* - - - - - * # - * *
HOY/ I FOUGHT A WILD CAT ,
"I have heard a great deal about cats
and tigers , their similarity of species ,
their insatiable desire for blood. But
I used to think that cats were made
to suffer for the sins of their reJative-
. tigers. It was difficult for me to imag
ine how such a domestic , friendly , coo-
Ing creature as the cat usually is could
turn out to be a blood-seeking beast.
Ordinarily the cat rubs against one ,
seeks friendship , loves to be stroked
and asks to be petted. But the horrible
beast which attacked me has upset all
my preconceived ideas about cats , says
Yvette Guilbert in the New York Jour
nal. Perhaps that cat was an excep
tion. Upon inquiry , however , I find the
exceptions rather numerous. The hor
rible beast flew at me without provo
cation.
I was alone.
As ill-luck would have it , no one was
tvithin call.
The cat's eyes glared like fiery balls.
It showed its tiger-like teeth. It hissed
forth sounds such as are heard when
one throws water upon the fire/
It wagged its tail with fiendish de
light.
Then followed a terrific spring , the
brute evidently intending to land upon
my throat.
Nature has endowed me with very
Ion garms.
The gestures .occasioned by my call
ing have strengthened these arms.
I had no weapon of defence.
"With my arms I struck out against
the cat. .
Fortunately I did not lose my head.
The great thing was to prevent the
cat from getting a grip on me. This 1
knew. , .
I struck with all my might. No prize
fighter ever mustered up all his force
with more energy than I. Prize fighters
usually contend for a championship. I
thought I was fighting for my life.
The policeman who fought two cats
recently in Paris was armed with a
sword. He lunged and parried as tho'
he were fighting a duel. He pierced
their bodies with his sabre. But sword-
less as I was , what could I do ? Merely
keep up the fight as long as the strength
of my great arms lasted. I cannot de
scribe the.fight by rounds , for there
was no respite. It was a case of con
tinuous action. Every secind I hoped
would bring some one to my assistance.
Alas , no one came ! Even my maid ,
who rarely leaves me , was not within
the sound of my voice. On this occa
sion every one seemed to have deserted
me. I began to think what an awful
fate was about to befall me.
An artist of my standing to be killed
by a cat ! Perish the thought !
I struck the brute a terrific blow. It
staggered ; it rallied. It made one su
preme jump at my throat. Instead of
landing upon the desired spot , it suc
ceeded in sticking its fangs into my
arm *
The pain was intense , and the'cat was
furious to the last degree. I now suf
fered a twofold torture one physical ,
the other mental. The latter was the
worse. I feared that hydrophobia was
before me that I should go mad. The
thought occurred to me that it were
better to die bravely fighting even a cat
than to be locked up forever in a mad
house.
With my unemployed hand I grasped
the animal's throat.
I got my thumb on the apple.
I squeezed and squeezed as never wo
man squeezed before.
The ferocious light of the cat'seyes
was soon replaced by a glassy stare.
It loosed its hold.
I flung the brute from me , rushed to
the door , slammed it , and I , Yvette
Guilbert , was safe.
That feline fight was the most terri
ble I have ever had in my life. I have
had maifp struggles. I used to suffer
keenly when I knew I had talent and
people would not listen because I was
not pretty. Still I fought my way with
out fear. I cannot say such was the
case in my fight with the cat ; for I was
very much afraid , although' my pres
ence of mind did not desert me even
for an instant , and this proved to be my
salvation.
It is said that women and cats do
not like each other. I can well believe
it after the attack which the cat made
upon me.
"We frequently hear the expression
"Worse than the furies is a woman
scorned. " I can only say that I did
not scorn the cat which attacked me ,
yet It was more than .any furies which
the human mind can conjure up. Hence
I infer that an infuriated cat Is more
spiteful than a scorned woman.
Cross-tempered women are called cats
although my unhappy experience goes
to show that feminine passion com
pared with feline rage is not even as
moonlight unto sunlight.
