|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stumpage Reports
|
|
|
|
|
|
Monday, September 22, 2003 :::
Both a Difficult and Revolting Undertaking
I've been having fun (and gettting paid) going through the old newspapers for the railroad company. I was a little disappointed in the Goldsboro newspaper "Ku Klux Kaleidoscope." It was actually less racist than a lot of the more mainstream papers of the time, the editors and writers seemed more concerned with temperance than any white supremacy stuff.
One article I did find in the "Raleigh Register," September 8, 1849, was so bizarre, I think it justifies a full transcription here:
A WONDERFUL DEFORMITY
A crowd of persons were gathered around a country wagon which was standing in front of the Farmers' Bank, on Monday afternoon, to look upon one of the most repulsive and remarkable instances of human malformation probably in existence. The unfortunate person is a young man from Rowan County, N.C., apparently about 21 or 22 years of age. We are unable to describe the deformities anatomically, and words can hardly convey an adequate idea of them. Instead of hands, the bones of his arms have forked out at the wrist, making a malformation at the termination of each arm resembling the letter V, on the ends of which are the usual appendages to fingers. We will not attempt to describe his nether limbs, as it would be both a difficult and revolting undertaking. The young man stated that his health was very good. What his motive was, in coming so far from home, we are unable to say.
::: posted by tom at 11:23 AM
|
|
|
|
