The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-09-01
Feast Of the Fat Men-A Novel Clam
huGe.. mt NOrwaIk, Connecticut.

The National Association Of Fat Men bad
its annual festival at Norwalk on Thursday.
4 correspondent writes:
The first clambake was held in August,
1865, under the presidency of Sidney Smith.
of Stamford. LII the archives OF the society
it is recorded that thirty bushels OF clans APP
pcased the appetites Of the pioneer fat men.
Now it takes several hundred, aud the cry is
still for more. !. \. 7. Fiske. of New York,
f1ourisbed as president after Smith. He was
the most magnificent president that ever
rcigned ever this Jolly society. Scentlcs in
simulated that he wore feather-bed inside
his frilled shirt. 1t would tax the faith OF
yoEr readers to tell of the number OF pounds
he weighed: suffice it TO say that the arm
chair built for his accommodation was large
enough fora small tea party. When Flske
waddlcd Out of Office {. ". Bradley, OF New
Haven. waddled in, and now, contrary to the
laws of the constitution. is enjoying third
term. He has inaugllratcd CTS;lrism, and
will undoubtedly be president for years to
come un:r>s he is clicked by Il clam. Tie Is
too fat to move out OF office, and so he sticks.
Comparatively few know what clambakc
! Is. In ancient times the art of clambaklng
| was known 10 the natives of Conrv island
and to Il small. privileged class OF New York
| crS. In Manhattan it is now reckoned among
| the luss arts. The way they did it to-day
| was in this manner 4 bed Of stone. SIN
| teen BIZ ten feet, was raised on the pebbly
| beach. Top OF ii was placed three CORDS OF
| hard wood. The wood was set OF fire. ana
| for t&o hours it burned and burned, Gntil
| the stones were heated to the very core, ana
nothing but ashes remained of the tuel.
| The ashes were rakeu away, and then Il
broom finished the process of preparing the
surface OF the stones for the reception oil Tue
| CLANS. These were brought palptatln@ from
| the sea-beat sands and tunhled from pushc
| baskets down upon the heated bed. hel
| this was covered over with many layers OF
| camS-whcn the foundation, so to speak,
| was Eaid-biucfiSh, weaktish, eelS, Holsters,
! canned and cooked chickens. woodchuck,
green ctrn. sweet and common potatoes,
| crabs and Holsters were thrown proinl>cu-
ously on top. and on top OF them was piaced,
50 As to completely envelop the bed, can
vas eeyerlct. Thi! was tucked in all
round 50 .lS 10 make the clans as conItorta-
| bic rs possible and keep them from catching
cold. Over the coyeriet was placed great
mass of wet rock weed to supplement the
cInyas in keeping the steam from escaping.
| 1t was no Use, however: tile steam insisted
on escaping. and disappearance OF the clam
bake was precisely like dupg-hill smoking
on frosty morning. 1t was fun to the fat
men, but death to the clans. That was all.
The next thing had nothing to do with the
bake, but it had everything 10 do with the
main purpose of the day, and that was the
dinner. 50 many dollars and Il half per head.
The following is Il liStot the megatheriumS
Of the collection Of fat men weighing 800
pounds and over g.: G. n Bradley. Of New
Haven. president, SO pounds W. II. Burns,
New York. $50: Joseph 4. Lincoln, SPRING
field. Mass, 3l3; w. II. Digs, Pawtucket,
305; Mason Smith, Hartford, 302; G. FL
bridge. Jr.. Mystic River, SOL.
The aggregate weight Of 143 persons was
32,942 pounds, making an average weight
of 1903 pounds for each individual.