The Osceola times., 1883-10-06
PEOPLE WHO WORK.
A Fine Farm on Wards Island Run by
Men Bereft OF Reason.
Men Who Believe They are the Saviours Of
the World-Mis directed Genius.
N. Y. Mercury.

NTtdt Htlub Vi tOf anu NibbdSt, vi
potatoes and beets, stretch from the CEN
trail portion of Wards Island toward the
southern and western shores. Back of
these are stubble fields from which grain
has been removed. The produce of
these fields is almost sufficient TO feed the
hundreds who find shelter on this Is
land every year. A company of farm
laborers were working in rotatoe field
on the island pulling up the weeds
which had grown rankly, when repor-
ter paused with Superintendent w. T..
O'Brien and Chief Orderly John Vos, to
gaze at the operation. The men were
attired in dark trousers and wore check
cred shirts, and appeared to be indus
trious workers. Suddenly, however, one
seemsd to detect sometaing amusing in
the presence Of the spectators, and he
went into iit of laughing which threat
ened to end in convulsion. For long
time after he laughed silently, but con-
tinued 10 grasp the weeds with firm
hand, and pulled them up by the dozens.
Another gazed angrily at the visitors,
The Others remained stolidly ut their
work.
"Comc here, Murphy" Mr.. Vos shout
ed to stout middle aged member of the
group, who was working some distance
away. The man came, stepping carefully
over the rows of cabbage. He touched
his hat.
81 heard your name was Sullivan"
said Vos.
The mans face Redeemed and, he re-
piled angrily and vehemently
any name is Murphy, Ryan, OConnor,
Cavan =" and he ratified off dozen
names.
"Why have you so many names ?"
"rhey are the names of my ancestors
represent them all"
these are the men," Superintendent
O'Brien said, as Murphy went back to
his work, "who do all the farm labor on
the island. Every one has his delusion,
and yet they plant the crops, cultivate
them, drive the teams, and gather and
garner them. The man we were talking
to has considerable intelligence in some
directions, but has strange delusions. He
claims to be descended from King David
and to have about fifty names, with all
of which he should be addressed. Moth
ing will indHce him to work on a holy
day, of every one of which he gives me
notice two weeks in advance"
"Do these men converse togetherY
"a little" replied Mr.. Vos, "but there
is no sympathy between them. Each
man, with the selfishness of a mania has
his mind only on himself and what he
silpposes to be his peculiar troubles. Yet
they are able to work, and that does
more toward checking and curing their
mania than all other causes combined"
"What proportion of the maniacs can
be induced TO work."
Not more than seven or eight in n
hundred can be induced to do some labor
Ifthev will work enough to get tired
they sleep at night, and when maniac
sleeps there is great hopes that he can be
cured"
DO those who you set to work in the
fields ever come to blowsW
"Not often; but where two have the
same mania there is great danger Of it.
Zach of two of our men belle 1ed he was
the Saviour of the world ahd wGrne !
everybody that the other was an impos-
ter. AT length they came to blows and
we were obliged to seperate them. They
could not be worked together after
that"
In the loft Of one Of the farm build.
inss, the entire ceiling Of whioh was
hung with great punches of onions, sew
eral men were at work punching the
larger onions by the tops, while the
smaller ones We're thrown in differing
heaps on The floor. The same amused
expression which had been noticed in
the field appeared on the faces Of two of
the men, but the others looked up with
mild curiosity and returned Mr.. Nos'
salute in few words in n foreign
tongue.
'rhose men do not talk much togeth-
cr," Mr.. Nos said. 'it's singular fact
that no two speak the same language.
There's a German, a Polander, French
man, an Italian, an Englishman and enc
or two from other nationalities."
"You address each in his own Ian
gusge"
"Yee, ! have been here eleven years,