The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-08-21
A YANKEE CLAMBAKE.
Tho Pheast Of the Plat Men Not the Soap
Fat Men)-Feather Weight 'sDIussell' and a
"Heavy" Joke ON CLANS.

nv nc"St VI the Iuut WEN tNOt tne SO0p
Fat Men)-Feaiher Weight ''IusselI'' and a
"Heavy" Joke ON CLANS.
GREGoRY's POINT, Conn.,, August 20. 1868.
"Phewl" This ejacuatory word, 80 highly sug-
gestive OF the escape OF pun OF steam from loco
motive attached to very heavy train, has been
seething through the air here all day. found vent
from sundry feather weight epicures who have been
arriving In large numbers from the eastern part Of
this State. They came, they saw, they conquered
more denizens of the deep than were ever before
overcome by an equal number OF human beings on
the shores OF Long Island Sound. For some months
past 2 project has been on foot among some of
the sons OF the land of steady habits, the
object OF which was to bring together large NUMBER
OF the heaviest dealers in individual consignments
OF clans, and to-day this day dream OF these
sprightly urchins has been contaminated In man.
ner tnat may tend ere morning to further dreaming
OF the nightmare order. Fairfield county has lor
some time past been on the out vtpe for the event.
the ardor Of the popuace being stimulated by the
periodical distribution Of circulars announcing that
''all men In Fairfield county weighing two hundred
pounds are requested to meet In South N0rwalk on
Thursday, August co. at ten O'Clock A. NJ, to join In
q grand clam bake on Gregory's Point"
The invitation was promulgated by committee,
of which L. S. Barnum, Of South NOrwalk, was
president, and 'POp Nichols, Of Stamford;"
iUncle Lucas, OF South Norwalk;'' General
Curtis, OF Monroe, and other vivacious gentle
men were vice presidents The Dorlon brothers,
OF New York; r. F. Cook OF Winsted; Charles Brad
ley, Of New Haven, and Others were appointed "dee-
gates at large" "All vice presidents" were ere
quested to notify any man weighing TWO hundreu
pounds in their districts OF the above mentioned clam
bake"
At ten O'Clock this morning Norwalk had more
1.-TWO hundred pounders' within its limits than have
been there before not excepting the trying
times when Israel Putnam was chief OF artillery In
GS e the
desperate contest In which the Iron Son of 76 was
everengaged. All the vehicles In town were called
into requistion to convey the fat men to
the Point, walking there was out Of the
question under the circumstances and the
weight su2 of e sna has been 80 a
that quite revival Is looked for here In those
branches OF business. Buggies barouches and stage
coaches numbered along the road all agog by reason
of the specific gravity on one side OF many OF the
conveyances, of their Falstaian occupants. AT the
Point large number OF clam connolsseurs had
already assembled, mostly of inferior weight and as
the elm clammsts arrived assisted them III squeez-
ing through carriage doors and securing seats on the
piazza OF the hotel On the lawn In front OF the
srlosterie and close to the NOrwak bay beach
long tent had been erected, provided with q double
about three hundred guests: on the southerly side
OF the Point about forty bushels OF clans and oysters
were sweating, roasting and yawning on the heated
pebbles Of the beach, under covering OF tarpaulin
and seaweed.
After the children OF Anak" had been allowed
sufficient time TO 'phew" away their exhaustion
moned 10 the scales and under the charge OF Messrs
Toles and Wilcox, OF Norwalk, the weighing COM
menced. AS each sturdy candidate for the hOnors
was weighed in the balance and found mott want
ing" the assembled crowd cheered him right royalty
and his and weight were entered In the register
A large number OF ambitious ''yOuths" who had at
various times in their lives turned the balance at
"twO hundred" stepped on the scales and the beam
poised, the figures varying from one hundred and
ninety to one hundred and nnety-eght But 1t
would not do-the record would not secure their en-
fited them with gibes and peas Of hearty laughter
at their chagrn Standing few feet Off in groups
those corpulent competitors who had been success
ful chuckled until their frames quivered and the
chuckle found vent in broad grins. jolly old 'guf-
faws'' and wrnkings OF cheeks and double chins
When the weighing was completed the following
were found to he among the number of those In
whose honor the festival was inaugurated:-