Chang and Eng Siamese. Inseparable life

In August 1869, Mark Twain wrote a short satirical story called “The Siamese Twins.” In it, the author described the lives of two conjoined twin brothers named Eng and Chang, using their story as a metaphor for the problems facing his nation after the civil war.

Inspired by their difficult fate and having met the brothers in person, Mark Twain wrote about their personal lives and the difficulties they had to overcome day after day. Using the example of two inextricably linked, but very different personalities, the author in a comical manner demonstrated the importance of the unity of people, which was so rarely seen in those difficult years.

The life of Chang and Eng was no less amazing than their nature. Born on May 11, 1811 in Siam (now known as Thailand), the twins told the world the story of their difficult fate, in particular how they were sold into a circus, where they toured as performers throughout America and the United Kingdom.

Wherever the twins appeared, they immediately became the object of everyone's attention. They managed to earn enough money to buy their freedom and acquire their own land. Chang and Eng married, had many children, and eventually became slave owners themselves.

If one day a British merchant had not accidentally noticed how the twins were swimming in their native fishing village 100 km from Bangkog, and had not become interested in buying them, Chang and Eng could have helped their family trade duck eggs and fish for the rest of their days. And then this physical condition would never have acquired the name “Siamese twins.”

Briton Robert Hunter saw their potential and bought the twins for 0, after which he transported them to Boston, Massachusetts. There, at the age of 17, Chang and Eng began touring with the circus under the pseudonym “Twin Siamese Boys” or “Conjoined Brothers” and became an instant sensation.

The brothers challenged all science about humanity. In those years, conjoined twins often lived only a couple of years, in rare cases decades, with many health problems. However, Chang and Eng performed for several hours in front of crowded circuses and theaters, performed various stunts and somersaults, played chess and performed other actions.

Although they were still slaves, the twins were generously rewarded for their hard work.

After saving enough money and working for many years in the United States, they were able to obtain full citizenship and in 1839 bought a 45-hectare farm in North Carolina, dreaming of finally living a normal life - as normal as possible. Three years later, Chang and Eng married sisters Adelaide Yates and Sarah Ann, who bore them 22 children (Eng had 12 heirs, and his brother 10).

At that time, North Carolina was a slave state, but according to the laws, the twins were treated as white people. This allowed the brothers to purchase 33 slaves who were supposed to work on their plantations and help their wives and children.

Some of Eng and Chang's many sons fought with the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, whose defeat ended their strong political aspirations as well as their wealth and fortune. The twins had to return to circus activities, but not as showmen - now the public saw them as old and ugly creatures.

Despite the difficulties and adversity, Chang and Eng managed to maintain their dignity - they never stole anything and were highly respected in their social circle. In 1874, Chang, who had recently started drinking, suffered a stroke and later died in his sleep.

Eng, who woke up next to his dead brother and was stunned by the realization that he would have to continue living connected to the deceased body, died only 3 hours later.

The incredible story of twins who gave their name to their condition and, despite all the hardships and adversity, found a way to lead a full life, still amazes millions of people around the world.

Perhaps the most famous pair of Siamese twins, from whom, in fact, this name was assigned to all such cases, were the Chinese Chang Bunker and Eng Bunker (1811-1874), born in Siam (modern Thailand). For many years they toured with Barnum's circus under the nickname "The Siamese Twins." Chang and Eng had fused chest cartilage. In modern conditions they could easily be separated.

The twins' father was Chinese, and their mother had mixed Chinese-Malay blood. Their names are often translated as "Left" and "Right", although in Thai this is the name for the green and ripe fruit of the local fruit.

The birth of twins joined at the waist became a sensation. Chang and Eng miraculously escaped death, since people (as in ancient times and the Middle Ages) considered their appearance marked by the seal of the devil. The King of Siam, when he learned of their birth, ordered the babies to be killed. But the mother did not abandon her children, and the king later changed his anger to mercy.

The boys quickly became accustomed to their unusual anatomical structure and learned to run, jump and swim. At the age of 14, they were seen by the British trader Robert HUNTER, who managed to convince their mother that their sons could achieve happiness only outside of Siam. It took another three years to obtain permission from the king for his subjects to leave the country. The mother actually leased the twins to Hunter for 2.5 years for $3,000, but received only $500 of the promised amount.

