Rensselaer Republican, Volume 13, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 May 1881 — Peter Lemen’s Lizard. [ARTICLE]

Peter Lemen’s Lizard.

Peter Lemen is feeling better, and a News reporter who called yesterday was allowed to place his hand on the old man’s stomach and feel the beast squirming around inside. Tbe reporter 4s not prepared to say that what he felt was a lizard; but there certainly seemed "to be something alive in Lemen ’b bread-basket. The reporter’s hand was cold, and this rather discouraged the lizard, who let up on his squirming and suddenly became quiet, and then Mr. Lemen took a sip of brandy and went off into a dose. Mrs, Anna Schulte, who claims to have been cured of a lisard, has been visited by Mr. Lemen’s son and agreed to call and see the old man, whose symptoms resemble those from which she suffered 19 years. Mrs. Schulte was expeoted yesterday, but probably delayed her call on account of the rain.

The articles published In the News about Lemen’s lizard have been copied in other papers and spread broadcast all over the United States. When the scribe called yesterday he was shown about forty letters and postal cards already received, and others are coming daily from every direction. Probably • the whole Lemen family, “their sisters and their cousins and their aunts,” never got so many letters before. One man in Chatham, Ont., advised Lemen to go without drinking as lopg as possible and then hold his head over a tub of water while somebody else made a great splashing in the water with his hand, when the lizard would probably “smell the water” and come out. A person at 46 Lafayette avenue advised him to eat salt frsh several days and then drink a glass of stagnant water. A party at 233 Third street advised him to fast as long as possible and then inhale the steam from boiling milk, which would cause the lizard to come out. A man es Seaforth, Ont., advised him to fast several duys and then be rolled on a barrel. A letter from Atlanta, Ga„ advised him to eat salt and go witliout drinking as long as possible and then hold his head over a bucket of water while another party poured water into it, when the lizardj hearing the noise, would eome out for a drink. A party at Bowlipg Qrpen, Q., advised him to eat nothing until he was nearlv famished and then “have a good hot meal cooked and hold your head over it so the lizard can smell the victuals, when he will come but.” A letter from South Bend, Ind., advised hypodermic injections of carbolic acid. A letter from Massilon, 0., exhorts to be of good courage, and says the writer once coaxed a ten-inch snake out of a lady’s Btoinacn. A letter from 624 Twelfth street, advised him to go without eating as long as possible and then drink -a lot of warm water, A Philadelphia druggist advised him to take hair a draohm qf chloroform, and said if that did not kill the lizard nothing would, A letter from SturSis, Miohlgan, advised him to drink randy. A letter from Toledo, Ohio' referring him to Mrs. Fred. Kennan, of Grand Rapids, Ohio, who had been cured of a lizard. There were many letters advising toe “milk core.” Others advised him to take turpentine aqd castor fIU? There was ft letter from Dayton, Ohio, written in German, and a letter from Chicago in French. Nearly all advised the use of salt ip connection with other remedies, and one letter from Adrian, Michigan, disgusted Lemen by telling him that he conld get a cure by sending 50 cents to the writer. A Toledo letter advised him to wrap himself in a blanket and take a sweat bath over a bowl ot boiling hot milk. Letters are still coming by every mail. —Detroit News.