Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1881-03-31

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WAS but one left free, and that was
Charles, the oldest sou. His long ex-
emptiou led him TO believe he would
escape the contagion. But ho was mis-
taken. and il IS said he had his first az.
tack while petitioning for the hand Of a
Harrisburg damsel So frightened was
the lady Wy the queer behavior oI her
suitor that she ran from thJ room. and
4 WIS weeks before thc proper explana-
tons could induce her 10 see him again.
She Is now one Of the family here, and,
escaping the maladv. never minds the
hideous chorus of laughter which twice
a day resounds through the house or
grounds. II is regarded as rather
strange that none OF the noighbors
should have caught the Infection but
such is the case. although many Of them
mngie constantly with the family.
TRYING TO sruF fT.
Everything poss bic has been done TO
alleviate or remove the malady, but
without perceptiblc effect. Several
eminent physicians from the leading
cities have visited the home aud grown
exceedingly interested in the case.
They all confess themselves baflled by
the malady and want one or two OF the
family 10 20 TO the city. where they
can receive constant treatment. This
they steadily refuse to do. Their
peculiar trouble. so noticeable and odd,
has made them very sensitive, and they
viii not travel where they will be sub
ieCted 20 public scrutiny and remark
They 20 10 chcrch or the store i'm the
village close by. and attend social
gatherings occasionally in the neigh
borhood in the evenings, but only
among fe-ioug friends. People within
a radius OF a few miles arc so accus-
toned to the thing that they never
mind IL or mention il. Consequently
very few people outside OF the imne-
diate vicinity, and the physicians who
have attended them, are cognizant OF
the circumstances. People passing the
house, especially in the summer time,
have been illed with curiosity by what
they saw and heard, and have carried
accounts TO distant places. These re-
ports are very vague. for the passers-
by have no definite idea of the matter.
They only knew that It looked remark
ably strange 10 see father and his sons
out Ia field plowing and sowing many
rods apart, vet each one laughing as
( though be had heard the best joke in
the world Curious stories are told OF
I the travellers who went that way. Sew
eral years ago two Young men came
from Doylestown 20 attend party at
Erwiuna. a summer resort on the Penn
sylvania side, few miles below here.
I II was warm night and they did not
start back until late. They drove past
the house of the laughing family soon
after the regular attack had begun.
The windows were all open, and every
sound could be clearly heard. As the
young men approached they heard the
most unearthly noise their ears had
ever received. Ii seemed like perfect
I pandemonium. and they felt sure they
must have struck the entrance 20 the
lower regions. The horse took fright
and nearly run away with them. Com
ing TO the conclusion that, at the least,
the place was haunted, they hurried
home, and the next morning spread the
news. Parties were formed to investi-
gate the matter, but none of them
solved the subject until informed by 9
man in the village near at hand rs to
the nature OF the case. They were
urged 70 remain reticent about the mat
ter. ana nave done so.
THEIR PRESENT CONDITION.
The years of incessant laughter have
told somewhat on the faces OF the fam
lily, but not so as to be very noticeable,
There are scores Of lines under the
eyes and above the checks, caused b.
the drawing up OF the skin. Then theiI
mouths have become wider. and they
keep them closed with difficulty. The
most marked result Of the disease, how
ever, Is IN the voice. The entire fam
ily talk in the same tone, resembling a'
near az anything the voice OF an altC
singer Males and, females have the
same infection and intonatiOn. Mos
of them have more or less trouble witt
their eyes. several having become very
near-sighted. The pupils have con
tracted and the entire eyeball is dlmin
ished in size. This Is accounted fo
by the contraction OF the eyes whilC
laughing aud the effort required il
, working or reading while undergoing
an attack. Very little physical annoy
ance IS caused the laughers. They reaC
and write, sleep and work without am
trouble. The only thing they seem un
able 10 do, while attacked, is 10 cat
and that can be readily understood
; Several grandchildren have been born
and in all but one instance they wer'
taken, soon after birth, with stated at
. tacks at the same hours as thoir par
ents. OF course they DO not laugh a
: the older ones do, bat they crow an'
express all the signs Of baby glee twlc'
J a day aud mover cry while in that state
Freacht0WH (N ~ Cor. fhs'aaetpAs'
! Times.
w. c. Hllliard, OF Titusville, Pa.
has been engaged for the last iiiteel
years In perfeeling a piece OF musica