The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-07-31

extreme fatness, did not give complete
assnranceof their exemption from the
disease, In this state they were often
found to be sick, suffering from loss of
appetite and energy, with theireyes red
and watery, and to stagger, tremble,
fall down in cenvulsionsl and die. /
Sheep when seized with a paroxysm of
the ''tremoles" would struggle as If
trying to free themselves from the
grasp of some terrible enemy, and
would soon surrender and fall down,
uttering the most splailtive bleating,
as II suffering intensely painful distress.
The farmers had a test for the health
fulness of beef cattle just off the Wild
range; it. may be designated as the
E.fatigueN test. have often seen the
test applied. It consisted in placing
the animals in feld. .or lot, and boys,
with coats and hats off, were directed
to chasetherhl around and urge them to.
their greatest speed. If, after a long
chase, the cattle did not eviice signs oi
muscular weakness, stagger, tremble
andfah Down, they where pronounced
healthy and at once slaughtered. and
OF security against the disease. f0e =
T. Ia the, primitive days, when it was
claimed that men were more honest
than .n6wlsit wassnoti always an easy
matter to. determine Just in what par
tictilar neighbofhood the poisonous
prineipR was located. asithe story has
been current for thirty years that trav-
elers or land buyers, seeking homes in
the West, found itsvery difficalt to catch
up with the place where it had its hab-
ftation; that IN answer to their ques-
tions as to whether the neighberhood
was troubled with it, they invariably
received the assurance that the disease
did noteYist there, buta 'pve1at Jones' }.
five miles ahead, it was bad" Farm.
ers then appeared to be ready to sup
press the existenceFof this disease near
them as commercial men and newspa-,
pers aresto suppress the existence of
epidemic or contagious diseases in the
great marts of business, The disease
was known IN North Carolina more
than. hundred years ago, and as emf
grafton flowed westward it was found
| to exist in TENNESSEE Kentucky, and
lshas prevailed in these, States, as well
as in Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Ala
'bama, Virginia, and perhaps several
sWestern States other than those mem
toned. ss
f. There are no statistics accessible from
which we may learn the fatality of this
subtle poison in man or beast. One of
the oldestsinha abitahts-a truthful and
! honorable as he is aged -zstatess that at
an early day in the history Of the city of
/ Evansville, iw when much Of uthe present
| site was occupied by native forests. he
could walk from The present center of
4 busiuess.to the present suburbs, a dis
/ tance of two miles, on the bones of ami
mails which had died from ''trembles. -
! Another states that an entire family. a
wife, seven children and two grand
I parents, was swept away IN a single
season by this seourge. gi 5a4 8
i The history of q single case will be
sufficient to illustrate the fact that the
/ greatestphysical strength, when brought
into the unequal combat, was power
less to resist the fatal effects Of this ter
Il riblel and deadly fnalAdy ] witnessed,
when boy, the sufferings and death OF
neighbor from this poison. His mus.
cular strength was much greater than
that of ordinary men. Though not ap-
I parently large man, his frame was
compact. bis form was symmetrical, hif
muscles were firm and unusually de.
vel0ped, and his power seemed phe.
nonlenal. His strength was particularly
manifested in athletic contests, and a
log follings where a handspike, suffi.
cient to resist. the strength of an ordi.
| | 10
when tested by his power. In his strug
f giles with the disease he was extremely
restless, so that no ordinary effort could
] restrain him in bed. He would roll of
onto the floor and roll, back and forth
! from one side. of the room to the other
The struggle. was terrible to behold
i but the physical giant, Jack Bowman
: Twas forced to yield to 'theoverpowerins
enefny.sy ,s. ..,ss
Amy attempt. on the part of. a mar
not fully recovered from an attack, tC
walk3or run fast would induce par
oxysm of trembling, attended By great
! muscular prostration and debility. Hs
: woah be compelled to sit down ant
rest, or fall down. Active physical ex-
ertion. stimulated by excitement, woult
tlAiAGiEsto1ys CEidthA5Ot Atlpsi "a lRst aIlol
lived on public road.s His dog wa.
sick with 'istrembleso "A nefghbol
passed salong the read with o dog fol
lowing him.. The sick dog did not SCI
the other until it had passed some dis
,, Itanee beyond the house. The old habi
of chasing every dog that came in sigh
of the farm had become second nature
and So stimulated him TO run after
catch and punishth intruder, that ht
started off at his greatest possible speed
but, before catching up with the strange
dog, he was seen to fail down, tremble
as With a convulsion, and. before the
farmer could walk to where he fell, wa;
des1dI dogs which had eaten o.
! poisoned flesh became, in a few days
lso stif' and helpless that they could no
getsover d threesraii fence and were ut
terly unit for the. chase, of game OF. t.
drive stock from the fields. Work-oxer
/ cou1d,endare bat little travel or work
Horses once affected though looking
/ well y were worthless for work or travel
land traders could not speed them bach
and forth to exhibit their superior gaits
but had to trade them standing. Ii ;