A cat has thirty teeth.
It has six Incisors above and six be
low.
N
|
It has four molars above and four
below.
I felt as though the whole thirty
were stuck in me. The physicians will
not admit this , but , no matter , I am
speaking of my feelings and not of the
mere dental marks.
It was fortunate for me that there is
a Pasteur institute in Paris. Otherwise
I might now be foaming at the mouth
or in a madhouse or in the giave. How
ever , I a mhere , safe and sound , firmly
resolved to avoid the ire of cats for the
future and to advise my friends to do
likewise.
LOST TRIBE IN THE PAR NORTH ,
Thomas Campbell's vision of "The
Lost Man" came near being realized
in the history of the tribe of Eskimo
recently discovered by Captain Cro-
mercommander of an Arctic whal
ing vessel , on Southampton island , "in
the north end of Hudson bay. These
people are less than 100 in number ,
and they believed that they were the
only human beings on the earth. For
more than 400 years they had been
shut up in that % lonely retreat , which
isabout the size of the state of Maine ,
living in the most primitive style. In
credible as it may seem , not a single
article introduced on the American
continent since its discovery by Co
lumbus was found o nthis island.
Captain Cromer obtained a large col
lection of the weapons and household
effects used by this strange tribe. This
collection has been secured by the
American Museum of Natural History
of New York , and it will soon be placed
on exhibition in the east wing of that
great institution.
These Eskimo speak a language dif
ferent from that employed by the Es
kimo of the far North , and different
frojn any other language known , but
their size , color and habits proclaim
them undoubtedly members of the
; same general family. The men and
women are clothed alike , in jackets
and trousers of deer and sealskin. The
jacket is hooded , with openings for the
face and hands. The women fashion
'
the skin into clothing and fdbtwear.
- Sewing is done with bone needles and
thread of sinew from the seal.
Among their hunting weapons the
bow and arrow plays an important
part in shooting land animals. The
bow is of wood , wrapped with twisted
sinews ; the arrows are pointed with
chipped flint. Bow and arrows are
carried in a bow case and quiver that
is slung on the back.
In stature they are of medium height
and robust and muscular , but the wo
men are much shorter than the men ,
occasionally almost dwarfish.
Much of their food is eaten raw , but
they cook it when convenient. They
-will split and devour the back , fat and
flesh from the body of a deer killed
In the chase and while the fibers are
.yet quivering.
Seal's fat and seal's blood are put
into a dish and stewed. This oily li
quid is used like butter. Lean meat is
dipped into it to make it more pal
atable.
Kaiaks or skin canoes are the water
craft of these people. They are from
18 to 30 feet in length. In the middle
is a hole for the body ; the rest being
entirely decked over. The chief outfit
of the kaiak is a harpoon and spear ,
which are used in the hunt for whales
end seals. These are from six to eight
feet long , having sharp points of ivory
which become detached when the game
is pierce ' . The long line attached
gives ample scope for play until the
animal is exhausted.
On land the sled drawn by a dog
team of from seven to ten animals is
the only means of travel. The harness
consists of two large noQses , placed
one above the other and joined by two
perpendicular straps four or five inches
in length , so placed as to allow the
heads of the dogs to pass through , so
that one noose will lie along the back
and the other between the legs.
The body harness is made of un
dressed sealskin , which does not chafe.
The whips are of plaited thongs of
sealskin some twenty-five to thirty
feet long , and the natives possess a
surprising dexterity in the use of these
whips , being able to flick the ear of a
particular sluggish dog the full dis
tance of the length of the lash.
The huts or houses of the Eskimo
are made by putting together the great
jawbones of right whales , which * are
covered with skins and seem more fit
ting for the lairs of animals than for
the homes of human beings. There are
no windows in the houses , only a small
opening about two and a half feet high
serving for a door. Each building is
occupied by several families.