Since 1829, Hunter and his American partner Captain Abel COFFIN took Chang and Eng around America and England, staging almost every day four-hour unique performances in theaters and concert halls, when the twins first simply demonstrated their ability to walk, run, and also answered questions from the public .

Later they supplemented the show with gymnastics routines, carrying the heaviest person from the audience and a game like badminton. Earning an average of $1,000 a month, Hunter and Coffin paid Chang and Eng only $10, and two years later their earnings increased to $50.

The brothers were able to become independent only when they turned 21 and the contract expired. They continued to give shows on their own for seven years, until Dr. James CALLOWAY of North Carolina advised them to stop the arduous journey and take a good rest.

Heeding the advice, the brothers settled in the town of Wilkesboro and bought a farm. They received American citizenship, taking the surname Bunker. Acquaintance with the YTS sisters who lived next door led to Chang falling in love with the youngest, Adelaide.

But since he couldn’t get married alone because of the inevitable gossip that would arise about life as a threesome, Ang, willy-nilly, got together with his older sister, 18-year-old Sarah. The townspeople and the sisters' parents did not approve of the planned marriage. The brides' relatives agreed only when the brothers agreed to the risk of an operation to separate them. But then the sisters rebelled, and Chang and Eng were taken away literally from under the noses of the surgeons.

The double wedding took place in April 1843. Less than a year passed, and Sarah gave birth to a girl, and six days later, Chang and Adelaide’s daughter was born. A year later, everything happened again with an interval of 8 days. The brothers purchased a new home in Mount Airy, and the family grew in number regularly.

It became difficult to live in the same house with a horde of children; quarrels began to arise between the sisters, which led to problems in the relationship between the brothers. Soon they began to live in two houses: three days with Chang's wife, then three days with Eng's wife, and any whim of the owner of the house was law for the other.

To support the financial situation of the growing family (by 1860, Adelaide had seven children and Sarah nine), the brothers occasionally went on tour. There were 21 children in total - 11 children of Eng and 10 of Chang. And not a single twin.

The Civil War dealt a crushing blow to the brothers' well-being, after which their capital decreased sharply, not counting the loss of all the slaves they had (Eng, who during the division received less land but more slaves, suffered especially). The brothers had to go on tour to Europe, which was a great success. But while returning to America on the ship, Chang suffered a stroke that partially paralyzed the right half of his body.

Chang and Eng with their sons

With age, Siamese twins often accumulate mutual complaints and dissatisfaction with each other's behavior. Towards the end of his life, Chang Bunker began to drink heavily and make trouble, while his brother led a healthier lifestyle and condemned Chang.

Chang and Eng with their sons

Driven to despair, the brothers turned to the family doctor, demanding immediate separation surgery. The surgeon, after listening to them, calmly laid out the instruments and asked: “What do you prefer - that I cut the flesh connecting you or cut off both of your heads? The result will be the same."

The brothers' temperament was tamed. But the doctor promised to perform the operation if one of the twins died. Unfortunately, he was not there when Chang passed away. Eng, who had good health and was not ill, unlike his brother, survived him by only three hours.

Chang and Eng Bunker were born in 1811 in Siam, now Thailand. Their father was a fisherman, he was Thai, their mother was Chinese with a Malaysian touch. When the unusual babies were born, it caused a stir - the boys grew together in the chest area. There are stories that the locals immediately decided that in this way God had sent a curse to the people and were very afraid of the Bunker kids, and it was even decided to kill both of them, but the mother flatly refused, and soon the boys were granted mercy.

They were named Chang and Eng, and in 1829 they were already part of the show of the British Robert Hunter, who took the unusual twins around the world, making money from them. Later, when the contract ended, the Banker brothers continued to perform, working for themselves. They were known as Siamese twins, and it was this name that later became common to all conjoined twins, although, in fact, it only applied to Bunkers.

