River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-04-25

'@t-%A'A-' AASt WIN "a
the part of the president of the society for
the prevention of cruelty to animals, the
public will be prepared to listen to the offers
of people who are willing to take his place
and submit to incubation in his stead. Al
ready the Her0ld is in receipt of the follow
ing Letter;
THE CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.
BROOKLYN, April g, 1s7s.-To the editor
of the Herod: Seeing in your paper the
proposition made To Mr.. Bergh to inoculate
him with saliva from a rabid dog, all for the
cause of science, l would say that / am in
the same belief with MIR. Bergh. If this
physician will give me $4,000 in gold L
will afford him the opportunity of putting
his theory into practice, the money to be
mine as soon as the operation has been per-
formed, which must be done in the presence
of responsible parties. DoGBERRY.
Accompanying this letter were the name
and address of the writer, and reporter of
The Herd{2 was at once sent to ascertain if
the offer came from a responsible source
and was made i'll good faith. In both these
respects the answer was in every way salts
factory. Ringing the bell of a cosy little
house in South Brooklyn the reporter was
met by a comedy young girl, who showed
him into plain but comfortable parlor, and
in response to his inquiries went in search of
her father. In no respect We're there any
evidences that the house was private luna
tic asylum, and the master of the domicile
when he appeared turned out to be shrewd,
intelligent, and hardheaded Scotchman.
Il am sent by Tie Herald,' said the re-
porter, . to ascertain whether you wrote the
letter signed 'Dogberry,' and whether your
proposition is made in good faith"
Il wrote it, and if the doctor wants to try
any experiment on me | am ready to submit
to it in consideration of the sum | named"
but don't you think $1,000 small sum
for the risk you will rum" asked the re
porter.
"No: it's enough think, for do not be-
lieve / run any risk. -
But if the incubation kills you, what
them"
Then the money would 90 to my family.
You see [ don't believe there is any such
thing as hydrophobia, and l am sure l ran
much greater risk when l went into the
army. Whenever the doctor puts up the
money 1 am willing to try the experiment.
''How came You to make such PROPOSE
tion?"
''Well, you see. was reading the doctor s
challenge to Bergh, and / thought the ply
stefan was making fun of the animals friend.
l believe i'll Bergh, and, as / told you before,
l don't believe in hydrophobia, and as no
body could expect so good and useful man
as he is to submit to such an experiment, l
concluded to offer to do it myself. l don't
want my name printed unless my PROPOSE
ton is accepted, but the Herald knows where
m find ma and that I mean business
What is your motive in making this
offer?''
II want to make the money, of course, but
en- l am anxious also to do something for
q cause of science.
''But if the experiment kills yOu?"
The cause of science will be served all
the same But it won't kill me. People
who were bitten by dogs have died in great
agony, no doubt, but it was their fears, and
not the bite which caused their death. I'm
not going to let my imagination kill rae, l
can tell You, and my only fear is that the
doctor will back out
..You don't think the offer made in good
faith, them
Il think it was made to tease Bergh, but
as l amt as useful man as Bergh is, and
need the money more, have concluded to
try the experiment if the doctor means bus
mess"
What does your family say to this propo-
sition of yours?"
Il haven't told them yet
This remarkable conversation, at once so
frank and straightforward, induced the re-
porter to lead the talk into other channels,
to see if his interlocutoE was equally practi-
cal and hard headed on all subjects, and il
must be confessed that if the man is luna
tic, nobody short of a lunatlc can discover
it. He is coherent and logical in every
thing. Il am an engineer he said, but
Just now am out of job. l was getting
$3.50 day. but another man came along
and offered to do the job for S12 week,
and so they let me so.
Apparently he feels no uneasiness in re-
gard to another job, and his house is GER
tainly as cosy and comfortable as the home
of any intelligent mechanic in the City of
Churches. The walls of his parlor are
adorned with prints and chromOs, and i'll
one corner is piano, with music and music
books scattered over it. He has to himself
"a whole house" and IS proud of the COM
fort and taste with which he is surrounded.
Altogether, il is too good a home 10 be for
saken lightly. and if the man is as earnest
as he seems-for a profound seriousness per
vades all that he says on the subject of
rabies-he must be strong disbeliever in
porter rose to go, he put on his hat and &C
companied him to a car, talking on a variety
of subjects on the way, but frequently re-
curing TO the proposition which was the
occasion of the reporters visit, and wher
the latter was leaving, he said, by way OF
good-bv: Tell the doctor whenever he Is
ready with the money. will be ON hand fol-
the experiment, and YOU and / will break
bottle of wine over it afterward.'
In reply TO the Brooklyn mans PROPOSE
ton the Herdl has received the following
communication:
April IL, 1S7S.-To the editor az the Her
adj. l observe by to-iay's Herald tina
there is an individual in Brooklyn who i;
apparently willing to allow himself to be in
Oculated with the saliva of a hydropnobi'
dog. am glad of ii and am entirely willing
to accept him as a substitute for MIR. Bergh
But can't allow him TO alter my opinion il
any respect. nor am l willing to operat
upon him except as q substitute for Nh
Barch, and with the latter's approval. NJ,
object Is 70 convince him and those who hav
been Oeluded by his teaching relative TO by
drophobia. / can find thousand persons
unbelieyers in the existence of hydrophobia
who will allow me to inoculste them with III
saliva of a hydrodhobic dog for $50 each
In fact, many persons are inoculated by dog
every year, ana Yet MI DetSh IL hot CON
WINGED my object is to bring this matte
home TO hum, and, if he should get hydro
phobia, to get his recantation before III
disease terminates his sublunary existence
Many physicians have, in the interests o
science, performed experiments with poison
upon themselves, fully as dangerous as tina
proposed to Mr.. Bergh, and have died TO es
fablish our knowledge. Others, In order Z
study the plague and other deadly diseases
have exposed themselves TO infection, an
have died describing the symptoms of tn
pestilence with their last breath. Is Mi
Bergh better than these. Let him aceep
my proposition or else cease TO proclaim tina
there Is no such disease as hydrophobia.