The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-05-18
A CURIOUS STONE.
Valuable Estate Carried ArouSd In
Virginia Mans Vest
Pocket.

Pocket.
Il sold the other day the most Gu
rious estate l ever heard of" said Will
liam F. Lynn, a prominent citizen OF
Loudoun county, Va, to Star reporter
recently. II have carried this estate
around in my vest pocket for the best
part of the year. So far as know, there
IL but one other piece OF property at
all like it in the world. And. what is
still stranger, perhaps, while i had q
bona fide offer from New York mil
nonaire to manage this estate for pc
Rod of years in such way as tc yield
the heirs a handsome income, which
would have capitalized the property at
about $4O,0 900, one of the heirs bid it in
1t the public sale for $500. This estate
was the famous Upperville maidstone,
which has been in the hands of the
Fred family for over $50 years. A sec
ond bid, or, what we call under the Vir-
ginia law, ten per cent. bid, has been
made, and the stone will be auctioned
again. But think it will remain in the
family. AS it's name indicates, the pc
culiar property of this stone is It's APP
parent appetite for the virus to be found
In the wound made by the bite Of
dog, snake or any venomous animal.
THE stone was brought to Virginia
In 1740 by Joshua Fred, who was we'll
TODD farmer in Warwicksh shire, England,
and became an important land owner
In Fauquier county. By his wish his
descendants had chung to this stone as
q priceless heirloom, and ] am proud
to say that their use of it has always
reflected credit upon the good, old-fash-
toned hospitality and kindness charac-
teristic of all good Virgirians. 1t was
well known all over the country that
anybody might go to the Fred farm
with any unfortunate who had been
bitten by deg and enjoy a certain cure
without any cost. For hundred years
none of the Freds would permit anyone
who was cured in this way by the mad
stone TO pay farthing, even for board
and lodging or horse feed. In later
years, the vicissitudes of peace and war
having somewhat affected the fortunes
OF various members of the family, it be-
came the practice to allow visitors who
came to use the maidstone TO pay what
they pleased for their entertainment
and for the care of their teams. Beyond
this, however, no charge was made for
scores of most remarkable cures.
"A journal was kept by the various
members of the family who had charge
of the maidstone, in which was entered
the name and age of every person on
whom ii was used and the character of
the wound treated. The entries in this
book, made in the quaint handwriting
of member after member of the family,
the most of whom have long since
turned to dust in their graves, are most
interesting. While the stone was in
my possession l had occasion several
times TO use it upon persons who were
brought TO me in great agony of mind
over wounds they had received from the
bite of rabid dogs. The last case &C.
Cured just few days before the sale
Of the stone. A young boy was brought
to my house late at night who had been
bitten on the wrist The wound was an
ugly one, and the father was in great
distress of mind for fear hydrophobia
would set in. / placed the stone on
the boys wrist at about ten o'clock and
went to bed. The father stayed up and
took care of the boy. At two o'clock
In the morning, he said, the stone let
20. The boy was then sound asleep.
The father placed the stone, as l had
told him to do, In glass of milk, on
which, when ! saw it in the morning,
there was thick green scum. This
seemed to be the usual result in all such
cases. The stone was never known to
let 60 until it had extracted all the
poison, and, on being placed in glass
of warm water or milk, discharged q
greenish liquid, which physicians who
saw the operation have told me was IN
doubtedly poisonous matter caused by
the bite of the IBID animal.
"The stone itself is perhaps an inch
long by three-quarters wide, and is of
velvety grayish brown color. Years
ago il was accidentally broken in two,
and the jeweler who placed gold band
around it to hold il together has told
me that the inside was a little darker
than the outside, and was arranged in
concentric layers. "-Washingto Star.
The suns Distance.