So, during their shows, the brothers stripped to the waist, showing the audience exactly how they grew together. They also answered questions, and over time they learned several acrobatic acts for the amusement of the audience.

At some point, they realized that they were tired of showing themselves, and they already had some savings, and the Bankers settled in North Carolina (Wilkesboro, North Carolina) - they bought land and slaves and began working as planters. Their plantation was simply called “Bunker”. They really wanted a normal, ordinary life, and in 1843 both brothers got married, their chosen ones were two sisters - Adelaide Yates, who became Chang's wife, and Sarah Anne Yates, who gave her hand and heart to Ang. It was said that their marital bedroom in the town of Traphill was equipped with a bed for four. Soon both sisters became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter, and a year later both gave birth again. Later they had to move to a larger house in Mount Airy, North Carolina.

It is known that family life for the four of them did not go smoothly - both sisters and brothers often quarreled. Chang turned out to be a drinker, while Eng did not like alcohol, but was addicted to poker. The solution they found later was as absurd as it was the only correct one. So, they divided the household and lived for three days in each half - three days with Chang and his wife, then the same with Eng’s family. And during these three days, one of them seemed to not exist at all, completely submitting to the will of the owner of the house. Their family, by the way, grew all the time - between them they eventually had 21 children, 10 of whom were born by Chang’s wife and 11 by Eng’s wife.

After the Civil War, during which the Bunker brothers lost a lot of property, they had to return to the show again - a large family needed money. However, this time they did not have much success - the Bankers were no longer young, and they could not manage to interest the capricious public. The last couple of years of their lives they quarreled incessantly, Chang was always especially hot-tempered and quarrelsome. When, in complete despair, the brothers turned to surgeons, they were denied surgery due to the extremely high risk. By the way, nowadays, separating Chang and Eng would not pose any difficulty for doctors - both brothers could get their own lives, but in the 19th century, medicine, alas, was not yet so strong.

Chang and Eng Bunker died on the same day, in January 1874. So, on the night of January 17, Chang suffered a stroke, and when Eng woke up in the morning, he found him dead. It was believed that Eng was completely healthy at that time, but three hours later he also died.

They were remembered as the Twins of Siam, or Siamese Twins, and this name still exists today - this is what many people call conjoined twins.

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On January 17, 1874, Chang and Eng Bunker, the most famous “Siamese twins” in the world, died, who, in addition, set a longevity record for “joined couples” - not quite 63 years.

Chang and Eng were born in 1811 in Siam (now Thailand), their bodies were connected at the sternum by a short tubular cartilaginous ligament. The attitude towards this kind of games of nature at that time and in that place was such that the king of Siam ordered the immediate death of the unfortunate twins, believing them to be marked with the seal of the devil. It took incredible maternal dedication and ingenuity to save the children's lives. The boys, meanwhile, contrary to neighbors’ and even doctors’ predictions, survived and adapted to their unimaginable situation, learning not only to walk and run, but even to jump and swim. The picture, of course, was impressive, and a certain enterprising British merchant Robert Hunter realized that income could be extracted from the extraordinary brothers.

Chang and Eng continued touring America and England for many years until they, having gone through many difficulties, accumulated some capital. Having settled in North Carolina, the brothers tried to arrange their personal lives and married the Yates sisters. At the same time, an ingenious, but obviously the only possible compromise was found: each family settled in a separate house, and the brothers lived alternately in one or the other, declaring it a rule for the “twin guest” to fulfill all the wishes of the “owner.” The marriages turned out to be large, and the life of the Bankers, considering the terrible conditions in which they were placed from birth, turned out to be quite acceptable.

Unfortunately, inseparable twins, who are anatomically almost one person, differed sharply in character, habits and attitudes, which gave rise to insoluble conflicts: one of them could not spit on the other and retire to his own life. Eng had to endure his brother’s drunkenness and outbursts of his immoderate anger, and when Chang suffered a stroke that immobilized the right half of his body, he had to endure with him all the difficulties associated with partial paralysis.

