LUCIA ZARATE II

Lucia was so tiny she could "draw" all by herself and didn't need to team up with anybody. The only little person she did join up with on  a consistent basis was General Mite (Frank Flynn, pictured above. See last month's feature story)

This is the closest you're going to get of Gen. Mite and Lucia Zarate together. Note that the same chair is used in both sittings. Although the two worked together I've yet to see a photographic portrait of the couple.

A "news article" appeared in 1879 in an issue of the New York Herald announcing the upcoming nuptials of General Mite and Lucia. It was all a bit of harmless fun but Edward Flynn, father of the General, was not amused. In an editorial reply he remarked: "The report was promptly contradicted by me when a press representative called to see me about the matter ... (it) was to the annoyance of everybody concerned."    Six years later, however, another news article appeared under the title "Mite to Marry the Midget". Apparently this time the event was to take place under the auspices of both parental parties who were looking to cash in on such an event following the very successful "wedding" of Francis and English little lady Millie Edwards the year previous. I've never found a mention of the "marriage" ever taking place however, perhaps because the couple were actually of marriageable age and no conscionable  minister could be found to concur in the ruse.