Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1885-12-23
MUST WALK $4,000 MILES
TO CURE AN IMAGINARY TROUBLE
OF THE FEET.
Strange Hauucinatiou of an Indiana
Man-Nnlking in a Circle for
fear and II HalE-Prophesying
tho End of TiIne.

HARTFORD CITY, Ind, Dec. Glover q
Year ago John Owen Snider, farmer living
seven miles southeast of thiS place was seized
With mania for pedeStrianism, being i'm
pressed with the strange Authorization that
three layers had suddenly appeared upon the
bottoms of his feet, and the only remedy for
their removal was to walk them Off He at
once took up the line of march, travelling in
q circle, i'll the rear of his dwelling, about
twenty-five feet in diameter Around this
beaten path he has Travelled now forever one
Year, until within the last few days.
No friend or relative could induce him to
STOP and it was necessary to travel with
food and give him drink as he travelled on
his tireleSs journey. He was persuaded to
follow the plow, but il the plow struck any
object he would let go the handles and
travel on from right TO left in circle about
the teld. In dropping corn he always
dropped it in circle The family history
reveals no insanity on either side, and med
ical men are at a loss to divine the origin of
the strange hallucination, nor can they devise
remedial agent that will give relief or re-
move the strange malady that so affiicts
him.
He has been tramping now over one year
and half, and the last twelve months al
most day and night for at least sixteen
hours of every twenty-four He always sits
IN a clair while sleeping, and never re-
moves his clothing. He leaves off his pill
grlmaGe about in the morning, and i'm
medlately falls asleep i'll the chair provided
Tor him. At he again starts upon his tire
less round, he travels at the rate of five
miles an hour, or eighty in twenty -four,
and In the last twelve months has walked
25,UOO miles, OF once around the world This
Is no exaggeration, but every statement is
founded upon facts as they exist He seems
perfectly sane upon all subjects except the
imaginary one affecting him.
Last summer he was pronounced insane
and sent to an asylum. He walked to the
train, and continued his pilgrimage while on
the way. At the asylum no means devised
could compel him to deSist and on he went.
Ii compelled by force to stop, his feet are
lifted alternately and thus kept in motion.
The authorities regarded him as harmless,
and he was sent home. Fora few days past
lie has been forced to keep inside his dwell
ing in room provided for him, and on he
goes; and, considering himself a prisoner, it
has aggravated him, and he has accelerated
his pace until he fairly flies about his apart
ment.
He has taken to prophecy and renlarka-
oAS SUI ASS al tOl4 VI LIS pIetl1CtlOuS. LII IS
claimed that he foretold the death of Gen.
Grant, and that he observed after the fall
election that poor Hendricks would not be
alive one year from tho time of his inaugur
alton. Many other events that have oc-
CURED he has foretold with marked precis-
ion and accuracy. And now he predicts
that within the next decade the greatest
war since the formation of the government
will be in progress. 1t will commence in
foreign lands, and America will be COM
PEELED to engage in it before it is ended He
predicts the end of time within
the next twenty years; says the
sun is cooling and getting ready for
combustion, etc. He is clear and lucid on
all subjects except the imaginary trouble
with his feet. In response to the inquiry
= how long he expected to continue his pill
grimage before relief is obtained, his reply
Is that $4,000 miles of travel will be neces-
sary to remove the imaginary morbid
growth, and that he must make haste to
compass that distance; and then away he
goes with a bound that fairly startles his
lnquisitor. it certainly lisa most peculiarly
remarkable case and without parallel in
the history Of naladies that affiict mankind,
imaginary or~otherwiSe.