Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1903-11-19
NEW VOL. 39.---NO. l.
So, 900 Offer for An Ear.

DR.. A. L. Nelden, of New York,
was the busiest person in that city
last week. 1t was due to an sdver-
tisement in which be offered $1,000
for the right ear of healthy man or
woman to be grated on the head Of
friend of his who lost an ear in a fight
with grizzly bear in Colorado.
The principal stipulation was that
the ear should have perfect curves, a
full lobe and be ,! inches wide.
When the doctor opened his office
Monday morning be found so Persous
in his waiting-room. and the sidewalk
and steps leading to his house We're
literally jammed with people who were
willing and anxious to part with their
ears for a consideration.
One man had story Of a fortune
lost in Wall street and a family suf-
fering for the necessities Of life. The
lobe OF this applicants right ear was
decidedly out Of proportion Another
wished to open a laundry uptown and
was willing to part with his right ear
to obtain the capital to start in bust
ness. He was too Old.
Next came man who was deaf In
his right ear and explained that he
did not care if his personal appear
ance should be ruined by the loss Of
an ear useless to him for hearing pur-
poses. 1t was altogether too large to
match the left ear Of DR.. Nelden's pa
tient
AS the day wore on the market rose
in the price Of ears A man present
ed himself who had night ear which
he was willing to part with, but he
wanted $4,000 for it, considering his
personal beauty worth about that fig
ure
About 5 o'clock the market for per.
feet ears went to $4,000, being bulled
to that point by a dapper-looking
chap in a high hat His plan was to
allow DR.. Nelden to chop off bis right
ear then and there, accept $4,000 for
it and take a trip to Europe He had
even gone so far as to engage the ser
vices Of an expert to make him pa
pier.mache ear and produced plas-
ter model of ear he was willing to
part with.
In all DR.. Nelden examined more
than 800 persons. Two only we're se-
lected as desirable subjects, and one
of these will be selected for the opera
ton. The head Of the purchaser will
be closely bound to the head Of the
seller OF the right ear One-half the
ear will first be separated from the
seller and knitted to the proper place
on the head of the buyer. After a
few days the other will be treated IN
like manner. The two men involved
in the operation will have to lie on a
specially constructed cot about two
weeks.
All sorts and conditions Of men pre-
sented themselves aud not few came
from the Bowery. Most Of these were
dismissed summarilY. One condition
of the offer was that the subject must
have a perfectly healthful body.
Among DR.. Nelden's callers were
four women. One was pretty blonde
Swedish girl, who came to this coun-
try several years ago to seek her for
tune. She met disappointment, for
her ear was not the right size.
Another woman, whose appearance
denoted that she had seen much bet
ter days, was willing to sacrifice her
ear. 1t was well shaped, but the doc
tor dismissed her on account Of not
being small enough.
One woman who appeared refined
declined to give her name, and she
had Just the ear the doctor was look
ing for. She was detained by the doc
tor, who explained what would be re-
quired Of the person submitting TO the
operation. Before the details were
all explained the woman backed out
a German, who had quarreled with
his sweetheart, was willing to have
himself dis6gured to the extent Of an
ear in the hope that his Gretchen
would have sympathy.