The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1897-01-30
o MUCH NOISE.
People Would u y Easy to have q Ear
More tranquil Time.

People Would Find = Easy to HAVE Far
More Tranquil Time.
If the ~sutferings which have been
caused by too much noise could be de-
seribed and given their due degree Of
Importance. the great masses of people
would be filed with amazement, and.
noisy ones would resolve never again
to indulge in unnecessary racket, and.
to make as little noise as possible III
doing necessary work. How many head
aches, COMPOSITIONS Of the brain and i'll
neeses which have resulted fatally have
been caused by noise, it would take a
long time totell.
Exceedingly interesting statistics on
this subject might be gathered, and
their publication would possibly have
some effect in s%uppressing many abuses
of this sort. That noise can be cruelty
seems never to have entered into the
thoughts Of many Of the worlds work
ers. 1t is not unusual to encounter in
city streets loads of iron pipes, steel
rails or other metal laid loosely to-
gether, and at every jolt of the enor-
nous truck which carries it bangs and
clangs in the most ear-splitting fashion.
A gentleman who had for years been
subject to the most -excruciating head
aches day by the merest accident
was brought to realize that in most
cases his sufferings had been caused by
some unusual noise, and were more or
less severe as the cause was more or less
extreme in character.
he mentioned the subject to a number
Of his friends, and was greatly edited
by the varied opinions expressed by
them. One laughed loudly and long at
such al absurd notion.
why, it was simply ridiculous. He
had often noticed loads of iron, and had
heard them now and again when he
didn't see them, and there wasn't any
thing in the idea but imagination-just
pure fancy and nothing more"
Another insisted that it must have
been a mere coincidence. It had just
happened so. The headache must have
been coming on, and possibly the sound
aggravated it. twas out of the question
that any sound could really have caused
any such pain as a headache. Others
fell back on the effects of the imagina-
ton, and argued that there are excit-
able people who can work themselves up
into any condition that they have in
their minds. Especially is this the case
wien the person is annoyed or angry at
the thing in question. Unconvinced by
all of these arguments, the victim OF
noise kept on investigating until he
found several sufferers like himself, and
learned that they, too, had been ridi-
culed and sneered at, and been accused
Of too vivid imaginations, or working
themselves into a fever over some fan
Sied abuse or annoyance.
Some years later the subject of noise
came up in scientific discussion, when
a couple of these unfortunates and
some of their unbelieving friends were
present. 1t was a.great satisfaction to
hear some of the most noted authori-
ties of the day declare that not only is
noiseproductive Of headache, or cerebral
congestion, but insanity, softening of
the brain, general debility and death,
the latter much more frequently than
the public would willingly believe.
Persons of good health and robust
constitutions are ordinarily quite in
different to the effects of sudden or un-
usual noise, save, possibly, a start OF
sharp exclamation, and an apologize
remark in consequence, as though the
fact that they exhibited any degree OF
nervousness needed excusing.
They look upon all exhibitions of such
a character as evidences of weaknessor
childishness, and never seem to imagine
that the possession of a finely-organized
temperament is something to be proud
of, as it indicates a higher degree of in
telligence and susceptibility, as well as
keener perceptions and more extended
capabilities,
1t need not be said that the more re
hrieG end intelligent people grow the
less noisy they are and the more quiet
their tastes become.-N. Y. Ledger.