The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-06-18
SOLD HIS SKELETON.

j
to the great establishment Of the many
visitors. The most eminent physicians
in this and other countries have tried to
solve this mans peculiar gift, but all
have failed and he remains as great
puzzle, to himself as we'll as others, as
when he first discovered he could loosen
himself, so to speak. without doing any
harm or causing any pain. Mr.. billiard
is of medium height, 1.-THE and graceful,
and is possessed of his share of manly
beauty. An Eagle reporter interviewed
this stumbling block to science yester-
day-bearded him in his den as it were
and drew from him life history which
is full of incident and novelty.
II was born at Martinsburg, w. Va"
he began, ION Aug. 16. 1857 grew
up to a schooling age the same as any
other child One day remember it
WE'LL climbed into an orchard from
which little boys were supposed to be O.
cluded, and, catching sight of dog
quickly jumped the fence into the road
way turning my ankle when | struck
the ground. It didn't hurt any, so |
kicked against the fence and snap it went
back into place again went home and
scared my parents almost into Mysteries
by repeating my snap act, and they sent
post haste for doctor.
THE DOCTOR PUZZLED.
He twisted me and hammered me,
and found a lot of new places that could
be broken without pain, finally giving
up the puzzle with the consoling theory
that there was screw loose somewhere
In school | soon learned to unjoint my
head and could write on the blackboard
and look squarely at the school at the
same time. always cracked my ankles
instead of swapping my fingers to attract
the teachers attention, and if found |
was being beaten in a foot race | always
managed to have broken leg or twisted
foot for ten or fifteen minutes as an ex-
cuse for having lost. When a bucket of
coal was needed my wrist was always
dislOcated; during harvest time dislc-
Gated knee came in very handy.
couldn't carry water with Il dislocated
shoulder, nor weed the garden with three
broken fingers on each hand. so | man
aged to have things pretty easy during
my childhood.
LAS grew older | found there were
few joints in my body that | could not
dislocate, and it gradually got to worry
ing me. consulted one doctor after
another, and one word. enigma. gives
the result of all their investigations.
When | gave it up in despair and re-
solved not to bother myself any more
about my failing, as l called it. the doc
tors began DR.. St. Clair, of the Port
Huron Medical college; DR.. Pauerest,
| Philadelphia: DR.. Bliss, New York: Dr.
Howell, Baltimore Dr. Chambers. st.
Louis; Dr. Doremus. Philadelphia: DR..
Asolphus, Atlanta, Ga, and thousand
and one others tackled me one after
another, and as regularly gave me up as
being an unexplainabl" mystery.
II now began to get used to being on
exhibition through having SO many doc
tors experimenting with me. and re-
solved to accept one Of the many offers
that kept pouring in upon me to visit
medical colleges throughout this coun-
try and England, and after exhibiting
for time before surgeons and students
at home | took an engagement in the
Royal college in London. where they
kept me for seven years, and yet could
tell me no more when | left than when
entered. When | returned took turns
at the prominent colleges in the large
cities, occasionally shifting off to sea-