Walrus and seal meat is stored away
in caves excavated in the snow. As
the temperature never rises above the
freezing point , the meat soon freezes
solid and keeps indefinitely. They have
no furniture ; the sole effects used in
housekeeping are a limestone lamp for
cooking , a dish made of the same ma
terial to hang above the lamp , and a
few cups made of whalebone. '
The most indispensable of these Uten
sils is the lamp , the only source of
heat and light. One of the chief duties
of the women is to prevent the lamp
from going out. The lamp Is utilized
for cooking and drying clothes , skins ,
boots and mittens , which are hung
around on a rack of bonesv
Cooking is done in an oblong dish or
pot suspended above the flame. In this
their meal of blubber and fat and
whalemeat is always kept slowly sim
mering. The people are obliged to
make their cooking vessels and lamps
out of slabs of limestone , glued togeth
er with a mixture of grease and deer
blood. The lamps are burned by means
'of wicks of moss "arranged around the
edge.
At a meeting of the Baptist Social
union in Boston last week an announce
ment was made formally of an , , offer of
John D. Rockefeller to give $150,000 to
Newton Theological seminary , provided
a like sum be raised by the institution.
BROKEN-SWORD OF DREYFUS ,
The death of Guillaume Gambler re
vives interest In what was perhaps the
most tragic incident of the Dreyfus af
fair. Gambler was a non-commission
ed officer of the French dragoons a
blond , soldierly looking giant ; an hon
est and earnest soul.
It was he who broke over his knee
the sword of Dreyfus , a part of which
has recently , by a curious chance ,
found its way to America , and tore
from his uniform all insignia of rank
when , In 1895 , the unfortunate officer
was degraded in public.
At that memorable moment the great
helmeted dragoon , powerful and stern
as the law , looked the very symbol 'of
justice.
Yet in , his heart that man was tor
tured by doubt or rather by the con
viction that he was made the instru
ment for a ghastly mistake.
He firmly believed in the innocence
of Dreyfus , and though he was a taci
turn man and spoke little , no fear ever
kept him from expressing his belief in
plain words when the occasion arose.
In a letter which he addressed , to his
old mother immediately after the de
gradation , Gambler gave an excellent
description of the dramatic ceremo
nies and spoke of the harrowing strug
gle which took place within him when
he was ordered to do his part of the
work. The letter has lately been pub
lished. The following extract from it
is Intensely interesting :
"No guilty man would have acted as
he did through that awfulordeal. His
eyes were brave and frank. The agony
in his voice , on his face , was the
genuine despair of a man condemned
unjustly and unable to understand why
everybody was so fiercely unwilling to
hear him.
"Mother ! " Dreyfus cried , and then
he cried to the yelling , mad multitude :
"I am innocent. I swear before God
that I am innocent" He cried that out
to them in a despairing appeal , yet
dignified as I would have said it. And
they vociferated curses at the poor
fellow.
"Only those who 'were present can
form any conception of the tense ex
citement of it all. The companies with
shining bayonets were lined up at the
four sides of the square. Behind those
walls the teeming black crowds , , a sea
of enraged wild animals. And in the
immediate open space just the little
group of us the general and his staff
on horseback , myself standing four
paces before the general , and Dreyfus ,
between "four artillerymen , facing us.
"While the decree of degradation was
being read , Dreyfus kept his eyes
steadily upon the general.
"The very silence of death had sud
denly descended from , that vast 'plaza ,
I reading seemed lost and distant.
j and In the open air the Tolce that was
"Suddenly it ceased , and the sharp
order to do my part of the business
came to me. In one wild whirl my
mind contemplated a lot of desperate
things. Do I obey , do I refuse ?
"Then the habit of moving forward
at the command of a superior pushed
me forward towar dthe captain. I be
gan. I tore the epaulets and flung
them down at his feet. I tore the
braids from the cap , from the breast ,
the sleeves. All that had been par
tially unseated beforehand to makt
the task easier.
