of plain
plank, with only one room, with 5 or
six beds, here is where camp most
of the time. The fare is not quite as
good and as well served as you would
find at the Maxwell or Palmer
Houses. G. w. METoALFE.
Rev. j. NJ. Peay closed his labors