Year: 1874

We last week recorded tho death at
Mount Airy, n. G., on the 17th inst, OF
Chang and Eng, the famous Siameso
Twins. The twins were born at small
village on the coast of Siam in the year
1911. Their parents got their living by fish
ing, and, until 1899 when Eng and Chang
were brought to the United States, they
made their living by selling shell fish.
Their mother bore II children. At one
time she gave birth 10 three and never less
than two. But none of these children were
deformed. The twins were united at the
anterior part of the chest by a prolongation
Of a kind OF fleshy band the size the hand.
This band OF flesh was about two inches
broad and four inches thick. The whole
mass was tough and capable of being con-
siderably extended. One could whisper in
the ear of one of them without the other
hearing; while volatile salts applied TO the
nOstrils OF one had no effect upon the other;
and while pinching the arm of one excited
no sensation in the other, still if one but
stuck pin in the exact vertical center Of
this connecting link both would finch
from the hurt. The twins were seldom OBJ
served 10 converse with each other They
played a good game of draughts, made
pretty much the same moves, and at the
same time, and frequently played against
each other.


After attracting a vast amount of atten-
tion among scientists and psychologists in
the old world they married two sisters, and
settled, down near Salisbury, n. c., on
well-stocked plantation. In addition they
had at one period ample funds invested
through their agent in New York. During
the war they continued to reside on their
plantation, and lived IN the same quiet and
harmony as ever, until some few years af-
terward. OF course, no one ever thought
Of drafting them, and their negroes pros
pered. w hen out of temper from anv
cause, ii was apt to work itsaif or IN strik-
ing the first ono ahdt came 10 hand, from
which the best escape was to keep out of
the way. The brothers probably never
would have had any difficulty, but that
their wives though sisters, turned away
their hearts, and children were the cause of
this arrangement. Up to the period that
each had five children all prospered well
enough but one Of them had sixth, and
this awoke envy and jealousy to such an
extent that the twin-sisters, not being
bound together like the brothers,
would no longer live under the same roof.


The brothers were about 54 years of age,
but one, the smaller and feebler of the two,
looked about ten years oder than the 9TH
er. They could turn either back to back or
face to face. but that is as far as the remark
able bond that united them permitted. Ii
has always been considered almost certain
that, should either die, the other could not
long survive, as there was an artery as
large as the iemoral artery connecting them.
\ few years since, they corresponded with
some of the leading surgical operators in
London, as to the possibility of the UNI
bilious being cut, so that in the case of the
dea tn Of the one, the life of the other might
be saved. Al the request or the London
surgeon, they visited that city, and many
experiments were tried TO determine the
safety Of such an operation. Among other
things, n ligaiure was tied firmly for a few
minutes around the cOunection between
ihom. Ia prsvant tho circulation Of
blood through the artery. But it seemed
as if each would expire if this were persist
cd in. The smaller of the two tainted away
and lost all consciousness, and there were
symptoms that the same effect would fol-
low TO the other, but the process could not
be continued long enough without endan-
gcring the life Of him who was the first 10
faint Since the breaking out of the re-
bellion, the twins both dressed in the con
lederate gray, ana "ere both members of
the same church, having united with a
small Baptist church ntber neighborhood,
of which they we.e considered very worthy
members, though Lorn Samese.