1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: Welcomed Aaron Mankey's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of I 2 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: Heart Radio and Grim and Mild. Our world is full 3 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: of the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, 4 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:21,639 Speaker 1: all of these amazing tales are right there on display, 5 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet 6 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:38,640 Speaker 1: of Curiosities. As we get older, our bodies start to 7 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:42,159 Speaker 1: change in new and interesting ways. But we might get taller, 8 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 1: or our hair Michael Gray, our voices might deepen, and 9 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:48,680 Speaker 1: we'll probably need to wear deodoranto every day. Me. I've 10 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 1: got this eyebrow hair, just one. It's like ten times 11 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 1: thicker than all the rest. And it's you know what, 12 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: never mind. All you need to know is that growing 13 00:00:56,680 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 1: up is all about change. But for one man, change 14 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 1: wasn't so normal. His body morphed in a way that 15 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 1: set him apart from everyone else, No bones about it. 16 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: Claude Ambrose Surat was born in Tis, France in sevente 17 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 1: Although his exact birth date remains unknown, he was believed 18 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 1: to have been born in early April. At the time 19 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:22,480 Speaker 1: of his birth, Sarah didn't display any evidence of problems, deformities, 20 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:27,680 Speaker 1: or disorders. He was a happy, healthy, bouncing baby boy. However, 21 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: as he got older, things changed. His chest started to 22 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:34,840 Speaker 1: cave in and his heart could be seen beating within. 23 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:38,160 Speaker 1: His arms and legs lost their mass, and although he 24 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:41,959 Speaker 1: was technically healthy, he was weaker than his fellow children. 25 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 1: His family had no record of inherited diseases, and there 26 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: was no explanation of why his body was seemingly wasting 27 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 1: away before everyone's eyes. By fourteen, he had lost most 28 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 1: of his body weight, His skin hung on spindly bones, 29 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 1: and his ribs protruded from his middle. Trust me, he 30 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 1: did not look well. By eighty five, Saratt was twenty 31 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 1: eight years old. He stood at five ft seven inches 32 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:10,680 Speaker 1: tall and weighed only seventy eight pounds. Today, male children 33 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: who are eleven years old should weigh an average of 34 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,919 Speaker 1: seventy eight point five pounds and be four point seven 35 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 1: feet tall. Sarat Rather was woefully underweight for his age. 36 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:23,240 Speaker 1: It was that same time when he traveled to England 37 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: for an exhibition at pall Mall. Pal Mall was a 38 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 1: street in central London that was home to numerous shops 39 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 1: and gentleman's clubs, and was also a major hub for 40 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaker 1: art During the nineteenth century, he was put on display 41 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:39,320 Speaker 1: at a Chinese gallery where visitors could gawk at his 42 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:43,639 Speaker 1: emaciated frame. One attendee, a man named William Hone, wrote 43 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: about Surat's extraordinary depression of the chest and his waist 44 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 1: like a wasps. Hone also described how the man eight, 45 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:55,720 Speaker 1: which involved breaking his food into small pieces and chewing 46 00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 1: them heavily to avoid choking. Sarat became a sensation known 47 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 1: as the living Skeleton. Upon his return to France, he 48 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 1: joined up with a traveling circus passing through Bordeaux in 49 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:10,520 Speaker 1: eighteen twenty six, he was employed as a sideshow entertainer, 50 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 1: although in those days he was unfortunately referred to as 51 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:17,359 Speaker 1: a freak. He performed for several more years with a 52 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:21,280 Speaker 1: circus before disappearing around eighteen thirty three. He was never 53 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 1: seen again. Rumor had it that he had gone back 54 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:27,080 Speaker 1: to London and spent his remaining time there before he died. 55 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: An art historian named Gilbert Richard Redgrave wrote in eighteen 56 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 1: sixty eight, I have not been able to ascertain the 57 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:37,680 Speaker 1: date of his death. Who knows whether the poor fellow 58 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 1: may not still be going the round of the French fairs. Sadly, 59 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: Surat most likely died without ever knowing what ailed him. 60 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:48,440 Speaker 1: Although he had never been formally diagnosed, at least to 61 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 1: our knowledge, his condition was analyzed and theorized after his disappearance. 