The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1897-04-29
STRANGE MAN.
TAXES HIS SLEEP STANDING.
A California Man Who Lives in a
Sentinel Box and Never Lies
Down.

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
1t, although there are many men living
who claim to have done it under COM
pulsion 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 little less health and a little
gore comfort.
The place where Jake has his home
is not a very we'll populated one. It is
in Mendocino county, only few miles
northeast of Los Robles, and the near
est 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 lid OF neigh
bors. He is not of very good disposi-
ton, and an effort to get him to talk
about anything but himself will surely
result in failure.
1t Is safe to say that Jake's 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 it any other way unless he curl
ed up like bear. Jake built the house
himself out OF boards and logs that he
picked up In different parts of the
country. 1t is queer looking affair,
having greatly the appearance of a
chimney with roof on it, and very
dilapidated roof at that. But the shan
ty is strong one and keeps out the
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 the door and no windows.
While the outside of the house may
look queer the inside looks queerer.
There is only one piece of furniture,
and that is what Jake calls his bed. 1t
really looks more like coffin standing
on end, for it Is a sort of a oox tilted
back only few inches from the per-
pendicular. 1t is nailed at the bottom
and also at the top, so that 1t Is immov-
able. The inside of it Is lined with
straw and covered with cloth, to give 1t
a 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 forget his troubles. In the
next breath he will tell you he has no
troubles since he took to sleeping stand
ing up.
Jake does no cooking in his house,
simply because there is no room. His
culinary department is located under a
tree a short distance away. His food
consists OF anything he can get by beg
ging, borrowing or finding. But he
doesn't do much borrowing since the
nefghbors have grown to know him.
"The way I sleep Is the only
right way for anybody to Sleep"
said Jake, "and the sooner people come
to their senses and do as I do the SOON
er disease will be stamped out of the
world. The noblest animal of all Is the
horse, and he sleeps standing up. How
did come to find out it was the right
way? Oh, that is easy enough to an
swer.
"You see, l was sick as boy way
back in Massachusetts,, about 20 years
ago, and nothing did done me no sort
of good. There always was something
the matter, and as soon as laid down
in bed my head began to ache. But,
do you know stood that for half CEN
tury before I got any sense into me-?
And then I was out in California dig
ging for gold.
zone night my head ached so bad !
couldn't stay in bed, and had to stand
against the wall to get relief. Without
knowing it I fell asleep, and when /
woke up I felt like new man. / made
up my mind to sleep that way all the
time. but had trouble to find place to
do it. That is the reason moved out
to this place. It's over ID years ago,
and I have never had sign of the old
trouble and am convinced that sleeping
in bed is the couse of all the pain and
disease in the world. Sleep standing
up, and you will be new man in
short time"
The strange thing about Jakes the
orv is that he doesn't rest when he
sleeps standing up. He has to do that
under the trees the next day. He says
that has nothing to do with his idea,
thongh. for most people do too much