The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-08-12
SIX TOES TO A FOOT.
Farming Community Remarkable for
General Freak of Nature.

-
General Freak of Nature.
On the line between Lincoln and Sag
adahoc counties is a settlement OF
thrifty farming folks who have q pecu-
liarity which is but little known out
side, says a Bangor (Me.) correspond
ent Of the New York Herald. 1t Is not
visible and a stranger might go there
year In and year out without ever dis
covering that they were any different
from ordinary persons in a farming
community. They are peculiar for the
number of people in the settlement who
have six toes on each foot, one more
than they really ought to have and one
more on each foot than they are enti-
tied TO.
The six-toe belt lies partly in the
town Of Dresden in Lincoln County and
partly in Woolwich in Sagadahoc Coun-
ty. Just how many people there are
who have more than their share Of toes
in that vicinity would be hard to say,
but there is quite a number, and the
way in which they came By them Is
mystery in the first place, although
there are number of traditions as to
how it happened.
Like many country districts, the peo-
pie have been born, brought up. set
tied on farms in the vicinity and mar
ried into each others families until
time has produced q number Of six toed
people In comparatively small COM
munity.
The settlement is an ordinary coun-
try place. in which is a store or two,
postoffice and a grange hall which
serves as a meeting place for all social
occasions which are held in the homes
Of the people of the vicinity.
Rather than being benefit to them,
the extra toe Is somewhat Of an Attic
ton in number of ways, especially in
getting shoes to fit them, for no shoe
maker has yet ventured to manufacture
sons. So much OF bother has this
been to some of the people that they
have submitted to surgical treatment
and had the offensive sixth member re-
moved. that they might wear shoes
much the same as others.
At time, several years ago, when It
was all the rage to wear the extreme
pointed toed shoes these people were In
a sorry plight. To crowd six toes into
a shoe with a capacity for three, but in
| which vain man often crowded five,
was too much for these people. They
were fairly ostracized from being in the
| fashionable swim by the freak Of ma
ture which put them out of the run
ming. Being possessed Of sound sense
they submitted to the inevitable and
waited until their five-toed brethren
had become crippled by the freak styles
and then they were In the swim again
with broad-toed shoes.
How it happened that this colony of
six-toed people settled In this place is
hard to explain. Tradition has 1t that
some man of several generations ago
settled in that vicinity, and while ~
work in the woods split toe with an
lax, and, instead of adhering the two
| parts separated and in the course of
time as the generations passed the
sixth toe made its appearance In a more
perfect form. This theory does not find
many ready believers among the people
there, who have given up accounting
| for it.
The sixth toe is an offshoot from tho
little toe of the ordinary foot 1t is
perfect In shape. although 1t Is not al
| xvavs in alignment with the other FIVE
toes Of the foot. For this reason 1t 10
troublesome, and becomes more 90 a.
the people advance in years.