The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-07-27

lOOhlUg anu vi AlduNSOLiCi
toned figure, and measured about eight
feet four inches in height. Of her subse-
quent history and career We have not been
able to trace any account since her provin-
cial tour in France, after exhibiting herself
in this country.
1t is a curious fact that giants rarely ex-
coed the age of forty or forty-fve, and few
amongst them ever show signs of much in
tellectual capacity. They are, as rule,
good-tempered, INDECENT and placid; their
opposite extremes, the dwarfs, being irri-
table, active, clever, and ill-tempered.
Dwarfs may be divided into two sec
tions-frstly, those who are born so and
remain dwarfs all their lives from child
hood till maturity; and secondly, those who
become dwarfs from some accident in the
early months or years of childhood. 1t
may be remarked that those dwarfs who
come under the first head are often notice
able for their shrewdness and intellectual
capacity, combined with much childish
vanity and an overweening love of dress
and admiration. Those, on the other hand,
who are deformed and show an unnatural
development of any special limb are, as
rule, irritable, semi-idiotic, and incapable
of any high degree of mental capacity.
One Of the most celebrated dwarfs Of
whom we read in history was Nicholas
Ferry, the dwarf Of King Stanislas, of Po
land, who was remarkable for his wit, good
temper. and intellectual attaiuments and
accomplishments Next after him in ce-
lebrity ranks female dwarf named Babel
Schreier. who was born at Piegelsbaeh,
near Mannheim, on the 3lst of October,
1910. Her parents were poor labOrers,
hale and hearty people, who permitted Wis.
itors to see their wonderful child, but would
never consent, poor as they were, to ex-
hibit her for any pecuniary benefit. Babe'
was perfectly formed, although when she
was born she weighed only one aud half
pounds She grew ill she was about two
feet six inches high, aud then stopped.
Her health was always good and her char
acter amiable and lively.
Itisa strange fact that the length Of
life Of dwarfs seems to be in proportion to
their size and slamisa They arrive al
maturity quicker than normal human
being and age quicker We read Of this
in the ease Of the famous English dwarf
Hopkins, who lived about l75l- At IF
teen wears old he measured two feet seven
inches ia heigh, aud weighed only thirty
pounds. Up to this age he had the aP-
pearauce Of fresh, smooth skinned youth,
but suddenly an extraordinary semblance
of the mos; deerepit old age began to creep
upon him. He became bent, crooked, and
torn with an as,hmatic cough. sight and
hearing began to fail and bis teeth to
drop ont or decay So attenuated and
feeble did he become that be could not
walk without a stick, and presented al the
appearance Of a witherej aud agvd man.
Before these signs Of decay came upon him
his weigh, had beeu nineteen pounds; but
now be lost nearly six pounds, aud visibly
shrank till he died in about 3 year from
sheer decrepi,ude aud old age. his par
ents were huc, tall, healthy people, and
there had been no previous member Of his
family who showed similar abnormal
condition. lie died on the l9th Of
March. 1854; aged seventeen years and
two months
Although dwaris generally attain a
greater age than giants, still they rarely
pass three score and ten. There are,
however, two notable exceptions to this
rule in the persons Of Amias Cloves, the
famous Matlock dwarf. who died al that
place in 1884 at the ripe age of one hua-
dred aud three, his height being three feet
SIX inches. He had caused 70 be built for
himself 3 little house eight feet square
furnished with articles suitable to his size
The other instance was that Of Peter the
Greats favorite and dwarf, women be
called Poapee, whose height was that Of a
child Of six. She was remarkably pretty,
lively, and clever, and the Emperor had
an extraordinary affection for her. She
lived to pass the age Of Que hundred years
without ever having suffered from any III
ness or in6rmity
There may still be seen in the Dueal
Palace at Mantua six iittle rooms opening
one out Of the other, which were construct
ed by order Of one Of the Dukes Of Mantaa
| for the special occupation of his fayorite
dwarf. The walls of these apartments are
but six feet high and the floors eight feet
square, and they are reached by two stair
cases Of small steps These rooms are at
present denuded Of all furniture aud the
doors even have been taken off their
hinges
In our own times no dwarf has created
more sensation than Charles s StrattoR,
commonly known as General Tom
Thumb. His career of self-exhibition
was long a success both TO himself and to
Barnum, who undertook to show him
about. His tour in Europe alone brought
him 100000 He married Lavinia War
rem, one of two dwarf sisters who ACCOM-
panied him on his tours. OF this marriage
was born one child, a girl. who died in
1866, when about three years old. Tom
Thumb himself died in 1883, and bis
widow, we believe, married another
American dwarf. General and Mrs.
White succeeded to the celebrity and adj
miration formerly bestowed on General
Tom Thumb, and charmed the public by
their amusing ways and limitations of pop
ular actors and singers.
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