The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-12-09

KdltoTs OF The IntelllgCneCr:
frequently sec articles In your paper
that would like 10 write upon-in fac'
more Of general interest than In any o
the many dailes | read-and would dc
so but for the fear oi exhausting your pa
lience with what may be trlte. Yet l can
not iorebear suggesting an answer IA
your call for the rationale oi Mr.. BeeCher'G
mental condition. The article l look up
on as the most sensible have seen in re-
lation to this great conspiracy aud its el'
feet upon the intended victim. NJ Beech
or has o large and active brain-For more
than a quarter Of century he has
taxed II to its utmost t.Capacity, nay more,
beyond It's capacity. The brain needs
rest as well as the body. II ii docs not
get It 1t Furnishes its tyrant by gloomy
horrors, at times almost beyond human
endurance. When this has passed the
mind becomes moro buoyant and elastic
than ever, and enters more intcnsely y into
the business Of life and It's normal course
Of thought-brightness, beauty and truth.
Hugh Miller was a most remarkable case
in point. You remember the snecdOte OF
his going TO an eminent physiCian-per.
sonally strsnger-in Rome, and stating
his case of periodical horrors beyond con.
troll or picture. The reply was wise
"Iou must seek and enjoy pleasant soci.
ety-cultivate the acquaintance Of Hugh
Miller, who is now the delight Of the elite
OF the city" Imagine the astonishment ol
the physician when he said, II am Hugh
Miller" Do you suppose Miller was q
sinner when in the prime Of lie and on
the completion Of his greatest work he
committed suicide? Bah This often,
or rather sometimes, occurs with business
men who enter into it too earnestly and
heavily.
MIR. Peterson, Of your city, will remem.
Der an old and dear friend OF his father,
Captain Duncan, the founder OF Msssil-
Ion, Ohio, and the original developer OF
the Lake Superior iron at MRrqueite-a
man Of the broadest range OF business
talent OF any l ever knew in the West,
and one who pursued 1t with an une-
quslled intensity. For many years before
his death he was afflicted with the peri.
odicsl "strikes" Of an overwrought brain
that were agonizlng beyond endurance
lasting for two or three days at times
not the result OF any particular dlsap-
pOintment, but oI general strain of the
brain beyond endurance, affecting neither
his health nor spirits, nor arising from
conscience, ior no purer man lived. l
remember calling at his house one morn
ing IN 1885. He was so covered with
horror that he would see none OF his lam.
lily; had been two days in his room alone,
without food. At2o'clOck in the morn.
ing he started for Cleveland, as we'll as
ever, drove there in buggy, transacted a
large business, was the lie Of dinner
party and left for home that evening.
He recovered from these only when age
compelled him to give mp business. l
could cite other instances OF the kind.
Mr.. Beecher's is case in point. lie
uses his brain too hard, and 1t STRIKES
back, at times. 1t gets its rest then and
springs forward with more activity than
ever. Had he not nursed serpent in his
bosom until it was able TO bring in other
worse devils than itself and get their
iangs on him, while he was so busily en-.
gagged otherwise as not 10 mind the evils
they were winding around him, the world
would have known nothing OF this. II
he continues to force the pendulum 10 one
side so far, it will swing farther the other
way and perhaps end in suicide, and a
tOiSs public will call it remorse. But
should he go up to his farm, read moth.
ing more learned than "Mother Goose,
this winter and do nothing but use his
vegetables grown next summer, he will
be all right next fall. So much for my
analysis, Yours truly,
J. u. WHARTON.