The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-15
TAKES ms SLEEP STANDING.
A California Man Who Lives in n
Sentinel Box and Never Lies
Down.
From the San Francisco Call.

Down.
From the San Francisco Call.
Jake Rogers says that he is the only man
in the world who sleeps standing up. And
most likely he is right about it, althoua h
there are many men living who claim to
have done it under compulsion during the
last war. Jake also says that the reason
he is so healthy is because he sleeps the
way he does. Most people, however,
would prefer to have a little less health
and a little more comfort.
The place where Jake has his home is
not very well populated one 1t is III
Mendocino county, only few miles north
east of Los Robes, and the nearest
neighbor is some distance from his place.
But then Jake doesn't want neighbors, SO
that feature is really an inducement for
him. In fact, Jake says that the reason
he took up his present abode was to get
rid of neighbors. He is not of very good
disposition, and an effort to get him 10
talk about anything but himself will sure
ly result in failure.
1t is safe to say that Jakes house is The
only one of its kind in the world. 1t IS
built to sleep standing up in, and it would
be impossible for person to sleep in 1t
any other way unless he curled up like
bear. Jake built the house himself out or
boards and logs that he picked up in dir
ferent parts of the country 1t is queer
looking affair, having greatly the appear
ance of a chimney with a roof on it, and
a very dilapidated roof at that. But tie
shanty is a strong one. and keeps out tho
wet, and that is all that is required. Even
the latter is not required the greater part
of the year in that section. There is only
one door and no windows.
While the outside of the house may look
l.
only one piece of furniture, and that is
what Jake calls his bed. 1t really looks
more like a coffin standing on end, for it
is a sort of box tilted back only few
inches from the perpendicular 1t is
nailed at the bottom and also at the top,
so that 1t is immovable. The inside of it
is lined with straw covered with cloth, to
give it little comfort in cold weather,
Jake says.
When Jake wants to sleep all he does
is to lie back in his box and close his eyes.
He says it doesn't take him long to for
get his troubles. In the next breath he
will tell you he has no troubles since
ne took to sleeping standing up.
Jake does no cooking in his house SIM
ply because there is no room. His cult
nary department is located under a tree
a short distance away. His food consists
of anything he can get by begging, Dor
rowing or finding. But he don't do much
borrowing since the neighbors have grown
to know him.
The way 1 sleep is the only right way
Tor anybody to Sleep" said Jake, land
the sooner people come to their senses and
do as l do the sooner disease will be
stamped out of the world. The noblest
animal of all is the horse, and he sleeps
standing up. How did l come to find out
that IL was the right way? Oh, that is
easy enough to answer
GU see, was sick as a boy way back
IN Massachusetts, about seventy years
ago, ana nothing / did done me no sort
or good. There always was something
the matter, and as soon as / had laid
down in bed my head began to ache But
DO you know | stood that for half a cen
fury before got any sense into me? And
Then was out in California digging for
gold.
"One night my head ached so bad 1
couldn't stay in bed and had to stand
against the wall to get relief. Without
knowing II fell asleep, and when ] woke
up felt like new man. / made up my
mind to sleep that way all the time, but
had trouble to find place to do 1t. That
is the reason l moved out to this place.
It's over fifteen years ago, and I have
never had sign of the old trouble. and
am convinced that sleeping in bed is the
cause of all the pain and disease in the
world. Sleep standing up. and you will
be new man in a short time"
The strange thing about Jake's theory
Is that he admits that he doesn't rest
when he sleeps standing up. He has TO
do that under the trees the next day. He
says chat has nothing to do with his
idea, though, for some people do too much
work. anyhow.