The sun., 1878-07-21
THOSE JUMPING FRENClIMEN
SOME NEW FICTS dBOUT THE QUEER
PEOPLE IN MiINE'S UOODS.
Interesting Letters from SIC" who HIVE
Watched their Antics Jumpers shaking
Hands-How Jumpers \ muse Themselves.

account OF tlr jumping fT'n'Hn'h ~ hUuN'
my curiosity WIS excited 10 the highest pitch.
and at once wrote to gentlemen there inquir-
ing about them. received number Of lct,crs.
which condcnsc for you. giving the names as
an evidence of good faith.
Mr.. b. T. Dexter writes from Newport, Maine:
Il have seen n good many Jumping French
men. Their involuntary acts nrc not limtedto
jumping. Tell ono Of them to strike person
near him and he will do so Immediately. or he
will hit any other object. | have seen one Of
them smitc posts or the side OF Il building SO
that blood flowed from his wounded hand.
When one Is surprised by the shout Of Throw
itr he will fling an axe. knife, or any other
article without regard to consequences. II
seems unconscious muscular action. saw ono
once at the Lake jump into the water from
log on which he was standing Some are worse
than others. When commanded TO do thing
they act moro rapidly and forciby il given
quick. smart blow on the back. 1t seems i'm
possible for them to help 1t. or they would not
do acts endangerlng their own and other pco-
pies livos."
Mr. Samuel Cole writes from Grecnvillc, Me-.
June IS: You hnve been correctly informed
have seen n jumper leap ten feet from a log
and plunge into the river because somebody had
cried Jump TO him. II is common thing
for one Of them to hit any person in front OF
him because somebody cries ont strike | b0-
lieve ono Of them would strike his own mother
II told to do so They will also repeat the same
words you say to them or make the same
noises. We sometimes give them II little punch
in tho ribs and whisper what We want them to
say. when thoy will shout 1t at the top OF their
voice."
DR.. Atwood Crosby writes from Wntcrvillc.
Me-: AS far as ] can learn their state is simply
itut I'll Ion
or sharp word causes them to bound into tho
air or throw down what they nre carrying or
strike or scream. as the paiti 'ular habit may
he. ono Of them. whom | have intrrrogatcd.
says that when suddenly Iuken to IL s'ures
him. and that he strikes 10y m uncontrollaDle
impulse. There rs one in this town whom IL Il
frequent practice Oi his comrades g. max"
game r., When passing any person ON the
his companion suddenly cries Cat 'h him He
bceoues quito angry with his tormentor-.'
ChorleS ". Parsons wrrgs r,' from keadneld
no control Of their uerycs whatever. | have
seen two 81 ihem standing together. whom some;
draw, OF and hit ono another as hard as they
Going To- the Pine Tree state soon aftorward.
| took occasion g. maze a p"r-onHt eNamina-
tion Of the strange phenomena with re- ults
which wore very Interesting 10 me.
The jumpers seem incapable Of any sus-
tained cllort when surprised: thcy will shout.
or lump. nr strike. or throw what they have IN
cannot le made 90 run. or 10 sing. or. oddly
On lugh, to laugh, or 90 cry.
one Of them, known everywhere in thes,
parts by vivilly descriptive nickname, will
N1mU whenever anybody. ~ for tn fun of 1t.
goes through thc m'tions oi vomiting; last
summer he almost killed one " n gang of boys
who had followed him around and compelled
him 90 disgore' his meals.
There is only one thing that iumpa can he
Kept a'-.hakug hands. \ good many are SD
impress iul' that tley will shake hands nll dav.
il somehody EMBELLISHMENTS them TO- /
.H OBJ Do. - "a or
Il bystanier would yeil. Shatc," Thry wouli
grasp ea'n oih"r- hands. shake. and IT, -;
would p"at the operation. and so on. MS long
as There was anybody 20 call or | hnve seen
th- several times. Oncn two complies wer" kept
go'ng nv tlr SAM 4mmani 1t Is very funny
und Yet pniuiul The jumpers shake like two
aut,naion7; th.ir faces turn a,heq pae; tneir
limbs 'r"mhr; tneir eyos mr." iiNcd and gln--y;
'od swoai hreuSS out on them. nul Ms they
Eo.' 10 nu" another with y Hipless -tarc they
After You have jumped one. ~ f. Is called.
be VIII always thcrraifurr regard y0u with suspi-
cion AMI something of lrend. and will watch vou
with the greatest glance when you are near
50 a- NOT o. DE- tnssn on hi- guard.
