The Detroit times., 1914-02-25

Sudden Noises Often Lead To
Appearance Of Malady in
Descendants
| BANGOR. Me-. Feb. 26.--Peter Pei
Ky. q Frsnch.Canadian farmer OF Mac
wahoc, claims to be the unluckiest
man In Maine. When fresh eggs
were selling In Bangor market at 4S
cents . d0sen. Peter smashed 20 doz-
ems by dropping . big basket on the
Icy ground at the railroad station.
The accident was the result of Pet
ers innrmity. Peter II what Ii
known In Maine a. Q jumping
Frenchman." afflicted with q nervous
disease which renders him suscept.
lble to the least disturbance or sud.
den noise. Just a. he Was placing the
big basket Of eggs on the station plat
form q locomotive whistled nearby
and he gave . yell and dropped his
burden. smashing all his eggs into
one great omelet.
Everywhere In Northern Maine the
nervous counterparts Of Peter Pelkey
may be found. Usually they do no
great harm, but often their weakness
leads to serious results. and under
certain circumstances q jumping
Frenchman" Is dangerous man to
have around. Once In q lumber camp
on the Pen0bscot, one Of these
strangely afflicted men, at the sudden
command Of . would-be Joker, struck
q fellow.workman a fearful blow on
the head with q sled stake. The blow
nearly fractured the skull Of the VIC
tim. and II was weeks before the vic.
tim could get out Of his bunk. The
Jumper" WAS whiting q stake with
. big knife and the other woodsman
stood watching him. when the joker
came along and suddenly yelled out:
Smash him."
Instantly the Jumper" mechanical
y responsive to any quick command.
felled the man In front of him to the
floor.
The jumping Trenchmen" have for
generations been known a. one OF
the peculiar institutions OF Northern
Maine. They have no control over
their nerves or muscles when taken
on their, guard. A Jumper" IL liable
TO kill . man Ct an instant's notice
and be no more responsible for his
act than would . mad bull or q run.
away locomotive.
Physicians say that -jumping" is
hereditary, and their seems TO be
neither cure nor help. A French Ca
madam boy In Aroostock county, the
oo0 of famous 'jumper." gave NO
Isign Of the. disorder until one Fourth
Of July when auoeher boy fired can
non cracker close 70 him. From that
day he has been . nervous wreck.
and the village tOkers made his life
miserable by startling him into exhibit
lions Of his pitiful inffmity.
In some towns severe punishment
awaits the man who II caught "jump.
ing" . Jumper" and on several oc-
have taken the law into their own
hands.
II II not long since . Boston COM
mercial traveller Was chased ACROSS
the st. John river and far into the
woods Of New Brunswick by . mob
|of infuriated French-C Canadians for
having created . panic at q French
church fair BY teasing Jumper" in
the audience and thereby causing
mad rush for the doors.
Jump in!" yelled . Bangor steve
dore - ~jumper" who stood on the
capeill of wharf. and into the Pen.
ohscot the poor fellow dived. AZ the
weather was cold and the river full
|0f floating Ice and running swiftly,
Il xas With great dj@culty that TIE
Jumper was rescued. Another mau
gave the stevedore . nrst-class thrash.
ing on the spot and the crowd agreed
that that about squared things" The
story 70 told that . '4jumper'' once
created q scene 1t his own wedding
BY frantically embracing the bride on
the way down the church aisle In re.
sp0nse TO yell Of Hug her!"
While nearly al the jumpers" are
Freoch- Canadians there are Z few Of
other nationaiities. The most q.
|mous "jumper'' that Maine has known
(was Q pure Yankee, Preston b. Jones,
Who Tor 70 years Was one Of the most
|intsresting characters IN Bangor.
Pres" Jones was . ooldiee IN the
union army. When he went 20 war
he was . robust country boy, with
nerves like leather and muscles like
steel When he came back ho was
|still strong physically, but nervous
wreck. the booming q bic guns at
the front having been his unAoing.
"pree~ Jonee'e involuntary Jol<e.
Pres" Jones jumped and shouted
at the same time. and was - likely
70 do % on his own account ss when
startled. He had no control Of
speech or action, but had to blurt out
whatever came into his mind, every
verbal explosion being accompanied
BIZ violent jumps. Often he said en-
barrassing things. but Il was no use
70 try to quiet him--he only yelled
the louder.
There were people who thought
that Pres" might be putting on" .
part Of his jumping and shouting. but
these changed their minds, when,
one night In winter. ho made break
that led TO his arrest. II had been .
hard winter for Pres" and nnaIly he
Was reduced to the necessity of ''bor.
rowing = few hodsfu1 Of coal from
10 yard across the street from HE shoe
shop. The thefts had not hoen mo-
ticed. but one bright moonlight night
when he was crossing the street with
q hodful Of stolen coal he NV two
policemen coming IN the distance and
at once gave himself away. stand.
ing II the middle Of the roadway. he
shouted 20 that he could have been
heard across the river:
Come on, come on! Here am.
sPrea' Jones. ntoo1lnR coal"