62 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 1: He was believed to have suffered from, among other things, 63 00:03:56,760 --> 00:04:01,200 Speaker 1: sprangled deformity, a rare congenital disorder for identified in eighteen. 64 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:05,680 Speaker 1: People with sprangled deformity often have one shoulder blade that 65 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 1: has misaligned on one side of the body. Sat also 66 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 1: probably had a condition that reduced his ability to take 67 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:16,040 Speaker 1: in food, requiring him to eat small pieces in small amounts. 68 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:21,160 Speaker 1: This contributed towards his malnourished figure. William Hone also recorded 69 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 1: further analyzes of Surat's body during his eighteen twenty five 70 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 1: visit to the London Gallery. It was likely that he 71 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:31,679 Speaker 1: included findings provided by British surgeon Sir Astley Cooper. According 72 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 1: to those findings, Sarat had a flattened sternham as though 73 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:40,080 Speaker 1: it had been driven inwards towards the dorsal vertebrae or backbone, 74 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:44,160 Speaker 1: with his malformed sternum, which had also displaced his heart. 75 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:47,160 Speaker 1: Surat had no idea that his body was actively working 76 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 1: against him, and we may never know for sure either, 77 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:53,800 Speaker 1: since his body has never been recovered. For a time, 78 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:56,160 Speaker 1: it was thought that Sir Astley Cooper had performed a 79 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:59,919 Speaker 1: necropsy on the corpse following Sarat's death, although no records exist, 80 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:03,120 Speaker 1: nor was his skeleton given to London's Royal College of 81 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:06,719 Speaker 1: Surgeons for display in this museum. Another theory as to 82 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:10,560 Speaker 1: his body's potential whereabouts. The museum doesn't have him either. 83 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 1: Claude Ambrose Surat was a man wasting away. Medical knowledge 84 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:18,080 Speaker 1: and technology had not advanced enough to give him a 85 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 1: diagnosis that could have helped him, and because he slipped 86 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:24,279 Speaker 1: into reclusiveness later in life, the truth about his condition 87 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:28,159 Speaker 1: remains a mystery to this day. We know he didn't 88 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:46,159 Speaker 1: eat much, but we still don't know what was eating him. 89 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:49,640 Speaker 1: Bobby Brazer lived with his family in Silverton, Oregon, about 90 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 1: forty miles south of Portland. His parents, Frank and Elizabeth, 91 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:56,120 Speaker 1: along with her daughters Nova and Leona, were planning a 92 00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:59,960 Speaker 1: road trip to visit family in August of ninete. They're 93 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:04,679 Speaker 1: destination Walcott, Indiana. It was over two thousand, two hundred 94 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 1: miles away, more than halfway across the country, and a 95 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:11,719 Speaker 1: one twenty trip A drivelag debt Today wouldn't be all bad, 96 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 1: considering we have roomy, air conditioned SUVs, smartphones, and fascinating 97 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:20,359 Speaker 1: historical podcast to listen to along the way UEM. But 98 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:24,159 Speaker 1: back in there was none of that. The Braziers piled 99 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:27,400 Speaker 1: into their metal chariot, which had little to no suspension 100 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:31,800 Speaker 1: and hardly any amenities, not even cup holders, and they drove. 101 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:35,120 Speaker 1: They drove for thousands of miles, only stopping to eat 102 00:06:35,279 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 1: or put gas in the tank. During the last leg 103 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:41,359 Speaker 1: of their trip, disaster struck. The family had made it 104 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:43,760 Speaker 1: to Walcott, but decided to stop one last time to 105 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:46,320 Speaker 1: fuel their car before heading over to their relative's house. 106 00:06:46,839 --> 00:06:49,599 Speaker 1: It was during this pit stop when young Bobby jumped 107 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:52,360 Speaker 1: out of the car to stretch his legs. A pack 108 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 1: of wild dogs appeared out of nowhere and chase the 109 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 1: young Brazier boy away from his family. Distraught, they gave 110 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:01,599 Speaker 1: up their trip and spent their time looking for him, 111 00:07:02,120 --> 00:07:05,320 Speaker 1: but he was nowhere to be found. After weeks of 112 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:08,719 Speaker 1: searching and putting up posters, they were forced to abandon 113 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:12,280 Speaker 1: their efforts and return home to Oregon. They feared the worst, 114 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:15,360 Speaker 1: but it turns out that Bobby was a fighter he 115 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:16,960 Speaker 1: had to be if he ever wanted to see his 116 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:20,080 Speaker 1: parents and siblings again. Over the next six months, he 117 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:23,440 Speaker 1: walked in average of fourteen miles each day, swimming across 118 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:26,760 Speaker 1: rivers and even traversing a desert to get back home. 119 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 1: His journey took him over two mountains and through the 120 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:34,040 Speaker 1: Continental Divide during a particularly nasty winter, but he didn't 