4 good many jumpers hnve hsen Killed a'-
cIdcnHlly within fue last few years one start isi
bY iallen tree, swung around his axe and split
Quen the heud 1f hi- companion last wiuter.
Anotner WIS sitting on 'ho stops ~ "A stationary
ear Nt SkpWhc gan hridg" eating his lunch. when
nn unexpected whistle cHused hum To- jump OF
into the river. and he was drowned.
p. These jumpers ar very SUBJECT 20 dclus, ons.
Fling q rope over the head ~ one and nothing
will ronynce Jim that hr is NOT in the cots of q
SNAKE, H. VIII scream, groNrl ON tho ground.
tear lls clU thes in hi- efforts g. get away, and
manifest 'N"ry ign of eNiremo terror
Ihrr" IT, q jumper in br"'uNile unmed Ed.
lauais. who. whenever h" is touched hv any
body will 'ry Ike "a mute uitoring the most
ii@c1rlaut sounds \ magician. sword sNal-
March. and man bent on FUN gave T. lauais
a dollar to go to the show with him. 1t broke up
Nv iridll L. told mo about his luck Gsh.
ing ON The hennehe' with some jumpers 10 help
hiln. Having some dinieuliy ia getting a hoa
tniOush the ice' he'said; We went close IN
shore. where IN" snow was four or five foot thi k
This we swept away. took m. heavy ice axe,
Weighing some ton pounds, ana struck 10 SEQ
II could make any impre The ice Euye
way ihg axe went through with a crash, anl |
foll in nttnr Il head first Jo Rolette. Il jumper.
plunged right in after me, and jacques leau
plunged In after him. aud there we three We're
ana he h@ipei US out. or one or two Of us might
have been drowned. 1t was very cold bath,
4nd never saw Two men more ehagrined than
DO and Jacques were whenever II was referred
to aftorward.'
=, There are some jumpers in that stage, said
And. instead Of throwing the mail bag upon the
top, a. usual, he flung IL into the interior.
There was a wild scream. and five jumpers
came literally tumbling out h"ad first. appa-
rently careless whether it killed them or not.
Then they turned from pale 10 red, dragged out
the offending mail bag. kicked il contemptu-
ously. laughed, and climbed back into their
warm sents.
Probably have soon hundred men within
the month throw their pipes away and break
them all to pieces, because they shad heard
somebody say Throw iti'
Few here have ever seen the wives and chill
dren Qf those creatures. although they are re-
ported 10 have moro thun the conventional num-
bor Of both in the woods far to the north whero
they spend most of their time. do not know.
therefore, whether either women or childron
are aiilctod with the peculiar habit or malady
called Jumping
am equally unable to explain ts origin. 1t
Is evidently a nervous disease. II Is perhaps
induced hy constant teasing. II is said that
these jumpers lump their children 80 rs TO
cultlvat" the same disposition In them They
certainly Jump one another most outrageously.
Whom number Of them are togctherthey never
let eHrh other alone iOI two minutes n "A time.
This Is tho grunl amusement Of their lives. To
jump ono another from logs into the river is
considered about the lnlliest sport imaginable.
On returning 10 tho city last week described
the symptoms 10 thnt Well-knOwn electrician
and student of nervous disorders. DIR. George
M Board, NJ his Office, and asked his opinion.
Without any apparent design 10 llattor me, lac
said cautiously: " | do not know exactly what
occurred by what YOU say, Human Testimony,
H. T., Is utterly untruotwOrthy. You are doubt
lcss honest about II: but nobody but an expert
is competent to decide what occurs in any given
case II. 4. isn't good for anything. However,
there Is no scientific deduction against the phc-
nomena YOU describe | have never heard u
the jumpers. however, and no book with which
am acquainted tells Of them. What you say
is interesting and important will write this
week ana inquire all about the jumpers
L. Tia fItta To-