Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1896-03-20
WONDER OF DOCTORS.
FccAR PRATT, TSoUeH osslFisD,
Was a POWERFUL PREACHER.

p1sy ceafieteIs osainea Nan on Record
Said - Have Converted Thonsands sfu
seam OEsss Al Re:usad--fiow Itis o~av,
nas Besa Robbed.
The item appearing in tho daily pa
pefa uarratiDR how tho grave Of Edgar
tFoft. we'll known az tho ossified man,
had been robbed recently caused cousia-
srahla eseitc1aent IN the vicinity whore
hdeEt Pratt was born, educated, learned
MS 'raao trrnsactea business and whore
ms Vidcv and her mother al present
feaiae
hdFgr Pratt was son Of William
Pratt, 3 w5li known farmer. who for
many years resided On farm which no
owned on the town limo road between
Williamson and Ontario. south Of tho
Ridge road, 70 called. The family il
oGo Of thooldest IN Wayne county. N. Y.
Tho ossihed inan was born in the
towg q Williamson, n. Y. was edu-
Gated at tho pnblic schools ID that vii
laEo and completed bis education in So
dos academy. he war u we'll formed
young iuoa, bright and fiue looking. He
want % sodus, n. y, about 1873 and
went 20 WORK for Charles Dslano, learn
ing the trade Of cagisge trimming He
WAS not roligiously inclined, IN which
respect he differed very materially from
his parents and other members Of the
Pratt family While tho young man
VIA working at his trade bis father sold
the farm aud with the family removed I
70 Douglass Butler county, Kan. the
son, Edgar, accompanying them. Tho /
latter secured position az stage driver /
Through exposure on the stage route he |
contracted rheumatism, which eventu-
ally compelled bis abandoning that vo-
cation. His condition became critical
Re recovered from his Illness and short
~ afterward removed 20 Sodus, where
be opened upa carriage trimming ostab-
jehment in tho Mills building on Ma
9lo street rheumatism returned, and he
was soon prostratod with his old uil-
iaent Medical science was invoked, but
nothing could be done. At length. being
Ia destitute circumstances, his brother,
Daniel Pratt came from Kansas aud
iook Edgar ont west with him. Shortly
after ihis, ossihcation began 10 set IN,
sud the patient suffered untold agony.
An exhorter went 30 Douglass. which
vas then comparatively destitute Of re-
igioos influences, and Pratt became
lie joined the Methodist
Episcopal church and soon became one
'f tho w0rmost supporters OF that de-
domination. Justification By chat time
lad become so advanced that the man r
yaa taken before board Of medical ex-
ioris 10 New York aiiy. Tho ease had
Allied the skill Of an western ply
icians who had been consulted. The
'ew York surgeons pronounced the case
most marvellous ono IN tho annals OF
iejicsl jurisprudenoo.
An offor pf $1,000 per year during
ne and $4,000 90 the widow at his !
each, provided Pratt ould contract to
ave his body delivered to the Now 7
ark medical experts at his death, was
igrued, Pratt alleging that his condi-
~ was due 70 an act Of Providence
2 claimed that he was suffering just
luishmout for not improving his tai
lts while Young and before being af-
oted with disease His oxhortalions
'oamo 20 pronounced that his religious
lmirer hniis wagon. IN which no
3 stretched out rigid as a block Of
mhle. During tho laat four years OF
s lie BIO suffered no pein whatever,
o was rushiu 20 mov0a joint. Starya-
"a as one timo threatened him, and
ar Of HE 'front.' tooth wore removed,
= through tho aperture thin LIQUID
- was ~ ioeted, and thus WAS life
.iriusd. IA his carriage he was takeu v,
camp meetings, whore ho was tho trl
3f2r II attraction on account Of hts %
ldiiion aud tho earneslnoss with on
.ich De oxhortod. It Is said that
ongh his fundamentally thousands
"a converted 5
9Hcrs from museums were refused,
itl insisting .hab his mission was TO
vert os mary % religion as possible
'iug bis Remaining days. His faithful
e femulpod with him until his death,
icb occurred less than a year ago.
seum managers ard physicians even
BE- PIRATE s death, continued to deiugo
widow ard parents Of tho ossihod
. with leuers and teleggans Offering
e. smcunts for the remains This SO
.med the father that ho declined TO M, Nv
~ bis son 60 10 buried in tho Doug
eei0ofmy, bat Instead had tho body
mod in r. flower bed Ia she dcoryard nor
cath the fatheys window. where be wil
% keep 40 ever watchfui eve upon it, az {
3 haptenei. however, that tho father on
asswn rs juror al El Dorsdo, tho Cal
itg scat. ard dnrinr his .besaee tho 9l5
]