The sun., 1901-04-07
SOME NAME DEGENERATES.
The Result Of Generations Of Interma rri age
In Two Families.
From the Boston Daily Advertiser.

From the Boston Daily Advertiser.
Speaking OF degenerate families, one Maine
town. Brighton. In Somerset county. has been
forced TO take a step backward. aban jonei
its town charter and go back to the planta-
ton form Of government on account OF its
paupers. Two families there married and
ntcrmarried until they evolved such char
aCteristics as made them in reality "a tribe
There was score OF them and more, and
theTe are as many to-day. They live In a
lionel part OF the town. and resent all in
truson with great fury. Some time ago
lhe writer visited the place with an officer
and though this officer knew them well and
theY feared him. We were Obliged at last to
retreat precipitatey in order TO avoid an
attack As the most Of them are cretins
81 o.. lamentable type, the law could give VIC
lms ~ their assault little satisfaction, lie
who goe -among them does so at his own peril
Inc support of these paupers became 90
onrrGus that Brishton's purse could not
Residents were abandoning their farms
and moving away because they were taxed
somIch To support these persons who eyinced
a Truly aboriginal carelcssn"s- a. to whether
they worked or not. The State law provides
mat paupers living on a plantation shall be
supp"rted by the nearest town. and that the
town ,hall In turn be reimbursed by the State,
80 brighton appealed to the Legislature Of
Maine and was able 10 present such "A good
cas-" that II was allowed 10 60 back 10 plan
t"tion. Main" Is now supporting the tribe.
some tim" ago several of the men COM
lnltted such d"predatiOns on the Brighton
sh"ep that were paStured In back lots that
otlc"rs arrested them, after farmers had
repeatedly tried to shoot them in the act
OF carrying OIL sheep They were photo
Grnphed IN the jail a. vcritahle wild men
'lnr oi the cretinS was a man OF forty Years
OF age or more. and in his native fastness
wor" no clothes except Of the most rudi-
mcntary nature His body was entirely
covered with thick black hair. that afforded
protection from the weather lie had no
language except unntelhrille sounds Ills
strength was h"rcuean The other members
ol the community frequently yokcd him In
WIN seer or q COW, even and worked him
at the plow when they scratched the soil
Tor their sCanty gardens He worked will
lngly, and for that matter does now. for he
IS SUI. 4livG and hearty. Any museum. man;
nger VINO wants q iir~'-claSs ariirla Of wild
man can Ind him in tho plantation Of Brgh-
ton In northern Somerset
II wa- n" custom for some Of tho younger
members Of m" tribe to take jed" along
with ihom when they went on a Sheep-hunting
expedition jed was pushed ahead into the
nhhg"r mat, ," Couldn't appreciate The
others feared the bullets of the farmers who.
ait"r um", r9t 20 be romnrkahly on tho
alert Tho head Of the foraging party would
hid" behind a stone wall, point to the sheep
and saw to Jed Ma wants one Go bring
ANYTHING that VIA" wanted Jed would take
without fear or ~cruple He didn't realize
that 1t was stealing He was 50 agile that no
Farmer ever hit him. even when Jed had a
sheep IN hi7 arms
The only creature that jed really fears
IL woman a strange woman Forty vear=
old and giant In stature. ho will run from
woman as though she were the arch nend
His mother told me that many times tho man
would run for miles CRYING md hluhherinC
tll b" could find her and hide behind her after
he had met a woman
This trait makes jed an uncertain bcast NJ
burden to take down into Brighton village
The men OF the tribe oblice the women TO
come 10 town and ak for supplies There are
no horses IN the community and frequently
when bags Of 'lour or other heavy commodities
are 10 hn conveyed Jed Is hitched to a little
cart and utilized as motive power have
seen ono Of the old women come riding
plaCidlv into the village porched IN the cart
mn 4 driving led. who PLAYED horse, with
great deal Of enjoyment But if woman a'-
tempted T." come near him there was trouble
for IN" driver
lie never has boon willing 10 come inside
tn" store, Appearing 20 appreheni captivity
sine" h- Confinement. IN Jail Therefore
whom II iS necessary 10 leave him outside for
a time tho woman who has driven him in
usually tics rag over his eyoS and sets him
down on the store Platform In order that some
female may not stampede him
And vet not always j. lcd usod 70 tug the
the tribe, q sturdy old matron 7C years old
luSged a bag of corn three miles 10 tho grilt
mill, sackng II on her shoulders While II
was hcing ground She fried broad strip
Of ham in the mill stove and devourcd il
Then Ihe took the meal sack on her shoulders
and frudgcd back hom" That SIGHT at
tra"ted no especial attention In tho COM
munitv but II one Of the men IL tho tribe
had been Geon doing that the matter would
have been talked Of for n week II has heen
suggested that the state break m this la
moutahlo colony and prevent their inter
no Governors council has seen flt to tackle
rho situation