The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-07
HAS A HORN ON HIS HEAD.
wIIIiamstown Negro Has Grown = Protu-
berancs Like hat of n Unicorn.
=

Dcr&nCe LIKE nat ot N Ohtcofh
From the Springfield Republican.
There is one thing about Abe Bunter
(nee Parsons), the old colored man now
in the South Williamson poorhouse, that
isn't shrouded in mythical darkness, and
that is his head. Abe may not be much on
clothes and general seductiveness OF face
or form. but he has undoubtedly the mob
best head in North America. This is rec
ognized by all medical authorities who
have seen him. Just at the top OF where
his forehead used to be before age made
its extensions of II rises a mob as large
as a pigeons egg. directly where II will
be of use as a horn. II is to this knob
and the general thickness of his skull
that Abe owes his principal fame. The
great work of his life has been as a bun
ter" and the tricks he has done in this
way are many and wonderful. Unfortu-
nately, many are made doubtful by Abe's
tendency to fiction. but enough remain TO
Justify the reputation he has gained. One
that has many times unquestionably been
performed is the breaking o two-inch
planks on his head. Abes own method of
doing this is peculiar. Though not tall.
he is a very powerful man, with arms
like a black Hercules and legs like an
ebony concert grand piano. Taking
board in both hands he holds II at arms
length and brings IL down with a crash
on the knob of his skull. The first blow Is
generally not enough to break It, but by
continued humping II finally gives way.
cracking across as II broken by the blows
from the blunt end OF an axe This per-
Torrance is varied at times by fastening
a plank at both ends and letting Abe
bunting II in the manner of a billy goat.
He plunges at IL with desperate earnest
ness and II general gives way at the first
blow.
One Northumberland instance of
Abes prowess is furnished by a party of
the jeunesse doree of White Oaks, who.
while INDUCING in a hard cider carouse
near the sawmill at Coles crossing. in
vited old Abe to be present at their gay
orgies and furnish amusement for the &C.
CASTOR. This amusement consisted of the
comparatively simple act of standing
still while they broke two-inch planks
over his knob. This wood-splitting. how
ever, soon became too much like work
and one festive youth, melted by the SER
pent which turks in the juice OF the apple,
smote Abe a perilous blow with the edge
of the plank and felled him to the ground.
Rising up slowly. the old man said:
Guess yo' let that slip that time. Fo'
God. yo' oughn't to be so careless; yo:
might hurt somebody some day" In this
case, however. beside suffering the dis
comfort of having his knob somewhat
peeled. old Abe seemed to have been I'M
injured
There are many other things told of the
old darby. which are more or less apocry-
phal. The most famous of these is the tale
of his smashing a grindstone. According
20 the commonly accepted version of this
Abe was promised that he could have a
hard old cheese II he could break IL with
his head. The cheese was in a sack. and
when Abe wasn't looking a smai grind
stone was substituted. which he attacked
with such vigor that II was badly frac-
tured. That some such trick was tried on
the old man there Is no doubt. and also
that he came out of the smash-up COM
paratively uninjuered. but there seems to
be considerable doubt as to whether IL
was not a drawn battle. with the grind
stone also remaining intact