Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1876-02-05
Eating Thirty QuaiIs.

a. little more than month
since there appeared an article,
which went the rounds of the city
press, settling forth the impossible
jty of an apparently very simple
accomplishment The proposition
was that no man was capable of
eating thirty quails' in as many
days, eating only one quail a day,
the bird to be cooked in any man
ner he might desire. Among the
instances cited to prove thaf such
q thing lad never been done were
many vain attempts in England,
France, and America. The most
striking case was that Of a ma n in
Cleveland, Ohio, who wagered
800 against $4,000 that he could
eat thirty quails in the manner
prescribed, and lost.
A certain main-street merchant
IL, Louisville carefully took notes
of all these statements,a becom-
ing convinced of the truth of them
introduced the subject while at
dinner in his clearinghouse one
day. The proprietor, Mr.. Bronnert
the French restaurateur on Mark
ct street, said he knew he could
eat the required number easily.
Thereupon the merchant proposed
wager of champagne supper for
twelve persons that he could not
Mr.. Bronnert readily accepted the
bet.
Thirty days ago last Wednesday
Messrs. Bronert and De Maret ate
their first birds,an at noon We'd
nesday ate their thirtieth every
quail being broiled. IN or
der that no cheating could be done
witnesses for both parties were
employed, who saw that the terms
of the wager were faithfully COM
piled with.
Many wiseacres, among them
many sagacious physicians. during
the discussion of the subject,
caught up the various suggestions
iu the experiment, and were free
to declare their belief in the i'm
possibility Of the thing. Some
went so far as to say that man
would die before he could devour
the number specified. But not
withstanding all these discourg-
ing and terrifying opinions,
Messrs. Bronnert and De Maret
were looking as well last night as
ever they did in their lives, and
were in high spirits over their
triumph.
Mr. Bronnert was confident that
he could eat thirty more broiled
quails, and said he would not be
afraid to try it, Notwithstanding
he hats beer told by two physi-
clans he will have very severe
spell of sickness in less than sixty
days. He said, however, that the
feat was not accomplished without
a great deal of difficulty and suf-
fering. After the fifth day he be-
came very sick, and it was with
the greatest force that he swallow
ed the sixth bird. From Christmas
day until January 9th he suffered
great nausea, and each bird Was
eaten with equal difficulty and
disgust. He said that if he hadn't
got angry every time he sat down
to his bird he never would have
accomplished the undertaking.
Said the little Frenchman
"Ven sits down re bird he look
good, mais by gar l feel 20 zick in
re stomach l think / can't eat him
no more, but by gar go mad-I
chew him up bones ond ALL
Mr.. Bronnert further explained
that when he felt so sick of the
eating that he thought it impossi-
BILE to continue he would take a
glass of wine, and after a while he
would get all right again. After
the 9Th instant he suffered no more
sick ness, and has eaten the last
seven uuailS with a great deal OF