My friend from the far north, Robert Mackreth, is known for his widespread collection of cats, Newfoundland dogs and odd facts about the Lake Superior country. I was not at all surprised, then, when he e-mailed me the following dispatch from the Ashland (WI) Daily Press on Feb. 9, 1931.
Iron River Hen Lays Freak Egg
Iron River, Wisconsin – Mrs. Olive Thieverge , who lives a few miles south of the city was the owner of a freak egg. It was a brown color, about 7 inches in circumference. Thinking it to be a double yolk egg, Mrs. Thieverge decided to blow out the contents. The egg white came through in fine shape, but the balance refused to come. She then tried to prick the enclosed yolk but struck a hard surface. Carefully breaking the shell, she discovered a full-size egg within the large shell. The egg is the first of this kind that anyone in this vicinity has even seen and it is arousing quite a bit of interest.
The news item disturbed me, so much that I immediately sent my friend this response:
Jim Merkel the Writer 