The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-29
MOTHER OF TWENTY-FIVE.
Mrs. swartwood Married Twenty-seven
Years Has Twenty Living Children.
I.... N. rk.Jod.Iok,o T,n,.s


Mrs Samuel Swartwood Of Wihesbarrc, Pa,
is the mother Of the largest family In the United
States Although a comparatively young wo-
man. being only II years old. she is the mother
Of twenty five children twenty OF whom liv-
ing. The youngest is only few days old, and
gives promise Of being. like his brothers and
sisters hale and hearty
To be the mother of twenty five children is no
mean achievement and Mrs. Swartwood is proud
Of IL Her children are her greatest blessing
and, singularly enough, they are all good, ODE
dent children, without the proverbial black sheep
among them. Mrs Swartwood said:
MY children are my Joy. Though have
always had baby-she laughed modcstly-
and sometimes two 10 look after they never
seemed TO be the trouble and worry some babies
are. My last little one seems more cute and
sweet than any of the others, but suppose all
babies seem interesting when they are just born. :"
Mrs Swartwood is a remarkably well-pre-
served woman. She was married when very
young, and her first baby was born fourteen
months after her marriage. There have been
but five. years since during which the household
years were 1874 1883, 1887, 1883 and 1895 but
two Of them were in succession, and in the sue
ceeding years twins were born
but the two sets of twins, which were born in
1889 and 1893 One of each set Of twins IS dead.
Mrs. Swnrtwood can recite the hour and day
walter was ouI first child" she said: "He
was married little over year ago He was
Sept 8, 1873 Then came Thaddeus. Jan. 8
1879; Maude, who is married 70 Charles Heslog
and sas one child Ian a. lse Cora March
Warren, March "a; 1881; Elsie. April q 1882
Ruth. Sept 20, 1886 Alonzo and Gertrude, the
first twins Jan 81, 1889; Gertrude Is dead; Elmer
June q. 1890 CALVIN. July 81 1891; Florence;
twins on Dec. 81, 1898 Earl, March 90 1885;
Jesse, May 3, 1896 Edith. June 8, 1897; Lottic,
Sept >. 1893 and our baby, which was born on
Regarding her, married life, Mrs. ,swartwood
nka S SG oy wGs viii mH TEsn when wis
and wanted to be married. Ever since, We have
been very happy; and would not change places
Look at these children, Amt they riches
enough and every one living at home except
the two gits that got married rs nice for father
crowd us up bit We haven't got a big house.
as you can see and every biz of the space is used
table"
!, was table to look at, of generous width
and very long. It bore plates and knives and
forks for twenty two people AT intervals were
at keeps me and the girls pretty busy looking
resumed Mrs Swar.wood when l came out of
the dining room. Father makes about $40 a
nOnlH. ana tnt boys DING III ABOUT SJU a mOntn,
and while get along nicely, have nothing
to spare We've given oil the children as good
schooling as they can get around here"
What do you think OF married life" | ventured
to ask.
Well ought to know. I guess Who was
II said married life one long. sweet dream?
Grover Cleveland, wasn't it, Well, l agree with
him II has been to me Every woman should
get married think. don't know much about
tho woman. but II she don't believe in married
life, don't want to know anything about her.
What's as happy as having children to love you
and you loving them?
None of my children has been a source of grief
trouble or anxiety 10 me, and think God has
been especially kind to give me many. Yes.
sir. you can put me down as believing in the mar
RED woman who believes in having child"rn"
Mr.. Swartwood who is engineer on the
Jersey Central Railroad, has been receiving the
congratulations Of his fellow workmen for sew
eral days upon his wife giving birth To the twenty
fifth child