"The last thing was to pull Dreyfus
sword from , the scabbard at his side
I did that with one sweep of my arm
and broke the beautiful bright bladt
on my bent knee. It snapped like glass
and the two pieces fell over all the
things I had torn from the uniform. As
I was unbuckling his swordbelt
' " 'I am innocent ! ' cried Dreyfus ovei
my shoulder. He wante dto say more
but the drums rolled and the guards
were ordered forward1 to parade him
before the troops and the people.
"It was only faintly that I heard the
great din of execration that rose from
the mob everywhere as he passed. I
had withdrawn to my place , and I re
member one thought kept coming back
to me as in a dream 'What a pity 1
am a soldier ! Why should have fate
selected me forthis ? What a pity it
was I ! ' "
Despite these unwelcome opinions ol
'
the affair , Gambler was such a fa
vorite among his men , comrades and
superiors that he never was molested
in any way.
He followed the Rennes .trial with in-
tense interest , fully expecting to sec
his beloved army set right what he
believed to have been an awful mis
take. When the second verdict con
firmed the first Gambler was much af
fected. He never afterward opener )
his mouth on the subject.
A few days ago he died in the mili
tary hospital of Luneville , where his
regiment had long before been trans
ferred from Paris. Pneumonia carried
away that powerful and kind giant in
less than a week. His second term in
the army was soon to expire , and he
had decided not to re-enlist.
Of the two broken parts of Dreyfus'
sword , one ( the handle piece ) is still
kept among the celebrated criminal
relics in the prefecture of police. The4
pointed half was picked up from where
it had fallen. It was given to the
general who had presided at the de
gradation. The general kept it on his
desk as a memento till Mathlew Drey
fus , who learned of it , wrote the gen
eral , questioning his right to display
this constant pretext of conversation
on a subject definitely settled.
SURGERY ON THE HIGH SEAS ,
Philadelphia , Pa. ( Special. ) Qne of
the most remarkable surgical opera
tions ever undertaken was witnessed
by a Philadelphian recently on board
the steamer Ethelwolf , bound for Van
couver , B. C. The Ethelwolf is a
"tramp" freight steamer engaged in
the East Indian and China trades , and
the substance of the story was includ
ed in a Jetter , written to his family in
this city , by the steward , T. J. Crow-
ley , formerly of Nicetown , who was
present at the operation.
The Ethelwolf had taken on a mixed
'
cargo at Hong Kong that taxedbut
two-thirds of her capacity , and she
steamed for Canton , trusting in the
season , it being a good one for exports ,
to fill out her holds. Twelve hours out
from Hong Kong a blow was encoun
tered , and a sudden lurch of the ves
sel threw Andrew Dawson , a stoker ,
down the narrow , precipitous iron steps
leading to the fireroom , breaking his
leg. >
leg.There
There was no doctor on board , but
the injured man was made as comfort
able as possible by his mates ; and
when port was reached a surgeon was
called on board and the limb was sat.
It was at once advised that Dawson
be sent to the English hospital at Can
ton , but the man begged so hard that
this was not done ; and when the ship
sailed , Dawson was still in his cot in
the steward's cabin , is injured leg in
a plaster cast.
All was well for" a time , but suddenly
alarming symptoms were exhibited.
The man began to suffer excruciating
pains in the locality "of the fracture.
Then the limb began to swell , necessi
tating the removal of the cast. Then
it was found that the leg was mottled
with deep purple spots ; and this , to
gether with the swelling , could not be
mistaken. Gangrene had set in , and it
was felt that , under the circumstances ,
death , would positively follow.
The officers held a consultation ; am
'
putation was the only hopebut In the
"absence of a surgeon that was held to
be impossible. But Dawson was a man
not only of strong constitution , but of
strong character as well ; and when the
serious nature of his condition was im
parted to him , he pleaded that the op
eration be undertaken by some man of
steady nerve among the ship's com
pany. It was death anyhow , he"in
sisted , and he might as well die under
the knife as give up without a strug
gle.
gle.An
An assistant engineer , named Carter ,
volunteered to do the work.
