The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-02-03
NOTED A PEOPLE.
some Facts About the Most Celebrated
Targets for the Wits.

Some Facts About the Most Celebrated
Targets for the Wits.
It was the witty Mirabeau who said of a
fat man that God created him only to show
to what extont the human skin would
flesh is a disease is nowadays conceded by
many physicians. The peculiarities of fat
people have been oarieatured and noted
from time immemorial. yet as museum
freaks they command among the largest
salaries, says the Pittsburg Dispatch.
One of tho most remarkable fat persons
in the country was Hannah Battersby, the
wife of the ''prize skeleton" She died in
Philadelphia a few years ago. her weight
was put down AZ 700 pounds, and the hand
some walnut coffin they laid her away in
two feet deep. No ordinary hearse would
carry her remains and ono had to be rugged
up for the purpose. When she married
John Battersby he was the Giving skele-
tom travelling with T. I. Barnum. lie was
% years of age and weighed forty-tive
pounds. She was Hannah Perkins. OF YER
mont, and, though only 20, tipped the beam
at 500 pounds.
The devotion that existed between this
ill-nssorted couple was something that cir
Gus people often talked about. She was as
devoted to him IA he to her. She was
strong in the arms and could wrsstle with
a big trunk as handy AZ two ordinary men.
ried him around like an infant. While
time went on John grew fat, n his CIRCUS
usefulness went. so he retired from the
world of freaks and started a blacksmith
shop. She only exhibited herself about six
months of tho year.. A remarkably hand
who married a police officer. Mrs. Batters-
by's death was due to 4 strange cause.
AS she grew in size the flesh formed 80
fast about her eyes As to effoct her sight.
She foil whom coming down q pair Of plat
form steps at Fall River, Mass, injntine
her leg severely. She never recovered from
the shock. and a fatal result being feared
she was brought to her home in n baggage
oar. Nine men carried her into the side
yard of her home. She was six feet tall,
nearly three feet broad across the should
ers and ono foot eight inches thick through
the body. II was said Of her that she was
the first museum freak ever tnken out of q
.Harris' museum. Like many fat people
she never drank beer, but was fond Of milk
diluted with, water. She commanded a
salary of 800 n week.
Tbs late Winnie johnson, who was OK
hibited in this city some years ago, was q
slight build. They had four children.
She married Whom she weighed 500 pounds,
IND hor weight increased to 700. She ia
said to have received as high 40 $3.50 a week
from a Chicago museum, which il believed
to be the largest salary ever paid a fat
woman.
There have been prominent people, too,
who havs been simost as tleshy a. museum
freaks. Willisap Writ. the orator who
prosecuted Aaron Barr, was 10 fat that he
wore ooIsSts.
The late David Davis, of the United
States supreme bench, was remarkable for
his norm size. Gibbon, the historian,
was a show. Daniel Lambert, who ia often
quoted AZ tho fattsst man that ever lived,
died weighing 739 pounds. He drank only
water. which was not exactly Sir John Fal-
stats theory, who attributed flesh to sack.
Some years ago n man named Hanson
Craig, mailing from Kentucky, was claimed
to be ths heaviest man in the world. His
weight was given at 792 pounds. It took
thirty-si1 yards of cloth to mako him q
suit. He was six feet four and ons-half
inches high, and Mt birth weighed only
neven pounds. At two years of age he took
q $1,000 prize in New York. and tipped the
beam at 20G pounds. His father and mother
wero small people, both under 1870 pounds.