Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-01-28


Feet Longer Than Their Owners.
Valentine Tapely. Of Spencerberg.
Pike county, Missouri, has the longest
beard Of any living man. II measures
d feet 2 inches, and is still growing.
Mr.. Tapely Is wealthy farmer, a
prominent citizen, and man OF strong
mental characteristics. He INDUCES
a great deal in humor and sarcasm, but
his humor Is of such biting character
that perhaps II Is about as cutting AZ
his sarcasm. As consequence OF this
gift, he generally creates a sensation
on the witness stand In his many tits
with the lawyers, frequently getting
the better In the war of wit.
His father was born In North Caro-
lima, removed thence to Kentucky.
where he remained ten years, and
finally settled In q rich valley called
Buzzard ROost on the extreme north
western edge Of the land of Joe Bow
ers. There valentine the Long
Bearded" was born in 1881, and there
he lives to this day, tlliing his broad
acres and cultivating his enormous
whiskers. His complexion Is dark. He
Is Il heavy set man, five feet eight
inches In height,with very dark, bright
eyes. His hair was once black and
very thick. 1t Is not thin yer, bur Is
considerably dashed with silver. Beth
his beard and hair are coarse AMI brls,
tly. growing largely out of The fact
that he has spent his life principally
out OF doors. He is unusually strong
physically, enjoys splendid health,
comes Of Il long-lived family, and bids
fair to reach the century mark him-
self-by which time his beard viii
probably be twenty feet long. rs he
let it begin TO grow just thirty
years ago.
Mr.. Tapely Is n staunch Democrat in
politics, and leans toward the South
ern Methodists in religion. He han
dies his famous beard very tenderly,
dresses it with finest oil and combs it
with wooden comb made 10 order
for that identical purpose, the teeth be-
ing highly polished, perfectly smooth
and far apart. When his beard is not
being dressed, he carries 1t carefully
rolled up in a silk bag, concealed in his.
shirt bosom, so that stranger upon
casually meeting him would never
dream that he was in the presence OK
man who could make an independents
fortune out OF his whiskers. Mr.. Tape
ly frequently visits st. Louis and Chi
cago to sell his short-horn cattle, OF
xx.a f.I In. MI
OH such occasions, to have fun-.'mere-
ly that and nothing more"-he puts
his beard on exhibition to the aston
ishment Of all beholders and to the
special delight OF the small boy. On
one occasion in Chicago Mr.. Tapely
was followed along the streets by such
a throng of admiring people that traf-
tic was suspended until the police
could clear the way for pedestrians
and vehicles. 1t was after this exhi-
bition of his wealth of whiskers that
the proprietor Of museum offered Mr..
Tapely a salary greater than the Gov
ernor of Missouri receives to enter his.
service as the star attraction; but
Tapely, being well to do, refused that
tempting offer and all others Of like
character.
The astonishing fact remains to be
stated that the man possessing the Sec
ond longest beard in the world is Eli
jah Gates, who lives at Curryville, in
the same township Of Spencer in which
Mr.. Tapely lives, moves and has his
whiskers. Whether it Is the climate,
soil or water that has caused these
men to experience such a wondrOus
hlrsute growth is one Of the facts.
which no fellow Is likely to find out
soon. Mr.. Gates has for years COLI
Quoted large and thriving business
as merchant in the village Of Curry
vile on the G. & A. X. II. He was
born in Kentucky in 1885 and is a.
well-preserved, cheerful, affable gen.
tleman, prominent In all good works
in his neighborhOod. He Is a broad
shouldered, heavy set man about 8 feet
Z inches in stature and weighs about
$50 pounds. He is brunette, and his
beard, which Is now over eight feet
long, Is black as the ravens wing and
soft as silk. 1t Is growing rapidly, and
1t is thought that he will yet overtakc
Tapely, as his beard got later start
than Valentines. Perhaps the reason
why his Is finer is because he has spent
most Of his, life indoors. He gives his
whiskers about the same treatment
that Tapely gives his, and wears them
in the same manner, |. e., hidden in
his clothes.