The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-03-13
CURES WITH STRING
STRANGE POWERS ATTRIBUTED
TO THE MAYOR OF AN IN
DIANA TOWN
CHILDREN HIS PATIENTS

CHILDREN HIS PATIENTS
Common Piece of Irvine Is Used
and the Infant Measured From
Head to FOot-Mystical Incanta-
ton Is Used With the Ceremony
Secret Impaired to Him by an
Old German Nurse.
If the strange power attributed to
Mayor James B. Plessinger. of Bluff
ton, Ind, could be extended to physi-
clans everywhere, there would be an
end to apprehension that the human
race is deteriorating in size, says the
New York Herald.
For Mayor Plessinger claims to be
able to correct improper growth Of
children while in infancy, and his as
sertion is backed by many years Of
successful practice. His method is
simply to measure them with string,
according to a system handed down IN
German folklore, and possessed by few
persons. Notwithstanding the super
stitious nature Of this rite Of meas
urement," many physicians have wit
iSSScu tuc WOIkllS VI Lie tIcdlLllcHt,
and, while they offer no solution, adj
nit that it possesses some strange
efficacy. At any rate, the practice bids
fair to spread throughout the United
States, If Mayor Plessinger can be in
duced to part with his secret.
Long OF short growth among infants
is not an uncommon complaint. One
of the peculiar disease that befan
small humanity is a tendency between
the age Of six weeks and two years to
either grow too fast or too slow. The
growth. The child seemingly ceases to
grow, and instead Of waxing strong
and hearty, dwindles into puny and
insignificant creature, for whom there
seems nothing in view but the grave,
and that possibly not far distant
1t is at this point that some nurse or
some old lady, who thinks she Is vers-
ed in child lore, advises measure
ment" In fact, it is the only efficacl-
GUS remedy in such critical crisis,
say the old ladies.
person who is endowed with the power
to controvert the malign influence that
overshadows it.
A common piece of twine Is used, and
the child is measured from head to foot.
Then the string is wrapped In the hinge
of the front door in such fashion that
If will wear as the door opens ana
shuts.
Of course a mystical incarnation
goes with the ceremony. When the
string is worn out the child begins
growing long or short, just as the ma
ture Of the case demands.
Mayor Plessinger says he has been
gifted with the power Of this mystical
since nineteen years or
age. 1t is an old German custom, ana
the person who can apply the formula
Is greatly esteemed. The secret was
impaired to the mayor by Mother VAL
entine, an old lady highly respected IN
Button for her nursing ability and
her knowledge of homely remedies.
Feeling that she was unable to pur-
sue her calling much longer, she sum-
Mr.. Plessinger, who was her
favorite among the young men or the
place, and made him her heir to the
secret. BY no means must the mean
tation be given to one Of a sex similar
to the possessor. 1t came from a wo-
man and the mayor has picked out the
young lady to whom it will be given
when he feels called upon to lay down
his crown Of healing.
I'm forty years." said the mayor, II
have measured 536 cases, and have not
a failure to my record. There are FAM
lilies in Button In which / have meas
ufed as many as two and three babies.
Generally my cases have been among
children, and nine times out OF ten
they were afflicted with short growth.
One of them is now a bank clerk of this
CITY, His parents had no idea he
would live.
I'm two instances measured young
ladies eighteen years of age, who be-
lieved they had incipient consumption,
but Instead of that they had short
growth. 1 measured an old man trou-
bled with long growth and he stopped
growing The method employed to as
certain whether a child is of normal
growth Is q common secret.
eff properly developed it's length is
exactly seven times that Of the length
of it's foot. When measuring for the
affection the string should be exactly
the length Of the child from the crown
of It's head to the big toe. What else
goes with the measurement is my Sc
-cret.
Many people who were sceptical
have come to me, and, while assuring
me they did not believe in the thing,
still they wished to try it, because their
wives had been told that it was q new
err failing resort. In some cases the
family physician had given up all hope,
and these children are alive today"
There are hundreds Of people in Bluff
ton and over the country generally
who believe in the treatment, and cases
can be cited in Bluffton among men
and women whom no one would suspect
We're ever cured by the string method.
One Of the city's leading society ladies
was measured, not by the mayor, how
ever, when a small child. Immediately
after the measurement she set up the
first energetic cry of her existence,
was given a slice of bread and butter,
which she ate greedily, and grew rap
idly out Of her infirmity
An incident worthy Of note was that
of an old man near the Huntington
county line who was belfast. He was
four and one-half inches longer than
normal, but two weeks after the meas
urement was reduced until he was ONLY
an inch and one-half over the correct
limit
The reader must not imagine that
because such belief exists in Bluff
ton that the city is a little backwoods
village. It is the only city in Indiana
outside Of Indianapolis that has three
miles Of asphalt streets. 1t is a hust-
ling town of 5000 inhabitants, without
negro in its population.
The only colored man who ever voted
there walked out Of town at a rapid
gait, with crowd Of men In pursuit.
aid none other ever repeated the op-
Grafton. It is a modern city, but MANY
OF it's good citizens believe in the theory
that children can be cured by the
mayors process, because it has been
fvic 4,,f oi, 60, u