Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 December 1889 — His Boots Are Number 16. [ARTICLE]

His Boots Are Number 16.

Mr. Arnold, of Thompson, is only sixteen years old, but he is over six feet tall and his feet are famous, writes a Connecticut correspondent. They are bigger than any other feet in Windham County, and perhaps in the New England States. Young Thompson stepped into Eli Tracy’s shoe shop at Central Village the other day and said he would like to have the shoeman make him a pair of boots. “AH right,” said Eli, “just put your foot on this measure, and I’ll get your size.” Thompson tried to do as he had been bidden, but found it impossible to comply with the request. Although Tracy slipped the marker out to the jumping off place on the measure, there was not nearly room enough to accommodate the young man’s extraordinary foot. “Well,” said he looking up aghast, “I never! You beat the record. What size boot do you usually wear ?” “Oh, generally I can get on sixteens,” replied the youth, with ingenious complacency, “but latterly they’ve pinched my feet some, and I guess I’ll take a size or two larger this time.” Tracy then made an approximate estimate of the big foot, and found that it cal! ed for a boot one inch and a half longer than his measure. “I can’t fill the bill for you,” said he, “for you take a boot bigger than any last that is made.” So young Thompson had to go away without hope, and he is in a dilemma. The prospect is that he will have to go unshod during the remainder of his life unless he can persuade some liberal-soled contractor to make a last especially for his use, which will be expensive. Thompson is not the only six-footer and big-footer in his family.