Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1917-02-01
The Cure of
Joel White
By M. QUAD
Copyright. 1916. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

elephant. a lion. tiger. n bear or any
Of the Wild beasts kept in geological
gardens or carried around the country
by circus menageries.
Joel White bought butter. eggs. hides.
potatoes and other things OF farmers.
and shipped them to New York. He
was known as Il quiet. honest man and
had the respect Of all. He had been
in business five years when the time
came that he had to so to New York
city. When there he went to the zoo.
The place was a great surprise to him.
He was fascinated. Instead of making
Il visit lasting two or three hours, he
spent the best part of three days look
ing at the beasts and birds, and then
could hardly drag himself away. When
he reached home he could talk of moth
Ing else to his family, and he bad a
certain wildness of eye Which his wife
did not like at all. However. he went
to bed at the usual time and slept
quietly through the night.
When Joel arose next morning and
sat down to breakfast he looked at the
food placed before him with great con-
tempt II said to his wife:
This is no food for a lion. Go down
to the butcher shop and bring me five
pounds of raw meat!"
why. what do you mean Joel?" she
asked in astonishment.
II mean that I ann Il full grown lion
and that | shall kill half a dozen per-
sons during the day"
The wife ran out and got three or
four men. and when they entered Joel
retrcatcd to the back yard and there
roared and snarlel and paved the
earth like an angry lion. Two doctors
came and examined him, and the YER
dict was that he had zone temporari-
" insane. The man-lion was guarded
at day and night and next morning
looked and acted as sane as ANYBODY.
He did not remember that he had play-
ed the lion, and the doctors said that
no one must tell him. He went to
business and for three days was all
right. Then he awoke to declare that
he was an elephant. The attack came
upon him just as he had left his gate
behind him 20 go to a store. He began
swinging his right arm as an elephant
swings his trunk. and he sent forth
trumpet blasts.
Joel's elephantine fit lasted two DAYS
and then suddenly left him. He picked
up his business at just the point where
he left it and did not seem to realize
that he had lost any time. Then he
began to perform" again, and his
performance" created a sudden and
Il great shock.
Joel White was a member Of one of
the churches and was always in his
pew OF Il Sunday. He was there on
this particular Sunday. and he was a
close listener to the N When
it was about half done Joel suddenly
sprang to his feet and yelled out:
Look out for me! | have turned
into a rlinoceros."
With this he began running up and
down the aisle. The people rose I'D
hurried out as fast as they could,
but he bumped against a full score
and sent them sprawling.
h doctors were very doubtful if
he would recover from this last illu-
sion. For two days he remained sullen
and silent and did not seem to recog-
ME even his wife. Then he awoke, as
it were, and was his real self again.
When Joel came to himself again he
was plainly told of his past perform
ances. He was utterly astonishel.
Those things We're blank to him. ;.ad
he wept over them. SO great was his
earnestness that it was agreed to give
him q last chance. II he played zoo
on that town any more he must be
shipped off to the state asylum.
one morning Joel was mailing up a
box in front of his store. AS he work
ed away at the box he suddenly emit
ted a sound between a hiss and r
cackle. and, throwing away the ham
mer and nails, he cried out:
Tom, | have been turned into GIL
ostrich. And don't let them pluck QUE
my feathers!"
With that speech he went running
up the street with long strides, and
the town was soon in an excited state
again. Joel hadn't committed any DAM
age when he came across q tin ped-
ulers rig which was standing in front
OF a house. and the peddler himself
had just come out OF the gate after a
call.
Look out. Look OUT" cried Joel as
he came striding up. II have been
turned into a ostrich, and if 1 kick you
once l shall break all Your ribsr'
Look out yourself" shouted the
peddler. Il am an ostrich myself, and
If there is any kickin. TO be done you
bet your boots | shall have a hand
in it,
Joel made an awful kick at him, but
missed. and in return was fairly turn
ed around by the shoe which struck
him Then he received two more
Kicks and escaped a third by starting
Off on Il run. Seeing that the peddler
was after him. he leaped a fence and
came down on his head on the other
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