The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-08-29
FAT AN D Lean
Two Extraordinary Festivals
in Connecticut Yesterday.
"A Fat Mans Clam Bake at GregOry'S
Point and a Lean Mans Clam Bake
at Grove House.
ALL NORWALK TURNS OUT EN- MASSE.
The Lean Dyspeptics Make a Sal
airy Grab at Health and Claim
Sanitary Back Pay.
The President of the Fat Mans Club Too
Heavy to Move Out OF Ottlce.
He Inaugurates Casarism and
Wants a Third Term.
The Lean Men Eat 200 Bushels of
CLAIMS and the Fat Men Only 80.
THE NAMES OF THE FORTUNATE FAT.
Conscience, CLANS and CorporOSity = Their
Mutual Influence.
Where the CLAIMS We're Cooked and How
the CLANS We're Eaten.
An About the Last Clam Bake Norwalk
Will Ever See.
The Lean Men Eat 200 Bushels of
CLAIMS and the Fat Men Only 80.
THE NAMES OF THE FORTUNATE FAT.
Conscience, CLANS and COrporosity - Their
Mutual Influence.
Where the CLAIMS We're Cooked and How
the CLANS Were Eaten.
An About the Last Clam Bake Norwalk
Will Ever See.

W Ia GvCA OCOs
NoRwALK, Conn.,, August %, 1873.
1t Is seven years ago since the institution known
as the Fat Mems Association was founded on
clans. 1t originated in joke, do all good
things, provided the joke is not bad at the begin
ming. Smith Barnum, of Danbury Ia place where
fun flows as readily as water from pump Smith,
rs was about to say was joker. For long
time he cherished the daring scheme of burlesquing
the people Of his native town. Attenuation in
everything except joke is the rule in Danbury.
The population physically is the thinnest earth.
1t takes mass meeting there TO cast a shadow.
Well, Smith knew all about this He rolled
In adipose tissue himself, and from morn
ing till night it was Smiths delight
to poke fun at his shadowy fellow citizens Finally
he made pOmpous announcement through
Bailey's paper that fatmen's association, to be
composed exclusively Of Danbury people, would be
formed on q certain day, having for its main and
most exalted object the destruction Of numer-
GUS bushels Of clans on the beach at Norwalk. or
course people laughed at the idea Of q fatmen's
Ciety in Danbury, where one man had monopoly
OF the fat aud all the rest were as lean as the
famine stricken kline OF Egypt. However the day
arrived for the enrolment of members, and all the
people Of Danbury shut up shop and repaired to
the Music Hail to see who had the amaz-
THE ORIGIN OF 'ToO TIIIN.n
Numerically, the crowd was very large; physi-
caly, very thin; so that the entire population OF
over 1000 when assembled in the little Music Hall
left room to spare for prayer meeting in each
corner. Smith had heap OF pillows, hair
cushions, old mattresses, quilts, blankets, piles OF
straw, and what not on the stage. He made a
melancholy address to his townsmen, bewail-
ing the circumstance that the age Of grease
and chivalrY was lied, but he was resolved that
Danbury at least should no longer lie under the
imputatlon that her citizens were mere cphers-
mere chalk marks the face OF creation
and he was resolved it should 60 forth
that the first fat mems association in
the annals Of history should spring from
mis- native town. Thcreupon, while deplOring the
necessity that existed for such extreme measures,
he appealed to his ghosty audience to step for
ward and make up for that OF which Providence
deprived them by recourse to the expedients of
art The appeal was taking one A joke in DAN
bury goes lurther than $40 BILL Ten jokes would
pay for half years board. Up they came to the
stage. all the thin and festive fellows and Smith,
with the genius of an artist transformed them in
twinkling, by the aid OF his straw pillows and mat
tresses, into most imposing brigade OF fat men.
It was towards the close Of this performance
that the expression originated which has since be-
come Incorporated among the most sententious
phrases in the American vocabulary. tall, thin
y0uth--so thin that he was only recognized by his
v0lcc-approached the platform. Smith had al
ready disposed OF all his mattresses and pillows,
and only half ton OF straw was left. Though
equal to almost any emergency, he was obliged to
confess his inability to make anything out of this
attenuated youth. AS the youth approached,
Smith, facing his transmogrihed audience with
distracted looks, in wild, despairng accents ex-
hacp haarI off har
bic exclamationN 100 thin!'
Here then, in the town Of Danbury, State Of
Connecticut, the .'institootonn of fat men was
started. 1t waxed and grew fat and fatter as the
years rolled around, but tradition has 1t that the
artificial fat men, for uproarious fun, have never
been ecpsed. Danbury howled and roared, and
howled and roared again over the doings Of that
memorable day OF her genial and froicsome sons.
There are few lean and hungry citizens in that
delightful village now. They laughed themselves
into state OF corporosty that has become the
envy OF the surrounding hamets.
LITTLE CLANBAKE HISTORY.
But must not tarry with this history, though,
however conscentlousy disposed to set posterity
right as to how this interesting association had its
beginning. To proceed. The nrst clambake was
held In August, 1885, under the presidency of Sid
ncv smith, OF stamford. In the archives OF the
society II is recorded that thirty bushels OF clans
appeased the appetites of the pioneer fat men.
Now 1t takes several hundred anu the cry is still
for more. J. A. p. Fiske, of New YORK, nourished
as President after Smith. He was the most mag
nincent President that ever reigned over this Jolly
society. sceptics insInuated that he wore
feather bed inside his frilled shirt IL would
tax the faith OF your readers tell OF the number
Of pounds he weighed sufce 1t to say that the arm
chair built for his accommodation large enough
for small tea party. When Fiske waddled out OF
ONCE c. w. Bradley, OF New Haven, waddled in.
and now, contrary to the laws OF the constitution
is enjoying third term. He has inaugurated
C&sarism, and will undoubtedly be President for
years to come unless he is choked by clam. He
- too TAT to move out OF oflce and so he sticks.
CLANS AND coRPoRosrry.
And now, as to the phenomenon Of the mysterious
sympathy between fat men and clans, 1t is a well
known fact that the early New England coonists,
at one period in their history, lived almost entirely
upon CLANS History does not inform us whether
this diet induced tendency to OBESITY among our
forcathers, or whether constant familiarity with
tho clambake LED TO y gradual peryeIslon Of