New-York tribune., 1902-12-14
".JUMPERS."
WHAT THEY IRE LIKE
Characteristics Of Men IN Name
WOOds Who Haze No Con-
troll Oper Nervous Systems.

Bangor, Me, Aug. 80 CSpeciaD.-That jumping
Freuchman is dangerous person to nave ABOUT
was demonstrated in Maine lumber camp last
week when at the sudden command OF would-pe
Joker one of these strangely afflicted creatures
struck fellow workman fearful blow over me
head with sled stake. The blow nearly fractured
the skull of the victim Of the Joke, and 1t VIII pe
weeks before he can get out of his bunk, Whie ne
will not be fit for work again the coming winter
The Jumper" was whiting the stake with a Dig
knife and the other woodsman stooo "aec!ie
him. when the joker came along ana suouehS
yelled out:
Smash him.
Instantly the Jumper" mechanically responsive
to any quick command. felled the man IN Iront VI
him to the floor. and then. seeing "hat nc naU
do,e stood there trembling over the prostrate
form of his victim. -,
rrba cumming Frenchman has for long been
known as one of the peculiar institutions Oh Nor'h
ern Maine and few of his klnd are 10 oe io
in the factory towns, like Lewiston anu riuue
These Jumpers seem to have no coi'.' 80
tti ,er,os or muscles when taken off their guard
or startled In any way and while there is certaif
drollery at times in their antics the humorous enc,
ment is to thoughtful persons, overshaoo"eu oS
the tragic possibilities a Jumper IS hape "
kill a man at an instants notice, and De no ihoie
rosnonsihIe for his act than would q MAD puli OF
a runaway locomotive. ,. go
PHYSICIANS saw that Jumping is the result or
manifestation of hereditary nervous uisoi'
for which there seems to be no help or cure III
obudbood the weakness may not be apparent put
it is developed by the first sudden shoch anu a.
centuated by each succeeding dlstuioai. "a - ~
uerves A Young French Canadian poy III f>ioo'
tool, County the son Of famous jumper sh'e
no sign of the disorder until one Fourth OF 'us'
when another boy fired cannon cracker close "
him From that day he has been nervous "re'N'
and often the coarse jokers or the Niase wy"
bo u,,as have made his life miserable by starting
bi, into exhibitions Of his pitiful lhnrhi'S "
sone towns severe punishment awaits the man
who is caught jumping" one OF the poor "let'"
and on several occasions the 1riehuS y.
.iumper'' have taken the law into their own hahuS
and visited Just revenge upon the 1okefs. II -
not long since n Boston commercial traveller was
chased across the St John River ana ltr lll'o t'i
woods of New Brunswick by mop OIL III
French C Canadians for having created panic at
French church fair by teasing a jumper l" ,,ie
audience and thereby causing a mao rush lor '
aoors Had the Boston man been caught there Is
no doubt that he would either have peeh n'iS'u
to the nearest tree thrown into the 81. Johh'
A Jumper will do at once whatever ne Is SUI
denly commanded to do. He will strike any per
49,, H., nov chance to stand before him, put his
own hand into the fire. even jump overboaFu.
Jump in" yelled a stevedore on bangor "n'il
10 a "umper"-and into the Penopscot the pooi
fellow diyed like flash As the time was April
,ha river was full of floating ice and running s"i'
" and II was with great difficulty that the Jump
err was rescued. Another man gave the 1oklhes
stevedore first class licking on the spot anu 'he
seemed to about square things" as the cro"a
4
= train running at full speed because drunken
river driver yelled Jump Off" and the story Is
told that Jumper created a scene at his own
wedding by franticay embracing the bride on 'he
way down the church aisle in response 10 yen VI
Hug herr
wbiia nearly all the Jumpers" are French-Cana-
dians there are few OF other nationalities \
Bangor printer OF Irish descent Is famed as
Jumper" although his affction is not or the
violent order When startled he will jump two
ffe frOn floor
for half hour afterward ne wiz De IT sna'. - y. "
Maine ever knew, however. was pure Yankee,
Preston b. Jones who for twenty years Mas a,Sa one
Pres" Jones, he commonly called, was,
ron from On the the auief life Of farm In the town OF
Holden Bangor. When Pres went TO war
leather and muscles like steel. When he came back
he was still strong physically but nervous wreck:
When he came back from the war, Pres Jones
opened cobbler's shop in Bangor, and there with
dog for companion spent the rest OF his days
He received a considerable pension, and this. with
what he was able 10 earn by repairing boots. gave
nm nm comfortable npihg, SniIhe o5hei
time, and was as likely to do so on his own &C
ever of speech or action. but had to blurt out
whatever came into his mind. and every verbal
for he ai%aWs told neonls inst What he tbonpbt Of
them the minute they came in sight, and his voice
could be heard for two blocks. Often he said awk-
ward things. but 1t was of no use to try to quiet
Once. when Sheriff Jerrard was trying to do in
Bangor what Sheriff Pearson is trying to
complish in Bangor-shut up all the barrooms and
& stop the e sale of qqorEthe officers were making
5o 6 6f @ 69 IN Of oTer oP
in a neghboriy way. ali the kitchen bars OF that
locality. known as THE Devils Half-Acre." On
this occasion the officers were searching the prem
ises of a man who was known TO keep large stock
the house Pres res sat Watching the search and
finally. becoming impatient at the non-success Of
Look in the woodpilel Look in the woodpie!'
They did look in the woodpile. and there found
key had been hidden in the woodpie in the back
yard, and although he was friend OF the % owner
widely and loudly known. That break of his cost
would do the saoonkeepers a good turn by
yelling like a steam callI3pe p " hide your stun!
When Pres got his pension he would stock up
with liquor tobacco and provisions, leather and
peat in loud tones list Of his Intended pur-
One day he hd had f6 h @
trip, He had made up his m mind to get copy OF
dicated in stentorian tones. as he went stamping
down Main-st.:
dumpj Police News or Puck 1 don't =
There were a few people who thought Pres
| Jones put, on" part of his shouting and Jump
night in the winter time he made break that
led to his arrest It had 3, been hard d. winter for
of narrowing few hodfHls & Of coal from t, yard ard
been noticed. and no one ever thought Of poor
| Pres in connection with the matter until one
going down Broad-st. he stopped in the middle Of
the roadway with hod of stolen Ts coal s in HI, his
| heard across the river:
| Come on: come on! Here am, Pres Jones,
He had seen the policemen blocks away, and all
bass hdG but 70 he GO could not to resist the impulse to
| himself away" and they were Obliged to arrest
left the courtroom he thanked the judge and then
| gave a tremendous jump that brought the dust out
| o floor, yelling.