St. Paul daily globe., 1885-03-29
LIFE IN AN IRON TANK.
A st. Louis Girl Spends Seventy.
Nine Days in Tank Filled
With Water.
A Newspaper in Trouble for Publish
ing the Details of Scandal
in High Life.
The Heavy Expenses of Candidates for the
MayOralty, Who Didn't Get
1t After All.
Endeavoring to Regulate Sinful Traffic
The Militia Threaten to Disband Be-
cause Of Lack Of Funds.
Correspondence of the Globe.

Iue MlllC1a INreIteu W DlSphuu Oc.
cause Of Lack Of Funds.
Correspondence of the Globe.
ST. LOUIS, March 27.-How would you
like to live for seventy-nine days in an iron
tank! The average answer to that question
would be that you wouldn't like 1t OF course,
and yet that has been the experience OF Miss
Mary We'll, a st. Louis girl living on Russell
avenue This young lady contracted very
queer disease called ''acute infectious osteo-
myelitis,'' sickness, one of whose peculiar
tiles is that it causes the most acute agony
when any pressure is bought to bear upon
any part of the body. Her physician, DIR.
Richter, a very scieti6c gentleman, after
worrying over the case for some time, ordered
an iron tank made which was filled with
water, and under which number of lamps
were kept burning in order to regulate the
temperature; the young lady, nude OF course,
was kept in the water, her head resting on an
air pillow and her body partially supported by
a submerged hammock, for seventy-nine
days and nights. She slept, ate, read,
existence and she has come out again almost
thoroughly cured. The case is making the
sensation of the day.
*x*
The st. Louis Chronicle will doubtless soon
be in the courts on account Of the reckless
manner in which it has treated the Mersman
divorce case, of which l sent you some par
ticulars last week. The Chronicle alleges
that the cause of Mrs. Mersman's petition
for divorce was furnished by the attentions
shown by her husband to Mrs. Mermod, the
wife of the senior partner of the well-known
jewelry firm of Mermod, Jaccard Il Co.
Mrs Mermod is most beautiful woman,
moving in the best society in st. Louis, and
the publications affecting her have attracted
the most general attention and con-
demnation. The unfortunate absence OF
Mr.. Mermod from the city at the
present time, doubtless, affords the reason
why all the scandal mongers are making so
free with the lady's name. The story, as
told, runs that Mrs. Mersman surprised
proofs which left no doubt upon her mind
that her husband cared no more for her. He
then attempted to force her to sign paper
admitting that she had been untrue to him.
This she refused to do. The brute beat her
with his fists, knocked her down, blacked
one of her eyes, and was few minutes after
wards kicked out of the hotel where the
fracas occurred by the landlord. The beat
ing was, by common consent, made the
ground for the divorce suit, not the conduct
that went before the beating.
*x*
Politics are seething in st. Louis just now.
After a deadlock in which nearly two
hundred ballots were taken the Democrats
have nominated dark horse, D. R. Francis,
ex-president of the Merchants exchange,
for mayor. In the meantime the candidates
who have fought through the campaign are
footing up their expense bill. | am told that
the canvass cost X. NJ. Parks, who got the
fewest votes in the convention, $4,000;
C. G. Rainwater, who had the next lowest
vote, $4,000, and E. A. Noonan. who had the
lead throughout the deadlock, S1,70O. Mr..
Joseph Brown, who got no votes in the con-
vention at ALL spent $4,000 to achieve that
striking result.
~
The last act passed by the Missouri legisla-
ture, which adjourned for the session on
Wednesday, reads like section of Solon-
ian ordinance for the regulation of the hetira
of Greece. The bill was introduced in the
senate by Speaker Woods and car
ried through both branches without opposi-
ton. The bill pronounces it felony for any
bawd or public woman to reside within eighty
yards of any public building or school through
this state. This is not the first time by any
means that the frail sisterhood has occupied
the attention of the Missouri legislators. A
few years ago social evil law planned after
the Ham burg law was passed in this state but
proved a failure. A registration of the
abandoned women taken when the law
first went = into effect showed
that there were 500 of that class in this city.
Another census taken fortnight later
showed only 600. The / 200 missing ones
fearing more notoriety abandoned the public
houses aud went to live In rooms and houses
in the residence parts of the city. The clergy
put on foot a movement to repeal the law,
which after lengthy debate was stricken off
the books. This law was replaced by city or
dinances, which place the women at the
mercy OF the police department. A census
taken a week ago shows 267 well-known pub
bic houses, against the keepers of which
charges have been sustained in court. There
are many smaller public places OF the kind
which are not registered.
NJ
The seventeen militia companies of this
city, which Soudan correspondent would
not hesitate to call the ''fower'' Of the Mis-
souri, soldiery, are on the eve Of dissolution.
The services of the guardians of our fire.
sides and homes are not appreciated. The
legislature has adjourned without making any
appropriation for the support of the militia,
though $4,000 was originally asked. A
boom to raise citizens fund has rum bled
away into silence, and the collectors are bav-
ing a hard time collecting the $4,000 sub
scribed. Meetings are held nightly at the
armory, and the soldier boys are disgusted
with the lack of appreciation,
~
Several years ago the state assembly en-
acted law making it Illegal to lay or operate
street car track nearer to an established line
than the third parallel street In the face of
this a corporation began building a cable
railroad to run down the center Of the city
from the west end. For privileges they ap-
pealed to the legislature. A powerful lobby,
representing the street car company, went to
the capital from this city, but labored in vain.
Next week the governor will sign the repeal
of the law giving the cable company the
aut hority to construct its road, which It is ex-
pee ted will be in working order By next Oc-
tober.
4x*
A force OF twenty inspectors are searching
the city over for nuisauces under the COM
maud of Health Commissioner Stevenson
and in the pay Of citizens committee, who
have collected $50, 900 to be expended in
cleaning the city FOR the reception of cholera,
should it visit this country during the coming