Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1900-09-26
A LocoED TOWN.
Every Inhabitnnt OF Ban 1Ssuue Is as Mad
as n March Haze.

Every Inhabitnnt OF Ban Ksane Is as Mad
as n March Haze.
Indo-China has the only village OF
madmen in the world. This village,
which is called Ban-Keune, is COM
posed Of some 300 families. is highly
organized as community, is in
dustrinlly prosperous and pays yearly
n goodly tribute to France. Yet it has
not a single sane inhabltant.
Admission to Ban-Keune is, 1t must
be confessed, a trying affair. No
mere victims of melancholia, or "shat-
tered nerves." Of hyponchondria or
my Of the similar ailments so fashion
able in the opposite quarter of the
world are granted n dwelling Place in
this most exclusive of towns.
To enter it one must be downright
mad-or, as the natives call it, "pipop.'
The conception of insanity prevailing
In this part of the world is not that
Of n disease, but of possession"
Therefore, If an inhab.tant of this le-
gion, as Is frequently the case, d s.
plays hallucinations or conducts him
self In q fashion not consistent with
Indo-Chlnese etiquette his neiThbo,s
take 1t upon themselves to determine
whether any malign spirit possesses
HMM other words, whether he Is
"plpop." This Is the way it is Gone:
The unfortunate person, whether it
be man, woman or child. who has
fallen under suspicion ct possession"
is made the subject of ceremony on
the banks of the river Namugume
participated i'll by hundreds Of persons
gathered together from all the country
for miles about. The victims hands
and feet are first bound by the native
priest, who Is the master OF cere-
monies.
Absolutely helpless from this time
on, the supposed maniac, In spite OF
his cries and struggles, is cast into
the river. 1t Is firmly believed by the
natives that supernatural agencies
then reveal the victims true state. II
he is genuinely "pipop'' he sinks t. the
bottom of the river and stays there
until he is rescued. revived and for
mally committed to the famous village
of madmen. On the other hand, II ne
is not possessed" he rises again like
all ordinary drowning person to the
top of the river, where he is more
easily rescued and tiien set free.
Probably no secret society IN the
world has so severe or dangerous 'hl-
tiation rs this. Yet so conscientious
ly is 1t performed and so carefully
are the half drowned victims Watched
and rescued that the immersion, II
is said. never proves fatal. Nor has
the Justice Of the performance ever
been questioned.
So generally topsy-turvy are the con-
ditions in the Laos. that portion of In
do-China through which the NamD-
gume river flows, that only ac-
Of social reiarIon 'wTru itte ri'',vs'o's. SORT
majority Of the people lead solitufy
life, dwelling at the most in groups
of twos and threes.
Ban-Keune, with It's 800 families, is,
therefore. the most densely populated
spot in the country. Its Inhabitants
cultivate in their hearts delight tue
ldiosyncrasies which have served 10
commit them. They not only i've
peacably. but fnll in love, marry ana
have children, who in most cases are
even more eccentric than their parents.
Nobody ever RECEIVERS or Is uis-
charged" They remain "pipop 20
the end of their days,-Philadelphia
Timpa