Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-09-26
HUGE FEEDING

Kentucky paper tells the following story, apparently to
show that that State beat all the world in eating:
'In Crab Orchard, Kentucky Richard Evans, the 18th
of August devoured at meal fourteen chickens and drank
forty cups Of coffee aud drank, between breakfast and dim
ne and dinner nine pnts of whskey, and dinner
ginger cakes and other things in proportion and called for
chickens, &c. Seven citizens of that town certify this
remarkable performance and add that Evans weighed
before dinner, and weighed SO pounds after dinner I4s
pounds He his dinner the top Of the stage, with his
hat off, in the middle Of the street. in the boing sum- with
any shade him. And believe that had
he had notice day two, this meal half that he
could have eaten We have doubt that he could eat
from sun, entire mutton, as others have said he
has done here BEFORE and other things in proportion Such
the curiosity this occasion, that the voting and all bu
sness ceased to behold this gomandze parake Of his epast
BY the mail that brought this tough story,
ceived the official report of Messs Butler and Lewis, Com
mssoners treat with the Camanches and other Prairie In
dams II is their vndcaon by the Commissioners against
charges Of exTavagan and expenditure their
negotiations One Of the items complained Of the guam
ty OF distributed TO the Indians and this head they
produce the testimony of several respectable and competent
witnesses TO show that they out very moderate allow
Mr. Robert Cooke, who attended the Commissioners,
says
al have Prairie Indian eat and destroy, upon his
arrival in camp, fifteen pounds of beef in twenty -four hours
further Of opinion that they will eat daily ten pounds
throughout the year."
We take for granted that Richard Evans of Crab Orch
ard, Kentucky if he this statement, will feel very
sheepish and think Of setting up for wonder, be-
he weighed ten pounds more after dinner han before
Major Armstrong, Superintendent Of Indian Affairs west,
and who is evidently afraid to tell all he knows, deposes
follows
Gentlemen: In yours Of this date wishing
what quantity Of fresh beef Prairie Indian will
sumo twenty -four hours beg leave that in my
opinion, and from my knowledge of these people, that they
would from to eight pounds day. know that
many persons would dsrust this statement but would
believe that under than the quantity they eat
aone and when they have it. engaged in doing
great part OF their time.
There is a world Of une1 planned stuing in that last
seron
Captain Rogers, who has been the frontier for twenty
years. answereh and saith
"Gentlemen In reply your note Of this morning. ma
king inquiry with regard the probable quantity Of beef
fresh Indian would in twenty -four hours
would respectfully that, from long and intimate
quantance with Of the tribes Of Prairie Indiana, then
character, habits &c. but particularly that Of the Or
having frequently been among them and Witnessed their
eating that believe they often from fifteen pounds
fresh the Of twenty hours, particularly
returning from the fatigue Of long hunt when, have
doubt they frequently from five 10 six pounds at
meal"
To the like effect depoe,h Captain Duva, in the words fol
owing
Gentlemen have Just received your note Of this morn
ing asking my opinion upon the probable quantity OF fresh
hungry Indian could in twenty four hours
would say for few days after his getting into camp from
long journey, he would eat from eight to ten pounds
and for the first day two he would even exceed that
quantity
Now we hope here is matter ecctualy TO put down the
arrogant pretensons If not stop the mouth, Of Richard
Evans who, in the feeding line among the Prairie Indians
would certainly pass for than good ordinary TO mid
ding He precnde and ought not TO be counicnanced