The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1899-12-16
BEATS ALL RECORDS,
A PROLIFIC FAMILY FOUND. in
PENNSYLVANIA.
Mother of s..Swartwood
Married Twenty-seven Years, Has
Twenty Living Children-Only Two
Sets Of Twins In All.

OoAAc, d., lS Iuc A4OInel VI lue Ad16CoS
family in the United States. Although
a comparatively young woman, being
only Al years old, she is the mother Of
twenty-five children, twenty of whom
are living. The youngest is only a 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 1t. Her
children are her greatest blessing, and,
singularly enough, they are all good,
obedient children, without the proven
bal black sheep among them Mrs.
Swartwood said: "My children are my
joy. Though 1 have. always had a
baby"-she laughed modestly-"and
sometimes two to look after, they
never seemed to be the trouble and
worry some babies are. My last lit
tie one seems more cute. and sweet than
any of the others, but I suppose all
babies seem interesting when they are
just born" . Mrs. Swartwood is a. re-
markedly we'll preserved. 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 has failed to be
blessed with a baby. These years were
1874, 1883, 1887, 1888 and 1896. But
two of them We're in succession, and in
the succeeding years twins were born.
OF the entire twenty-five children there
were but the two sets of twins, which
were born in 1889 and 1893. One Of
each set Of twins is dead. Mrs. Swart-
wood can recite the hour and day each
child was born. Regarding her mar
ried life Mrs. Swartwood talked:freely.
81 was married when 1 was Ia, years
old. 1 loved Will when I was "a girl,
and l wanted to. be married. Ever
since we have been very happy, and. /
would not change places with any rich
lady. Look at these children!:: Amt
they riches enough, and every n liv-
ing at home except the two girls that
got married. It's nice for father; and
to have them all here, although
it does crowd us up a bit. We haven't
got a big house, as you can see, and
every bit of the space is used. Walk
into the dining room there and look at
the table," 1t was a table to look at,
Of generous width and very long. 1t
bore plates and knives and forks for
twenty-five people. At intervals there
were great piles Of bread. cit keeps
me and the girls pretty busy looking
after the eating and washing for our
big family" resumed Mrs. Swartwood,
when I came out of the dining room.
Father makes about $40 a month and
the boys bring in about 800 a month,
and while we get along nicely we have
nothing to spare. We've given all the
children as good schooling as they can
get around here"
What do you think of married life?"
1 ventured to ask.
well, l ought to know, 1 guess.
Who was it said married.l life was one
long, sweet dream? Grover Cleveland,
wasn't it? Well, I agree with him.. 1t
has been to me-. Every woman should
get married, 1 think. l don't know
much about the new woman, but If she
don't believe in married life I 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 to me, and!
think God has been especially kind to
give me so many. Yes, sir, you can
put me down as believing in the mar
ried woman who believes in having
children"
Mr.. Swartwood, who is an engineer
on the Jersey City railroad, has been
receiving the congratulations Of his
fellow-workman for several days upon
his wife giving birth to the twenty
fifth child.