The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1899-10-05
WORKS WITH HER TONGUE.
Wonderful Performances Of a Para
lyzcd Woman with That
Member.

Miss Fannie w. Tunison, of Sag Har-
boz, l.. l., is probably the most wonder
iul cripple in the world. Since the day
of her birth her hands, feet, leg< and
arms have been paralyzed. but. beirg OF
& most ambitious nature and entirely
unwilling that she should be only
useless burden TO those around her, she
has by the most untiring and pains
taking efforts trained her tongue to
perform many of the duties usually ac-
complshed with the hands. Her case,
according to the best medical authorl-
ties, is without parallel in the world,
and to those who have seen this young
lady at work it hardly seems possibly
that she could do all that she claims.
Miss Tunison, who is about 80 years
old, is in no way deformed; in fact, she
is a very good-looking young lady,
bright and intelligent and an excellent
conyersationalist. She lives with her
father and two cousins in little fish
erIrsan's cottage, which was built by
her grandfather, seafaring man and
Il soldier of the war of 1912.
Every morning Miss Tunison, who is
an early riser, is lifted by her father
into her invalid's chair, which has a
cleverly constructed work table at
tached to it. In this chair she remains
throughout the day, held in by strong
band, which also supports her body,
which is entirely powerless. In the
winter her chair is placed by the front
window. SO that she can see the people
passing along the sidewalk, while in
summer she is wheeled out of doors and
taken around the village. Everyone in
the place knows the young and cheerful
invalid.
From the time she is lifted into her
chair, in the morning, until she retires
at night, she IS never idle, as she is en-
gagged in painting pretty bookmarls
and blotters, embroidering doilies, mats
and tides, making attractive table COW
ers, linen o1ltline quilts or quilts OF
craze, outline patchwork. All of this
work is done with her tongue and
mouth and without the slightest as
sistance, as she threads her needle.
knots her thread, and even uses pair of
scissors with her tongue. She will take
a needle out of her needle book by
little lead weight which holds it down,
and then places it standing up in her
work. After the thread is wound off
the regular length she cuts it off with
her scissors, her tongue takes up the
thread, and in some strange way it is
passed through the eye of the needle.
She passes the needle through the work
which she is holding, then throws the
work over and holds it down by a
weight and draws the needle through
with her tongue. This she will continue
to do until her work is done.
In drawing she uses wax crayons or
soft lead pencils. She is fond of draw
ing flowers with colored wax crayons,
and when it is not taken into considera-
ton that she has not the use of her
hands, but only her tongue to do it with,
she arrives at some striking results. In
strnging beads she is remarkably dex-
trons. She will place the needle, after
it is threaded, upright in the cloth to
hold it, and then with her tongue she
will pick up some beads, one by one,
and place them on the needle. When
the needle is full she will take it out of
the cloth and let the beads pass down
on the thread, and then put the needle
in place again for more.
She has metalaphone, on which she
loves to play occasionally to amuse her.
self, and will often, when she has
friends i'll to sec her, show them how
she uses it. She places the instrument
on the table and, holding the mallet in
her teeth. will manipulate it dexterous-
ly with her tongue.-N. Y. Press.
If the Earth Should Stop.
The stopping of a projectile always