The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-12-14
REMARKABLE CASE OF
THREE PAIR OF TWINS

on a great farm northeast of Shubert
in this county, family that deserves
more than passing notice.
Ninety years ago. in Posen. Ger
many, Frau Hernia Musselman was
delivered Of triplets. three fine,
bouncing boys, strong and healthy.
who grew up and ripened into man
hood. pursued the even tenor Of their
existence through middle age and are
easily and joyfuliy vending their way
down life's decline without ever ex-
periencing q days sickness, or any
accident resulting IL the breaking OF
a bone or other serious injury.
When the three boys were 10 years
of age their parents immigrated -
this country and settled near Pepper
ton, on a small tract of land, and here,
on the day that the young men, Jacob,
Karl and Paul, we're IS years Of aga.
they were married 90 three sisters,
Anna, Maria and Gertrude. daughters
OF a farmer whose land adjoined that
of Mr.. Musselman, and all three mar
ried couples went 10 live in the same
house, large building that was once
upon a time used as a wayside hotel
and stood on the highway three miles
from Pepperton. Within few weeks
of two years later. and with only two
days Intervening between the HTst
and the last birth, the three young
Musselman women all presented their
respective husbands with pair OF
twin boys, apiece. six little boys that
all loked as much alike as did their
fathers, the Musselman tripiets, and
all of them looked so much like their
fathers and uncles as It is possible
for children to do. The young moth
ers were Immediately fined with anx-
iety lest the children should in some
manner become mixed so that 1t would
be impossible to tell them one from
another again, but, instead o fmark-
ing them with ink, so that no mistake
would be possible. depended upon
marks affixed to the children's cloth
ing, and one night vicious nurse
who had been notified that she would
have to leave the house on the fol-
lowing day, went silently and swiftly
from room to room and, gathering the
six babies all together In one place,
she stripped them of every vestige or
of clothing, burned the garments and
then went away leaving any amount
of trouble behind.
II was terrible shock to the three
mothers. They we're wholly unable
to form the least idea as to the iden.
ity Of the children. There was not
single mark of any kind which one
could be told from the others To ev-
cry one of the mothers IL was almost
as though her twin boys had died and
so great was their grief, coming sud
denly upon them when their physical
condition was such that they were lily
prepared W Dedl up uhuci IT, ehut
they all went into rapid decline, and
within a month from the time the ba-
bies were changed the three mothers
had died and the three triplets were
left alone with tbf 81 mixed twins,
unable to say which one was the faith
err of what two children.
They solved the problem In the
cool, calm manner that has been
characteristic of their every act In
life and decided that, fnasmuch as
they could not tell the children apart
they would keep them together as
long as they could, and they there
fore set up housekeeping in common,
making no difference In the children
and soon coming to feel none, and not
to care to learn their identity.
And so they have lived ever since
and live today The triplets did not
marry again. and none of the six
twins ever married, but for the last
seventy years they have continuously
made their home on the farm where
they now live. except that they have
travelled considerably in foreign lands,
and in the most interesting portion
of our own country.
The fathers at the age of 80 years
and the sons at 10 now look almost
exactly alike all being entirely bald.
with long, white, full boards flowing
down their breasts. and inasmuch as
the fathers are somewhat more rug
ged in health than the sons, there Is
now scarcely the least difference in
their appearance as to age and only
a close observer can tell whether he
is looking at one of the three fathers
or one of the six sons. and no man
can tell the sons of the fathers apart.
They ara progressive, happy, chart
table, literary people, blessing TO
the community In which they live, and