The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-06-28
A TINY MIDGET FOUND
MAY BE THE SMALLEST PERSON
IN THE WORLD.
Colored Girl, Two and Half Years
Old, Weighs Only Eight Pounds
Is Only 10 Inches in Heigrt-

Is Only 10 Inches in Heigrt-
ABOUT nineteen inches in height,
two and a half years old, weigh
ing exactly eight paunds, and par
ticularly strong and bright fof
child of her age, frankie May Ford
ham, little negress, living with her
parents at No. Z Heyward's Court,
is believed to be about the smallest
person in the world, with perhaps
one or two exceptions, says the Char
lesion News and Courier. The News
and Courier goes on to say:
The child is veritable marvel.
She was born Ill February 1909 be
ing the fourth child of Henry and
Kate Fordham, the husband being
navy yard employee. The first three
children, who were born away from
Charleston as the family has been
here only about a year, are hearty
and full sized; but it is the baby that
is the wonder Of the family. The
child is not deformity, but is prob
ably one of hemost perfectly form
ed negro children in the city
Nothing was known generally of
the midget's existence until Wednes-
day as efforts were made by the pa
rents to keep the fact of her dimin-
utive size secret, as they feared kid
mapping; but a reporter, having re-
ceived mysterious "tip'' in the form
Of an unsigned pencil-written letter,
visited the house Wednesday night
and marvelled at many things he saw.
He was met by the husband at the
front door of the house, wrich Is q
neat two-story affair, and was usher
ed into the bed room, where the
mother had the little girl in her night
gown, just ready to put her to bed.
AS the reporter entered the room.
the child, catching sight Of the fatn>
ex, exclaimed in sweet and child
ish voice, with perfect enunciation:
Hello, Papa"
The reporter glanced to see who it
was talking and really had trouble
in locating the owner. of the voice,
in locating the owner if the voice,
finally espying the tiny tot on the
floor. She was playing around in
high glee at the prospect of staying
up few minutes later than her reg
ular bedtime, and danced and sung
at a great rate; showing unusual pre-
cocity for a child of her age. Her
eyes which are dark brown, are eX-
.ceptionally clear and piercing, and
her hair is silky and rather long, abb
solutely unlike negro's. Yet she is
very dark, and had many of the ra-
cial characteristics.
The child weighed five pounds at
birth, and gained three pounds dur
ing the first six months of her life.
Since that time she has not taken on
an ounce, and several well known
doctors who have examined her, ac-
cording to the parents, have stated
that she will never gain another
inch in height or another three
pounds in weight. Her parents have
reconciled themselves to this, and
lavish their affection on the little
girl, who is ctrtain to make a friend
of everyone she meets. She dances
prettily, looks intelligent and talks
fluently, being able to string words
together into short sentences al
ready.
The parents state that they have
already received many offers from
vaudeville and side show managers.
some having already offered as high
as fifty dollars a week and transpor-
tation for the mother under a five
year contract. All these offers the
parents have turned down, hoping
for theI ultimate development of
their little one to her full stature,
although they have now become al
most certain that their hope is vain.
The father and mother now seem to
think that they will keep and edu-
cate the child until it reaches the age
of seven or eight years at least, be-
fore thinking of any vaudeville de-
parture.