Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-06-03

not a pleasant sight. truslY. Paralysis
had smlttsn down one Of bis arms, and
weighed upon a side OF his face, and be
moved very unste ably on his crutch.
But 70 me be was not horrible. But
It led me to thinking.
And the outcome Of my thinking was
y that perhaps I might just IS we'll tell
you the true story OF my friend Will
Or, az least, the outline Of a few years
Of his variegsted life.
To begin with, be was the hardest
headed fellow you ever saW-may be
"mulish" would not be too harsh q
word, This trait brought him into no
end OF troubles, though IL is only fair
10 add that 1t generally got him out Of
them, too.
This great obstlnacy Of his was the
hrst element IN The curious true story
shall try 90 tell you and a second was
HE physique, which was as hard as his
head. He was hardly tivs-teet-seven,
but siDewy and agile as a panther, and
of really extraordinary strength.
At the time when the story begins,
the Obstinacy and the strength had an
years old; In the very perfection Of
health and Vigor.
BE had bought an interest Ia a young
daily newspaper. The small city 10
California where it was published was
just Beginning TO "bOOm." Immigra-
tion from the east was barely started in
that wonnerful tide which swellsd the
population Of that town from 1000 TO
90, 600 10 five years.
Tic was still rather a frontier city,
and almost entirely 10 the hands OF the
rOugher element The saloons and
gambling houses had everything their
Gwe wag, and we're so powerful that it
was deemed hopeless 70 oppose them.
Ny friends daily pitched 10 by itself
20 fight for a new order of things, and
Waged a relentless war on laWlessness
and wrong.
But the paper, besides being right,
had more bulldog" than It's Rdversar-
les; and municipal and state election
after election scored invariably a new
victory for the law and order party.
Step by hard-iought step the gam
bling houses we're closed, tho saloons
repressed and restrained, the most dan
gerous dives shut up-snd, ia a word,
the swift-growing city became noted
far and wide for its good government.
OF course, only an ininitesimal part
OF this was my friends dOtng-the votes
that made such a striking change were
those Of the sober, intelligent people
who had been coming Ia TO settle. But
&c is probably fair 70 say that without
q fearless newspaper 20 lead of, the
she reforms could not have seen accom-
pllshed so soon.
The paper, too. was pushing ahead,
IT'S circulation swell Bd and its influence
grew stronger daiIy-since people found
that though ii might be mistaken, iJ
was never dishOnest or cowardly.
For his share 6i these results VIII had
worked like Berserker. 10 him there
was no day Of rest ia the year, and four
hours at most in the %.
Til years went by. The paper
uas-sO far 10 the lead that one OF its
presses alone would have bought out
the whole establishment Of either Of It's
former rivals.
New my friend had a curious hint
His left fore6uger went TO sleep las
ones foot does) and STAYED so for a
then his trunk began to have the same
odd, tingling num0ness.
But he took 10 rather as q poor practi-
cal Joke on him than as a matter TO
tbink over.
Warnings had been showered on him
for years by his friends, By his many
RcQualntances among the doctors. But
one might just as we'll have talked 10 a
steel spring.
Even now, when the telegraph editor
said to him one night apropOs Of the
sleepy" finger, "Mr. VIII, II you don't
les up you are going 20 be paralyzed."
my friend looked az him IA unfeigned
admiration.
''Do you mean to tell me, Bates, he
cried impetuously, knOtting his left
arm TIN the biceps actually split the
sleeve. "YOu mean 20 say that when
tell this arm 70 do so and SOL will DISC
beg me. By heaven, I'd like TO see it,'
A week later he did see it.
That strange numbness kept coming,
at times creeping so close about the
heart that the strong thBmps seemed
likely TO cease. But he felt perfectly
we'll that evening IS he drew mp TO his
.
aud suddenly toppled TO the floor. The
next thing be knew be was lying on
the sofa, and a fearful face bent over
him.
'Taks It of msl' be gaspsd, for he
seemed to be held down by . weight Of
tons.
There was only q sad shake Of the
head for answer.
He had wrsstled with the strongest
men, he had fought with main strength
for his life, but never before with so
desperate effort as now 70 throw of a
weight DO one else could see.
After 90 minutes struggle he did get
M, weak and trembling, but victor
ious.
In q few moments his eXultstion fell
At a terrible discovery. His left arm
had mutinisd. Struggle as he would,
be could NOS move a muscle Of 10.
But DO one ever knew from him what
be did feel. Even TO me, his best friend,
he said only: "Ah, old boy! Tough
luck, no?" That first glimpse I got
OF his face, he was very pale; but bis
lips we're set, and there was more token
OF fire than water la his eyes.
IDOL I'll 60 10 the wilderness and lie
outdoors till I'm WELL" he said; and OF
ho packed to New Mexico, though bare
" able TO waddle Medicine? No, In
deedl My constitution Is doctor enough,
II 10 has half a chance-and III try to
give it that now"
Some Spanish people In the territory
had been his friends for years, and now
they gladly welcomed him 70 their
L,.io,do dov's rida from the rail-