The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1896-11-10
FOLKS WITH VS..
a QUEER COMMUNITY IN WEST
EI:N NEW YORK.
Its Members Have Feet and Fingers
silSc Ea-ics' Talons-rhcy Arc
Intelligent and Thrlfty-A
Puzzle for Scientists.

thc Dhsy, Dustllng city oil Buffalo, there
live number OF strangely deformcd
people who are known in the vicinago
MS the claw-fingercd or aw-footed
tribe. As the appellation would in
dlcatc, these peculiar folks are afllict-
ed 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.
lcal title of the Valley of Zoar. The
title seems q misnomer, for there is
no Sodom or Gomorrah adjacent to
threathcn the destruction of the con-
tented villagers. Tho Valley of Zoar
Is located in one of the most pictur.
osque spots in the State, nesting, rs
1T does, in n hollow Of the heavily
wooded hills which form the thigh
banks" marking the siuuous course Of
the swift running waters of the Catta-
raugus River.
Here, in almost absolute seclusion,
the claw fingered tribe live and work,
without exciting special comment.
There are in the neighborhood of fifty
Individuals in tho community upon
whom the deformity appears. Think
what feast for dime museum mauag-
crs they must present. Yet they are
good, honest, law abiding, in lustri-
Gus citizens, who calmly pursue the
even tenor OF their why, happy and
contented In their frugal lot and sim
pie, old fashioned homes
The remarkable malformation ia not
confined to either sex, and is evident.
" of hereditary nature. The uufor.
tunates are perfectly formed men and
women otherwise, OF average intellect,
with tendency toward square jqwed
features and undersized stature.
Whence they came aud Mt what period
they settled in the vNliey is n mystery
which not even the oldest iuhabitant
can solve.
According to the legend, the found
or OF the family was named Joshua
Robbins, who came from New England
carly IN the century. In support of
this statement, the aged Indian showed
well worn powder horn of ancient
pattern with the above name roughly
cut in it's side. The Senecas at that
time Travelled Mt will through the
trockless wilds OF natures playground.
a band OF Indians had started on n
big hunt, when n snowstorm overlook
them and they encamped in the forest
on the north bank of the Cattaraugus,
below the lower limit of what is now
the reservation. Suddenly claw-fi fin.
navp1 ol .fDnTOI
upon weary, bedrGggled little pony,
rode into their midst, and fell ex-
haustcd at their feet. He was immo.
diately seized and bound.
When his popularity was discovered
the Indians quickly released him, be-
lieying that he was magician or
medicine man direct from the Great
Father. He WAS taken to the chief of
1he village, Dowango, who installed
MIN with great honors rs head medicine
nan of the tribe. For many years he
dwelt among them. and all sorts of
miraculous powers were attributed to
Arlactona, rs they called him.
| T. Oh his antecedents the Indians
learned nothing, though it was under.
stood that he had been Tilted by his
sweetheart because Of his deformity.
Being OF q sensitive nature, he had de.
termined to hide his misshappen
hands and feet in the solitude of the
wilderness, Finally he disappeared
from the Indian camp a3 suddenly as
he had appeared, and they knew him
no more. 1t is believed that be dis
covered community of pioneers, with
one OF whom he married and settled
III tho valley now called Zoar.
Whatever crodeuco may be placed
In the Indian tradition, certain it is
That tho claw fingered people have
been seen in the valley for three or
four generations. While they are not
ostracised socially by the rest of the
community, they arc loozed at ask.
auco by their mole fortunate neigh
bors, and q strong prejudice exists
| against them. In consequence, there
IS much intermarryinP, and this fact
may account Tor tho pprpetuution OF
The maiformation. There aro more
| shan half a dozen families Of Rob
"inses among the afflicted ones.
In some Instances, tGcir fu.crs
| curve IN, separately, Ike the claws of
! eagle others have tho digits crown
] ''''N '"t1 '.iiAHAg fAuA rUll iWu fuTNGI,
and some have been known to have
hands like stumps Of arms, short, thic',
| aud square ended. Sometimes only
one hand is affected, sometimes both.
Again, both hands and feet may bg
cIaw.llkc, or perhaps tho right hand
and left foot, or vice versa. Some
children, born Of claw fingered parents
arc normal and perfectly formed.
! These have, in some instances. married
other members OF tue community who
bore no relationship TO tho tribe.
/ Upon tho arrival OF their offspring they
have been shocked to find the mnIfor
nations Of tho grandparents in bnby's
| little piDks hands and feet.
The disease, # it may bo so cillol,
seems TO bo hereditary through
| either father or mother there being
/ apparently no rule TO the contrary.
| One of the strongest and etraugest
characteristics OF the dcformity is tho
unique prominence aud ifrcgulnrity
of the finger and toe joints. The liga.
lures between tho bones become
knotted aud hardened, losing their