The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-04-21
A WONDERFUL MkOSIlNE.
Or. Twnsr. Who CSI Uss Il In His Business, Fad
ktal, 500 torn.


In the quiet little town OF Leesburg,
Va. where nestles among the fertile
hills OF Loudoun county. a few miles
south OF the Potomac. perhaps the most
celebrated maidstone I'm the world was
sold at public auction last week by or
der of Judge c. r. Nicol. OF the circuit
court. The sale had been duly adver-
tised, ana there Were numerous bid
ders, some OF whom mad come from a
distance. Many persons, prompted by
curiosity and attracted by the fame Of
the stone. looked on W;tn intense in
terest as the voice OF the auctlOneer re-
sounded through the courtyard, Co
ing at five hundred Who'll make IL
six? Five hundred AMI fifty. I'm Of
fered. Going at five hundred and hity.
Make 1t six hundred event!
man known far and widethrOugh-
out that section stepped forward and
advanced the bid. he was at once re-
cognizei by many present as DIR. G.. f..
Turner OF Snickersviiie. a prominent
practising physician. IL WAS familiar
with the stories about the stone and it's
strange cures. and more than one OF his
patents had sought relief from ii. DR.
Turner ran the bids up by degrees, and
the stone was Knocked down 10 him
for the sum OF SGS2.Jo.
This was the second sale at puDlic
auction Of the maidstone. At the Janu-
ary term OF The court 10 was sold 10
Mrs. German, one OF the heirs OF the
estate that owned il. and brought $50.
The object II The sale was 10 help set
tie up the estate. From another source
ten per cent. additional Bit was put
In, and upon the complaint of some Of
the heirs of the estate that the price
paid was too small. Judge Nicol OF the
circuit court. ordered the second sale.
The LOudoun maidstone has dong been
regarded az county loom. It's reputa-
tiOn is not confined 10 this state. but
its marvellous cures have attracted at
tentiOn across the ocean. IL was
brought 10 this country by a man
named Fred 1876 years ago. Whence II
came and how Fred got IL is not known
But ever since II was hrst brought 10
America il has remained in possession
OF some branch OF the Fred family, in
spite of the many efforts that have been
made TO buy il. Mrs. Woodward own
e II before the sale was ordered. Her
administrator is Mr.. William j.. Lynn,
brother OF Major B. +. Lynn. who was
for number Of years superintendent
OF the Virginia Penitentiary. The sale
was made by this administrator.
II is claimed by those who have wit
messed the power of the maidstone that
n IL a certain cure for all bites or mad
dogs and poisonous reptiles. and " is
u si=4ssissFiaa- -Aas-aeX yer
failed To perform its functions II the
patient reaches IL i'm time. one well
authenticated case is given where two
people were bitten about the same time
by the same dog. one OF the victims
was a firm believer I'm the efficacy OF the
stone. had IL applied 20 the wound and
never there after suffered any evil ef-
fects. The other had no faith in the
stone ana it's much talked OF power,
refused TO go 10 il and soon afterward
died in horrible agony with hydropho-
bia.
This maidstone is believed TO have
come from England, though IL is said
IL was originally found in some other
part of Europe. IL is about the. size of
"A silver half dollar, and has the ap-
pearance of sandstone but is smooth
er and somewhat porous. The stone Is
oval shaped and has dark brown col
or. Immediately after its application IT
is placed in "a glass OF tepid water or
milk and invariably greasy, greenlsh
film arises to the surface. This hlm
varies in thickness and quantity ac-
cording to the length OF time the mad
stone adheres to the wound Ii is said
that IL will also extract the poison from
certain insects stings. DR.. Turner VIII
probably use IL largely in his profess
sion. He regards the stone as an eX-
ceedingly valuable one, and thinks its
purchase was a wise investment.