Registered at G P O., Pertb. for
NO 2,884.
PERTH, SATURDAY
transmission by post as a newspaper
DECEMBER 18, 1937.
SIXTY-FOURTH YEAR
A Letter from the Man in the Iron Lung Westralian Writes to Paralysis Victim Ihave come to know and love my religion more. than ever before" " HE following reply has been received by Mr. L. Lake, of •Sacrament before starting out on Junr., the 'Bridgetown, from Mr. Frederick Snite, any long journey. And so Father young American millionaire, who contracted infantile Rice was kind enough to make it paralysis while holidaying in the Orient. Readers will possible for me to conform to this recall how, on June 2, the long voyage from Peiping to good habit Billings Hospital, Chicago, was commenced in the artificial resEleven o'clock came and everypirator in which he has been kept alive since the commencething had been packed away exment of his illness in 1936:— cept the patient and respirator. June 1st. and the With the aid of a five hundred Albert Merritt Billings Hospis perturbed. There foot extension cord the machine tal, 950 East 59th. Street. hour of leaving came. Chicago, Illinois, July 16, 1937. was a flow of old friends in and ( respirator) was kept running Dear Friend,—Thank you for out of Room 212 in E. Ward. It while we descended in the elevaWhether it was was not easy to say "good-bye" tor and rolled through lengthy your message. flowers, a telegram or a personal to some of them. Some Chinese basement corridors. These corletter, all the same it was a mes- and some foreigners had become ridors were lined with the curious sage showing thought, kindness very close friends. All had per- and well-wishers who wished to Because I formed well in the line of duty, witness the start of this advenand consideration. Finally, coming to the have received so many of these but beyond that their friendliness ture. service entrance, the power was large a in helped graciousness and within the last few weeks, it is gasoline a utterly impossible for me to ans- way to make my sojourn in Peip- switched over to wer each one personally, much as ing as pleasant and happy as it motor. The respirator was then loaded in to a truck by means of was. I would like to do it. The gasoThe morning of June 2nd. came a portable run-way. Perhaps, you would like to hear something of my trip from and the first thing I had to do line dynamo had already been Peiping to Chicago. The follow- was say good-bye to one of my mounted on the truck. On the way to the station with ing is a short description thereof: night nurses, who was unable to make the trip. This cute little the help of a mirror,I was treated Frid-ay, June 11. 1937. Chinese girl was named "Ke," to my first and last real view of and I called her "Coo Coo." She the streets of Peiping. I felt thatI S.S. President Coolidge. already knew the way from lookdiary a be to This is supposed at the thousands of snap-ing at least, that was my intention, the Colonel (my father) shots but what it will turn out to be and shown me. Again. taken had have nobody knows. It should there were hunstation, the at been started on June 2, when we present to say people of dreds left Peiping, but, alas, here is The reparty. our to good-bye days nine the first entry, a mere spirator was again transferred to later. our special train without a bump. Good-bye China! This session We rolled out of the station at of East finds us a day and a half . on time. and I had not miss12.20 Yokohama, bound for the Golden t.d single breath. a Gate. I am travelling under * * in rather unique circumstances June 12. callsometimes respirator. a that Our train was comfortable and ed an Iron Lung, is my statecomplete. It consisted of two room. I have been in this and Pullmans, one dining car, two fourlast the for "boilers" similar baggage cars, and a guard car, these During teen months. latter was for the soldiers to ride months my home has been the in. In China, it is customary. in College Medical Union Peiping and sometimes necessary, for a Peiping, China (hereafter called few soldiers to ride in each train. the P.U.M.C.). With me on the baggage car had been transOne mother, father, my journey are formed into an efficient hospital sister, Terrence Dillon, a Notre Dame schoolmate, Mr. Murphy, Two of the seven Chinese nurses who room. It was complete with inMr. Snite, senr.'s financial secre- a ttended Fred Snite throughout the direct lighting, electric fans and tary, Miss Giles, secretary, Dr. trip from Peiping to Chicago. A rub- screen doors. There were curForkner, Miss Poo, physiothera- ber collar seals all but his head inside tains on the windows and the enthe mechanical respirator. tire interior was painted white. A pist, two American and seven day-bed and wicker chairs were nurses. hinese C In that T wish to record the en- took care of me from the first in one end of the car. The entire ride was comforttire trip. It would he best to day of my entrance into the hosable. I could barely feel the moFor pital. She a of had heart beginning. gold the start at We stopped father and Mr. and we parted with a few tears. tion of the train. months my A little later. Father Rice and started off smoothly as if making busy Murphy were My preparations for this journey. brought me Holy Communion, as ,board the 20th. Century. way, the all good was voyappetite he on Sunday done each had the that thought I A t first. age would be difficult, but as the morning during the previous hut T had very little success with time for departure drew near. T year. I have always felt it im- the "shut-eve." (Continued on Back Cover.) f ound myself not the least bit portant to receive the Blessed
Li
—.71.117.15Ke