All their lives, Chang and Eng dreamed of an operation that would give each of them the desired freedom, but the risk of surgery was so great that carrying it out would be very similar to a deliberate double murder. The only doctor who promised to separate the twins in the only case if one of them died before the other was not nearby at the fateful moment. Only for three hours did Eng survive his suddenly deceased brother. They were 63 years old.

“Private Correspondent” begins publishing the “ZhZL” series about little-known facts of the life of unusual people with the incredible story of the twins Chang and Eng from Siam, born exactly 198 years ago with their bodies joined forever...

1811. Birth of a legend

In the small Siamese village of Melange, which is an hour's pace east of the royal residence in Samut Songkhram, Mother Nak could not give birth. The hut is completely dark, steam is billowing, and against the light it is difficult to discern the expression on the faces of the daughters, who spent the whole morning hauling rainwater from under the leaky roof. The younger ones, twins, smiled picturesquely (more likely at each other), and the middle one was ready to cry. The eldest and her father went to the muddy mouth of Mae Klong, where the fishing season for sea cuttings was in full swing in May. The midwife dressed up as if for a holiday: during the week of Vesak, Buddha's day, silks and incense were supposed to be taken out of chests, and giving birth this year was considered a good sign for Nak. All the time she drew strange signs on her big belly, understandable only to babies who did not want to be born. One day, hugging Nak’s belly and addressing the khwans (guardian spirits that reside in the head of every person, according to Thai mythology), she suddenly felt two pairs of small legs pressing against her forehead.

Nak, you're having twins again!

But for some reason Nak was silent in response. Everything in this place was alien to her, and she never knew what was her own, because her whole life had been spent on the river. Every time she went ashore, it was like she was watching a bad dream. Nak and her husband were not residents of these areas. They traveled down the Mekong to this area on their houseboat because of rumors of huge catches in Mae Klong.

On the night of May 11, Nak began having strong contractions, and by the morning she was ready to give birth. As soon as the first child was halfway out, the midwife realized that something was wrong: it was as if he was being held and pulled back into the womb by the second. The midwife threw off her silk cape and with enviable tenacity began to “persuade”: in a matter of minutes she managed to turn the second one so that he, like a cork, pushed out the first one and came out feet first.

Yinyan ( which means “twins” in Thai, literally - Earth-Moon)! The Han people brought a bad omen! - the midwife screamed and almost dropped the twins, who resembled a strange, overgrown fruit.

The babies seemed completely healthy. But their bodies were firmly attached to each other like a rigid cartilaginous ligament just above the abdomen.

Albinos in Tanzania live in constant fear for their lives. Local shamans pay for their blood, eyes and other body parts, which are used in pagan rituals. It is believed that a person who kills an albino gains special power by coming into contact with the other world. Despite the efforts of the authorities, it has not yet been possible to stop the wave of reprisals against citizens without pigmentation.

On the third day, the whole village gathered at Nak's mat to watch the boys hugging. Their heads were already shaved according to local custom. They were called simply: right and left. Chang and Eng. Someone shouted: “Look, the right one is smaller than the left one!” It sounded as if the babies were actually halves of a fruit: Eng the ripe one, and Chang the not so ripe one.

Suddenly the midwife appeared with bad news. Rumors about the birth of unrequited brothers quickly reached the king's palace in Songkhram, and now the whole family, under pain of execution by Chang and Eng, had to get out of Siam until the noise subsided. Papa T.I. grumbled, and Mama Nak was even happy about the changes.

1822. Journey to the West
It was not difficult to sell duck eggs at the market; the buyer came in droves to look at the local landmark. Their father died six years ago from cholera, which wiped out the fishermen along the river, and the boys had to seriously help the family. The only bad thing: Chang distracted Eng all the time due to his complete restlessness. He alternated between teasing the cats and throwing rocks, while Eng diligently worked with the clients. The ligament connecting the boys itched terribly from the Tibetan ointment, but it became flexible and mobile. This made it possible to skip along the street, climb an elephant on your own, row and even swim. Regular exercises helped the brothers stretch the ligament up to half a meter, which allowed them to live, at least without looking at each other's faces.

