Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1880-07-30
THE FASTING MAN.
Interesting Facts About Dr. Tanner
From His Home In HBinncaOtn.
Corrospondencc Ghiengo Evening JonrnnI

Correspondence ehicngo Evening Journal
MINNEAIoLIs, MINI. This charm
ing city has once more been
brought into noIoricty Dr.. Tanner
who now is undertaking To fast forty
days in New York, claims this us his
home. lie came here four years ago,
and has practiced medicine in his &C.
centric way ever since. lie WAS asso-
ciated here with DR.. Meyer, who
divided the use of his office with him,
No one in the United States to-day is
looked upon with such Il degree Of
curiosity n5 DR.. Tanner. Even the
presidential candidates pnlc before this
abstcmiouS monstrositY. ! will tell YOU
something about this notorious indivd-
ual.
DR., Tanner is an unusual person, both
physically and mentally. Physically
he IL well developed, possessing II
strong constitution, He il lctlargic, so
much 20 that il is no trouble for him
to sleep twenty out Of twenty four
hours ON n stretch lie can sleep any
where and in almost amy position.
When hc puts in his solid twenty
h'hini Nv S''hi"hl lHh'H lllt lDUHpt,
and sleeps without snoring.
He is Emphatic, and grows ilcshy very
rapidly when he allows himsclfto cat rs
ordinary white folks do. He has II
phenomenal organization, rs has been
shown already in his present expert
mont, Mentally hc is very willful, and
dclightsin having his own way lie
has good reasoning powers, but hicks in
tho essential practical element. These
qualities are not common, and they
IRE so united in him that he is able to
do what in former times would have
required II miracle.
This is not the first time that DR..
Tanner has tasted. In 1877 10 tasted
forty-iwo days, but was not watched NIL
the time to SEQ If il was legitimate. We
have his word that il was, and we also
have the testimony of Dir. Mover, who
was with him II great deal of the time.
The fast took place in the Office Of DR..
Meyer, and the latter witnessed the pro-
cccdings ns much MS his practice would
permit In reply to your corrcspOn-
dents question whether he thought the
Doctorat that time took anything III
the way Of eatablcS, he said he regard
ed II ns II genuine fast. DR. Tanner was
out of his sight number If times, and
he could not so ON tho stand and swear
Tint he had not cnten anything. Ills
condition however, led him To firmly
believe that with one exception not n
morScl of food had passed his lips. 1t
was not prcmcditatcd act on the part
Of Dir. Tanner, but grow out Of an mr.
gumcnt on primitive Christianity. Tho
Doctor il M enthusiast, and very much
given to hobby-riding IL lie would
cxpcnd his energies In his profession
no doubt he would be very successful
Az il is he barely makes living.
Dr. Tanners wife is II praeticing ply
sicinn, and il considered much better
one than he is In the early part Of
July hc went Is Hudson Wis, whore
she resides, To visit her Owing to
some incompatabilty existing between
the two, il was agreed to live apart.
He returned to Minneapolis July r.,
very much depressed lie was taken
sick the next day with summer coma
plnlnt, and lay down on n lounge in the
office. lie slept nearly all the time,
took no medicine and no food, only II
sip Of water at intervals. The tenth
day he grew convalcScent, and improv-
cd just about the same way that mn or
binary sick person would He and DR..
Meyer have Ind frequent discussions,
and among other subjects was TINT Of
miracles. Dr. Meyer affirmed that NO
one could fast forty days without Divine
intorpesition, and that when Christ,
Elijah and Moses tasted. they were stls-
tanned Ivy providcntial hand. DR..
Tanner, ON the contrary, believed diff.
rcrcntly. He thought that any one
could fast that length of time if he
would make up his mind to do il. He
believed he could do il, and III hoast-
full way said he would try il. and 1
how many days he could live without
eating. The twelfth day he looked hag.
gard, and DR., Meyer thought unless he
attsomcthmg he would surely die SO he
went "a the bakery and procured crack.
cis and milk Tn his return the dis.
cusson was removed concerning fasting
and the milk was thrown out, and thu
, crackers remained untouched I'll,
fifteenth day, lady sent IN elegant
lunch Is him and t. please her I'll,
aminhlc Doctor ate baked apple. This
I waS all he ate during the forty-tw,
, days Tn the twcnty.ninth day h,
, walked to Minnchaha. n distance Of 81,
! miles and returned following til,
| river, making nj least mile further
! lie was somewhat tired after II, hut n
Q together hc did moi suffer any. Tn
/. thirty-ninth day III walked out to LAX