The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1898-05-17
JUMPERS OF THE WOODS.
THE STRANGE MALADY FOUND IN
THE LUMBER CAMPS.

Its Victims Known IA dumping French
men"-TraSic and tudicrous Results of
an Abnormal State of the Neryes---No
Women Ever Found Among the Victim.
Jumping Frenchmen," as the men
afflicted with this disease are called,
are found in the lumber camps of the
Northwest. The main sufferers, SAYS
a Chicago correspondent of the New
York Sun, are the French Canadian
swampers and Choppers; although
Americans, Germans, Irishmen and
Scandinavians who have remained long
In the woods are not infrequently at
tackled; but as it was first noticed
among the French Canadian woodsmen
the disease came to be known as the
jumping Frenchman" habit, and for
many years those afflicted with 1t have
been known az jumpers" These
jumpers are the victims ef nervous
disease, which causes them to obey
blindly and mechanically any sudden
command, especially when accom-
panied by a sharp poke in the back or
IN the ribs. If commanded to strike,
the jumper does so, no matter what he
may have in his hands, no matter what
may be in front of him.
So widespread is the Jumping"
habit or disease in the lumber egions
OF Michigan, Wisconsin. Minnesota.
and the Canadian northwest that in
many of the camps there is an iron
clad rule to the effect that any man I'M
camp who shall be found guilty of
speaking to or touching one of the
Jumpers" for the purpose OF causing
him to make an exhibition of himself
shall be discharged Immediately. This
rule was made after many practical
Jokes played upon Jumpers" had re-
suited seriously; but in spite of it
woodsmen still indulge in their rough
fun with the Jumpers"
The sufferers from this malady are
not thin, broken-down invalids, with
n bad case of nerves, as might be i'm
aglned, but are, as a rule, big, brawny
men, sound of limb and lung. who.
when let alone, are the most capable
men in the pine forest. The phy-
sicians who have examined them are
of the opinion that their nervous sys-
tenn in some way becomes affected by
the solitary and isolated lives thew
lead, and that they can no more help
obeying the commands given them
than a babe can help being born into
the world. 1t is ''touch and go" with
them, as has been demo 1strated time
and time again, and when in this CON
dition they do not appear to see or
realize any danger that may lie ahead
n No lob
the woodsmen of the north, who for
the most part are men familiar with all
kinds of danger, hardship and pain.
They have no mercy upon the "jump-
ers. who are frequently compelled to
endanger their own lives or the life Of
a companion for the amusement of the
crew making up the camp. Frequent
ly the jokes are of Il somewhat ludi-
crous nature. Pies and buildings are
rarity in most of the lumber camps
of the Northwest, and nothing pleases
the non-jumpers better than to sud
denly command Jumper" to throw
1T away when he is in the act of eating
his portion of the delicacy. Quick as
flash the pie or pudding is thrown
straight ahead, not infrequently land
ing squarely i'll the face of member
OF the crew, who can only join in the
general laugh which follows.
Among the men employed by the
Shaw Lumber Company of Eau Claire.
Wis, i'll one of its camps on the
Chippewa River were four Jumpers,
and some of the tricks played upon
them were attended by such tragic re-
suits that they will always linger in
the memory of the men employed in
the camp Tom Reynolds, the fore
man, was a man who took delight in
having fun with the Jumpers. He
was fellow utterly devoid of feeling.
except when his little son, whose
mother had died in bringing him into
the world, was concerned, and when
this boy was accidentally slain by a
Jumper" Reynolds Immediately muir
dered the man and later on DESTROYED
himself.
When the river broke in the spring
and the rushing water was full of logs,
the drive being well under way, the
men were all assembled OH the bank
one morning One of the Jumpers"
stepped on log near the shore and
began rolling it. While the men were
admiring his dexterity Reynolds came
along, and before the party realized
what he was doing he had command
ed the Jumper" to dive into the
flood. The poor fellow obeyed in
stantly, and when his companions re o.
covered the body life was extinct, the
unfortunate mans skull having been
crushed like an egg-shell by coming
in contact with log.
OF course, the whole thing was an
accident. but all the men blamed Rey-
nolds, and several of the woodsmen
got their time checks aud quit right
there and then. But Reynolds was
not yet satisfed-he must have more
fun with the jumping Freuchmen. -
About a week before the drive was
over he had his little son brought up
from Cadott. in order that the little
chap might witness the sight of mil
lions of logs rushing down stream on
their way to Half Moon Lake, the big
natural reservoir just above Fan Claire,
where all the logs cut in the district
tributary to that city are stored until
wanted.
As the men were sitting around
camp one evening the subject Of
dumping Frenchmen" was brought