The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-01-26
QUEER YARN ABOUT EDISON.
A Man on the Plains Relates an Advent
ure with a Cataleptic Girl.

A veteran plainsman. who had met
Edison when he was out west in 1878,
tells the following story about Edison.
Philadelphia doctor, and a chance
patient of the doctor. He said:
"A ranchman came along oil his way
to Rawlins for doctor to see his daugli-
ter, who appeared to have been sud-
denly affected by some peculiar disease.
the cause and nature of which puzzled
and alarmed the family. who were
evidently simple and well-meaning but
ignorant people. Seeing such an un-
usual stir about Separation, and so
many mon there. he stopped and asked
Il any among US was physician. DIR.
French of Philadelphia was there. and
volunteered to accompany the man.
So he climbed into the blackboard
and the mules were turned ranchward
again.
Several hours later the doctor, who
was great believer in efficacy of
electricity as medical agent, returned
and described the case to us.
''The girl, who was about IL years
old and very beautiful in rude sort of
way, had been standing at sink wash
ing dishes when she had suddenly
leaned forward and remained So,
in a kind of eataleptic condition,
until her mother came TO her,
probably an hour later.
''She had seemed all right after
ward and could not explain exactly
how she had been seized Afterwards.
another day, the same thing had oc-
CURED as she stood hanging out
clothes. She had remained with her
arms uplifted. in one position. till she
had been brought away and aroused.
But the occasion which most seriously
alarmed them, and which had caused
the father to bring physician, was
that she had lain down and been found
in this stupid condition, from which
they had failed to arouse her
'.Dr. French had worked over her
an hour and a half before she re-
covered the possession of conscious
ness. But he asserted if he had Il
medical electric battery he could have
restored her Immediately.
At this Edison became quite excited,
and declared if he could get some old
cells and coil from the operator he
could provide the necessary current.
So Edison rugged up a rude kind Of
battery and went down with French to
operate on the girl the next time she
had one of her attacks.
''One of the whims of the girl was,
when emerging from her catalep-
tic state. to grasp whatever was
nearest her, so as Edison hap
pened 10 be there with the sponge on
the back of her neck, treating her to
dose of electricity, she took fast hold
of him. The father saw this, and sup
posed the girl to be in love with the
electrician. He and the mother talked
the matter over, and came to the con-
clusion that the electrical appliance
was a sort of internal machine or philter
by which this stranger was winning
the affections of the girl.
See here. stranger, said the man
to Edison, If you mean business all
right Edison bow ed very gravelv.
hearing not a word Cure the girl
and you can marry her. There's fifty
head of cattle you can run off and sell
if You want to. as YOU look mighty
seedy yourself. ] don't suppose you're
worth a dime, air YEP Edison, seeming
to understand that IL negative was re-
quired, shook his head at this.
al thought so; jest what told my
woman. But that gals the apple o.
my eye, and if she bankers after We
she's goin' to have ye; and some of
them men who seem to rather like We,
if We air poor cuss, can witness the
thing and bring down Justice
Again Edison bowed.
"French then thought it was about
time an end was put TO the business,
and hurried the telephone man off to
and the rest of us went
down and explained the situation to the
telling him that Edison was
deaf and lunatic, and knew abso-
lutely nothing except a little about
electricity, which he could show the
mother how to apply to the girl in ease
of renewal of the attack, which, how
ever seemed doubtful, as the disease
had so swiftly succumbed to the strong
measures used.
1--WE all Clipped in and made up a
purse for the girl, Edison heading the
list with big sum-
''The girl was married the next
year / found afterward, and is a
buxom a woman as you'd wish to see. +"
--PhHadslph,a Nesos.