The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1892-06-09
THE SIAMESE
TWINS.
INTERESTING ACCOUNT OF
THE DOMESTIC LIFE OF
CHANG AND ENG.
THEIR HONES and FAMILIES.
Richmond Dispatch j

The recent death near Mt AIRY,
n. c., of Mrs. Sallie Bunker, widow
of Eng Bunker, one of the world
renowned Siamese twins, recalls to
mind much of the domestic history
of these gentlemen and the.2 iaml-
lies, but comparatively little OF
which has ever found it's way into
print, and which now comes direct
from one who lived in the neigh
borhood of their homes in the Old
North State. and who was a persO-
nal friend of the twins flon his
youth up.
Chang and Eng were born IN the
year 1911, in the lowlands of Siam,
of humble parentage, and at AZ
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 tend
ing a large flock Of ducks, which
they used to carry out every morn
ing in a boat to a ighbOrlng
marsh, where tie wild rice was
plentiful; there they renamed all
day and at night, at the blowing OF
a horn, the ducks would waddle
back to the boat, crawl aboard and
then the twins would paddle them
home. When the boys were proba-
bly, II or 13 years of age an English
traveller named Bunker happened
! that way, Sand, after viewing them
with amazement, for "a stipulated
| consideration with their mother,
obtained possession Of them
Leaving the East shortly after,
Mr. Bunker for several years ex-
hibIted the twins IN every part of
the known world, treating them
with great kindness and making
money by them where he went, un-
I'll in 1882 he had amassed fortune,
and the twins beiBg by this time OF
age, he considerably gave them
their freedom, with permission
to adopt his name, and With enoug ii
ready cash to start them comfOrta-
bly, IN life. This happened in
Raleigh, n. C.; and the young men,
though they loved their protector
well. loved freedOA better; so, with
a friendly parting on both sides,
they started out to make their way
alone-and yet together. " hist
in Raleigh they heard some talk
regarding tue 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 a well-tO 90 farmer named Yates,
living IN the County of " likes, sit
uattd ar tie foot Of tie Blue Ridge
mountains, ana seypntY-tiTe miles
west of Green's 0Oru'.
Farmer Yates was fond OF thu
chase. Living in good, old-fasb-
ioned style, with plenty of negroes
and dogs, raising supplies of all
kinds, and surrounded by large
family, he took life easy aud made
1t pleasant for the twins, who
boarded with him for a considerable
time. W hllst there Eng Bunker
became greatly attached to Miss
SalIie Yates and Chang Bunker lost
his heart to Miss Adelaide.
Some time between 1885 and
1910 double marriage took place
at the residence Of Father-in-Lau
Yates, and the twins commenced
their married life on a farm whlcf
was in easy distance Of their wives
old homestead Here they lived
happily, farming part of the tim,
and at intervals going on the roaC
with Barnum and Others, returning
home occasionally to their famIlie.
and firesides with well-fiIled pocket
bnt the farm on which they IlveC
did hot suit the twins, so the,
purchased about 1000 acres III tn,
adjoining county Of Surry, within
three miles of then the little vlllag
of Mt. Airy, now the terminus 0
the Cape Fear and Yadkin-Valle,
, railroad. On this estate they erect
: ed large, comfortable frame house
, with all necessary out buildings
, and made many improvements
: Being of a cheerful, kindly dispC
:. sltion, their lives passed smoothl
, for many years, whilst severs
, children we've born to each wife.
, Some OF the children were nearI
grown when one day, from som
= cause or other, squabble ensue
t in which the mothers took part an
: subsequently Chang and Eng, VIII
/ l.