Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1897-03-16
THE TALLEST BOY.
VIII Be Giant If He Keeps On
Growing


The biggest boy for his age IN th
, whole world lives at OA'ord, Warner
county, N. j.. His name is EdwarC
, Scharrer; he is 16 years old, and hi
height is already 6 feet % inches
without his shoes. If he should
keep on growing at the ordinary rate
from now until he is 20 years OLD
he would then be over feet in height
He believes that when he reaches that
age he will stand fully Z feet 4 inches.
1t is usually the case when phe-
nomenal growth takes place in child
hood the subject is physically a weak
ling. The tremendous strain upon
the vitality resulting from such un-
usual growth generally enfeeblos the
entire system; it amounts to dis
case, and is so regarded by physicians.
Scharrer, however, has never seen
a sick day in all his 16 years.
He is as strong and healthy as
a young animal and has an APP
petite commensurate to his size.
Just at present he weighs 100 pounds,
and is gaining at the rate of about a
pound a week. He is not at all ILL
proportional, and it is only in the boy
ishness of his face that his lack Of
years is noticeable. He has the
stride and carriage usual in man at
the age at which such height and
weight are not extraordinary
This phenomenon in the way of
growth is the youngest Of family of
eight children. Every one of his
brothers and sisters is of good height,
perfectly formed, bright and healthy
None Of them have developed any
signs of anything abnormal, and they
look upon their big brother with as
much astonishmenl as is felt by stran-
gers.
This extraordinary youth is, to his
fathers qualification, well fitted to
perform the work of stoutfarmhand
in every particular. There is no one
in the ncighborhood who can beat
him pitching hay, and when it comes
to breaking horse, his strength
makes him a master hand. In fact,
most of the tasks that are considered
onerous because of the strength re-
quired to perform them are child's
play to this overgrown boy.
Ordinary boys who grow up in this
way feel abashed at their own big
nessandratherill at ease, but Scharrer
says that the only sensation which has
impressed itself upon him in any way
is surprise.
Even as a baby he was unusually
large; by the time he had reached the
age of five years he was as tall and
well formed as the ordinary boy of 8,
and at 10 he had attained the growth
and general appearance of boy of
16.
Mentally, he is all that could be ex-
peeted Of a boy of his age. lie is
good student and has made the most
Of his rather limited opportunities for
education.
He says, indeed, that he proposes to
educate himself according to his size,
and if he should do this there is no
question of his becoming a learned
man.
The question Of calling in life is
not bothering Scharrer at all. He
says he was born farmer, and farm
er he will remain. Nothing else has
any attraction for him whatever; he
seems to have an Unborn love for the
soil.
Various efforts have been made to
induce the boy to become a museum
but, quite apart from the
fact that his parents object, hcis him
self strongly opposed to anything of
this sort, 81 do not know" he said,
"why | should exhibit myself to
other people. just because ! have
grown more than most people doesn't |
make me freak. Why should people |
want to pay money to see a tall boy? |
If anybody wants to look at me, let
him come down to Oxford, where l |
live, and I will stand up and he can
look till he is tired. don't see any |
reason why | shouldn't be allowed to |
stay at home like other people"
Unless, however, nature presently
calls halt, New Jersey bids fair to
furnish the legitimate successor to
Chang, the Chinese giant, and the
late lamented Capt. Bates.-St. Louis
Republic.