Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-11-22
NOTED DWARFS.
4 CiiLEBNATE PIGAIY WRITES
OF HIS KIND.
Interesting Facts as to the Health ana
Intelligence Of Diminutivc Per-
sonIges-Commodo Foote's
Tiny Apartments.

Number" would be t. novelty in litcr,.-
ture, and, odd as it may appear, just such
book is being prepared for the press
here, writes II Fort Wayne Qnd.) CORE
spondcnt. The historian stands three
feet three inches i'll his miniature boots,
and for over Il quarter Of Il century has
been before the public in professional
way. He has exhibited in every city and
town of the land, has travelled much
abroad, has been patronized by royalty
and enjoyed an acquaintance with people
OF distinction, outside Of the world of
Lilliput, that peculiarly fit him for the
task he has undertaken. Moreover the
little gentleman is dwarf only in the
physical sense Of the word; his intellect
is well developed, he IS Il constant reader,
well informed on current topics, can hold
his own i'll Il discussion on political, re-
ligious or scientific themes, speaks three
languages perfectly nnd in his extensive
travels has, by keeping his eyes aud ears
well open, contrived to inform himself
to a degree quite surprising.
Seated in The library Of his luXuriantly
furnished home, Charles w. Nestei,
known 10 the public as Commodore
Foote, chattcd pleasantly with the cor
respondent about his book, running over
rs he did so his notes and some advance
sheets from the publisher, which lay on
the little table before him. At his elbow
sat his pretty sister Eliza, called the
"Fairy Queen, Il merry little ELF of the
exact height of her brother and his in
telligent co-laborer i'll all his undertake
ings, prompting the Commodore by apt
suggestions of half forgotten fact, ancc-
dotc, or "Reminiscences, s,nilingly excusing
her little interruptions with the remark
that the Commodore is getting old, YOU
know" Mr.. Nestel was born in Fort
Wayne forty-two years ago and Miss
Eliza is ten years his junior. He weighs
abou. fifty pounds and is about the size
Of child four years old. Both parents
are living and are unusually large people.
Mr.. Nestcl's occupation WAS that of Il
blacksmith, and such he would probably
have remained but for The accident O.:
birth that made his two children SO ri
tractivc rs to win for himself and thcri
comfortable fortunes, which they enjoy
In Il sensible manner.
Their private rooms would readily bc
mistaken for the playhouses Of pamp-
cred children In cach is tiny bed. Il
aimnutvc dresser and chairs and othcr
articles of furniture that would well be
come animated dolls. The miniature
furniture is even carried out in the
equipment of the stable anl carriage
house, where are found in little stalls n
pair of dainty Calcutta ponies, together
with chaisc and road WAGON OF minn-
ture proportions, in which the little p,ir
spend an hour or two on fair days. il
takes six yards of silk 10 make for Miss
Eliza ali elaborate dress, cut ca train
Her tiny shoes arg made in Baltimore. her
gloves in Milwaukee and her corscts in
New York. She is Il fashionable and
tasty dresser, and being of shapcly figure
and pretty face, as we'll as II sparkling
conversationalist, she is an especial
favoritc at many social gatherings in this
city, where, by reason OF her long resi-
dence, the curiosity Of her small stature
il quite lost sight of.
"For several years after had ceased
TO grow" said the Commodore, ..ard.
indeed, after my education had been well
advanced, my reputation rs Il dwarf was
scarcely more than local. At that
time ! began to attract public attention
and was sought OUT and engaged by an
enterprisng Snowman, the late Colonel
Ellingcr, who paid my father so large II
compensation for the privilege of cx-
hibiting me that his eyes opened in
Amusement. When Eliza had lived two
years and had developed rs other chill
dren do she, too, suddenly ceased
growing, and in time was added TO
Colonel Ellingcr's show, in which we
sang, danced in costume and gave
sketches Of Irish, Dutch and Yankee
comedy. Colonel Ellinger paid my
father 500 week. The compensation
for dwarfs in those days was very liberal,
but the number OF little people has in
creased SO surprisingly that our earnings
have been greatly reduced. There are at
the present time over sixty little people
Oh and oil exhibition i'll America. |
mean persons small enough to be ciasscd
as dwarls. The little people profession
ally travelling in all of Europe number
less than twenty.
"lt is Il fact that 70 female dwarf has
ever born child, maternity inevitably
pr6ying fatal to both mother and babe
The mother always dies with her babe
Such was the sad ending OF the life of
Minnie Warren, sister of Mrs Tom
Thumb, who had married Major Newell.
Both had been exhibited by Mr.. Barnum
as dwarfs, but the Major grew to be five
feet in height and as his contract with
Barnum called for Il dwarf aud not Il
giant, his increase in stature led the
Bridgeport Snowman to cancel the engage
ment.
No dwarf in Commodore Foote'S opir ion
has attracted public attention so much as
certain Polish gentleman, called Count
Bowrolas:li. He WAS accounted one of
the wonders of the world for his small
ness OF Stature conbined with h;C:. in
tclect. He WAS born in 1870 and lived
until 1887. dying ut the patriarchal age
of nincty-eight. When one year old lie
was fourteen inches in height, at six sew
entcen inches, at ten twenty one inches,
ut fifteen twenty-five inches, at twenty
txvn AZ