Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 September 1898 — THREE JUMBO CHILDREN. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THREE JUMBO CHILDREN.

Combined Weight Io 30S Pound* and They Still Continue to Grow. St Louis claims the record for the fattest three children in the union. They are almost babies, as their combined ages are only 12 years and 9 months, but their eotabined weight is 305 pounds. They are the children of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Britt, of Bruno and Forest avenues, Benton suburb. There are seven children in the Britt family. Four are lean almost to gauntness; three are marvelously fat. The fat ones are all blue-eyed, fair-haired blondes of the most pronounced Saxon type; the others are black-eyed brunettes. Medical science has been stumped by these contradictory types in the same family. The assembly of the whole family is described as a most interesting and puzzling sight The enormous sizes of the youngsters of the fat division, contrasted with the ordinary dimensions of their brothers and sisters, furnish food for scientific thought Rullo Britt is the eldest of the fat ones. He tips the scales at a trifle better than 190 pounds in spite of his 9 years of age. But this is not the only

strange feature about the boy. Bertillon measurements have been take of him with the following results: Height, 4 feet 9% inches; chest, 48 inches; thigh, 44 inches; calf, 24 inches; biceps, 12% inches; forearm, 8% inches; wrist, 5% inches; head, diameter, 13,1-3 inches; neck, 8% inches. This is a pretty good record for a boy of nine summers, but "Walter, a baby of 3 years, weighs seventy-five pounds, while the Infant of 9 months is good for forty pounds. There is nothing about them to account for their exceptional dimensions. The parents are happy, cheerful people, rather past middle age and of only ordinary size. They were married in Canada twenty-one years ago and came to Missouri when their first born was very young. Willie is now 14 years, Annie is 12, Carrie is 7, and Irene is but 5. All of these last named are of usual sizes for their respective ages. Rollo weighs nearly twice as much as his elder brother and sister, Walter nearly as much as Annie, while the baby of 9 months has already overtaken Irene, 5 years old, and weighs now r just the same. At their births no evidence of their future fereatnesss was presented. Rollo weighed just eight and one-quarter pounds when he ivas born. But by the time he was 6 months old he began to wax fat and huge. Crying was not a part of his babyhood. He preferred to crow and laugh. In fact, his playmates say he actually laughed himself fat He is known about the hills of Benton as “Jumbo,” and is looked upon as the best-natured boy in America. He is a royal playmate and enjoys holding down a dozen children of his age. Walter Britt was born a twin and began life with only four and one-half pounds to his credit. His twin brother, Hddie, died when 5 weeks old. « Little Florence, the forty-pound baby, was only able to tip off six pounds when she was born, nine months ago. Yet the three continue to grow in size. Until lately the father paid but little heed to the children. Now he is fearful their great sizes will militate against thely future progress in life. He has consulted obesity specialists, but no physician who has been called upon has been able to suggest a remedy.

ROLLO, FLORENCE AND WALTER BRITT.