Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1879-07-19
turn his neck TO look out Of the

4
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 - 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 man
whose constitution has borne twenty
nine years of unremittiDg pain. He has
handsome, intelligent face, which
speaks but slightly of bis sufferings, 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 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 q 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 comm and
of. He told our reporter that he suffer-
ed continually, without a moments in
Permission, a severe pain in the marrow
of his bones. This continued pain
brings 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 sliding edge
is fastened to the arm Of his chair in
nearly perpendicular position. His
well worn quarto Bible is laid on this.
A metallic hook, with q wooden handle,
is placed between the finger and thumb
of one hand, and with this hook, by
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 continuance for holding sheet
of paper. A penstock, two feet long,
holding a pen, is placed between his
fingers, and, without moving a muscle,
save those of the wrist, he is able to
write perfectly legible nand. He is
unable to dip his pen into the stand,
which hangs on the board, but fills his
pen by catching q drop of ink on his
shook" in the other hand, and touch
ing it to the nib of the pen. He writes
a great deal.
He is cared for 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-sacrifce. The
young lady is unremitting in her at
tentions to the invalid. Mr.. Rankins's
mother, lady eighty-three years old,
was very sick when the reportef called
Mr.. Rankins could devotedly watch his
parent and brush with his stick the
troublesome flies from her pillow
"Ciergymen often call on BROTHER"
said Mr.. Rankins's sister, sand go
away saying that they have been Taught
an'impressive lesson" Mr.. Rankins
has been frequently mentioned in the
Lewistown pulpit as an exponent of true
Christian piety and resignation. A
visit to this gentleman is a lesson for a
lifetime. The man who imagines that
all creation is at swords points with
such an Insignificant atom of the uni
verse as himself will feel HAMMER after q |