The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-11
DR.. GuibOr to Head a Large Car
aVan From Topeka
Of People Who Are Suffering
From Lung Troubles.
OUT THE OPEN AIR
They Will Look for a Cure Sure
to Come
By a Long Overland Trip Among
the Mountains.

Probably the most unique expedition
that has ever been made since the ad-
vent of the railroad will start from this
city early next May bound for Wyom-
ing and Colorado.
It will be ''consumptive's caravan"
a string of ten or twelve prairie Pull
mans" occupied for the most part by
people whose lungs have become affect
ed with the dread disease. 1t will be
the latest attempt at overcoming tuber-
culoSiS, and restoring to health those
who are affected and have not yet
passed into the incurable stage.
DR.. G. H. Guibor of this city, for sew
eral years a specialist on diseases of
the throat and lungs, is at the head of
the scheme, and so far it is contemplate
ed that at least ten prairie PullmanS
and men and women to the number of
% will leave this city in the first cara
van. When DR.. GuibOr'S plan becomes
known it is possible that people outside
of Topeka will become interested, and
the first caravan be much larger than
now expected.
Along in 1861. when friend of Dr.
Guibor made the trip from Illinois to
Colorado in an oxen train leaving his
home a supposedly hopeless consump-
tive and coming back a robust and
healthy man at the end of several
months, the Topeka physician first be-
came impressed with the benefit to be
derived by cOnsumptives from an out
door trip from a low to a high altitude
All these years the idea has remained
he has never been in a position to carry
it out. Now he intends to make the
trial, and believes that he can demon
Strate that this is the radical course
to be pursued.
The caravan will leave Topeka and
journey toward the northwestern por-
corner OF Nebraska and into Wyoming.
After reaching the high altitude of
Wyoming, the caravan will turn south
and follow the mountain trails into
ha of
early in September it will disband on
the line of the Santa Fe road in south
ern Colorado. and the passengers will
return to their homes by rail while the
wagons and parapheI LeiIia viii be
brought by the drivers and other en-
ployes of the caravan.
The prairie PullmanS to be used will
be similar to those now in possession
of Clarence Skinner and will be built
here. They Will be equipped in the
most comfortable manner for overland
travelling and tents will be taken along
for the pleasure of those who prefer
to sleep under canvas at night Every
person who joins the caravan will be
privileged to bring all the personal Dos
sessions he or she may care to- such as
musical instruments, and several bug
gies and driving and riding horses will
also be taken along. In a word, the
caravan will form a small travelling
community the members enjoying all
the comforts and advantages to be had
at their homes.
by SuCA d Trip, SAD Or. GulDOr to-
day. the members of the caravan will
gradually reach the high altitude
beneficial to cOnsum ptiVeS, and will not
be switched from 900 feet above the
sea level to 5000 feet in a few hours A
person now leaves here one day and
the next day is in an altitude several
thousand feet above the altitude we
are in. This is too much of a strain
on the lungs, and as a consequence
consumptiVes who go to drier climates
always feel worse after arriving there
than they did on starting. Sometimes
the strain on the lungs is so great that
it is weeks before any benefit results
from the change.
Another thing in favor of overland
travelling is the fact that the people will
be out in the open country, and not
confined to parks or certain walks as is
the case at the health resorts where the
very dust is impregnated with tubercl1-
lar infection. At such places the ex-
pectOratiOn of cOnsumptives mixes with
the sandy soil, and is taken up and
blown about This is responsible for
the sudden change in patients who up
to the time the change occurs are ap-
parently on the high road to recovery
All this Will be avoided by the overland
trip. The caravan will simply trail
along slowly, stopping wherever there
is any wiShto stop, giving the members
opportunities for fishing and hunting
and the best sport of all kinds If anv
Of the people want to stop at certain
town, they can stop there, and if they
wish to stop now and then at a hotel
over DlSHI IIllS can De QOne. II VIII be
just the time of year when the most
healthful food can be procured in
abundance, and besides benefitfng those
who happen to be affected with con-
sumption, the trip will be one of the
pleasantest summer excursions that
could be taken.
mo matter what scientists may saw
continued Dr. Guibor ''the great thing
that cOmbats the encrOachment of tub
erculosis is stimulation of nutrition
Nothing stimulates nutrition like change
of climate, and when consumptives
commence to put on flesh they are
starting on the road to health For
those who have not reached the point
where nothing on earth will do them
any good, such a trip viii almost mean
in every case an absolute cure
The people who are now contennpla-
ted as members of the first caravan are
with one or two exceptions Topeka
people, and while all are not con-
sumptives, there will be a number of
invalids in the party. 1t will cost sew
eral hundred dollars to equip and sup
ply each of the prairie Pullmans, but
no more than would have to be ex-
pended by a party in residing at
health resort for a period equal to the
length of time of the trip
DR.. Guibor believes that in the course
of a few years hundreds of people will
be travelling over the plains and into
the mountains in caravans for an over
land trip into higher attitudes during
the summer months.