Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-03-02
Queer Yarns About Edison.
fPhiladelphia News


a Philadelphia doctor, and a chance
patient of the doctor. He said:
GA ranchman came along on his
way to Rawlins for "a doctor to see hi.
daughter, who appeared to have beer
suddenly affected by some peculiar
disease, the cause and nature of which
puzzled and alarmed the family, who
were evidently simple and well-mean
ing but ignorant people. Seeing sucf
an unusual stir about Separation, and
SO many men there, he stopped and
asked if any among us was a physician
DR.. French, of Philadelphia was there
and volunteered to accompany the
man. So he climbed into the buck
board and the mules were turned
ranchward again.
Several hours later the doctor, who
was Il great believer in efficacy of cleo
tricity as a medical agent, returned
and described the case to us.
"The girl, who was about II years
old and very beautiful in a rude sort ol
way, had been standing at sink wash.
ing dishes when she had suddenly
leaned forward and remained so, in q
kind of cataleptic condition, until hel
mother came to her, probably an hour
later.
She had seemed all right afterward
and could not explain exactly how she
had been seized. Afterwards, another
day, the same thing had occurred 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 that
stupid condition, from which they had
failed to arouse her.
DIR. French had worked over her
an hour and half before she recovered
the possession of consciousness. But
he asserted if he had Il. medical elec-
trio battery he could have restored her
Immediately.
"At this Edison became quite ex-
cited, and declared if he could get
some old cells and a coil from the
operator he could provide the necessary
current. So Edison rugged up rude
kind Of battery and went down with
French to operate on the girl the ney
time she had one of her attacks.
"One of the whims of the girl VI.
when emerging from her catalept !
state, to grasp whatever was nearest
her, SO as Edison happened to be there
with the sponge on the back of her
neck, treating her to a dose Of electric
ity, she took fast hold OF him. The
father saw this, and supposed the girl
to be in love with the electrician. He
and the mother talked the matter over
and came to the conclusion that the
electrical appliance was sort OF in.
fernal machine or philter by which
this stranger was winning the affec.
tions of the girl.
See here, stranger said the man
to Edison, if you mean business all
right Edison bowed very gravely
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, as you look mighty seedy
yourself. don't suppose you're worth
a dime, air yer Edison, seeming to
understand that a negative was re.
quired, shook his head at this.
"' thought SO; jest what / told my
woman. But that gals the apple O
my eye, and if she bankers after ye
she's going to have ye; and some ol
them men who seem to rather like ye
if ye air poor cuss, can witness the
thing and bring down Il justice.
Again Edison bowed.
French then thought it was abou,
time an end was put to the business
and hurried the telephone m:.l I off tt
Separation, and the rest of ! went
down and explained the situ. ion te
the ranchman telling him that Edison
was deaf and a lunatic, and knew alb
solutely nothing except little about
electricity, which he could show thu
mother how to apply to the girl in
case of renewal OF the attack, which
however seemed doubtful, as the dis
ease had SO swiftly succumbed to The
strong measures used.
"We all Clipped in and made up {;
purse for the girl. Edison headin. tn,
list with u big sum.
The girl was married the next yea
found afterward, and is as buxOm .
woman as you'd wish to see.
A FATAL tragedy, resulting in TIT