In the Ethelwolf s library was an old
Scotch medical work called "Carbin on
Surgery. " Carter hunted this up and
began a hunt for a case similar to
Dawson's , but the book , with its tech- I
nical terms , did little good ; if anything
it shook his nerve and he threw it
aside , determined to go it blind , rather
than bewilder himself with half-under
stood instructions.
Dawson was stretched out upon 3
table ; a full-page colored plate , rippec
from "Carbin on Surgery" was tackec
upon the wall ; this was an illustration
fo a leg which had been amputated
above the knee , and gave the positions
of the main .and lesser arteries. Sailor-
like , this was to serve as a chart , and
the most dangerous points , a.s referred
to in the text , were checked off with a
pencil.
Dawson grew pale as death from loss
of blood , but continued to encourage
Carter. As each artery was reached it
was tie dup like the first , but before
the leg was severed , and at last the
bone was reached. Dawson fainted at
this stage , and when he came to , the
saw had done its office , and Carter ,
faithfully following the chart upon the
wall , was finishing his work. Then the
stump was bound up tightly and the
patient put back In his cot.
The loss of blood had been consider
able , but not at all alarming. Dawson
seemed weakened , but full of pluck
and it was felt that , should blood poi
soning not set in , he would recover.
And this proved to be the case. Nc
bad results followed and the patient
grew in strength rapidly : Upon reach
ing Vancouver he was taken to a hos
pital , but the leg was all but healed
and the doctors pronounced the case
entirely out of danger , and said that ii
was as extraordinary an exhibition ol
nerve and vitality as ever came unde !
their notice.
Whisked at lightning speed through
two two-foot holes in the floor , and ar
unknown number of times around a
nine-foot flywheel , and finally hurled
through the air twenty feet against the
far end of the engine room in Milwau-
'kee , Fred Tiede is still alive. More
than that , he escaped without a broker
bone , and the doctors say he will be
able to go to work in a few days. Tied *
is an engineer at the quarry of th
Wauwatosa Stone company , west 01
Milwaukee , and was working in the en
gine room alone. No one witnessed tht
awful spectacle. George H. Sylvester
foreman at the quarry , entered the en
gine , room , and failing to find Tiede ai
his post began an investigation. At tht
farther end of the engine room he no
ticed the apparently lifeless form of the
engineer , fully twenty-five feet froir
the whirling wheel.
Mrs. Grant Allen , widow of the nov-
elst , is about to open a bookshop ir
the London West End. '
+ -
UNQUIET GRAVE OF LINCOLN ,
All that remains of the earthly body
of Abraham Lincoln is at present lying
in a metallic casket in a crude wooden
box In a temporary vault in Oak Ridge
cemetery. Springfield , 111. The only
preparation which had been made for
the removal of the body from the bed
of cement in which it had rested for
thirteen years , was the preparation of
the vault so that it might be robber
proof.
The removal of the body was made
necessary by the fact that the monu-
inent , which it took fifteen years to
build , and which was completed only
seventeen years ago , had to be torn
down because of the shifting of the
base of the knoll on which the great
shaft rested.
When the casket was taken from the
cement the outer wooden box was , as
might have been expected , badly de
cayed. No other box had been pre
pared , and the wooden box in'which
the body of the great emancipator is
now resting was.made with a hatchet ,
a saw , a few nails and some unplaned
boards. It was constructed upon the
ground within a few feet of the tomb ,
as were five similar boxes in which
were placed the decayed caskets con
taining the remains of Mrs. Lincoln
the three sons and the grandson. The
matter of providing at least a respect
able wooden box , with which to en
case the Lincoln coffin , was of so little
consequence that the matter was not
even thought of.