One day, while splashing around in the river, Chang and Eng noticed a stately farang in a uniform and a pith helmet sailing past in a boat and desperately gesticulating at them. It was Abel Coffin, captain of the British trade mission, walking in the vicinity of the royal palace in Samut Songkhram. He had heard a lot about the boys from the king himself and was glad that he found them so soon. Coffin asked the brothers to do a couple dance and gave each one a baht so that they would not have any disagreements. The clayey shore did not add grace, but the fate of the duo was decided. A day later they danced at a reception for Rama III, at the instigation of the head of the mission, Scotsman Robert Hunter.

The Thais rather hate them for their Chinese origin, which is why cholera and other disasters were attributed to them,” Hunter whispered to Coffin. - I need to talk to my mother. In this country, quick destruction awaits these wonderful children of God. Not from illness, but from the hand of a superstitious fool. I think the amount shouldn't be more than a thousand pounds. I ask you, Abel, think carefully about gifts to the king of Pra-Nanklao, this genius of commerce, perhaps this will contribute to a speedy resolution of our issue.

However, the King of Siam did not want to hear anything about the boys leaving with the mission that year and left them at court for three years. He loved to bargain, it was not for nothing that the Chinese called him “taipa”, in our understanding - a huckster, a huckster. Hunter had to put one and a half thousand pounds into the treasury and wait for royal favor. It is known that thanks to Hunter’s efforts, Mother Nack still received 250 pounds; the remainder of the sum, as well as numerous gifts from the British trade mission, remained in the royal palace. And finally, six months before the appointed date, in the summer of 1825, Hunter received official permission and was able to take Chang and Eng to Boston.

1829. Tourists
Looking at the world of divided people, the twins reasoned at length: Chang considered people inferior, only half-formed, and Eng - divided, but free. The boys grew up. The differences between them also grew. They absorbed the world around them like a sponge, but each experienced it differently. When Eng read Shakespeare, Chang was filled with a vague desire to cry - and he immediately took a sip of the bottle. Eng was angry, but he took a bite. Chang was talkative and joked, which annoyed Eng, but he always tried to put up with his brother. They spent their first years on countless tours across America and Europe: they had the opportunity to perform in front of both the British Queen and the Russian Tsar. They were taken to the stage in a cage, like wild animals, and then released to perform some tricks and communicate with the public. One day, Eng helped Chang drag the fattest spectator to the orchestra pit... But he stopped him, not allowing him to make a cruel joke.

Chang and Eng then played badminton, waltzing gracefully as the shuttlecock fluttered through the air. The crowd cheered. Coffin and Hunter earned a thousand dollars a month, paying a measly ten dollars to Eng and Chang. Chang quietly hated Coffin because he rented a first-class cabin during tours and threw the boys who brought him money into the hold with the slaves. Ang could not stand the crowd's squeamish voyeurism and the slippery, piercing glances. Back home in Siam, people never looked at him in such a way that he felt like some kind of oyster.

Moving to each city began with a humiliating medical examination by the local medical guild. Detailed medical reports in the newspapers created a full house for speeches. Here is one of them: “Doctor A. tickled Chang, he did not feel anything, since he was not afraid of tickling, but Eng, on the contrary, fidgeted. The integrity of the parasympathetic nervous system is evident!” What follows is a long and uninteresting discussion in official language.

One could have gotten used to these tricks, but Chang and Eng had their own plans: to get better conditions, save money and quickly get away from Coffin. Although it cannot be said that they were especially unlucky, because these were the usual conditions and relationships of that time. Their fate could have been much worse - careless owners could have simply drowned them like kittens and sold their bodies to the Kunstkamera. In addition, Coffin was a deeply religious man. He constantly forced the boys to study the scriptures, thereby steadily increasing their cultural level and knowledge of the language. Seeing the twins' dissatisfaction, Coffin increased the fee fivefold, but it was too late. It’s too late because the boys had reached adulthood by that time and decided not to renew the contract.

