Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1888-03-16
S0UAL0R IN TIE METROPOLIS.
Pictures Of Life in Shanty Town, New
York. 4 Big-Ec,idod G'rodi.

houses AMI rows or brOwnStnne fronts
there should exist such suunlid settle
ment Of bushwhacLcrs a. ct.tai.ly Is
Shanty Town.
The inhabitants OF that urattr"ctivc
village are by no means povcriy-.,irlcke
however. They oil have Ready money
and many Of them more than ~ snfiici-
ency Of it, though their DWELLINGS md tho
furnishings thereof arc primitive In the
extreme. Family pride ia a r.inpuut
there as in the houses that lire the broader
and straighter avenues OF the city.
In one Of the huts. In the lower part OF
Ehanty Town. there Is physical mon.
s,rosity that would make the heart OF y
dime museum man leap with Joy and
excite the lvcliest interest Of the scien-
tiit. Playing with the children and dogs
of that dclcctablo locality is n child six
years OF age. whose head whom he was
ten months old measured twenty-five and
half inches in circumference.
In company with n physician. whose
past services had placed him on .
familiar footing with tho family Tri.
bune reporter went tho other day to Wow
the young man thus afflicted with tao big
head.
Sure, Doctor, an I'm very bad" ro-
spondcd the mistress OF the shanty In
reply to the usual inquiries. II have the
nalary orful and my noryos arc all un-
strung"
Yrs. Murphy had large, cloar blue cyes
and her face showed tho relies OF youth
iul beauty. but n heavy diagonal scar
ncrcss her upper lip had drawn it partly
out CT shape.
How is willIe2" asked tho doctor.
"I want to measure his head again"
Willie toddled up the walk at this
point to answer for himself.
tpl ~. Ill
specimen OF humanity. His slender
limbs shook under the weight OF his
enormous head. The neck and lower
part of the head were unusually small.
but above q plane passing through tho
eyes and upper part OF the oars the skull
Narcd out like the sides OF woll-filled
balloon, running out to q circumference
OF twcnty-six and one-half inches, and up
TO n height OF five or six inches. The
eyebrows were drawn up an inch and tho
deserted eyes were weak and expression
less.
Tho child staggered little and wob-
bled along like an emigrant woman with
an overload Of household goods on her
head. A thin, narrow chest and pipe
stem arms seemed to hunger for the vi
talty that the Overgrown head had alb
sorbcd, while the stomach alone showed
;.ldcrmanic tendencies. There was intel
ligcncc in the child and the ability TO
talk, but no promise OF o second Daniel
Webster.
A big bruise on tho forehead showed
whcrc tho attraction Of gravitation had
gotten tho better Of VIillios undcrpining
so that "tho globe which we inhabt ="
and to lesser globe that served him
for an upper story had come together.
"Suro, and he's afthcr bumpin' his
head all tho WHILE" said FRS. Murphy
in caol,3ation. "Tho b'ys run away
from la, II he tries ter follcr. I'll
hayc tr get him o goat ter play wild.
Wacn't ct nice one wo caught up at
H. n Igdge last cunday, Tillio2 But
ter br..o OF gatcman wouldn't let us
brig 1t down on tho elevated; Let ter
10 r lacrcuro your head, Willie, and
va f,:5mi.ted with evident Gpprccia-
L.Cl Cf 20 hoAo-.
"This Is what we call a hydrocepha-
lie head, p" said the doctor. as no produced
n tape measure and notebook. 1.-The brain
Is OF ordinary size and the rest of the
skull is filled with water. Such q child
generally dies In infancy and this Is per-
haps the only case that ever occurred
that was not fatal
Along the middle of the skull there
was ridge about four inches In width.
1t gave forth a hollow sound as the doctor
raped 1t with his knuckles.
THAT is where the sutures joined" he
continued in explanation. lin the new
born babe the skull Is not solid but is
in several parts joined by membranes.
When the head began to swell under the
pressure of the water on the brain 1t split
and there were three or four incues
here where there was no skull at all, only
membrane. Now the bones have grown
out and Joined so that 1t Is all hard as
you can soc. There la no reason why
the child shouldn't live now until he dies
from other reasons"
When released, Willie toddled OF to
play with the "b'ys" who were either too
lazy or two stout-hcarted 10 run ana,
from the monstrosity, and the visit ors
took leave OF Mrs. Murphy with Ia,
kind blue eyes and the twisted smle
The doctor called at another palace o.
old boards, froscoed with whtewnsn to
ask the lady OF the house about her -.
sons who were in a lunatic asylum. I'll,
beroaved nOtncr wc.Il over al the fanil
history and prospects for the visitors
benefit only stopping for frequent appli-
cations OF her apron 70 her eyes.
The chronicle extended from her father
who was a yeoman In Ireland, aud was
''over thousand men, do"a to tie
lstest Developments In the litte affair
between her daughter in lonker, aad
"ther young Teller that wa, maxim up
TO her. An sure he was a nice likely
Young chap but not Cath'l lie, and she
didn't know whether they wouldn't Ii at
over religions II they we're married"
She wouldn't hear Of the visitor, going
away without glass Of wine or some,
thing. After lively discussion as to
whether the mOlasses jug or the tum bier
should be used, the latter carried the day,
and Nora, the youngest girl, WAS sent
around to the nearest groggery TO have
the tumbler filled with port wine.
Half the contents OF 1.-THE growler"
were poured out into cup and the callers
rank to the health Of the daughter in
fonkcrs and the future conversion of her
young man who wasn't Cath lie"
That woman Is as honest rs the day
Is long" said tho doctor, rs the two
scrambled down to civilization again,
/" She pays cash always and in advance.
Many is the timo Two been rung up and
found her al tho door waving throo dol
L.