The true Democrat., 1896-10-24
FVLkS w IIH CLA WS.
QUEER COMMUNITY IN WEST
ERN NEW YOEH.
Its Members Havo Feet and Fingers
Like Eagles ralOns-TheY Are
Intelligent and Thrifty
Puzzle for Scientists

Intelligent and Thrifty
Puzzle for Scientists +,
y N the Catteraugus River, near
the boundary between Erie
\ J and Cettsraugus Counties, N.
Y, scarce thirty miles from
the busy, bustling city of Buffalo, there
live number of strangely deformed
people who are known in the vicinage
as the claw.ingered or claw-footed
tribe. AS the appellaton would in
dictate, these peculiar folks are afflict-
cd with the oldest malformations Of
the extremities, causing their hands
and sometimes feet to more closely re-
semble the claws or talons OF some
huge bird of prey than the normal ex-
tremities Of human beings.
There are several families of these
queerly formed people living in the
scattered hamlet which bears the bib
lical title of the Valley Of Zoar. The
title seems a misnomer, for there is
no Sodom or Gomorrah adjacent to
threathen the destruction of the con-
tented villagers. The Valley of Zoar
is located in one Of the most pictur'
esque spots in the State, nesting, as
it does, in a hollow of the heavily
wooded hills which form the ''high
banks marking the sinuous course Of
the swift running waters of the Catta-
raugus Rivel.
Here, in almost absolute seclusion,
the claw-fngered tribe live and work,
without exciting special comment.
There are in the neighborhood Of fifty
individuals in the community upon
whom the doformity appears. Think
what feast for dime museum manag-
ers they must present! Yet they are
good, honest, law abiding, industri'
GUS citizens, who calmly pursue the
! even tenor Of their way, happy and
contented in their frugal lot and sim
pie, old fashioned homes.
: The remarkable malformation is moi
confined to either sex, and is evident
r ly of hereditary nature. The uufor
i tunates are perfectly formed men ant
n women otherwise, of average intellect
o with tendency toward square jawe(
features and understood stature
J Whence they came and ut what perio(
d they settled in the valley is myster,
q which not even the Oldest iuhabitan
:. can solve.
L. According to the legend, the found
II er of the family was named Joshu
:, ~ Robbins, who came from New Englan
- early in the century. In support q
v, this statement, the aged Indian shove
g q we'll worn powder horn of ancien
Or pattern with the above name roughl
y cut in its side. The Senecas at tina
time travelled at will through th
y 10 trackless wilds of natures playground
,o A band of Indians had started on
le big hunt, when snowstorm overtoo
an them and they encamped in the fore'
SO on the north bank Of the Cattaraugu'
below the lower limit of what is no
a the reservation. Suddenly a claw'tir
'e gered, claw.footed man, mounte
IN upon o weary, bedraggled little pom.
nd rode into their midst, and fell 9
g, hausted at their feet. He was imm
diately seized md bound.
an When his popularity was discovere
to tho Indians quickly released him, b
en- a lieviug that he was q magician
H. medicine man direct from the Gre
I,a he Father. He was taken to the chief 4
" the village, Dowango, who installe
II him with great honors as lead medicil
an man of the tribe. For many years
nix dwelt among them. and oil sorts
no miraculous powers we're attributed
=: Arlactona, as they called him.
~, H. Of his antecedents the India
~ learned nothing, though it was unae
aid stood that he had been Tilted by |
ar sweetheart because OF his deformit
af Being OF sensitive nature, he had {
termined to hide his misshapp
H. hands and feet in the solitude of t
re- e. wilderness. Finally he disappear
from the Indian camp a. suddenly
ian he had appeared, and they knew b
not no more. 1t is believed that be d
oct, covered a community of pioneers, W
He one of whom he marriott anil sett
ked in the valley now called Zoar.
AS Whatever credence may be pla<
10" in the Indian tradition, certain it
,s;- that the claw fingered people hi
en- been seen in the valley for three
out four generations. While they are
UGH ostracised socially by the rest of
the community, they are looked at q
ance by their mole fortunate nei
1ea1 = bors, and strong prejudice ex
oon against them. In consequence, th
~ is much intermarrying, and this
ting may account for the perpetuation
ave the malformation. There are M
the than half dozen families of r
NOR oinses among the afflicted once.
% for In some instances, their fine