The Red Cloud chief., 1885-04-24

aga n. giar NJ NJ the intruders for IN
terrupt.ng Their meal THIS IS only
one " a thousand funny things that
q, ight be told Of these same jumpers
As = general thing the jumper takes
the joke pleasantly: but j, sometimes
makes him suriy and ~qusrrel>ome
Jumping Frrnchmen love TO tease each
other. and at any Of Their gathering.
there are always many pranks played.
often with ser a consequences Some
tines when friends are talking . mis-
chief-maker will saunier up. slap one
Of them on the shoulder aud cry out
Hit him. or something Of the kind.
and leave the friends To- settle the mat
ter. for something Is bound TO happen
Usually the jumper obeys the command
to the letter and strikes out in . way
that would do credit to . prsxe tighter.
II b friend gets Knocked down il Is
nobody's fault but the one who started
the mischief. for the poor Frenchmsn
could not help doing rs he Vas told.
He would hit his mother or . sione
wall n soon as he would 40 anything
else. More often. however. the effect
OF startling . jumping frenchman 10
com cal. but harmless. When ne gets
4 sudden start the impulse is TO lcsp
into the air. He then utters a low, 81
most p.aintiyc cry. throws his hands up
and male, a bound that is sometimes
worthy Of record as q high jump. No
particular harm is done. but the jumper
is left pale and trembl ne for q few mo-
ments and then forgets all about i; and
Is ready 10 be jumped again and again
for the most trivial reasons. Of course.
if he is on his guard he is no more sus-
ceptible To jumping than other people.
1.-The women are. little il any less
likely to be jumped than the men. To
see a small. dumpy Frenchwoman try.
ing to get into the air would make .
high-bench Judge laugh. They are Al
most useless As servants. Adsh Of hot
soup would lie thrown anywhere. even
On the traditional bald head. on the
slightest provOcation. The general
tendency Of those affected. Is | have
said. is TO jump; but there are almost
a many peculIarities A. there are peo.
pie. 4 sneeze Will s;artle one into 4
violent fit of sneeAing and smiling, A
jumping Frenchman who could
not speak wori Of any Ian
guage but his own Ca kind
of patois, by the Way has been known
t. repeat a single-brcath English sen
icncc. word fo- word. including into
nation aad gesture. ON be NJ suddenly
startled by the N saying H. In the
little town of Caribou l saw a jumper
who was really u remarkable checker
PLAYER. A travelling man Of lid
cradle reputation in that line was
play ING with h III. and tn, game had
been brought To a point 1t which q
: nglc move practically gave IL to the
Frenchman. His opponent. seeing
that he would be beaten. uttered a
sudden cry Of alarm. which produced
the desired effect. for the Frcnchman
turned pale and instantly threw board
and pieces across the room. Ii is ac-
tually dangerous ut tines To be among
Frenchmcn. for they are mol rc-pOnsi-
bic for what they do. and Their freaks
are likely To be n harmful As they
are lud cronse
Il was unable To learn anything
about the history Of these queer people.
but have no doubt some Of the physi-
clans Of Houlton. Carbon or Fort Fair
field could tell something ~ out the
nature Of their affection. The climate.
and their rude. dirty ways have been
suggested. and some say intcrmarriage
has had something 10 do with the
E.itcr. Others believe that the pecul-
,aritv is On Inheritance which has been
developed without check until Il has
become general. At any rate. ihe
Aroostook aud the nearby part Of the
provinces is probably the home Of the
jumping Frenchman. Upper Maine is
a tough place for a travelling man ia
winter. but it is the mot interesting
part Of the country SO far ~ human
curiositics are concerned that ! know
of. and ! am supposed to know pretty
much the whole of it. Many New
Workers are beginning TO appreciate
the advantages of the AroOsiOOk a. a
summer resort. and 1t is probable that
when the hotels and boarding-houses
to send out circulars of in
on. chief among the novelties
mentioned Will be the singular Pc
cul arities Of these singular people
~. J.. HOyid.