The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-12-02
MOST UNIQUE FAMILY
In the World Resulted When Twins OF
Triplets Were Mixed.


Taylor's Falls IN. " Cor. Baltimore Sun.
There is a unique family living out on
a great farm on the Carondolet highway,
northeast of Pepperton-a family that de-
serves more than a passing notice.
Ninety years ago in Posen, Germany,
Frau Hertha Muesselman, wife of Halbert
Muesselman, gave birth to triplets-three
fine bouncing boys, strong and healthy,
who grew to manhood, pursued the even
tenor of their existence through middle
age and are easily and ioyfuly vending
Their way down life's decline without ever
having experienced days sickness or
any accident resulting in the breaking OF
a bone or other serious injury.
When the three boys were 10 years OIL
age their parents emigrated TO this coun-
try and settled near Pepperton on small
tract of land, and here on the day that
the young men-Jacob, Karl and Paul
were Is years of age, they were married to
three slsters-Anna Maria and Gertrude
Lamm, daughters of a farmer whose land
adjoined that of Mr.. Muesselman, and all
three married couples went to live in the
same house. a large building that was
once used as Il wayside hotel and STOOD
on the highway three miles from Pepper
ton Within a few weeks of tive years
later and with only two days intervening
between the first and last birth, the three
young Muesseman women all presented
their respective husbands with a pair or
twin boys apiece-six little boy babies
that all looked as much alike as did their
fathers, the Muesseman triplets, and all
of whom looked as much like their fathers
and uncles as il is possible for children
to do.
The young mothers were Immediately
filled with anxiety lest the children should
in some manner become mixed SO that it
would be impossible to tell one from an
other again, but instead of marking them
with ink so that no mistake would be pos
sible they depended upon marks offixed 10
the children's clothing, and one night
vicious nurse who had been notified thai
she would have to leave the house on the
following day went silently and swiftly
from room to room, and, gathering the SIX
babies all together in one place, sne
stripped them of every vestige of clothing,
burned the garments and then went away,
leaving any amount of trouble behind.
1t was n terrible shock to the three
mothers They were wholly unable to
form the least idea as to the identity or
the children. There was not single
mark of any kind by which one could
be told from the others. To every one
of the mothers it was almost as though
her twin boys had died and so great was
their grief, coming suddenly upon them
when their physical condition was such
that they We're ill prepared TO bear up
under it, that they all went into rapid
decline and within month from the
time the babies were changed the three
women had died and the three triplets
were left alone with the six mixed twins,
Unable to say which one was the father
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
inasmuch as they could not tell the chill
dren apart, they would keep them to-
gether as long as they could, and they
therefore, set up housekeeping in COM
mon, 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 20 years they
have continuously made their home on
the farm where they now live, except
that they have Travelled considerably to
foreign lands and In the most interesting
portions of our own country
The fathers at the age of 30 years
and the sons a. 70 now all look almost eX-
actly alike. all being entirely bald, with
long, white full boards flowing down
their breasts and inasmuch as the fa-
theirs are somewhat more rugged in
health than the sons, there is now scarce
ly the least difference in their appear
ance as to age and only 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 or
the fathers apart. They are progressive,
prosperous. happy, charitable, literary
people, a blessing to the community in
which they live. and in the perfect ac-
cord of their common lives they are a
model for all mankind of a cheerful. af-
fectionate family.