The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-03-19

Toned wooden house on the mountain .
Of the Beaverkill River in Deiaw are
county, New York. Here they had a
fireplace nearly six feet across for big
wood fires that made the air indoors
almost as pure as that outside. 1t was
1900 feet above the sea, and the effect
Of the patient was startling in the
rapidity Of his improvement. Instead
Of two hours horseback riding each
day, we remained out doors pretty
much all day in pleasant weather, wad-
ing brooks, trout fishing, hunting and
occasionally remained out all night,
building fire in the woods and sleep
ing alongside it ON pile of hemlock
boughs. The lumbermen and hunters
had saying, ''you can't catch cold
sleeping in the woods if you sleep on
hemlock boughs."
Consumption was in his family, and
l could scarcely believe what my eyes
saw; our life was totally different in
most respects from the first case and
great improvement on it. This patient
in few months, had reached poiut
it took the other years to attain.
Afraid to return to the city we re-
mained on the Beaverkill three years,
then struck for the great plains Of the
Red River of the North. We reached
there ahead Of the railroads and built
our camp on the Sioux reservation, on
the Dakota side Of the river; the
country was alive with game; we be-
came intimately acquainted with the
Indians, and soon were welcome COM
rades. When we visited ard hunted
with them, they put up a tepee for
our use. One family-special friends
of ours-consisted Of the father, moth
er and five stalwart sons, all splendid
specimens Of physical manhood. On
an unlucky day the Government built
a square timber house for them-re-
suit, in some four or FIVE years all
were dead from consumption except
the old buck. An Indian agent of
twenty years service said he didn't
believe an Indian knew what cold
was until he changed his tepee for
house. This family had never before
had cold, and had no idea what kind
Of illness it was that was killing them.
Our camp was 1000 feet above the
sea. The patient became more and
more robust; we spent many nights on
the prairie, our only shelter the buffa-
10 robe each had to roll up in while
sleeping the soundest and most yefresh-
ing sleep, and in the morning having
to break the ice along the lake shore
to get our canoe to open water where
the ducks and geese were. We thought
nothing of going all day with feet wet
by the icy water. The faacinations of
the city still haunted US; three times
We returned to New York, hoping to
be able to remain, each time-within
six weeks-my friend would begin to
cough and complain Of the air until
we saw his only safety was fight. I
think this is the great mistake many
consumptives make, viz leaving the
climate and surroundings where they
find cure, to return to where they
fell ill.
My friend today weighs 40 pounds,
and can follow moose or deer all day.
Once a year he ventures East for q
few weeks, but always heeds the warn
ing he is sure to receive and hastens
back. Once we ventnred on o four
months trip across the ocean; there
We learned just the elevation that
best suited his lungs. Going up and
down Vesuvius, We found that any
thing above $500 feet oppressed him,
that at 1900 to 1900 feet the oondi-
tions for breathing seemed perfect.
One winter We slipped down to New
Orleans to see what a Southern air
would do; at the end of two weeks his
lungs troubled him so much, I became
alarmed, we didn't wait for morning,
but took midnight train; next day
on top Of Lookout Mountain, 1900
feet above the sea level, ho found
prompt relief. Forced to remain away
from the city, he entered still more
thoroughly into the hunting life, until
he wondered how he ever could have
preferred q city to the glorious free
dom and health to be found only in
the primeval forest or on the plains.
Observation-Disclosures living many
months among the remote Canadian
Indians-wrote: ''No man knows the
meaning Of the word freedom and
health until he has lived among the