Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 August 1883 — The Biggest Foot on Earth. [ARTICLE]

The Biggest Foot on Earth.

Jf.there is anything.pn, earth xyliiclx contributes to make a handsome woman proud it is pretty feet. An infinite amount of misery is caused by the ladies endeavoring to crowd a No. 4 ■ foot into a No. 2 shoe, and a great: many of the masculine gender suffer with corns because the covering of their pedal extremities fits too much. | A woman with a big foot is inclined to be unhappy, but what must be the sorrow of Fannie Mills, who resides two miles east of this city. She has the biggest feet in the world so far as known, and they are still growing. The poor girl is a marvelous curiosity, and only those who have seen her ponderous feet would ever believe they are so immense. Fannie Mills is 22 years old, and resides on the dairy farm of her father, George Mills, two miles from Sandusky. The family are English, and emigrated to this country eleven years ago. The father is well-to-do, and makes a good living from the sale of milk. Mrs. Mills is a small, keenlooking woman with a pleasing face. There are five children besides the unfortunate Fanny,all of whom are healthy and good-looking. The deformed girl‘ for her feet are very imperfect, is afflicted with elephantiasis from the hips to the ankle. Her head, shoulders and bust, are normal, although she is slightly built. Fannie has a plain but interesting face. Her dark, large eyes possess considerable expression, and there is a sad look upon her countenance which shows that she fully appreciates her deplorable condition. The right foot is 1 foot 6 inches in length, and the left 1 inch shorter. ’Over the instep of the right foot is 21 inches, and over the other 1 inch less. The big toe of the left foot is 11 inches in circumference. The right foot is longer than the left by an inch, but the latter is heavier and thicker. The feet are respectively 7 and 8 inches wide. From this actual measurement of Fannie Mills’ feet one can readily imagine what marvelously large shoes she must wear. The left shoe is 16| inches long, the right 18 inches in length. The left 7} inches wide, and the other 8 inches. The right instep of the shoe measures 19J inches, the left 171 inches. Fannie Mills weighs 109 pounds, and, although delicate-looking, says she has good health. It takes two calf-hides to make her a pair of shoes, and aM her vitality goes to sustain her massive limbs and feet. The girl had usually large feet when she was born, and they have continued to grow alarmingly fast ever since. The cause of the malformation is said to arise from the fact that before Fannie was boro Mr. Mills compelled his wife to wash the swelled leg of a horse, very much to her horror and disgust. The young woman is without doubt a great curiosity —her feet a marvelous freak of nature.— Sandusky {Ohio) letter.