The herald., 1895-02-22
He Has the Symptoms of Con-
sumption but Denies II
NO SIGNS OE PARALYSIS
Merely an Attack OF Sciatic Rheumatism
of the Left Leg
His Condition, Though Not Critical Is Far From
Encouraging and Not at all
Assuring
Special to The HERALD.

will not have a chance to appoint Senator
Flint or anyone else Lieutenant Cover nor
OF California just now
Spencer g. Millard, while anything but
a well man, is not nearly as sick as re-
ported. He is not paralyzed and never
has been, but he is suffering from sciatic
rheumatism, that prevents the use of his
limb. 1t is an open question whether or
not he has consumption.
His condition, however, is such that
change for the worse may take place at
any time.
Indio is a camp OF consumptives.
Nearly every one here is an invalid with
lung disease, and those who are not
afflicted are nursing the sick. Hence it
is of all places the one in which an opin-
ion upon consumptive patient may be
given with some degree of accuracy
Most of the people here think Millard
has consumption, and he looks it.
The cottage occupied by theLieutenant-
Governor, his wife and his male colored
nurse is the first of a row OF 10 houses built
amid rows Of trees that make Indio an
oasis in the desert.
When The Herald man called on the
Lieutenant-Governor this afternoon he
found him lounging in big arm chair
under the shade of the trees in the rear
of his cottage.
The thermometer registered 80 in the
shade, and the short walk from the depot
to the cottage--started perspiration from
every pore.
Under the trees, however, it was pleas
ant. A brisk wind was blowing from the
snow-capped mountains just a few miles
away and brought only tinge of GOODNESS
but no moistnure with it.
Mrs. Milard sat near her husband. In
fact, for weeks she has never been away
from him an hour at time.
Both Mr.. Millard and his wife greeted
The Herald man cordially, and the Lieu
tenant-Governor's first words were: "Is
it possible Los Angeles has paper at
last with enterprise enough to send man
away out here to get the news?"
He spoke with the hesitancy chat all
people suffering from lung trouble have;
a shortness of breath that makes them
pause for their words.
The color of his face and hands was
good, showing the rich tint of the tan of
the sunshine, but where the collar of
the shirt fell away from the neck and the
sleeves dropped back from the arms the
skin wore the pallor of a consumptive.
II am not paralyzed and never have
been,' said Millard. THAT story was
started by a relative, understand, but it
had no foundation further than the fact
that my left leg has been weak, through
sympathy with my lung presume. When
l first began to walk around | favored the
leg and dragged it along, but now it is all
right.
am getting well slowly. l still have
some fever, but my lung is healing up
slowly. l have caught several slight
colds since, and have been down here by
indiscreet exposure, but they have
amounted to nothing. | am taking creo-
sotes, hypo-phosphi and quinine, and
that is all. | think l am on the high
road to recovery"
What do you think of the present Leg
slature," asked the reporter.
81 don't know anything about it, was
the reply. 'Ihave paid no attention to
anything except my health
''Long, long ago gave up all hope of
ever presiding over the present session
OF the Legislature, and for a week or
more after | came down here l merely
glanced at the headlines of the papers.
Before that--and | have been here a
month"; couldn't read news. You know
don know really what the Legislature
has done, or in fact don't care, suntil |
get well.
II haven't got con sumption said
Mr.. Millard, and he said it with the in
sistence of a man who feels that he must
make his auditor believe what he says,
whether he wants to or not.
The very effort made by the man started
him to coughing, and it was the ominous
hollow, hacking cough that tells of cavi-
ties in the lungs that cannot be healed
T. Both Mr. Millard and his wife are in
excellent spirits, considering the fact that
they reside in Indio, where there is abso-
lutely nothing to do but eat sleep and
enjoy the hot, dry climate, so healing to
diseased lungs.
Since the beginning of her husbands
illness Mrs. Millard has been his press
agent, and while he was in Los Angeles
the excellent lady gained the reputation
OF being terror to reporters. She said
today that the reason why she acted as
she did when her husband was so i'll was
because she was afraid if his true con-
dition became known, he would never
be sworn in, and feeling sure he would
recover, she hid it from the public.
In regard to the paralysis story, Mrs.
Millard said the relative who first told
the story was an old granny, but one of
the best fellows alive.
He and my husband are like brothers."
she said, but the poor fellows wife died
of consumption, and now everybody who
has lung trouble must be a consumptive, in
his opinion. That is the whole origin of
the st ory."
With all the devotion of true, good wife
and woman Mrs Millard nurses her hus-
band and refuses to see his real condition.
When Milard will leave Indo is uncer-
tain. 1t will be weeks at least. He walks
across the garden or to and from the
house, but the exertion tires him and the
hectic fever hangs on with a persistency
that shows how deep seated the disease