The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1881-03-18
A LAUGHING FAMILY.

And whIRiver Mary would sthir her stumps.
That young shape would follow her COM
A LAUGHING FAMILY.
a Strange Malady which Afflicted an
Eastern Household.
Straight across the Delaware from |
Philadelphia, and back among the hills |
which run parallel with the river for |
many miles, lives a family concerning |
whom the strangest stories are told. The |
father and sons are farmers, and all live |
in large, substantial house few yards |
from the road TO Doylestewn. They are |
all chronic laughers, having an Attic
tion of the muscles of the mouth and |
throat which compels them TO give vent
to apparent merrIment at stated inter |
walls The malady first appeared in the
father about ten years ago. He was
usually very quiet man, enjoying fun,
but manlfesting his enjoyment without
much noise He was seated at the din |
ner-table one day in the spring of the
year, eating steadily and not engaging
in any of the conversation which the
other members of the family were carry
ing on, when suddenly, without cause, he
bust into loud fit of laughter. so ex-
tremely different from his accustomed
laugh that all were attracted by it at
once. When asked what was the reason
for his sudden outburst he made no re-
ply, but continued his merriment. Some
of the boys thought he had Mysteries,
and pounded him on the back, but it
did no good. After few moments he
made motions for pencil and paper, and
wrote that he was unable to control his
risibles, and asked them TO send for the
doctor.
THE NATURE OF THE MALADY.
The rural physician came, but could
give no remedy that stopped the laugh
Ter. Peal after peal of what sounded
like the heartIest kind of fun came from
him, and nothing would avail to pre-
vent il. The doctor came to the con-
clusinn that lie was the victim of nerv-
Gus attack, ami leaving nervine, de-
parted. The father continued laughing
until about shutdown, when he suddenly
stopped and fell on the floor, completely
Frustrated. He soon grew better, how
ever, ate hearty supper and spent the
evening much as usual. No signs of a
return of the odd trouble appearing, he
went to bed and was soon fast asleep.
Along about two o'clock in the morning,
however, his wife was awakened by his
laughter, and the same symptoms mani
Tested themselves as on the afternoon
previous. He kept it up until seven
O'Clock, laughing loud and strong. At
seven O'Clock the noise suddenly ceased
and did not return again until dinner
time. Thus ii continued, recurring each
day shortly after noon and In the night
about two O'Clock. and has ever since.
AS the weeks passed lie grew SO accus-
toned to the disease that he was caused
very little inconvenience by it. He did
not get tired out, as at first, and soon
was able TO go about his work-sowing
seed and planting corn, digging vege-
tables and watering the cattle-while
laughing immoderately. He could not
talk while under one of the spells, but
carried slate and pencil around with
him, after the fashion of deaf and
dumb person.
THE LAUGHTER SPREADS.
The trouble was very regular in its
coming and going, and only occasional
" broke forth at unlooked-for seasons.
| Once the old man was taken in church
| Just when the minister was exhorting
his hearers in the most solemn strain and
| spoiled the effect of the discourse, be-
sides distur bing the equilibrium OF the
| clergyman. Another time he was found
| by one of his neighbors aleng the road
| lying beneath bag of flour laughing at
a terrific rate. He had been taken while
| driving home from the mill, and the
suddenness of the sounds frightened the
| horse, causing it to run away and dump
the man and part of his load-out in the
road. For eighteen months the father
| was the only one of the household Attic
ted with the malady. Several of them
had complained from time to time of an
inclination to join the father in the
laugh, but none of them did SO until
nearly two years after he was taken,
when Susie, the youngest child, sudden
" burst into a similar fit during one of
her fathers attacks. From that time on
she has laughed at about the same hours
her father does. One by one the remain
ing members fell victims to the strange
complaint, until three years ago there
was but. one left free, and that was
Charles, the oldest son. His long eX-
emption led him to believe he would es-
cape the cUntagion. But he was mis-
ken. and it is said he had his first attack
while petitioning for the hand of Har-
risburg damsel. So frightened was the
lady by the queer behavior of her sutton
that she ran from the room, and it was
weeks before the proper explanations
could induce her to see him again. She
is now one of the family and, es
Gaping the malady, never minds the hid
eous chorus of laughter which twice a
day ressunds through the house or
grounds. 1t is regarded as rather
strange that none of the neighbors should
have caught the infection, but such il
the case, although many of them minglC
constantly with the family.
TRYING TO STOP 1T.
Everything possible has been done to
alleviate or remove the malady, but
without perceptible effect. Several emf
nent physicians from the leading cities
have visited the home and grown ex
ceedingly interested in.the case They
all confess themselves baff1ed by the
malady and want one or two of the
family to 60 TO the city, where they car
receive constant treatment. This they
steadily refuse to do. Their peculiar
. trouble. SO noticeable and odd. has made
them very sensitive, and they will no
travel where they will be subjected tC
public scrutiny and remark. They e
to church or the store in the village
close by, and attend social gathering:
, occasionally in the neighborhOod in the
evenings, but only among life lonl
friends. People within a radius of |
few miles are so accustomed 10 thu
: thing they never mind it. Conse
r quently very few people outside
: of the immediate vicinity, anC
r the physicians who have attended them
are cognizant of the circumstances
People passing the house, especially In
the summer time, have been filed will
curiosity by what they saw and hearC
and have carried accounts to distan
places. These reports are very vague
for the passers-by have had no definlt
idea of the matter. They only knew
that it looked remarkably strange to Sc,
2 a father and his sons out in field
blowing and sowing many miles apart
yet each one laughing as though he haS
Z heard the best joke in the world. Curl
/, Gus stories are told by the traveller
: who went that way. Several years ag
! two young men came down from Doyles
town TO attend party at Erwinna,
/ summer resort on the Pennsylvania side
+ night and they did not star
; back until late. They drove pas
the house of the laughing famiI
' soon after the attack had begun. TIL
windows were all open, and every SCUM
could be plainly heard. As the youa
, men approached they heard the mos
uneartSly noise their ears ever received
1t seemed like perfect pandemonium
and they felt sure they must have strucl
> the entrance of the lower regions Th
!. horse took fright and nearly ran ava,
, with them. Coming to the conclusion
! that, at the least, the place was haunted
! they hurried home, and the next morn
ing spread the news. Parties were form
/ ed to investigate the matter, but none O
them solved the subject until lnforme4
by man in the village near at hand a
TO the nature of the case. They wer
urged 10 remain reticent about the maj
: tea and have done so.
? THEIR PRESENT CONDITION.
: The years of incessant laughter hav
e told somewhat ON the faces of the family
but not so as 10 be very noticeabi
D There are scores OF lines under the eye
and above the cheeks, caused by draw
+ ing up of the skin. Then their mouth
have become wider and they keep Their
Y closed with difficulty. The most mari
q ed resiIIi Of the disease however is 4