The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-07-03
CHANG AND ENG.
,,rcoY THESE woSDERFUL TWINS.
or.rreled So Seriously that They
Wanted to lie Cut Apart nut "'''
Prevented by Their Doctor.


-. NJ, soria Bunker. widow Of Eng Bunker,
ona Of the world-renowned siamese '"ins'
~oarIs % mind much Of the domestic history
Of these gentlemen and their isiniies' ooli-
poratively little Of which has ever lounu i'S
wav into print. which now comes u'ieo' i,oln
oro ,vbo lived in the neighborhood OF their
homes in the Old North State and VINO was
. nersonsl friend of the twins from ms
youth up. ,o,, n thu
CHANG and Eng were born IN 1911 IN the
| low lands of Siam. Of humble paren'aKe' anu
at an early age lost their father.
As soon as they were old enough 10 % Oh
( use 20 their widowed mother sne pu' 49,. s1 -
the ligbt work Of tending large hocA OF
| ducks which they used 20 carry out every
| morning in boat 20 q neignDoIlInR niai 81
,vbere the wild rice was plentiful. Ihere they
remained all day. and at night AZ s she J,ow-
ing # horn the ducks wovlo We. .I luz, DarS
! 10 the boat, crawl aboard, anu tnoH 'I0 WINS
would paddle them home. -,
! When the boys were probably, Twelve or
! thirteen wears Of age an English traveller
named Bunker happened that way, ana hiter
viewing them with amazement TOT stpu-
| lated consideration with their motuei Cd
tanned possession OF them.
Leaving the Fast shortly after. Mr. bunker
for several years exhibited the twins In every
part OF the known world, treating them with
great kindness and making money by theIn
wherever he went. until 1892. he had amassed
! a fortnDe. and tho twins being by this time OF
age he considerably gave them their Hee-
dom. with permission 20 adopt his name and
with enough ready cash 10 start lhem oOln-
This happened in Raleigh, \. c.. and the
Young men though they loved their protec-
Tor well loved freedom better; so, with
IL. Iffn
out 10 make their way alone ana vet 10
gether. While in Raleigh they heard some
telk regarding the excellent hunting 70 be
found in the mountainous part OF the state.
and wishing for little recreatOn' they
iourneyed TO the Piedmont section, Who're
they finally took up their residence ~ tue
house OF a well TODD farmer named / htes.
living in the county of Wilkes, situated al the
foot Of the Blue Ridge N ountalns and seventy
five miles west of Greensboro.
Farmer Yates was fond of the chase. Liy-
ing in good, Old-fashIoned style, with plenty
Of negroes and dogs. raising supplies OF an
kinds and surrounded by "a large family. he
took life easy and made 1t pleasant for the
twins who boarded with him FOR eonsid-
cradle time While there Eng Bunker be-
came Greatly attached 10 Miss Sallie Yates.
and Chang Bunker lost his heart 10 Miss
Adelaide
Some time between 1885 and 1910 double
marriage took place at the residence OF
Father-in-law Yates. and the twins COM
rnenced their married life on farm which
was in easy distance of their wives old home
stead.
Here they lived happily, farming part Of
the time and at intervals going on the road
with Barnum and others. returning home oc-
casiOnaiiy 10 their families md freside with
well-flled pockets But the farm on which
they lived did not suit the twins SO they
purchased about two thousand acres IN the
adjoining county Of Surrey, within three
miles of the then little village Of Mt. Airy, now
the terminus ~ the Cape rear ana 1aahlu
Valley railroad.
ON this estate they erected large, COM
Portable frame house. with all necessary out
buildings, and made many improvements.
Being OF a cheerful. kindly disposition. their
lives passed smoothly for many years. Whlle
several children were born 10 each wife.
Some Of the children were nearly grown
when one day. from some cause OF other,
sauabble ensued, In which the mothers took
part, and subsequently Chang and Eng. who.
being men Of spirit and courage. drew knives
and we're about 10 attack each other, when the
wives. seeing the danger, begged them q
desist
The twins ceased struggling, but decided
that they would then aud there be separated.
and at once sent TO Mt. Airy for their family
physician DR.. HOliingswOrtb, man with
quite a local reputation as a skillful surgeon.
He arrived with his instruments. and after
being told what was wanted. remarked:
Very well: Just get up on that table and
I'll fix you. but which would you prefer. that
/ should sever the flesh that connects you or
cut OF your heads? One Will produce much
about the same result as the other"
This brought the twins 10 their senses, for
they knew very we'll that the great surgeons
in London. Paris and New ork had decided
that it would be death TO separate them.
In n perplexity OF mind how 20 guard
4 la.a.a laall
twins called IN DR.. HOllingsworth and Messrs.
Gilmore and Rawley. OF BIT. Airy. as arbitrs-
tors.
These gentlemen. after revolving the prob
lem In their minds drew up a legal contract
whose principal provisions were that ont OF the
money owned by the twins q similar mansion
and like out-buildings as those which they
then owned should DO built on the large es-
tate about one mile from tue existing home
stead, that tho land should DO equally d.
| yided between the brothers by a competent
surveyor. that no transaction OF q business
nature should take place on these farms
between the two brothers: that the
family of Chang should live IN one house.
! while that of Eng should live in the
other And, while the wives occasionally
visited each other. II is worth noting that for
many years the children did not interchange
visits though they met at church or In the
village IL WAS also agreed that Eng should
i
folks. and that Chang who OF course. could
! not help being present.. shouid, during that
! time, remain passive. and not IN any way IN
terfere with the affairs Of Eng then Chang
should spend three DAYS aud nights at his own
| house, Eng being during that time as mindful
of attending strictly 10 his own business and
not that OF his brother as Chang had been.
These provisions were accepted and reli-
| gi0usly observed by the brothers until death
! they alternating every three DAYS in their
visits TO their family. Indeed so particular
were they in not having business transactions
! with each other that if. for instance. Eng
needed corn for his cattle and Chang had IL
/ tor sale Eng never once limited at buying
| from his brother
And again. as sometimes happened if one
! brother received an invitation 20 dinner or
/ tea the other would of course 20. but upon
/ leaving would remark 10 the host: Il will pay
my visit 10 you at some future time"
Allusion has been made 10 the cheerful dis
/ position of the twins. They were lively and
very fond of joke and several might be re-
/ lated did space permit. Two will suffice. On
| one occasion while driving through the neigh
! borh0od IN q buggy. they were thrown out.
resulting in one being badly bruised while
/ the other escaped without a scratch.
IL then became necessary tor the injured
| twin 10 remain In bed for week. and. of
course. his brother had TO do likewise. ex-
/ planning u O friend who called % see them
1 that lie staid there TO look after his brofber