A SLEEPLESS MAN.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1663, 18 April 1884, Page 2

A SLEEPLESS MAN.

'A man .who does not sleep, named Saunders, lives in Virginia, U.S. Some time in 1861 or 1863, Saunders enlisted in the Fourth Virginia Volunteers. For several years lie had not slept at all, so ho said. But it becoming known.directly in the. camp that he made such pretensions, it aroused the curiosity of many of the men and officers and they set a watch upon him. He stoad guard night after night, and week after week,.paid by sleepy headed soldiers to take their turns, but never was caught napping, He|hauled coals several weeks in succession, only stopping long enough to eat and change horses, and ploughed in the field with five or six stalwart men until he wore them out completely, but never seemed to tire. During ihe'year 1863, it is stated, he went to Philadelphia and was examined by the Reading physicians of the country. Shey sat up with him in relays of five, night and day, and kept up an almost constant stream of conversation with him, and at the terminrtion of twenty-nine davs they discharged him with a certificate, but !Gould not give any- explanation of his freak of nature. Mr Saunders is now fifty-six years old, and says he'has not known what sleep is tor eighteen years. He himself cannot account for it as ho says the change in his organisation occurred within three days, and that he was never eiclc in his life, and: took medicine but once aud that 'was when, lie hod a-catarrh, about three years ago.. Ho is conscientiously opposed to making a display of-himself, or -no doubt would long ago have been before the public as one of tne human curiosities of the world.