The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-05-17
REMARKABLE TWINS.
TWO WOMEN so NEAR ALIKE AS
TO DECEIVE THEIR HUSBANDS.

field. Mass, Have Had Lots of Fun in
Their Lives Because of Their aRsat Re-
CONFERENCE.-The. coombs' Story.
Similarity in facial appearance has Of
ten resulted IN mistaken identity with
the subjects of this sketch, Mrs. Levi T.
Coombs and Mrs. Josiah Turner.
These estiraable women are twins;
their maiden names were Frances AFRO
cite and Fiorella Anbeinette Foss. 1t
viii be observed that their initials were
the same, the middle name being be-
slowed on the promise of pearl neck
lace for each.
The Foss twins were the daughters Of
DR.. Simeon Foss, Maine physician of
the old school and Mason of high de-
gree. They were born in Belfast, Me-,
Nov. 90, 1926. Frances made her debut
In this world half an hour before her sis
ter.
At Paris Hill they went to school with
the late Hannibal Hamlin. ex-vice presi-
dent of the United States.
Frances married the late Levi T.
Coombs, who held the position of deputy
sheriff of Androscoggin county, in the
town of lisbon, twenty-one years.
Florella married Josiah Turner, now
dead, who also lived in the town of Lis
bon. Both have been school teachers
and inseparable companions. Their
neither died when they were 2115 years
of age.
1t is difficult to distinguish one from
the other, and the photographer who
took their pictures persisted that Flo
rella had just been in the room when, In
fact, it was her sister who had been
there.
Frances has given birth to six chill
dren, all of whom are dead but two
Walter Coornbs, of this city, and Simon
Coo1nbs, now mail agent on the Maine
Central railroad.
Mrs. John Staples, of Charlestown,
and Charles e. Turner, of Lawrence,
are the only living children of Florella,
who had three in all.
The height of the twins is exactly the
same, and twelve years ago they weighed
just 200 pounds apiece.
Singularly, when enc would fall away
in weight the other would do the same.
Their aggregate weight at present is $50
pounds.
These duplicate sisters think alike, act
alike and have never adopted different
characteristics of dress to avoid mis-
takes of identity. Often one has worn
the others shoes, while years ago their
money came from one pocketbook, and
it did not matter which one carried it.
Mistaken identity was almost daily
occurrence with us in our younger
days." remarked Frances few days
ago. "My father always called rs girls
and neither of us ever addressed the
other by our given names. We called
each other sister instead.
1.-The reason why father never ad-
dressed us by our given names was due
to the fact that he was always uncertain
which was which.
"After we were married people ad-
dressed me by my sisters new name so
often that declare got puzzled my
self once, and couldn't for the life of me
tG71 WAc1AcA 4Iy AaiAo was uG hSI w
COMBS.
1--WE took our first ride on a railway
train at eighteen years Of age. We never
had seen the cars before. At that time
we were living in Lisbon and drove
down from there in a.chaise to Portland.
When we alighted at Saco the depot
closely resembled the one in Portland,
and l stuck to it that it went with US.
Zone time in church Judge Chamber
lin was sitting in ny sisters pew. Ny
seat was just ahead of him. When l
came in he misseok me for my sister,
and politely arose and stepped into the
aisle to let me into my sisters seat.
MY husband often mistook my sister
for myself To Illustrate how easily he
was fooled, will recall the time when
dropped into my husbands store to
pay him call. Judge Chamberlin sat
there, and / knew him well, but my Sis
ter didn't.
"As l entered leisurely my husband
said, Come III, Mrs. Turner, and be
seated kept astraight face as Iongas
l could until he had introduced me to
the Judge, when smile ON my face let
the cat out of the bag, and then my
husband discovered that he had intro
duced his wife instead of Mrs. Turner.
when we lived in Minot we studied
French under Parson jones. One day
had perfect lesson and sister did not
know hers. We shifted around, and
the parson mistOok me for sister and l
recited the lesson for her and no one was
the wiser.
1--WE used to attend parties In my
younger days, and on one occasion, when
the fellows come in after the girls,
started off with sisters fellow and got
quite piece with him before told him
he was mistaken and had better go back
after his girl
.4Once atdusk Mr.. Coombs was going
on the other side of the street and
thought it was l. FloreHa had a bun
die under her arm which he mistsok for
a baby. My husband thought It strange
that | was ont at that time with usy
baby. and said TO a clerk that he be
lieved Frances was crazy and going 70
drown that bsky.
Il used to fool my children sometimes
after they had got to be quite large.
Whenever / wanted 20 go away my SIS
ter would come over 70 my house. put
On one Of nay dresses ard stay with the
chIadren tai got back. and they wonld |
not know the difference. "-SprHgEe |
Cor. Boston Globe