Year: 1879

@ Phlladcphla Times


Tile story which came all the way
from Arkansas the other day about 4
negro whose black body was gradually
but pcrccptibly becoming white, thus
making q long delayed but affirmative
answer to the Scriptural question OF the
Prophet jeremiah, seems to have found
Il fellow in this end OF the World-NeW
Jersey. The Western story styled the
phenomenon "the greatest wonder OF
the age Egg lIarbor, noted for grapes
and watermeluns, has just another such
freak of nature as that OF an Ethlo-
plan who can change his SKIN. She
was in her early youth very black, but
This Mrs. Emeretta Bowling, about
twentv-eight years old, is living with
her husband in that wine growing com
niunity of Germans that have made
the sandy soil of the Jersey blossom as
a rose. She lives about two miles from
the station, and although very retlrent
about the remarkable change which
she has undergone, yet she answers all
uucstions asked of her with courtesy.
In general appearance she is rather be-
low the average height, of slight figure,
with large brown eyes, mouth some
what large, and large full lips, after the
manner of her race. Her cheek bones
are of the African cast, protruding, but
well rounded For a person OF her
race the general outline of her features
would be considered somewhat uniform
and regular, though her face is rather
square. Her hair has reversed the
natural order of things and changed
from gray to coal black, though it WAS


in her girlhood black and clispy. The
first glimpse OF her was 10y the light of
a bon fire of brush in the rear yard, but
from here, after some persuasion, she
reluctantly removed to an inner apart
tiOns OF her visitor of yesterday.


On the other side of the room was her
hrotler--black, as she WAS formerly, and
apparently elatcd with his white sister
and profuse in his description of her
changed condition. At the table was
seated the family, consisting of Il father
and three children, proud to relate the
manner in which the mother of the
household was thus peculiarly favored
in her white estate. Mrs. Bowling was
Of negro parentage, born black-a color
which she retained until the age of
fourteen years. This phenomenon of
nature then made its first appearance
Oh the back of her neck in perfectly
white spots; thence it extended to the
back Of her hand, whence for nearly a
dozen years it gradually continued to
oyerSpread her entire person in every
direction, each spot being about the
size OF Il copper penny and so close to-
gether as to almost entirely eradicate
the blackness which once distinguished
her. There is now on her body but one
narrow black stripe about the lower lip
and one also about the neck, both cover
ing not two square inches. These
stripes are in such striking contrast
with the common whiteness as to look
like sores, for which they are almost
always taken.


She spoke of enjoying almost perfect
health during her entire life, and the
cause or nature Of this wonderful trans
formation is us unknown to her as it is
to her many physicians, who have attri-
buted it to affections of the liver, blood
and kidneys, ailments of which she has
not the slightest conception. She de-
clines to make an exhibition of herself
and has several times refused liberal
offers to travel with showmen.