The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-17
PETER REID. H4CKMaN.
The Life orthe Merry Fat Mems Annual Clam
Bakcs mt Gregorys Point.

1--WE known Peter Reid for twenty years.
shorty" Turner said. mcditatvely polishing
the counter with slow and gentle wipe. as he
might IL II had represented tablet 10 the lost
friends memory. ana no was one of the jollicst
kindcst-hcarted. best fellows TINT ever lived
Every year. for nine or ten years past. at least
we went up together to the annual clam bakcs
OF tho Fat Men at Gregory's Point. Norwak
Conn. and he was the life Of the party. On Fri
day last he came in here and sat down. Thought
he didn't look well. and when | asked him. he
said he didn't. md he believed he'd have milk
punch. Well | said. do you think milk Is
good for you. seeing how fat you aref' The
doctor said might drink two n day if | wanted
them he answered; So | made one for him.
and after he drank II he went home. And the
next Wednesday morning he was dead. He
died easy. they tell me. He was in bed. and his
wife noticed that he stopped breathing. ms he
frequently did. being so fat and she gave him
little shake 10 stir him up and set him going
again but it was no use he had gone forever
How much did he weigh ?"
only 300 pounds hut he was 50 short-harc-
Is five feet five, should Judsc-that he looked
enormous. Viewed in some ways. he was IA
round as n ball. And how he could sweat! Last
summer he tried 10 get rid Of some OF his fat.
drinking lemon juice and vinegar and no did
reduce himself eight or nine pounds hut aftcr-
ward he picked up and kept getting heavier
and heaviornntl he died Pete was not n drink
ing man. When he WAS young, IN Albany,
where he drove u hack for his brother. aud
when he i!rst came 10 New York. he used tp
drink n great deal: hut about twelve years nl,o-
maybe lhrec or four years more than that-he
shut on and nftcr that he averaged not moro
than Two drinks week. eNcep when he went
10 ne 'lnmhakcs al Gregory Point
- MS thNorltc song and dance was shoe Fly
FRANK smith. another Of his old friends ohimod
IN. draining his lumber and You never snw
anybody dance II lighter than he could fat Us
he was. ! never saw fat man 50 light on his
leet lie was great dancer Whenever there
was danco IN Irving Han yon' he pretty sure
To find him on the floor. Everybody knew him.
ana when h. WAS waiting To- take people homo
he would go right IN and Join in the fun. He
wns as honest as he was full Of fun. and don't
believe he over wrOngcd mun, or uvcrcharscd
ono evon. in his life. Although onlya hackmnn
he WAS u perfect gentleman. In old times he
used Ia stand nj the Cortandt street ferry. and
then he nnd George Boyd. who j. on duty there
y"l ana ext mel Champncy OF Jersey CITY. who
used TO be stationed there. had lots ~ iun tu-
gether. Then when the railroad terminus was
madq ~ prsbrosses street ferry. he changed his
tthhd 10 lhni point. AMI wnS Hs great iaNorltf
mere WIN wall. the hagEagcmnst"r, and rNerN-
n9dy els' tleI. hs he had been below. Ala the
Morris and Essen pcople-that Is those who
used 10 come IN 10y that rOad-usrl To- employ
him. iorthey all knew that their baggage th"ir
friends WERE ms safe with him a. in thrlr n,.n
| cnrragcs.. When the Annex ferry WIS r~iuh-
lished II hurt his business. Only the Werk hn-
lore he died asked him about il, aud he said,
Frank. He had q great deal Of bad luck. II
seemed rs though every timc he ROT hiur
amend IN the world, one or two valuable horse,
Wonld die ana give him set back. on sum-
i0"r he lost three or four. and that was hard on
man who was not wei of, and WIS too Eenrr-
qua TO see anybody suffer about him, und too
| honest 70 tAke u moan advantage ~ any man
alive. A little before we went M Ia the Far
Mons clam bake in August Inst yoar. Pete lost
| ms Keystone b" WAS a ncnhrr Of CpriuthiHn
Chapter. You know-and he told me he want d
me TO give him ono. | snid would. and % few
| days 9ltorward | sent him one Of paStrb'ard,
tho show card of the KcystnnH Wringor
about eighteen inches square. When the day
emo for our excursion, however. had good
| ono ready for him tut rs he had sald he want
ed 2 chain on i. | Fastened it ton biF hras,
| jack chain two feet long. ana with
links about m inch long each which
! had IN stock. As We went NJ in
the Josephine. shorty Turner col southern
| General who WIS on board t. give II Ia MN with
II formal presentation spcerh. Pete accepted II.
| put II on. brass chain and all, md made very
| funny speech In reply, Aftrr the speech he
| SANG Tn" Bear went over the Mountain. aud
| then he sang iOr the rest of us To nave stag
| dance, as We had no other music on board. and
| So the fun was keptup until We got to Gregory's
| Point and he got AZ the milk punches. lie had
| the most contagious laugh that | ever heard.
| Often in old times, when he went 10 BryautS
| Mlnstros ANA got 20 laughing, lac set the audi
| rnre and the Ministries Themselves Ia lAughIng
| And he could knock mnu down with hls b INV.
| He Just gOt M cioSr in front Of a man und gave
| II heaye, and down the man vent