The Lake County star., 1875-12-02
THE Lake County HurrQr.n y

Under the above title, the Man.
istee Times & Standard publishes
the following in its last issue:
The body found in town ~, Is, as re-
ported In this paper last week, proved
to be that Of Nels Christian jacobson,
who, In lit of delirium trcmens, fled
from the camp Of r. Hanson Il Co., the
week previous. He had been drinking
most Of the Summer, and Is reported to
have spent over S40O, this season, In
spreeing. His body was found about 9
miles from this camp. He had been In
the river, and the few clothes he had
on were wet and frozen. He had
pounded and bitten chunks of flesh
from his arms, in his agony, and brok-
Ell limbs from trees that would defy
the strength of ordinary men. The
agony lie endured, the fights with i'm
aginary demons during these bitter
cold days and nights, I'm that vast will
derness, none can ever know. Alto
gether, IL was one of the most horrible
deaths ii has been our painful duty to
record in years. The deceased leaves
Il son and other relatives in Denmark,
and was well and favorably known as
logger.
The above heading seems only
appropriate in so far as it refers to
the fact that the unfortunate man
died in Lake county; as there is
no evidence that he was perma-
nent resident of, or that he obtained
liquor in this county. We know
that most, if not all our readers
will be shocked at reading the
above item; but how many will Sc
riously reflect upon the terrible
lesson it teaches. How many will,
instead of reading the item and for
getting it in brief while, remem-
Der it, and let it serve to strength
ell them in the resolutions to do all
in their power to prevent cause for
another record of so fearful death.
Where is the sclf-rcspcct of people
throughout our land, that they can
not frown down the accurscd traffic
which stains the records of our va
rious communities with such acts
as the one above written. We
know it's natural for us to say to
our hearts, ale was a stranger, and
we have no need to concern our
selves about him. BIT let MS for
a moment imagine near and dear
relative to have died thus. Would
our feelings remain undisturbed ?
Not by any means; unless We had
lost that which entities us to the
name and character of human be-
ings. How many had tried to save
the unfortunate creature from the
death he met with in the wilder
ness of 20, 13; away from human
aid; surrounded by imaginary dew
lis, which proved only too real for
him in his terrible agony. What
a death to die, in this day of civil
ization. How many had attempt
ed to stay his hand as he had raised
the maddening drink to his lips,
time and again! Not one, we ven
turc to say, of all his associates.
lie had u little moncy-eaincd, no
doubt, by honest, hard labor. The
liuuor dealers wanted it. They
got it-oN! And what did they
leave him in its place? Infiaitc-
ly worse than nothing. Through
weeks and months they piled the
poisonous alcohol. in one form and
another, to his brain, till reason
fled forever, and a terror came over
him, a thousand times worse than
painless ucall.
This is no far-fetchcd sensation.
published to awaken interest in the
minds Of our readers: but it is a
scene of reality enacted as We
might say, in our very midst. AL
though none of us may have known
or even have seen Nols Christian
jacobson, it j: enough for us to
know that he was man; some
body's .fa'her; until liquor made
him worse and with less instinct
than wild beast; robbed him OF
his honor. his little wealth, friends,
every comfort, life. Whom shall
We pity most: the dead maniac in
his grave, or those mainly instru-