Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1897-06-23
euMMEp UP.
A Peculiar Mental CoaaikEon That Prevails
 in the Ozark Reg on in summer.


 Old man Beaver came into the Gertrude c. camp one morning He vas looking rather dazed, and his usually prompt sHowdy' came with an effort
 Whats the matter, Mr. Beaver" aome one asked. s,Aren't you feeling well to-day?n
 No, not very.'' the old man an. swered. T believe I'm kinder gummed up
 .'Gummed np' is & condition that be- comes somewhat prevalent in the Ozark country in nidsummer It can hardly be said to be of epidemic form, for many escape 1t. The duration varies much with temperament Some people recover in 8 few days Others remain for two or three or more weeks under the peculiar affection. July and August are the months in which the eases of gnmmed up are most frcquent- ly encountered.
 There may not be a lazy bone in an Ozark country farmers body during the spring and well into the summer. But after the crop is laid by he will announce his intention 10 rest up'' little He will lie down on the gallery or sit on a box at the blacksmith shop day after day. His muscles relax, and a mental 1ethargy ensues, from which he cannot be aroused even by the hounds starting deer. And so he will remain, inert as to all his facul- ties He is 'sgummed up" At any other time of the year when you ride up to the gate you will be met with cheery:
 Light, stranger, light.
 But in the 'gummed up' period the hospitable intent fails. A listless stare greets you. Inquiries for places and distances develop either ignorance or transformation. Soon after the cross- ing of Danton's ferry 6 stop was made at house to inquire the way to cers tain post office known to be about eight miles distant. The woman, who sat on the gallery, slowly rocking, tried to arouse herself, but the effort was too much. At length she said she had never heard of such place, and it would be best to ask at the next house.
 How far is it to Yellville?s was the inquiry put to three sane men in a dis tance of half mile. The first said it was seven miles, the second ten, and the third eight. After a couple of hours another inquiry was made. This time the answer was:
 Hits three sights and right smart chance, stranger"
 That proved to be strictly accurate. It was three sights of the town from the tops of three successive hills, and aN fright smart chance of ride along the valley beyond the last hil1 The man who gave this information was not "gun1med np.n
 Getting into Melville was nothing like as difficult as getting out of it. When it came time to leave one of the leading citizens of an adjoining county offered his company on the way to Buffalo City. He had been in Melville on business, and seemed to know everybody, and to be especially we'll out of town the leading citizen, who had been chatting pleasantly, sudden l iy stopped and said in tone of per plexity:
 "Hold on; this doesn't look like the Buffalo City road. :"
 He looked back and then forward. Some children came along with bags and buckets on the way to school.
 "Girls," he asked, is this road to Buffalo City?'
 ..No, sir, they chirped "This is the road to Grassville."
 .sHuhp' said the leading citizen; II don't know when l made q break like this. Of course it is the Grassville road, I've been over it enough times to know it. We'll have to turn back
 So the horses were wheeled and headed into Melville again. Just on the outskirts of the town the leading citizen said:
 Now, we're all right.'
 He directed the course over we'll travelled road along the high bank of the beautiful crooked creek until a ford was reached The horses waded in and drank from the bright water flowing over a clean gravel bed. Gradually the leading citizen recovered his composure, and his conversati ation on the country and it's future became ani- mated again. The ford had been left behind fifteen minutes when a huge red mill loomed mp in front, with a dripping Hume over the road. The leading citizen stopped talking, roae mp to the door of the mill, and ad- dressed himself to some one within.
 Is this the Buffalo City road?" asked the leading citizen.
 "No, came from within; this road goes to Rush post office
 Where is the Buffalo City road?" asked the leading citizen.
 s'You ought to have kept along the other side of the creek, and crossed at the next ford" come from within.
 The leading cisizen turned. The expression upon his face was study. It was one of utter helplessness. All l,a ao,Ild d..nx xr xs-.,-.