The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-06-25
Our Q4liO.
CHANG AND ENG.
New stories of the Most Famous Twins
That Ever Lived.
From the Richmond, Cva,) Dispatch.

Na-NN
families, comparatively little of which has
ever found its way into print, which now
comes direct from one who lived in the
neighborhood of their homes in the old
North State, and who was personal friend
of the twins from his youth up.
Chang and Eng were born in 1911, in
the lowlands of Siam, of hubble parentage,
and at an early age lost their father. As
soon as they were old enough to be of use
to their widowed mother she put them to
the light work of tending large flock of
ducks, which they used to carry out every
morning in boat to a neighboring marsh,
where the wild rice was plentiful; there they
remained all day and at night, at the blow
ing of horn, the ducks would waddle back
to the boat, crawl aboard, and then the
twins would paddle them home. When
the boys were probably II or 13 years of
age an English traveller named Bunker
happened that way, and, after viewing them
with amazement, for a stipulated consider
alton with their mother, obtained posses
sion of them.
Leaving the East shortly after, Mr.. Bun
ker for several years exhibited the twins in
every part of the known world, treating
them with great kindness and making money
by them wherever he went, until in 1882
he had amassed fortune, and the twins
being by this time of age, he considerably
gave them their freedom, with permission
to adopt his namr and with enough ready
cash to start them comfortably in life.
This happened in Raleigh, N. c., and the
young men, though they loved their pro-
tector well, loved freedom better; so, with
friendly parting on both sides, they started
out to make their way alone-and yet to-
gether. While in Raleigh they heard
some talk regarding the excellent hunting
to be found in the mountainous part of the
State, and, wishing for little recreation,
they journeyed to the Piedmont section,
where they finally took up their residence
at the house of well-to-dO farmer named
Yates, living in the county of Wilkes, sit
uated at the foot of the Blue Ridge Noun
tains, and seventy y-fve miles west of Green's
boro'.
Farmer Yates was fond of the chase.
Living in good, old-fashioned style, with
plenty of negroes and dogs, raising supplies
of all kinds, and surrounded by a large
family he took life easy and made it pleas
ant for the twins, who boarded with him
for considerable time. While there Eng
Bunker became greatly attached to Miss
Sallie Yates and Chang Bunker lost his
heart to Miss Adelaide.
Some time between 1885 and 1910 a
double marriage took place at the residence
| of Father-in-law Yates, and the twins COM
menced their married life on farm which
was in easy distance Of their wives old
homestead. Here they lived happily, farm
ing part of the time and at intervals going
on the road with Barnum and others, re-
turning home occasionally to their families
and freside with well-filled pockets. But
the farm on which they lived did not suit
the twins, so they purchased about 1000
acres in the adjoining county of Surrey,
within three miles of the then little village OF
Mount Airy, now the terminus of the Cape
Fear and Yadkin Valley Railroad. On
this estate they erected large, comfortable
frame house, with all necessary outbuild-
ings, and made many improvements. Being
of cheerful, kindly disposition, their lives
passed smoothly for many years, while sew
eral children were born to eacl wife.
Some of the children were nearly grown
when one day, from some cause or other, q
squabbe ensued, in which the mothers took
part, and subsequently Chang and Eng
who, being men of spirit and courage, drew
knives and where about to attack eacl
other, when the wives, seeing the danger,
begged them to desist. The twins ceased
struggling, but decided that they would
then and there be separated, and at one,
sent to Mt Airy for their family physician
DIR. Hollingsworth, man with quite loca
reputation as skillful surgeon. He ar
rived with his instruments, and after bein:
told what was wanted; remarked:
every well; just get up on that table anC
I'll fix you, but which would you prefer
that should sever the flesh that connects
you or cut off your heads? One will pro
duce much the same results as the other
This brought the twins to their senses
for they knew very well that the great sur
geons in London, Paris, and New Yorl
had decided that it would be death to sep
arate them.
In perplexity of mind how to guar,
against future warfare in their household
I
the twins called in DIR. Hollingsworth an,
Messrs. Gilmore and Rawley of Mt. Air,
as -arbitrators. These gentleman, after re
volying the problem in their minds, drew
up legal contract whose principal prOvi
sions were that out of the money owned
by the twins similar mansion and Iik
outbuildings as those which they then owne,
should be built on the large estate abou
one mile from the existing homestead; tha
the land should be equally divided betweel
the brothers by a competent surveyor; tha
no transaction of business nature shoul,
take place on these farms between the tw,
brothers; that the family of Chang shonl,
live in one house, while that of Eng shoul,