The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-09-23
LETTER FROM FRANKLIN COUNTY.
Correspondence of the journal.
Curious Remedy for Consumption. Something
Like Witchcraft
FAR,uNGroN, Sept. 3, 1869

EDITOR JOURNAL 1t is said that there is
nothing new under the sun, and that won
ders will never cease, BE This as it may,
strange things often occur. which if not new
are at least wonderful At jay Hill, in this
County, Franklin) resides Il family by the
strange, but thereby hangs Il tale
Sometime during the last winter Henry
Cole died, as was said ofconsumption Short
ly after his dying, his brother Frederic sick
ened with the same disease, and now lies
upon the verge of the grave. One day this
week the family had the body of Henry dis
inferred for the purpose ofremoying the heart
and burning it, in order to arrest by this sin
gular process the rayages of the disease in
Frederics ease; for strange as it may seem
there are many in this vicinity who believe
that there is a sympathetic connection exist
ing between the living and the dead, in the
case of blood relations, and that this connec-
ton sometimes results in disease and death
to the living, unless the sympathetic link,
which is supposed to center in the blood in
the heart, is interrupted
In order to break this dangerous connection,
the burning process is resorted to. This i,
not the first case of the kind which has hap
pened in this vicinity, for it would seem from
report, that about sixteen or eighteen years
ago, Elder John Baxter, Methodist clergy
man residing in Wilton, lost two sons hy
consumption, and in order to save the lives of
his two remaining children, who were appar-
eAly in the last stages of the disease he had
the body of one of his deceased sons diSin-
TERED, the heart and lungs removed and
burnt. Strange to say both of the inNalidS
recovered and are now in the enjoyment of
perfect health, being heads of families one
residing in Minnesota and the other at
Westbrook in this state. A similar instance,
with like results, occurred at Jay Hill about
thirty years ago, in the case of family named
Ph'nney
| give You these facts as | find them au-
thentioated As they are by the testimony of
we'll known and reliable citizens in this vicin-
ity, who are knowing to all the circumstan-
ces named above, without presumn@ to at
firm belief in the propriety or value of this
singular remedy. But as there are many who
believe and apparently with some reason, ii,
the efficacy of this process, have thought il
possibly worthy of some publicity
The late warm weather and copious rain
have raised the spirits of our farmers, and
they now begin to hope for fair crop both
of corn and potatoes Another week OF such
weather as we have had for the last three
days will put the farmers of Franklin ConlN
all right.
William Hayward, the world known vocal
ist, has Just favored our citizens with one ot
his select character -personation concert,
being greeted by crowded house and !
think but reflect the opinion of all who
heard him, when | say that his entertain
ments is the best which has been given her, III
a long time His rendition Of the old heart
song, "Twenty Years Ago was alone worth
the price of admission while in his conr'
and character imperSonatons he was unap-
proachable A noticeable feature OF his CON
que extravagances which too often mar the
character of our comic and humorous dcllU
cations Should Mr.. Hayward visit H",,f
section of the state your readers will haNr
rich treat in his entertainments.
IIICKORl rWL,