The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1911-01-24

NEW ORLEANS, Jan. "a
Lucio and Simplico Godino are the
most remarkable babies in. the
world.
They are twins, not quite three
years old and are our little brown
brothers from the Philippine ISL
ands.
OF course, there's nothing so
remarkable about that, but listen:
Nature has SO Joined the flesh
of these little fellows that even
the greatest of human surgeons
do not dare to part them.
Back to back they will have to
! go throughout their whole lives.
When one dies the other must OF
necessity follow him into eter-
nifty. Nature has SO decreed.
Doctors have discovered, by ad-
ministering copious doses of mag
nesia to both, that the twins have
onely one lower bowel between
ithem-that single organ per-
forms functions for both.
Otherwise the boys have sep
arate and distinct sets of organs.
A compact but somewhat elastic
mass of tissues joins them togeth-
er at the base of the spine.
Just like our everyday" twins,
the kind more or less common
throughout the whole country,
Lucio and Simplico play with
Jumping jacks, blow horns, hug
their dollies, and pound on toy
drums. They have learned to like
American toys.
They usually PLAY sitting on the
floor, as under the circumstances
they cannot use chairs. Loosely fit
ting dresses make them look mucn
like one big baby with two heads.
But indoor they discard most of
their clothing, and romp about
with much of their bodies exposed.
And just like ordinary twins,
they quarrel, fight. and go after
each other with little fists and
finger nails.
They both speak English as well
as American children of about
a little Spanish and German. But
of course they know Filipino best.
1t Is nothing unusual for Lucio
to be talking English while at the
same time Simplico will be speak
ing in another language.
At times when they are not both
wanting to play with the same toy
at the same time, Lucio and Sim
plico are very fond of each other
| and are good pIaymates.
| Of course, the one always fol-
lows the other about. When Lucio
wants to go anywhere he starts,
and Simplico is dragged along be-
hind. The feet of the one in the
rear barely touch the floor. The
one who gets off first is master
of the situation. They never con-
suit each other about walking.
Simplico is rather quiet and
somewhat reserved, while Lucio is
cratic and quick tempered. When
Lucio begins to get "het up" about
little difference of opinion and
shows a disposition to start some
thing, Simplico just gets up and
walks away; that keeps Lucio busy
trailing along behind and back
wards.
One of them had the measles
about four months ago, but the
other escaped. Sometimes white
one Is asleep the other is wide
awake playing with his toes. Nat
urally they sleep on their sides.
Both were vaccinated. 1t took"
on one only.
They were brought to America
in the vain hope that they might
be cut apart by skilled surgeons.
A clinic was held In this city few
days ago with number of
Americas best physicians in at
tendance. After a most thorough
examination it was the unanimous
decision that an operation which
would separate the babies would
be fatal to both.
The twins were born in Samar
island, in the Philippine archipel-
ago, of native parents. They were
found by ]. R.-Louis and M. A.
Clark, wealthy Americans living IN
the islands. Clark is the president
of the merchants association cf
Manila, and is said to be the rich
Nob mon III thO hiiipplucS.
The American protectors of the
twins say they will take the boys
around the world in the interest of
science, that they will be exhibited
before medical clinics In the great
hospitals of America and Europe,
and that under no circumstances
will they be exhibited in public.
The parents of the twins, who
are also in America now, were ut
first immensely proud of their cur
ious twins, and took great pleas
ure in showing them to strangers
who happened to visit the little
Filipino village. Later on, as the
parents became more civilized and
Americanized, they looked forwa ID
with great Joy to the separation of
tho children, but now that the sur
'Igeons have rendered their verdict
IIagainst attempting an operation,
both father and mother are once
more reconciled.
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