Sharp County record., 1879-07-24
TWENTY.THREE YEARS IN ACHAIR.
The Sad Case of Matthew Rankins OF
Lewistown, Me.

LewistoWn, Me.
from the Lewistown (Me.) Joumal.l
Twenty-Five years ago two boys,
about dozen years of age, were play
inc "tag" in LewiStown. They were
merry and active lads, and were frolick-
ing with school boy enthusiasm and
csS llessness. One lad caught the other,
stu .ck his heels, and playfully tipped
hill over. His whole weight came down
uElon his falling playmate, whose spine
wis seriously injured in consequence.
Hl was conveyed home, ana it was
found that he was physical wreck.
Fdr two years he was able to walk
arbuud very little, and then, as the
red Its of his injuries gradually grew
md e serious, he was obliged to be car
rie from one place to another, entirely
lodng the use of his lower limbs. At
ler til his whole body became rigid, and
he iyas powerless. For % years Mat
thdw Rankins has sat fixed in his chair
as IN a wise, night and day.
\ Journal reporter called on Mr.. Ran
kin at his residence on Summer Street,
the0ther day. Mr.. Rankins was in his
Ii. (rocking chair by apleasant window
W llu the reporter went into the room
the same chair in which he has passed
the 20 years of his life, from sunrise
to arise. His head is turned to one
81 | by contraction of the muscles OF
h>rneck, which can not be relaxed, land
it Is impossible for him even to
turh his neck to look out of the
win low. By contrivance Of
his own, he is able to see the green
fields, the flowers, and the bright sky.
A small looking-glass is hung on the
end of short stick. The other end is
placed between the contorted fingers of
one hand, and the glass is held so that
he may see natures face reflected in
that 10 by 12 frame. This is Mr.. Ran
kins's way Of "taking an airing" 1t is
favorite occupation, and the mirror
was before him when the reporter en-
tered.
Mr.. Rankins is forty-one years of age,
but looks surprisingly young for a man
whose constitution has borne twenty
nine years of unremitting pain. He has
handsome, intelligent face, which
speaks but slightly of his suferings, and
looks as happy and cheerful as human
countenance can. Head, body, legs,
and arms are as clods so far as his pow
er over them is concerned. He can
work his ankles a very little. His fin
gers and toes are all disjoin+ed and in
one thumb is the only material joint in
his whole body. He can produce a
slight, rocking motion by working his
ankles a little. His bed is made at
night by putting blocks under his chair
rockers, tipping the chair back little,
and covering him with quilts. Mr..
Rankins's eyes and tongue are the only
members that he has not lost command
of. He told our reporter that be suffer
ed continually, without a moments in
termission, a severe pain in the marrow
of }is. bones. This continued pain
-.l.k2 y,on violent attacks of vomiting
about once a week, in which his suffer
ings are intense. He can move his
hands few inches up and down his
breast.
When he was first stricken he was
able to whittle images and make small
articles of wood with his hands, but this
privilege has been taken from him. He
can, however, both read and write by
means of ingenious contrivances which
he planned after much thought, and
which friends made according to his in
struction. A board with a sliding edge
is fastened to the arm of his chair in a
nearly perpendicular position. His
well worn quarto Bible is laid on this.
A metallic hook, with wooden handle,
is placed between the finger and thumb
of one hand, and with this hook, by a
peculiar jerk of the wrist, he is able to
turn the leaves. He reads consider
ably, giving much time to the Bible.
The LewistOwn Journal is his favorite
newspaper. For reading newspaper,
he has hooked stick upon which the
sheet is hung. When he wants to write
longer board is placed before him
with contrivance for holding a sheet
of paper. A penstock, two feet long,
holding a pen, is placed between his
fingers, and, without moving muscle,
save those of the wrist, he is able to
write a perfectly legible nand. He is
unable to dip his pen into the ink-stand,
which hangs on the board, but fills his
pen by catching drop of ink on his
"hook," in the other hand, and touch
ing it to the nib of the pen. He writes
great deal.
He is cared fer by his sister and his
niece, young lady of sixteen years,
waiting upon him chiefly. The forti-
tude with which this young girl cheer
fully forsakes her companions and
youthful pleasures to give the best part
of her life to her suffering uncle, is an
affecting instance of self-sacriice. The
young lady is. unremitting in her at
tentions to the invalid. Mr.. Rankins's