The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1903-12-11

1uefe lay tle DOuI III lis rough pros
pector's dress, bearded and ruddy OF
color! / stared at it Il moment and
then became convinced that it was a
hoax; that the man was alive and ly-
ing there to complete Il ghoulish. prac-
| teal joke on me. But after SlabD had
made me touch the firm. cold flesh and
had explained that fr0stbitten bodies
often showed rudy tints upon tEaw-
ing | went into the Office to think it
over.
! directed Slabb to dress the body
properly and care for it for few days
while | should cndcavor to locate
friends of the departed.
After the story had gone over the AS
socated Press day wire | followed it
with query for information and ask
ed all Associated Press papers to make
a search for relatives. Frcnch's story
created the sensation the poor fellow
had foresecn. but the relatives l had
hoped for did not matcrialize. l began
to have Il great respect for the dead
reporter.
went to Slabb's after the body had
rested there just one week and told
him to send it to the city receiving
vault in a respectable coffin. to remain
there while | made further search.
''No need of sending him away" said
Slabb. LET him lie here. He's the
finest bit of embalming I've seen in my
life"
Then he led me into back room. in
sisting that l look at his guest. In
covering plain coffin. he looked in.
Instantly the satisfied look of the ex-
pert undertaken changed to one of hor-
ror, and I saw Slabb spring back with
q startled exclamation. Then l looked
and felt my own blood chill. for that
thing in the coffin had shrunk six
inches in a week. and it's graveclothes
collapsed all about 1t.
We called in a physician, and after
a long consultation the body was strip
ped. accurately measured and dressed
In new outfit Of clothing. Then we
established a watch over it. noting the
daily appearance. At the end Of
week there had developed a decided
misunderstanding over five inches
in the length Of the body. a close ex-
animation disclosed the fact that it was
shrinking symmetrically. My 200 pound
friend would not know his own body
now. 1t had dwindled to 100 pounds.
The excitement really commenced
with my publication that night of this
second sensation in the peculiar ac-
tons of Clyde French's remains. The
Associated Press authorities questioned
my account, and l invited them to send
a special agent to verify it. lie came,
and forthwith daily account of our
lively dead went over the \. L. wire
French's remains from a transient
guest at Slabb's became the center of
an excited nations attention. 1t would
have done the poor fellow good had he
foreknown that his story was now to
move up to first page. first column. No.
head, and remain there indefinitely.
First the city physicians examined
him and noted the daily shrinkage.
Then began the pilgrimages from curl
GUS suburbs and skeptical county seats.
Then Slabb established visiting hours,
and only professional men were allow
ed view. The executive body Of the
Ol l
crossed the continent and passed an
opinion on the phenomenon, and the
governor of the state issued a procla-
nation, an act which gave my prop
erty official recognition.
The undertakers said in their wis
dom that the Greek priest of the far
north had embaimed the body after
a tn MI.
la; that he had evidently used poor
materials or had mixed his fluids care
lessy; that Il we'll embalmed body
might dry out, dry up and turn to pow
der, but for Il body to shrink syStemat-
ically and preserve its smooth exterior
was not according to rule. Wise men.
those,
At the end of two months it had
shrunk To four feet in length and to
100 pounds in weight. Perfectly sym
metrical, perplcNingly ruddy. plenti-
fully bearded and plumply smooth of
skin. il WAS Il wonder. The tailor
asked me how soon he might nut knee
pants ON it.
Then the experts came from The
great medical colleges of the country
and decided ia treat the body with sun
dry fluids to arrest its Shriukn kut
their treatment failed of results. and
on their report being published abroad
the rulers of many lands appointed
| medical representatives to cross the
seas and view my property. At the
cahlrd request of the ear of all the
RussiaS we placed the body in Il glass
case, which was hcrmctica!ly sealed
Thus protected from the air the shrink
age ceased. and we waited for the
royal experts to assemble
The hotels We're running over with
scientists, who burrowrd through
maZes of books on chemical subjects
and ancient burial rites. All Seattle
caught the fever. ana men talked en-
citedly of the secrets of cmhalmng on
| street ,nrpnrS and avnn in