The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-01-16
By ELMO SCOTT WATSON

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vi u
Is (Which is Lindy?" Now
II check your answer with
III 81 this: The famous aviator
III 81 is shown in picture No. 1.
IL The young man in picture
III No. who so closely re-
sembleS the Lone Eagle"
is Diedrick Ramke, twenty-three years
old, who was graduated from Louisi-
ana State university last year. Not
only is he "Lindy's" double in appear
ance but also in courage, for despite
the fact that he is stone blind it could
not hinder him from his determina-
ton TO get an education and as re-
suit he ranked third in a class of 221
and was elected valedictorian by his
fellow-seniorS.
Now take a look at the lower two
pictures shown above and answer the
question, which is Buffalo Bill?"
Whether you answer mo. 3" or No.
f." you will be wrong for neither is
a picture of the famous scout, Indian
fighter and Wild West Snowman, de-
nile Cody so strongly as to be able to
pass for him among most people. No.
3 is Col. c. L. Alexander of Hastings,
Neb., an old-time stage-coach driver
and contemporary Of Codys. Now 4
is James Beitel, Civil war veteran
who is spending his last days in the
State Soldiers and Sailors home at
Sandusky, Ohio. Several years ago
Beitel attracted considerable attention
by his claim that he was friend of
Cody's and that he often substituted
for Buffalo Bill in the arena during
Cody's Wild West show career.
Interesting as are the above cases
there's nothing especially remarkable
about them for scientists tell us that
every one of us has a Troublesome
where. The only reason why that fact
is not more commonly known is that
our path, or the path Of our friends
who are likely to notice the striking
resemblance, doesn't always happen
to cross the path of our double so we
don't know of his existence.
To account for such doubles, Doctor
van Bemmelen, a professor at the
University of Groningen, Holland, has
advanced the theory that they are
blood relations, though the family
connection is often remote. In many
instances of striking resemblance
Doctor van Bemmelen established
common ancestry. He calculates that,
going back eight generations, a man
has 256 ancestors, and in 80 genera
tons 100000! Hence, there would
not be enough forebears to "go
around" unless many of US have the
same ancestors in common.
So it is entirely possible that this
young blind student may not only
resemble Lindbergh but may also be
a relative Of his-if you trace the an
cestry of both back far enough! One
popularity about the subject of
doubles is that they frequently occur
in two persons who have the same
calling or occupation. Such was the
case of William Heskett, a young
aviator in Ohio, who upon landing at
a strange airport about a year ago
received a royal welcome caused by
his resemblance to the famous flyer.
A similar instance was reported two
years ago in Connersville, Ind, which
was thrown into a furore of excite
ment at the news that "Lindy" was
visiting there. Who he really was is
told in the following press dispatch
sent out from that city at the time:
''The double is Philip de Vault of
Washington Court House, Ohio, who
has been out at Hollywood, Calf,
capitalizing his resemblance to the
famous aviator. De Vault, who was
here visiting his aunt, Mrs. Edward
Rector, exhibited cards bearing the
inscription Philip Uindy) de Vault,
motion picture double for Colonel
Lindbergh.'
HE said that when Lindbergh was
in Hollywood recently they sat to-
gether at a banquet and the resem-
blance was startling. When it was
called to Lindbergh's attention that
De Vault and his employers could
capitalize the striking similarity, the
famous colonel was said to have re-
piled: All right, I don't care how
they make the money as long as they
don't bother me-"
But perhaps the most interesting
case Of a double in which Lindbergh
is concerned is the striking resem-
blance between him and another trans
atlantic flyer, almost as famous as
he. Only here it's a case of man
and woman being doubles, for this
example of some one who '1ooks like
Indy" is Miss Amelia Earhart, some
times referred to as Lady Indy"
Following Lindbergh's rise to fame
and her own interest in aviation, Miss
Earhart's friends often commented on
her resemblance to the international
hero of the air, and this may have
acted as a stimulus to follow his flight.
If there is some connection between
ambition to be like some one else and
a physical resemblance between those