Chang and Eng became famous on both sides of the Atlantic, newspapers wrote about them, interviewed them and published their letters. One day, the then-famous entrepreneur Phineas Taylor Barnum, who ran a whole circus of human deformities, came on the trail of the twins. Lucas's Chewbacca comes from this zoo. Barnum knew everyone in this world: from presidents and kings to writers and inventors. His extraordinarily large nose was constantly sniffing out new ways to make money and make friends. Chang did not like him even more than the musketeer-like Coffin, but Eng managed, after much bickering, to successfully complete the negotiations.

Once at one of the dinner parties, Barnum introduced the guys to a funny, curly-haired jovial fellow in a wide-brimmed hat. Chang stared at the luxurious lacquered calabash pipe and froze, and Eng, on the contrary, out of habit, extended his left hand to the stranger (Chang always offered his right).

Do you want to try? - after these words, the phone immediately ended up in Eng’s hand. He shrugged his shoulders and handed it to his brother, but its other end turned out to be unexpectedly hot for Chang, and soon Mr. Twain’s pipe (as it turned out later) safely sank into the tureen.

Mark Twain was very pleased with his new acquaintance. He later wrote about the twins:

“The closeness that binds brothers is so great and beautiful that the feelings, impulses and emotional disturbances of one are immediately transferred to the other. When one is unhealthy, the other is also unhealthy; when one hurts, the other too; As soon as one gets angry, the other will immediately flare up. But here’s the problem: Chang is an ardent opponent of any intemperance, Eng is the complete opposite of him, because if all the feelings and moods of these people are so closely connected, their mental abilities remained independent, each thinks for himself.”

Apparently, he never fully figured out which of them was which.

1834. The Last Show
Traveling with Barnum's circus continued for seven long years with the fabulous success of the enterprise: in the first half of the 19th century, a crisis in the entertainment genre reigned in society (vaudeville and operetta would appear much later), and Barnum's project had practically no natural competitors.

Eng argued with his brother more and more often. Chang was overcome by fatigue and sadness, and he began to drink. The guys needed a new life, in a new place, and very soon they found it.

During a circus tour in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, they met an acquaintance, Dr. Calloway, who had examined them there five years earlier. The doctor noted Chang's unhealthy skin color and enlarged liver and suggested that the tour players stay in Wilkesboro for the holidays.

Chang and Eng were shaking in the carriage, dressed in luxurious black jackets, sewn six months ago in Paris. Eng habitually put a pillow on his shoulder, as Chang’s head was dangling drunkenly on the bumps. The cab was accompanied by the village children and screamed at the top of their lungs: “Freaks!”, swallowing roadside dust without any remorse.

Dr. Calloway is dressed too formally, not in Southern fashion, as if he were the twins' new impresario. All the time he tapped his cane on the lock of his bag; the knocking stopped only at those moments when the doctor himself spoke.

So you have 10 thousand, which is a whole thousand acres, a big house and a hundred people on the plantation. But for that you need a name, don't you? More precisely, you already have a name, you need to obtain citizenship, and for this you will have to borrow a real American surname from somewhere.

History is silent about how exactly Chang and Eng received the surname Bunker. It’s possible they made it up themselves, or it’s also possible that Calloway suggested some acquaintances from New York who happily adopted the twins.

Wilkesboro looks several times smaller than Samut Songkhram. A nondescript Presbyterian church without a bell tower, a narrow hotel annex with a reception, part-time beer hall, a small village store, whose assortment fit in one window. The town looks slightly yellowed - everything here is covered with a thick layer of cloying tobacco pollen. The people greet the Bankers as their heroes. This is where their last performance takes place.

1843. Siamese family
None of the brothers knew that in little Wilkesboro they would find the women of their dreams and settle here for the rest of their days. The wife of a Virginia minister, Yates, ran the hostel where the Bunkers stayed during their indefinite leave. There they first saw her daughter, Adelaide Yates, and fell in love with her, as expected, at first sight. Chang's leisurely courtship continued for several years, and Eng suffered silently all this time. Mark Twain could not help but note this episode in the life of the Bankers:

