Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-10-07
THE NAN WITH AN IRON JAW.
ADVERTISING RATES

Every New England village mas us
notable character" distinguished by
individualities more or less odd and
wonderful; but for purely amazing
powers of mastication, deglution, and
assimilation ina private citizen, who
has never made any public exhibition
or special boast of his capabilities,
Blondford begs leave to take the palm.
Nor is she likely to be disputed in it.
Her champion is John McDarby, a
sixty-fve year old lrishman. of very
pronounced Celtic and stupid appear
ance, having scraggy chin whiskers and
gray hair, who is of medium height and
marked by giant development of
chest and body and this individual
will eat live snake for you, taking
mouthfuls from its head downward-,
will hold bull~frog by its leg and
crunch it down, piece, by piece, or
will MUNICH smaller game in the way of
bugs, grasshoppers, etc. But the mass
i've strength of his jaws and teeth is
best illustrated when he chews crock
cry, crushing and grinding it TO pow.
der with his ordinary food, when 30
disposed. For sanitary reasons, how
ever, he wisely refrains from devouring
glass. All of which, and much more
is solemnly vouched for by responsible
taxpayers of Blandford and vicinity.
A deserter from the English army at
Quebec, McDarby first appeared in
this region about forty years ago; and
III his escape, it is said, he ran sixty
four miles in twenty -four hours with
out any food, which is credible, per.
haps, for he is possessed of an iron
constitution. He made an impression
upon the natives at South Hadley
Falls by calling for pie and cheese at
the hotel, or rather in what followed,
when he bit through plate and all.
He has since worked III Blanford and
vicinity, where he has displayed all his
various accomplishments. Just now
he resides with sister at Russell, and
helps johnson Tiffany on his Bland~
ford farm. He has four children living
to none of whom, fortunately, having
descended the fathers tastes or
strength of jaw. At Chester several
years ago, with the utmost of noncha
lance. he lifted barrel Of pork by the
iron hoop with his teeth; and then, in
a wager, put down three dozen eggs,
shells and ALL He won a dollar bet at
North Blandford, too, by eating raw
two-and one half pound pickerel; and
even church members affirm that he
has been known to chew up not exact
| y three tubs of ice aud then to call
toE soda-water," but an earthen porter
bottle. McDarby served in the war,
and now draws half pension for
leg-wound, making very convenient
soldier at times. He was with the
mounted infantry, and when the ex~
igencies of the campaign put his horse
upon short rations the obliging fell
low would give the faithful steed his
human fodder and subsist himself upon
| animate snakes, bull-frogs, worms, rats,
! &c. Again, while marching from Mos
bile to Florida, a blackssnake disputed
the way, and the captain ordered the
negroes to cut clubs and slay the ''sar-
pint" so the story runs-when the
| useful McDarhy seized it, and, amid
the establishment of the crowd, bit his
head off: We are not surprised, either,
when McDarby tells us that one of the
witnesses of the feat ran to his com>
| mander and demanded to know ''what
kind of ISL ake-eater they had in
camp!" After battle, McDArby has
been known to slice off bit of dead
horse and subsisi upon it with appar-
| ent relish.
His marvellous strength Is only in
| his Jaws, which are not nalformed, APP
par.ntly. His teosh are, good though
| he has lost two, which he knocked out
with hammer when they showed
siqrs OF decay. In conversation he
Will never look at you, and cannot be
drawn out directly to talk about him
self. More than one attempt has been
made to engage him by travelling
shows, but he refuses all such allure
ments He used to be very free to
amuse any private parties by devour-
ing snakes OF frogs, but latterly insists
that he is growing old, aud must be
paid tor exhibiting himself. In this
connection he is willing to wager fifty
dollars that be 'swill eat tom-cats
head off before it is done kicking. The
man has never been sick but once in
MS life, and though hard drinker at
times has never bad any after-head-
aches like common folks. Though the
stories told of him seem SO highly i'm
probable, it certainly is fact that weR
nigh all are implicitly believed up
Blandford way, where the people. in
Iced, have seen much with their own
Eyes. = Springfield Republican.
In Switzerland some of the most