Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-04-19

SLEEP, BALMY SLEEP.
1t is Something which Clarence Frisbv
Has Not Had for Is Years.
From the Cohoes IN. " Eagle.
Any person who has travelled along
the highway between this CITY and
West Troy, could not help noticing, or
at least casting glance at, a neat, tidy
little cottage, situated short distance
below Cedar Grove, between the high
way and the Erie Canal. The house in
question is a model of neatness, as are
all its surroundings; and well it may
be, for the owner of it, Clarence Frisby.
has not closed his eyes in sleep for the
past fifteen years, and, consequently,
has had lots Of time to make his house
and garden look neat. Mr.. Frisby is
now thirty-eight years old; is hale and
hearty for his age, eats well, works
hard, but sleeps none. The circum-
stances of his not sleeping any having
reached the ears of reporter for this
paper, he directed his footsteps toward
Mr.. Frisby's residence yesterday after
noon. The house is about fifty rods
from the road, and surrounded with
trees, some of which are evergreens,
which make the surroundings of the
house look cheerful, even in this in
clement weather. The reporter found
Mr.. Frisby in, and after a few formal
remarks, we proponnded the question:
Mr.. Frisby, did you sleep any in ff-
teen years p The gentleman question
ed answered In the negative, with the
additional piece of information that
from present appearances he would not
sleep any for fifteen years more, unless
his Creator called upon him to sleep
the sleep that knows no waking. We
asked him how it came about that he
renounced sleep, and he was at first re-
luctant to tell, but finally, after little
pressing, gave the following narrative:
when young man [ contracted lazy,
indolent habits, and was scarcely able
to do anything but eat and sleep; this
habit continued, and l was growing
worse day by day, until, finally, could
lay IN bed all day and night, and would
still want to remain longer. | began
to get disguised with myself, but all
efforts to shake off my dormant habits
We're useless. My parents, brothers and
sisters, got down on me, and I had no
peace nor comfort in the house; still
wanted to lounge, and would retire to
the barn when | had no peace in the
house, and there go to sleep. Well, that
kind of life lasted until the 18th of
June, 1861. 81 was sleeping in that
bed in there" said he, pointing to a
bed In the sitting-rOom, ''and felt
something biting my left leg. 1 put
down my hand to see what was the
matter, when, oh horror! there was a
huge rat swapping at me, and a large
black snake lying by my side. I roar
ed with all my might, and jumped out
of bed nearly scared to death, and then
beheld my eldest brother and father
crouching behind the head of the bed
and laughing with all their might. My
brother held a string in his hand, which
was attached to the rats body, and by
that means kept it in bed. I was then
told by my father that he consulted a
fortune-teller in Troy, as to how l
| could be cured Of my INDECENT habits,
and was Informed by the necromancer
that rat and snake put into my bed
when | was asleep, and left there unit
| aWoke, would have the desired effect.
|
| the experiment, and did so, and the re-
suit was even better than their fondest
expectations, for [ never closed my
eyes in sleep since that never-to-be-for-
gotten night" Our reporter then ask
ed Mr. Frisby if he ever took laudanum
to get him to sleep. He said he had
tried everything. Laudanum got him
into a kind of stupor, but not to sleep,
and it's effect wore off after very short
period of time. Other medicines, too,
had like effect. We asked him if he
did not feel tired and weary for want
of sleep, and he shook his head and
said that when he was tired he lay
down and rested but never went to
sleep. He said that for the first few
years It'll seemed unpleasant for him to
remain in the house at night, or lay be-
side any person in bed, as it made him
feel bad to see ether people enjoy what
he could not, but said he, then, with q
laugh: ~ have got bravely over that
Mr.. Frisby is married for the past eight
years, and is the happy father of two
children. His wife smilingly said to
our reporter that she was glad he did
not sleep, as she was never called upon
to light fires in the the mornings, some
thing that the newspapers take good
deal Of stock in lately. Mr.. Frisby is
Of medium height, well proportional
and seems to enjoy good health.
| A Japanese Toilette.
The interior of a wealthy Japanese
lady's boudoir-says well-to-do silk
merchants wife-is sometimes a curl
osity. If beauty unadorned is adorned
the most, the fact is the lady of the
house is generally most becomingly at