Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-12-19

George Francis TRAIN Believes that
Eating A. Merely n Habit.

George Francis rraiu Believes that
Eating AZ Merely a Habit.
New York SUM-
George Francis Train was found in
bed at $50 o'clock last evening in a
small So room Of the Phmnix House,
Broadway and Twelfth streets, close up
under the root, where the air is pure. BE
pays 81 . week only, because be took
the room last May when the house was
being reftted, and submitted to a good
many consequent Inconvenience. The
waiter that conducted the visitor 10 the
room looked bright. he carried in his
hand q pitcher Of water. 1t was the first
drinking water Mr.. Train had ordered in
six days. By the side Of the single bed
we're an apple and a biscuit. During
two hours Of conversation Mr.. Train
used the apple once to illustrate the po-
sition of the world as he stood above it
on q mountain; but he did not touch the
biscuit nor take q sip of the water. Yes.
terday morning at s o'clock be said he
had completed a period Of six days since
he had taken food or drink. DR., White
had called on him aad urged him to eat.
The doctor was Of opinion that he was
troubled with gastric fever. His tongue
was very much coated. Judge Z. l..
Francher, who had delivered Mr.. Train
out Of the clutches of Judge Davis, had
met him and said:
"Ar. Train, after | delivered my de-
eision in your case, you advised me to
take a Russian bath. Now, / advise you
to 90 and take q Russian bath"
Mr.. Trains family then vent to him
and urged him to eat something. This
was too much. He could not resist their
appeal, or rather when it was made he
felt no inclination to resist it. Psychol-
ogy would explain that, too. So yester-
terday morning bis family had some cat
meal and water prepared for him, and
he eat about as much as he could have
held in one hand. On bis way to the
house he had stopped at a pump, and
was able to drink q little water. At
noon he had eaten half a biscuit. That
was all he had eaten in six and a half
days. The biscuit on the table was for
his sspper, but he does not care to eat
it. He had felt a slight desire for water,
aud SO had ordered some. 1t was his
usual bedtime, He usually remained in
bed fourteen hours. During the six days
Of fasting he had lost about ten pounds
in weight. His eyes, he said, had lost
their peculiar ~lustre, and his kneejoints
had become weak. but after eating the
handful Of oatmeal, eyes and knees alike
had been restored to their normal state.
1t a not the nutrinsnt contained in
the oatmeal that had caused this, but
the mechanical action of the stomach,
which had ceased for wan of food, was
again set going, and SO disease was
averted.
The tine will come" said Mr.. Train,
when / shall be able to fast for thirty
days. In the meantime l have proved
three things. The first is that all the
stories of terrible agony in starvation is
a humbug. They are Inventions of peo-
pie who want to glorify themselves be-
cause they have an opportunity. AS q
matter of fact, hard times are q blessing
to the country because they cause very
many persons to fast from sheer neces-
sity. The second thing l have proved is
that |, who am not a Christian, but who
accidentally have all the virtues and
moralities Of a Christian, l have really
been able to do what the lying monks
only pretended to do. / have really
tasted and have really felt my intelli.
gGnce and power OF prophecy increased.
The third thing that l have proved is
that a person who has tasted six days
has no rsvenouS appetite"