The body and that of the other mem
bers of the family will remain In the
temporary vault about a year , by
which time it is expected the monu
ment will be rebuilt. In order that it
may never tumble down again , the
foundations will be laid on bedrock ,
which it is believed will be found at a
depth of about thirty-five feet. The
new monument will be just as near a
counterpart of the one now being re
moved as possible , except that it will
be fifteen feet higher.
This isthe , seventh spot on which
Lincoln's remains have rested since
they were brought to Springfield afte
his assassination on April 14 , 186 , " )
Upon their arrival there they wer
taken from the C. & A. depot to tin
hall of representatives , in the state
house , and there remained in state for
several days. From representative hall
they were taken to Oak Ridge ceme
tery and placed in the temporary re
ceiving vault of the cemetery , where
they were under a guard of soldiers for
a long time. The body was next re
moved to a temporary vault on the
side of a hill.
Next all that was mortal of Lincoln
MAN WHO HAS NO .THROAT ,
Unable to breathe through his mouth
or nose , which have lost their respira
tory functions ; bereft of his throat ,
which was recently removed during a
surglcan operation , and capable with
the use of a mirror of seeing his food
pass from his mouth toward his stom
ach , August Ecklon of No. 75 Clifton
avenue , Chicago , is alive and enjoying
better health than he has for the past
ten years.
Born in Germany thirty-nine years
ago and coming to this country when
he was only a few years old , Ecklon
developed into a fine specimen of phys
ical manhood , and it was only his rug
ged constitution and splendid nerve
that made it possible for him to with
stand the numerous operations and
treatments-to which he has submitted
since he became affected with tumor of
the larynx ten years ago.
It is stated by reliable physicians that
Ecklon's case is the only instance of
recovery where the throat trouble was
so aggravated. Of the minor throat
troubles only 10 per cent live for three
or four years after"the operation ; but
heretofore extreme cases such as Eck-
ion's have not survived the operation.
He has no wsufficiently recovered to
perform light work around his house ,
such as paperhanging , and expects in
a short time to be able to resume his
duties at his meat market. He takes a
walk every day , and , attired in his or
dinary street costume , there is nothing
in his appearance to indicate that he
is such a living phenomenon.
Ecklon has never used alcohol or to
bacco to excess , and his health up to
1890 was perfect. In that year he was
troubled with pneumonia and with ait
attendant hoarseness , which prevented ,
him from speaking aloud. He was sent ,
to Hot Springs , Ark. , but the baths
weakened him. On his return , in 1893 ,
he experienced a difficulty in breathing
and an opening was made in his wind
pipe and a tube inserted. In February ,
1894 , a cork was placed in the tube and
the patient was allowed to breathe
zhrough his mouth and nose. His voice
at this time was just above a whisper ,
[ n July the tube was removed and the
Dpening was allowed to close. In Feb
ruary , 1895 , his lungs again pained him
and he found it difficult to breathe un
til July of the same year , when the
tube was Replaced , and it has never
been received since. Dr. Jacob Frank ,
the German hospital , Chicago , took
up Ecklon's case in 1896 , when the in
dications "were those of stomach trou
ble and throat complications.
Ecklon began to experience serious
trouble , owing to a large swelling on
the left side of his neck , in February ,
1899. Dr. Frank operated upon him
Tune 26 , 1899 , when a large mass was
encountered firmly matted to the im
portant vessels and nerves of that side ,
was taken to the sarcophagus inside
the north part of the Lincoln monu
ment , th's constituting the third re
moval.
While here an attempt was made to. .
steal the casket After this the re
'
mains were secretly carried' to the
*
south side of the monument , conveyed
through Memorial hall , and three well
known gentlemen were selected from
the Lincoln guard of honor to secretes
the casket. These three eprsons took
the body Into the superstructure of
the monument and hid it In a narrow
passage between two brick walls , which
formed a part of the foundation of the '
monument ; this constituted the fourth
removal. The remains were removed
a fifth time thirteen years ago , when ,
they were taken from between the
walls and placed In 'Memorial hall. '
Here the casket was opened for the
purpose of identification. The sixth
removal occurred when the casket was
placed In the bed of cement , from ,
which It was removed Saturday a week
ago. Mrs. Lincoln was also buried in
the cement beside the grave of her
husband. When the remains are again
placed in the monument they will have
been disturbed from seven resting :
places since coming to Springfield.
