Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-11-07
Tke NLnn Mho has nof slam since IsaI


Ike Van who has NOT Slept since 1851.
The Rochester New York; Express
gives the following account of a singular
individual in shat city:
There is Dra in this city, (who is to
make a brief stay,) who has not slept a
moment since August, 1851. over fourteen
years! He resides in the town of Buffa-
10, Putnam county, West Virginia, near
where he was born, and where he has
spent the most of his life. His business
here was to bring the remains of Mr.. Jo-
seph Anthony, son of Mr.. Asa Anthony,
who died in Buffalo, in consequence of an
accident, by which a leg was broken, and
not from typhoid fever, as has been err
roneously stated. The name of the sleep
less man is o. u. Saunders. He is in his
forty-sixth year, and has a wife and seven
children. He is atrue patriot, and served
in the Thirteenth Virginia volunteers un-
til mustered out this spring.
He visited our sanctum yesterday, in
company with Mr.. Anthony, and from his
own lips we derived the facts regarding
his extraordinary constitutional peculiari-
ty- He possessed d candid, open counte-
nance, which goes far TO impress the
nearer with the truth of his statements.
He ncver feels fatigue, even when work
ing day and night. He says he once
worked on his farm orty-two days success
lively, putting n thirty acres of wheat,
and during the same period worked all
night, hanging up his tobacco crop and
husking corn, without a moments sleep,
and at the end of the time felt as fresh
and vigorous as on the first day. He
served in the Shenandoah Valley, and was
in General Hunters army during the cele-
brated raid on Lynchburg. When the
soldiers were leaning against trees and
dropping to the ground from the terrible
fatigue Of the march, Mr.. Saunders felt
no need of rest, but, with the exception of
hunger, was as active and ready for SER
vice as when he set out.
He took part in all the heavy fighting
in the valley under Sheridan, and was in
the battles of Cedar Greek, Fishers Hill,
Winchester, &c. He was at last attacked
by chronic diarr0a, and was sent to one
of the Philadelphia hospitals, where he
passed last winter. Here his constitutional
popularity attracted the attention of the
surgeons and nurses, and a watch was set
upon him. He was closely observed night
and day for ffty-eight days, but was never
detected asleep, and it was then concluded
that his account of himself was true. He
made an excellent picket guard in the
army, and yearsago he worked on m Ohio
river steamer as night Waterman, being
able to do duty in the daytime, and earn
ing double wages. His appetite and di-
gestion are excellent, and he required
rather more food than an ordinary man of
his build.
We have heard of persons sleeping con-
t%inuously a sort Of lethargic, morbid sleep,
but the case of a healthy man doing with
out sleep, is a rare one indeed, and almost
incredible. There is nothing remarkable
Mr. Saunders appearances, except that
his eyes seemed a little watery and slight
ly dilated- 1t is possible that he is a hum
bug, but we give the facts as he related
them to US. We should say that Mr.. An
thony, whom we can vouch for as an
honest man, is also impressed with the
truth of Mr.. Saunders story.