121 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:37,160 Speaker 1: survive on his own. He had helped from kind strangers 122 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:39,360 Speaker 1: along the way, who kept him fed and gave him 123 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 1: a place to sleep during his trek. Finally, in February 124 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 1: of Bobby showed up in Silverton. His sister Nova had 125 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 1: been out with a friend when she spotted him. He 126 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 1: was dirty and had lost a lot of weight. He 127 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:55,080 Speaker 1: had cuts all over his body, and his nails had 128 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:58,800 Speaker 1: been ground down to almost nothing. Upon seeing him, she 129 00:07:58,960 --> 00:08:01,080 Speaker 1: ran over to him and then walked him over to 130 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:04,520 Speaker 1: the Rio Cafe, a restaurant in town owned by the family. 131 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 1: The Braziers were shocked by the sight of their little 132 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:10,480 Speaker 1: boys standing before them. They whisked him inside and fed 133 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:13,680 Speaker 1: him a surloin steak with whipping cream, after which he 134 00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:17,520 Speaker 1: slept for three whole days. When the papers and radio 135 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:20,280 Speaker 1: stations picked up the story, they turned Bobby into a 136 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:23,680 Speaker 1: national sensation. People who had provided him with food and 137 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:26,200 Speaker 1: shelter on his journey wrote in to tell their own 138 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 1: stories about meeting him. The mayor of Silverton gifted him 139 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:32,480 Speaker 1: the key to the town for surviving his harrowing ordeal, 140 00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:35,679 Speaker 1: and people from all over sent him gifts like toys 141 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:40,800 Speaker 1: and bones, yes bones. Bobby was only two years old 142 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 1: when he was nearly killed by a group of wild dogs, 143 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:45,800 Speaker 1: but he knew exactly what to do. After all, he 144 00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:49,040 Speaker 1: was half Scotch Kylie, half English shepherd, and if any 145 00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:51,960 Speaker 1: dog was going to travel miles across the country to 146 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 1: find his family, it was going to be Bobby. And 147 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:57,080 Speaker 1: thanks to the stories told by the people who had 148 00:08:57,120 --> 00:09:00,200 Speaker 1: helped him, the Humane Society of Portland's was a able 149 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:02,600 Speaker 1: to map the route he had taken. It looked like 150 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:04,640 Speaker 1: Bobby had made it back to the rest stop, but 151 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:07,439 Speaker 1: his family had already left to go looking for him. 152 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:09,760 Speaker 1: He couldn't find them, so he set back out on 153 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:12,760 Speaker 1: his own, searching for a familiar scent to latch onto 154 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:16,680 Speaker 1: every gas station they stopped at. Bobby was right behind them, 155 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:20,240 Speaker 1: tracking them back to Oregon. After getting his paws cut 156 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:23,120 Speaker 1: up and recuperating with an Irish woman in Portland, he 157 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:25,840 Speaker 1: finally made it back home once and for all. His 158 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:29,840 Speaker 1: story was so inspiring even Hollywood came calling. The prized 159 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:32,199 Speaker 1: pooch was cast to play himself in a film called 160 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:37,400 Speaker 1: The Call of the West, which hit theaters in nine. Sadly, 161 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:40,480 Speaker 1: that same year was particularly hard for the Braziers, as 162 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:42,720 Speaker 1: it was the same year that Bobby died. He was 163 00:09:42,760 --> 00:09:45,400 Speaker 1: only seven, but his doctors believed that his trip home 164 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:48,360 Speaker 1: had affected him physically more than his family had known. 165 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:52,640 Speaker 1: He was buried in Portland in the Humane Society's Pet Cemetery. 166 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:56,000 Speaker 1: Following his burial, one of his fellow actors, the famous 167 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 1: dog Rin Tin Tin, paid him a visit. He deposited 168 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:02,440 Speaker 1: a wreath at Bobby's grave, one last gift to the 169 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 1: dog who had nearly given his life to see his 170 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:08,160 Speaker 1: family one more time. As for Bobby the Wonder Dog, 171 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:11,560 Speaker 1: he was finally at peace, able to give his weary 172 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:19,720 Speaker 1: pause a much needed rest. I hope you've enjoyed today's 173 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:23,400 Speaker 1: guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free 174 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 1: on Apple Podcasts, or learn more about the show by 175 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:31,320 Speaker 1: visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. The show was created by me, 176 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:35,160 Speaker 1: Aaron Manky in partnership with how Stuff Works. I make 177 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:38,760 Speaker 1: another award winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, 178 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:41,800 Speaker 1: book series, and television show and you can learn all 179 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 1: about it over at the World of Lore dot com. 180 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:47,880 Speaker 1: And until next time, stay curious.