The independent-reporter., 1910-09-22
TWENTY-ONE LIVING.
CHILDREN
Famous Dickey Family
of Canaan
Said He Did Find So Many Children
Hard to Bring Up.

hNhh6 hAs anu wi .. Vial lCb
l.. Dickey hold the undisputed worlds
record of having the most children.
The youngest child is about 6 months
old and the oldest twenty-seven years
old. The children have all been
born at single birth.
Mr.. and Mrs. Dickey live on cross
road In the little town of Canaan
about ten miles from Skowhegan with
thirteen of their twenty-one child
ren. Everything around them sug-
gests prosperity and their crops aver
age with any farmers In the town.
Nature seems to be as good to them
In raising potatoes and corn as she
in in producing babies for them.
A short time ago a visitor called
to see the wonderful family. After
looking over the children and re-
ceiving the warm welcome of Mr..
Dickey and seeing q young looking
woman in Mrs. Dickey. the caller
asked Mr.. Dickey IL he didn't find so
many children hard to bring up.
YES" reluctantly answered Mr..
Dickey, but" he reverently said,
God put man here to earn his liv-
ing by the sweat of his brow and
woman to bear children to her sor-
have to suffer here or hereafter We
never complain of anything that God
puts upon US to bear. believe
that God is using myself and Mrs
Dickey as examples to the world in
having us raise children that people
may see what God intended every
family to do. You can see the sys-
tenn of raising children Is the same
as our system in other things. One
man In this world has a lot of money,
another man has none | have
a large family of children where
others have none. The only
difference between me and John ID.
Rockefeller is that John d. Rockefel-
ler has all the money and | have all
the babies. Our system of things is
wrong"
You ask if find 1t hard to support
such large family" repeated Mr..
Dickey with twinkle in his eye. Il
shall have to say. Yes, 1t Is hard"
but at the same time Mr.. Dickey sur
veyed his thirteen children, as they
stood around the room, with fond
fatherly look. Il find 1t hard but
enjoy 1t. | love children. l not
only like my own children but l like
all good boys and girls. There has
never been time when my children
did not have enough to eat
by the way. Mr.. Dickey," asked
the caller, how much flour does 1t
take each year to feed your family?"
Fourteen barrels" said Mr.. Dick
ey.
How many potatoes?'
"A hundred and fifteen bushels"
How much wood do you burn In
a year?"
"Twenty-t three cords of good hard
wood"
IL tell you," spoke Mr.. Dickey in
proud way, 'it's quite a Job to
bring up large family and bring em
up right, but l want to tell you right
here that 1 have always been clear
anything have paid for it
without | swn two farms and
don't owe dollar to the world.
believe IL | had Just once let my
Sell get D6niuu 1 never COulu nave
supported this family"
Mr.. Dickey Is a man small in sta
ture and about fifty-one years old
and has good natured look on his
face at all times. He Is very calm in
disposition and gentle in manner. He
appears to be as proud of his whole
family as IL he had only one child.
He says My wife and l never find
any fault with our station. We
take things as they come. God never
puts upon us anything that we can
not endure"
Mrs. Dickey is a good looking wo-
man at the age of 43. She does not
bear the look of having raised a
large family. She has always done
her housework with but very little
help.
Mr.. Dickey was asked how Mrs.
Dickey enjoyed having SO many child
rem. He said she never complained.
"She stands whatever Is put upon
her.
Mr.. Dickey likes to talk about his
family. He said not one Of them had
bad habits. They do not use tobac-
co In any form nor do they use IL
quor."
The following Is list Of the child
rem: Mrs. Mae Bowman, Canaan;
Mrs. Ada Kicker, Pittsfleld; Arthur
Dickey Santa Rosa, CAL; Mrs. Maude
Chase, Benton; Mrs. Blossom Brooks,
Augusta; Miss Nina Dickey, Portland;
Elwin Dickey .Pittsfield; Mrs. F. Moore,
Clinton; Everett. Merritt. Lena, Mar
garet, Charlie. Jy., Effie, Mildred,
Ivan. Floyd, Airline. Theodore, Jessie,
and Baby Dickey all at home in Ca
naan.
The oldest son Is minister In Cali
ifornia. The youngest child Is a daugh-
ter, there being thirteen daughters and
eight sons. Mr. and Mrs. Dickey are
the grand parents of seven children.
The town of Canaan has to main
tain a school In the "Dickey District"
30 called, for the Dickey children and
much sport Ia derived from hearing
the teacher call the roll She has
been known to call the name Of Dickey
fifteen times each morning. 1t is
usually Dickey at the head of a
class and perforce 1t must be Dick
ey at the foot.
Mr.. and Mrs. Dickey have had con-
gratulaions from Ex-president
Roosevelt and there haves been peo-
pie. from many states who have visit
ed this wonderful family. Mr.. and
Mrs. Dickey expect to have the twen-
ty-ffth child and no one dares to as