Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1889-07-13


Horned Men. Men with Tails. Person. wfts
spotted skins. and Dwarfs.
Mr.. Carl Steckelmann, who livet
several years In West Africa. made
large collection OF curiosities iliustrat
ing the arts. habits and superstitioni
of the natives. His collection, which
IN now In Indiana. where he lives. has
attracted attention, and there were
many visitors 10 the museum which he
opened In indianapolis last winter
There are curiosities OF other sorts,
however. In all parts OF Africa. and
IL would not take smart Snowman
long TO pick up freaks enough on the
west coast 10 stock dozen museums
Entirely outside OF the dwarf tribes
who are among the strangest people in
the world. explorers find here aud
there little folks OF advanced years
who are made much of. aud
ARE usually seen at the resi-
dence OF some chief. Only one oil
these little fellows has been honored
with much attention in records OF
travel. and his picture appears IL
Speke's story OF his discovery OF the
Nile sources On the west coast Doko
dwRrfs may some times be -een In the
crowds along the shore when a vessel
arrives. Mr.. A. H. Ellis was OF tbs
opinion that with one Of these dwarfs.
boy he saw with two stomachs. few
Albinos, who are by no means uncom-
mon. and two or three horned men he
could set up a dime museum o. nc
mean pretensions.
The horned men, sad TO relate, wear
their horns not on their foreheads but
on their cheek bones. They belong to
small tribe that Is found north OF
Ashanti. aud few OF them sometimes
get down to the coast. where they
haye ceased 10 DO curiosities. Some
surgeons who examined two OF these
men few years ago. decided that the
excrcscenccs on their cheeks wero OF
m osscous nature They form humps.
rounded Mt the extremity and
projecting about an inch from the
face. They are not particularly
ornamental, but they would probably
be- worth fair salary TO the possessor
II exhibited in u Bowery palace OF
amusement.
Two or three travellers have written
OF a Roman Catholic priest In Fernan-
do Po who Is willing TO make affidavit
that he has seen three men In Gaboon
with short tails. These curiositles
seem to have made good their escape.
Many travellers In the early days re-
corded marvellous stories of Africans
who wore tails, but none of the chrou-
iclers had salt enough 10 catch them.
Years ago female slave. who was said
TO have come from Central Africa, was
examined In Constantinople by ply.
sicinn In the hospital there. and he do.
clared she had an unmistakablo tail.
about two inches long. smooth
and hairless She said she be-
louged 10 the great Niafn-Niam
tribe. The fame of this tribe as
wearers OF tails was spread far and
wide in Africa long before a white
man ever visited Thorn. and AIR. Ellis
says the story still circulates on the
coast. But Schweinfurth spoiled the
sensation. though he pronounced the
Mammalian the finest specimens OF
physical beauty he ever saw.
Other curious people In Africa are
persons who seem to be naturally
spotted, not Ike the leopard boy
known TO our museums. hit with
patches of yellow or brown which
diversity their otherwise black skins.
Another interesting peculiarly has
also been recently observed. That is
that different members OF the same
family are sometimes OF different
colors Black children and brown
children are found 10 be brothers and
sisters, just as we have brunettes and
blondes in the Same family. This
popularity has also been recently OBJ
served by DIR. Finsch among tha ma
tives OF New Guinea. N Y. Sun.
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