The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1911-09-13

sans either hands or legs; in addi-
| ton he was only 20 inches high, All
these disadvantages Notwithstanding,
but probably on account of them. he
was eagerly sought after in the mat
rlmonlal market and married no few
er than four times, enriching the
world with eleven children.
This tiny man was musical genius
or no mean order, being proficient on
a variety of instruments ranging
from the flute to the bagpipes, hav-
ing by his own ingenuity invented a
means of overcoming his physical
drawbacks.
He was also an expert conjurer, a
good craftsman and a rapid writer.
A still smaller dwarf was Wybrand
Lolkes, the son of poor fisherman,
who was born at West Friesland in
1880. He became a matchmaker at
Rotterdam, showing more than usual
ability in his craft. He married a
woman of ordinary size, and they
had three children.
When he had reached his Goth
year he henceforth got his living, and
a good one, too, by turning himself
into a show. After making a good
collection of gold coins in his new
avocatiOn he eventually found his
way to London. Here he obtained
an engagement at Astleys Amphithe-
atre, but soon returned to his native
place, where he spent the remainder
OF his life in ease and comfort. At
no period of his earthly career did
Lolkes exceed Sc pounds in weight
or reach higher stature than feet
2 inches.
Though many of the famous
dwarfs of old times were accomplish
ed in various ways good looks were
generally wanting among them. An
exception, however, was the case of
Nine. Teresa, who was known as the
Cosican Fairy. She first saw the
light in Corsica in 1743. At the
age of 20 she was exhibited in Lon
| don, when she was one of the most
attractive beauties ever seen. With
perfect symmetry of person were
combined sweetness of temper and
a highly developed brain. In fact,
she was a perfect Liebig of charm
and culture, and eminent authorities
pronounced her to be the most won
derful specimen of human nature
that had appeared up to then.
She measured "a inches exactly,
and turned the scales at &c pounds.
She was giant in weight compared
with Nicholas Feny, better known as
Bebe, who at birth was inches long
and weighed II ounces. He never
attained a greater weight than eight
| pounds. When Is months old he
commenced to talk, and at the age
of two commenced to walk He was
sucked by a dwarf goat When he
was 20 inches high and five years old
he was adopted by King Stanislaus.
During his whole life Bebe's near
est approach to human reason can
only be described as human instinct.
At 81 he was quite an old man, and
when he died in 1864 he was 3 inch
es high and withered like a skeleton.
Bebe was not useful dwarf, as
was Richbourg. The latter, when
16 years old, was placed in the house
hold of the mother of King Louis
Philippe. He was only % inches
high, and was made very useful for
the transmission of dispatches.
/ Dressed up like a baby with valuable
and important documents concealed
in his garments he and his nurse car
ried out many delicate missions
which would have been possible by
no other means.
Among those in the service of the
late Sultan of Turkey, Abdul Hamid,
who found themselves without a Job
upon the abdication of the ruler was
the clever dwarf, Mehemmed Selim,
who stands % inches in his stock
ings. Mehemmed Selim is said to be
linguist of remarkable attachments
and a musician of no mean ability.
Among other dwarfs of interest
was Philetas, who acted as tutor to
Ptolemy Phoiladelphus, and who was
said to be so light as well as short
that he carried weights in his pockets
to prevent his being blown away.
Then there were Coropas and andre
mede, two tiny handmaidens of Jul
ia, niece of Augustus, each of whom
was but 20 inches high. Richebourg,
who died in Paris in 1858, was Just
one inch under two feet. Chevalier
Desseasan, who fourished at the COM
mencement of the reign of George
III, vain dwarf" and attracted to
himself no little attention. Alboni,
the first king of the Lombards, had
dwarf as prime minister, towit, Ber-
thold, who has been described as the
wittiest and the ugliest of the dimin-
utive humanity. George Romondo,
nicknamed the eccentric mimic"
had the Jewish race boldly inscribed
on his face, and in stature never ex-
ceeded 8 feet and inches.