The times., 1901-03-17
THE WILD MEN OF BoRNEo.
Ba arnum's Famous Two stiII in the
Land of the Living.
CFrom the Boston Transcript.) }

lfrom the Boston lranSCFfpl-)
Everybody has heard OF the Wild Men
of Borneo. Barnum and numberless years
Of circus, museum, and side-shOw have
made their names household words. They
have been SO long before the public that by
now they must be heavy with years; hence
there was no surprise when 1t was an
nounced, a short time ago, that one of
them was dead. Nevertheless, in spite OF
their age one Of them Is not dead. One of
: them Is seriously crippled. but still able TO
appear on the stage; and, in fact, both are
now spending their third year in the Euro
pean equivalent for dime museums. Henry
Warner. Of Crescent Street, Waitham, who
exhibited them for a long time, hears from
them every week. His son Is now in
charge OF them, for Mr.. Warner himself is
almost stone blind.
Though the two little wild men are
known widely throughout the country. it
may not be known so widely that their
home-to which they always return with
glee-is not ROrneo. but has been for
long time within few miles of Boston
at W estOn near the Lincoln line) and
then at Roberts, just above Waltham
AT Roberts, where the Warmers lived for
eight or ten years in Il house just be
meath q hill near the railroad station
everybody knows the two little men. To
Roberts people their squat and muscular
forms, their wiZencd yellow faces Gov
cred with a struggling growth of hair
and their long uHtldy locks are no strange
sight. The Warmers used 10 bring them
ther" for few weeks in the winter
museum engagements failed. They would
take the journey by rail in heavy wells
of cheese cloth (which would be removed
once they got OFF the train. and the little
men would ruin off to their home fun of
delight at the holiday. When their older
friends IN town came 10 see them the
Wild men would remember and greet
them with haudShakes They never
learned 10 talk. bat understood what Mr.
W arner SaId 10 them, and were very
quick 70 comprehend signs.
h.. -lr.. h.. bot I,.sr
ing for New England soil is based on good
reason; that they were born here. Of
Yankee parentage. but by some strange
freak of nature with the faces of old men
and uud"rsized bodies that developed ire
mendous strength with maturity. The
people OF Roberts, huWeVer-at all events
the younger Of them-belieVe implicitly in
the story of their capture by "od Cap
tain warner, who landed on the Island
of Boruco many years ago. they say. and
with his entire crew gave chase 10 the
little fellows.
Many are the tales of their prodigious
strength which the farmers of Lincoln
ana Roberts win tell one tall lank Yam
ket tnOW grey -bearded grandfather; his
muscles hardened BY a life in the OPEN.
in his plOwmau days became angered at
one of the dwarfish' wild men pranks,
and struck at him with the handle of Il
spade. The infuriatcd little fellow made
after him with his bare fists, and soon
had the ploWman at his mercy.
The two itttle wild men Cwho are so
tame that the children of Roberts nave
found them pleasant playmates) are now
OF great age: no one seems able 20 say
with authority how great only that II
must be nearly hundred years. The
surprising lifting feats which they used
TO do on the stage together they can no
longer do for one of them met his Wa
terlOo in a Boston museum. He used to
make speciality of lifting heavy men
who volunteered from the audience: he
would take a short running start tackle
low. and up would go the fat man, gasp
ing at the suddenness of his elevation.
Petite zone of the tWo) tried II some years
ago on large girthed Bostonian weighing
very near the 3O0-mark the fat man was
unnerved when he felt the tight clasp OF
Petitos muscular arms about his legs ana
wild man struggled for an instant and
then fell over the unwieldy mass of flesh
on top Of him. The injury was perma-
nent; he has never lifted another obesity
patient