Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-15
lN REILEWMA1 TlSM
TENNESSEE'S TALL MAN,
4 Negro Eight Feet Tall. Weight 15t
Pounds.

rounds.
From the New Orleans TimesDemocrat
1t is not generally known outside of CAL
latin. Tenn. and not many there are aware
OF 1t, that the tallest person In the world,
SO far as known, resides there However.
this is fact. This giant in stature is
Bud Rogan. colored. who possesses other
peculiarities equally as striking as his
height.
There are few people if any. travelling
through Ga:latin over the Louisville and
Nashville railroad for the past ten or
twelve years who have not been attracted
ly this human monstrosity. and fewer
still, after having seen him. fully realized
that they had seen one of the greatest liv-
ing wonders Of the age. Although Bud
has been constant visitor to all the trains
for years past, the passengers were not
aware that they were beholding man
eight feet tall, is he always remained in
little homemade wagon drawn by two
fuli-grown billy goats. On the arrival of
each train Bud and his goat wagon may
be seen at their usual place the east
side of the track and about fifty yards
north of the depot. This position places
him I'm fun view of the passengers, whose
attention is at once attracted by the pecu-
liar sight. They invariably alight from the
train and draw up closer to the prodigy,
to find that he is something they had never
seen before. In the first place, the wagon
and goats form an unusual sight, but the
giant-like appearance of ROGan and his
oddly constructed anatomy strike awe 10
the spectators. They generally question
Bud as to his history. which is incoher-
emily given them. as he is absolutely ignor-
ant. They ask him about his goats, his
wagon. his health. how long he has been
in his present condition, ETC., and not few
tell him of the fortunes he could make if
he tray 81 nh
graph. and nearly every one who sees and
interviews him gives him money in sums
ranging from , cents to 81. In this man.
ner Bud makes a good living, and some
days pockets quite large sum. While Ell
route TO the Tennessee centennial, the
Brooklyn excursionists' special stopped at
the depot here about five minutes. and, as
usual. Bud and his goats were there. 1t
was one of his special days. The crowd
was amazed over the curiosity. and before
they departed took up a collection About
$40 was contributed. which was one of the
best days in Buds business.
Aside from being eight feet tall Bud"
has a reach with each extended of
ninety-six inches. the greatest in the world.
and twenty-one inches more than FitZsim-
mons. His hands are each thirteen and
one-half inches in length, and his finger
rails about the size of a 25-cent piece.
He is almost a skeleton, yet he weighs 156
pounds.
But the most peculiar and attractive fea-
tires about him his feet. They are
eighteen inches in length. and are s large
around ordinary mans leg. No shoes
have ever been found that he could put on,
and in consequence he has to keep them
wrapped in blanket in cold weather. An
other strange thing connected with him is
that he cannot walk, step nor stand upon
his feet. his neither limbs being too small
and weak to support his own weight.
This wonder was born and reared in Gal
latin. and is about thirty years of age.
He was. up to a few years ago. able to go
about unaided. and could do as mucn man
uaI labor any other man. but for the
past ten years he has been unable to walk
o stand and his only means of locomotion
have been his goats. which are well train
ed and familiar institution of the town.
Bud makes a living, however. for himself
and aged mother by the strangers who
come through here making him donations.
If they should fail to give him 'skeet."
as the negroes term a nickel. Bud Will
remind them of their dereliction.
Rogan has what is known to the medical
men as acromegaly. a disease characterized
by the enlargem ent Of the bones, especially
of the hands, feet and face. The skin is
coarse. and has tendency to perspire, and
is accompanied by continual thirst. Cen
orally one thus afflicted has sense of
taste. smell or hearing, but Rogan is pos
sessed of all these. This disease was first
discovered in 1856 by a physician of Paris.
France, and only few cases are known
to the medical fraternity. No treatment
has ever been found to be of any value.
However. Roean is in good health and suf-
fers no pain He is an enormous eater, yet
never gains flesh
Everybody In this section knows Bud,
who is polite to all. On account of his ig-
norance and superstition, he has several
times refused good chances TO make big
money He has an idea that if he is taken
abroad he will be kidnapped, and thus he
declined an offer of a northern party 10
take him to the worlds fair He was Of
fered 80 per week. all expenses. and 80
FER cent of the net receipts. AT first he
agreed to go. and all arrangements were
made for the trip. but when the time came
he backed down. He did, however, consent
to- BE- carried to the Tennessee centennial
by Gallatin syndicate when ii first OPEN
ed. but for some cause he did not remain
long.