Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1906-07-05
Donkey Cure for whoopins Cough
From the New York Sun.

IRON the New iOrK sun.
MY little girl here has the wfoop-
ing cough and j want TO have her
cured" said q woman to Policeman
Coyle near the elephant house in the
Central park mcnagorie yesterday.
Why no take her TO u DOCTOR" re-
spondcd the policeman.
II had a doctor. but she does not get
better. Tho physician says the disease
must run its course, but Il neighbor
told me that her boy took the donkey
cure here n advised me to try it.
Where is the donkey, please?? Vent
| on the woman
In there, ma'am," said the ponce
man. pointing to the deer house.
A curious visitor who happened to
overhcir the colloquy made inquiries
and learned that there is a consider
able number OF persons in the city
| who have faith in h e donkey cure.
They are not all unlettered persons,
either.
Their whims. IF they may be called
such, are always humored by the keep
ers and they usually go away feeling
happier. IT Is 10 Increase the sum of
human happiness that Father Knick-
erbocker maintains q collection Of
beasts and birds in the park.
The curious visitor followed the
woman and her child into the deer
err Phil Holmes had Just finished feed
ing tho animals and the woman spoke
to him about her child.
The little darling is troubled so
with the terrible cough that she gets
black and blue in the face. l would
do anything to get relief for her." said
the m
You want to pass her under the
iackass. Ell? To be sure, ma'am. I'll
do it for the handsome little lady"
said the keeper. He led mother and
child to the alleywny behind the stalls.
took the ass out of it's inclosure and
fastened its halter strap to Il ring in
the wall. The animal stood quietly. rs
though 1t knew from experience just
what was required of it. Besides. a
lump of sugar from the keeper is
usually it's reward, and it is very fond
of sugar.
The dorkoy cure must be performed
in a particular a to be e%fIicacious.
At least that is the accepted theory in
Central park. The patient is passed
under the animals belly three times
from the right side to the left, and
must return to the right side from the
left each time over the I'M back.
When the patient is Il child the mother
stands on the right side and passes the
child under the beast to the keeper
on the other side. He takes the child
add passes It over the beast to tho
mother.
You'd be surprised how may peo-
pie believe In this cure for whooping
I NOdSA AoiblCo Sstih tihtC Mdius
member II day "a child. it's mother
and its grandmother came in here n
asked to have the infant pass under
the ass. The grandmother said that
the child's mother had been cured Of
the cough In the menagerie when she
was a child. This the mother herself
did not remember, but she believed
what her own mother said, and wanted
to try it for her little child. Quite Of
ten women come int the building and
e~fy 49,. A1ak -. 1,t!I.N l-1 ~r~A N%DA
ter after going under the animal"
The keeper was asked IL he knew on
what theory women visitors based their
belief in the healing virtue of the sing
ular treatment.
Yes. some Of the women explained
that to me-" he replied. You know
that our Lord entered Jerusalem rid
ing on an ass. Some Of the people
went to Him and asked to be cured Of
their diseases. Well. In some way peo-
pie nowadays seem to think that be-
cause our Lord rode on a donkey all
Of that species is blessed. And hook
here. Don't you see the figure Of a
cross on the animals back? 1t is quite
plain"
The color OF the animal is mostly
white. but there was a black streak
running along the back. with arms
branching off over the shoulders. The
black hair resembled n cross in a white
setting.
Some of the women. the keeper said.
come bach to the menagcrie in the
course of time and bring gifts to the
donkey. The gifts are sugar. cookies
and cakes. Sometimes the women Wis
itors are accompanied by children and
1t ia then the little ones hat feed the
animal. Tom. the donkey. is the most
pampered animal in the deer house,
and always sticks his muzzle through
the bars II a visitor approaches his
stall. He is probably the homeliest
animal In the building. but he has more
friends among visitors than the grace
full Mexican deer. the begging exis
deer. the long whiskered aoudad or tho
handsome East Indian antelope.
A.>. "a. cl;~hed IL. S%.;~