The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-07-20
The Autobiography of Wild Man.
TWELVE YEARS ON THE FRONTIERS or
MADNESS. THE FEELINGS OF
LUNAT1C
COLONEL wccklcy in Arkansas traveller.

Colonel Weekley In Arkansas Traveller
was once insane and | often muse
over my experience. There are, of
course, many kinds of insanity. Some
mental disorders take place so gradual
ly that even the closest companions of
the victim are at a loss to remember
when the trouble began 1t must
have been this way in my case. One
evening, after an oppressive warm day,
day when ] experienced more ia
tigue from the heat than ever before
Or since, sat on my porch tanning
myself. "This arm that is now in
notion | mused, 'must one of these
days be dust. | wonder how long will
the time be- Then | mused upon the
evidence | had of Immortality. |
wanted to be rich, and | began TO
study over an imaginary list of enter
prises. At last hit upon radishcs.
People must have radishes. They
should be in every store. They could
be drie and sold in Winter | would
plant fifty acres with radish seed, and
people all over the country would refer
to me as the "radish king" ] would
form a radish syndicate, and buy up
all the radishes, and travel around aud
be admired. | FASTENED to the house
to tell my wife that she was soon to
be radish queen. AT the breakfast
table l said
Julia, how would you like to be a
radish queen?'
"a what !" she exclaimed.
| explained my plan of acquiring
great wealth, and during the recital
she acted so curiously that was alarm
ed. | feared that she was losing her
mind. Finally she seemed to under
stand. She agreed with me, but told
me not to say anything more about it.
After breakfast | saw her talking ear
nestly with her father and | knew
that she was explaining to the old gen
tlemon how she intended to pay his
debts when became known as the
radsh king. The old man approached
me with much concern and told me
that / needed rest, and that | must
not think Of business. He was old
aud sadly worried, and | promised him
Pretty soon went out to inspect my
radsh kingdom. Looking around |
saw the old man follow me. From the
field | went to the village. l approach
ed prominent citizen, who had
always been my friend and told him
how / intended to become rich, He
seemed grieved, and saw at once that
he was contemplating the same enter
prise. 1t seemed mean that he should
take advantage of me, and told him
so. He tried to explain, but he made
me so mad that / wonld have struck
him if my father-in law had not come
up and separated us.
Men came after long time, and
took me away, thought, to the peni-
tentiary. One day a cat came into my
cell, and l tried to bite it, She made
the hair fly, but | killed her. | don't
know how long remained here, but
one morning the sun rose and shone in
at me through the window. 1t seemed
to be the first time that | had seen the
great luminary for months. a mist
cleared from before my eyes. My
brain began to work, and suddenly |
realized that | had been insane.
called the keeper, and when he saw
me he exclaimed "Thank God! and
grasped my hand. | was not long in
putting on another suit of clothes and
turning my face toward home. y
physician said | was cured, and every
body seemed bright and happy at my
recovery. l boarded train, with a
gentleman, and went home. My wife
tainted when she saw me and learned
that l had recovered my mind.
asked for my little children, and two
big boys and a young lady came for
ward and greeted me. | had been in
the asYlum twelve wears.