“Both fell in love with the same one. Everyone tried to arrange a date with her in secret from her brother, but he always appeared at the most inopportune moment. Gradually, to his despair, Ang began to realize that the girl had a preference for Chang, and from that day on he had to witness their gentle cooing. But with boundless generosity, which did him honor, he submitted to his fate and even supported and encouraged his brother, although it was very difficult for him himself. Every evening, from seven to two in the morning, he sat, involuntarily listening to the love nonsense of a tender couple and to the sounds of kisses that they generously lavished on each other - but for the happiness of kissing this girl at least once, he would gladly give his right hand "

Eng had to give his left hand to Adelaide's older sister, eighteen-year-old Sarah Ann Yates. This was the only viable option so that the structure of the Bankers’ family happiness would not simply fall apart. But it wasn't an easy decision for Eng. At some point, he was ready for a separation operation and persuaded Chang to secretly run away from everyone to a famous doctor in Philadelphia. The doctor, having carefully examined the ligament, spread his hands, but Eng was persistent. The doctor, taking advantage of the delay, telegraphed an SOS to his colleague Calloway in Wilkesboro. The next day, Addie and Sally, accompanied by Calloway, were in Philadelphia and threw the Bunkers into complete hysterics.

Addie and Sally were sisters, the confidentiality of the relationship in the union of four was ensured. The parents were against the marriage, but easily relented when they learned that the Bankers had bought a five-story apartment building a few miles east of Wilkesboro, and had even opened a store in the city.

And all because a demographic catastrophe looms over the Land of the Rising Sun. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is sounding the alarm - the latest study showed that in November 2008, more than a third of married men and women under the age of 50 had not had sex.

The main attraction of the estate in the Hunter Hills, where the Bankers lived with their wives, a wide bed, became cramped within a year, despite the gossip of the neighbors. They were sure that the Bankers would have no offspring. But exactly nine months after the wedding, Ang and Sally had a daughter. Six days later, Chang and Addie's baby girl was born. The overall score years later looked like this: 12:10. After several years of living together, it became clear to the sisters that it was time to share the household, and the four-bed bed did not suit them from the very beginning. The Bankers built two separate houses a mile apart in a neighboring county, where they soon moved. In a new place, in the White Plains, the sisters arranged a scheduled life for the twins, in which there would be no room for the same feuds and bad habits (Eng's poker and Chang's whiskey): from now on, the brothers moved between their wives' houses every three days. The second goal of the sisters was to legally divide the common household. On the seventh day, the Bankers took a break from their wives in a small hunting lodge, indulging in their favorite activities.

The brothers confidently developed the farm; in commercial transactions they were always partners, and they had no equal. Each of them could fully vouch for the other. The bankers worked for four people, skillfully felled trees, and tamed wild horses. There is a known case when the brothers killed a wolf named Bobtail, who was terrorizing the entire area.

The Civil War greatly damaged the Banker estate. After the redistribution of property and the dissolution of slaves, their income decreased threefold. By the end of the war, Chang's assets were valued at $6,700 and Eng's at only $2,600. But the Bankers did not lose heart. They always had proven ways to support the family budget through exhibitions; Barnum's circus flourished all these years.

1874. The end of history
Returning from a European tour in 1870, Chang suffered a stroke due to alcoholism. Eng fell into depression, because the paralyzed right half of his brother now weighed heavily on him, and Chang became even more irritable. Once, in a fit of anger, he threatened Eng with a knife, after which the brothers once again visited the family doctor, Dr. Joseph, asking for immediate separation. Dr. Joseph suggested that the Bankers, as a preventive measure, cut off their heads and swap them in places, perhaps this way it would be possible to cure their violent insanity.

This joke kept them alive for another four years. In January 1874, on Thursday, when the brothers routinely moved from Sally’s house to Addie’s house, Chang, as if suffering from pneumonia, complained of coughing and shortness of breath. Traveling in the cold in an open carriage played a deadly role, and Chang died quietly on the night from Friday to Saturday. This happened in a dream, Eng was tormented by nightmares, and when he woke up, he called his son to check on Uncle Chang just in case. Chang was completely cold and did not wake up.

When Sally ran into the bedroom, Ang completely lost control of himself. He writhed in horror, realizing that his time was about to strike, and no tears could console him. In the end, Eng cuddled up to his brother and stopped responding. Doctors were never able to determine the cause of his death.