Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1886-11-03
GOOD FOR CRAMPS.
A Colored Man VINO Drinks Rero-
sene OIL Every Day.
He PrOnOunOes the Fluid Good for the
Cramps, and TRkos It oonstan:Iy as
BeverRgc-A TumblcrTul
Considered a PaIr Dosa.
m T. starl

Inspector Metsger, OF the Third Avenue
Elevated railroad, sat in his anu Office at
the Twenty ourth street terminus on FRI
day last, puzzled. Before him lay n huge
Official blank, on whose shiny surface
columns az bulky figures were arrnyed Ia
squads, Ike guests at the fat mems clam.
bake
at Ia extraordinary" sighed the in
speetor, drumming on the tahls with his
hnger-tiPs, "what quantity OF kerosene
OIL those fellows use every week up at the
bixty-seventh street station. Here's m
extra gallon snd there's an extra gaIlonl
They'll bankrupt the company il they
keep IL up. The quserest thing aboui IL /,
that when we chan e around and supply
them with non-explosive signal oil they
don't use any more than any other sta
ton. This must be looked into" and the
Inspector began 10 look into IL forth with.
He had not lar TO 90 for an explanation OF
the mystery.
William Dtckerson, the colored porter
and cleaner at tie Sixiy-sevsnth street
station, furnished satisfactory pxplana.
ton. William Is saturated wi conn
tu'tible matter. William contains more
inhammable material to the square inch
OF bis swarthy carcass than the most
peppery OF King Killer Mosi's dynamite
harangues. In short, William Dickerson
drinks kerosene and thrives on IL. He has
drankit continuously and uninterruptedly
Tor the last three years--ever since he has
bean employed by the Elevated Com ANY.
De began the practice when he was AN in
FAINT away down on o plantation near
Bowling Green, KY.
Inspector Metsger made his discovery
Saturday, and he summoned the negro
porter to his Office yesterday. William
frankly confessed his fon .lnsss for Internal
'ubricaiion, and indeed hs could not do
otherwise, for the proofs against him were
overwhelming. He ssoutIy maiasained,
however. that be had imhibed none of the
company's supplies since three months
ago, aud his statement was believed be-
cause IL Is lorne out by the figures, and
moreover because on that date the new
nOn-inhammables signal oil was first served
out The porter's comrades have known
OF his strange habit for a considerable
time, and only last winter old Hank Cor
ners, the gateman on the uptown station,
had ht because Dickerson, after a Pc
eroieum orgie, persisted in Sitting in front
OF tho red-hot stove and blowing his
breath against n. Hank took refuge on
The guard-rail at the furthest end of the
station, and could only be coaxed back
after Dickerson promised TO give the stove
q wide berth.
While waiting for the oil .fend 70 re-
turn from his interview with the inspector
the station hands RECALLED tn. reporter
with q number OF anecdotes illustrative Of
the portsr's extraordinary cravinz for
eoai-oiL Finally Dickerson himself an.
peared. He is n robust built negro with n
very muscular chest He IL twentvssavrn
years old. IL married, and Is the father of
six children. he told bis story In a
straightforward way.
IA been drinkia' lie" ho said, almost
a. long as C. n member. was ris down
IN ole kaintuck on plantation where we
didn't have nuh to eat 'cept hoecake.
and not pow'ful lot Of that, nutber. I
drink the lie vhensber / feel cramps. It's
Pov'fnl good for cramps, loss; chokes 'um
on most always, shuah. like lie. Most
times takes a half teacupful for a dose.
and 'cNsiOnally, when Use took bad. I
lakes q tumblerful a more.0
"Do You ever experience any III effects
from itf1
~can't say, boss. that does. It goes
down siicler'n any thing you ever tasted.
No burnin' or nuthin'."
"Did you ever get drunk on iiss
40 de Law sake. boss." crioa william.
opening his eyes and showing his gleam-
lug teeth, "you don't know a pow'ful lot
about ua G1d thnrs fac. One can't