Several persons declare that Lincoln's
remains were once placed in a vault on
the ground now occupied by the state
capitol building , but this is untrue.
Just after the assassination a tem
porary vault was erected there , but
Mrs. Lincoln preferred that the inter
ment be in Oak Ridge cemetery , and
her wishes were respected.
Great disintegration and decay has
taken place in the caskets and con
tents during the past few years. For
a week workmen dugln a bed of solid !
concrete , in an endeavor to locate the
remains of the Great Emancipator and
his wife. For days the odor was so
bad that the workmen could remain In.
the excavation they were making but
a few minutes at a time , when they
would be forced to come out for fresh
lir. That this came from the two
'odies burled In the cement there la
o doubt. The moisture had soaked
nrough the cement and had forced a
rost , possibly an inch thick , around
he casket in which Lincoln was bur
ied. This moisture is undoubtedly re
sponsible for the advanced state of de
cay in which the cedar casket was
found. Fortunately , Lincoln's body waa
buried In a metallic coffin made of
lead and copper , and were it not for
this fact , the probabilities are that tha
remains could not .have been trans
ferred to a temporary resting place In
tact.
necessitating a tedious dissection and
removal of part of the internal jugular
vein. A pathological examination of
the tissue removed was made , and a
diagnosis 'given of cancer. A rapid1
recurrence followed the operation , and
on September 19,1899 , z. large mass was
again removed , involving the nerve *
and vessels of that region , as before.
The condition of the throat was so bad
that a complete removal of the larynx
was advised.
The operation was performed before
the members of the Mississippi Valley
Medical association , who were holding a
convention in Chicago in September
last. Ecklon was placed on the oper
ating table of the German hospital and
Chief Surgeon Frank , assisted by Drja.
Klein , Fleberger and _ Storm , began tha
grewsome work. On account of beinff .
unable to breathe through the mouth ,
chloroform was administered by a spe
cially devised apparatus through tha
opening in Ecklon's windpipe. An In
cision was then made from the top ot
the Adam's apple to the opening in tha
windpipe , three inches long and threa
inches across. The two triangular flaps
of skin thus formed were thrown back :
and the upward portion of the windpipe
cut across and divided. Before separat
ing the windpipe from oesophagus a
hard tube was passed into the latter to >
serve as a guide. A portion of the
oesophagus had to be removed also , oix
account of complications. It was sub
sequently sewed up , but the thread
sloughed away and left an opening at
the epper end of the oesophagus , which
still remains , and communicates with
the outside.
At present Ecklon's neck looks like a
map of the Amazon river , with its trib
utaries * . The scars remain tq testify ?
to the work of the surgical knife , but
he is happy in his recovery and exhibits
the wounds with the pride of a veteran :
warrior. The results in Ecklon's case
are most peculiar ; one of them refutes
the theory that the vocal cords are nec
essary to articulation. Ecklon has no >
vocal cords , as they were removed in
the operation , yet nature , , in leaving tha
fistula In his oesophagus , has tried to >
provide a substitute for them in tha
two flaps which were formed when tha
threads relaxed during the operation.
These flaps regulate the pitch of his
voice , relaxing and contracting tha
same as the vocal cords. Ecklon has
not breathed through his mouth or nosa
since 1895 in fact , his mouth Is prac
tically at the top of his breast bone ,
so far as his respiratory powers ara
concerned. When he coughs he does BO
through this tube , and he extinguishes
a match nlaced in front of it with tha
same ease that an ordinary person
would Wow it out with his mouth.
Chicago News : Caution Is fee found * *
tion of prudence.
