Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1880-07-21
TANNERS LONG FAST.


New YoRK, July 9.-The now oele-
brated DR.. Tanner was right in sssum-
ing that the public would take o lively
interest in his forty days fast, and be 10
about to reap the reward OF his absti.
hence in the shape Of quarter dollars
almost without end, that being the price
charged at present; before another week
it will be half O dollar. and by the time
that Tanner becomes an interesting
skeleton or IL in momentary danger OF
dying II may be Q dollar or more. l
cannot take mp o newspaper without
finding q column or 30 about the state
Of Tanners organs; In every horseear
Tanner 10 the subject OF conversation,
and whether or not he II an impostor,
whether or not hs will succeed or die In
the attempt, and what are his motives In
attempting q dangerous and unpleasant
experiment, r matters discussed on
every occasion. II successful he will
demonstrate that Tanner 10 . fool and
can fast forty days. Il seems to me that
this Is about all that It will demonstrate,
unless va take II for granted. a. Dr..
Hammond does, that Tanner 10 an i'm
poster. bent simply on either making
money by the exhibition Of his peculiar
suffsrings or on preparing himself as q
living skeleton for his own and Barnum's
benefit. II Tanner considers Q thousand
dollars or 30 sufficient recompense, / am
sure that hs will be able to mako at
least that amount OF money for. AZ / said
before, the public interest In the affair Is
intense; the hall II always half full Of
curious persons who think they can get
twenty-five cents worth OF pleasure out
OF q sight OF Tanner, and the interest OF
the crowd who have no money to spend
IL shown by the throngs that ill the
street below Tanners windows. Letters
arrive by the dozen at every mail. some
OF them containing advice from persons
who profess to have had great experience
In the matter Of starving. some contain.
ing abuse from persons who think that
be is flying in the face Of Providence to
try any such violation OF natures laws,
and some containing exhortations con.
corning the advisability OF preparing for
q future life with all the strength which
is left to him; in o different strain are
the messages Of praise and encourage
ment which come from lunatics like
George Francis Train or from innocents
who believe that Tanner 10 t~orturing
himself for love Of science, although
lust how science IL to be benefited is
not clear. One letter arrived yesterday
with q piece Of roast beef in 1t. which
the sender perhaps supposed Tanner
would eat on the sly. The pity which
may have prompted the aot-if 1t was
not q bit OF iun-was wasted. for Tan.
nsr il not what might be called hungry;
he suffers but little Inconvenience from
his long fast, except q feeling Of empti'
ness, which Is easily accounted for.
After the third day what Is commonly
termed hunger disappeared. He suffers
but little now and loses less flesh than
during the first three days. when the
daily loss in weight was about two
pounds. =.
The origin Of the fasting business ID
probably to bs traced to the excitement
caused two years ago by Hammond's
obstinate refusal to believe In Miss Molly
Fancher's alleged power Of living fol
years without food; Brooklyn people BY
the score are ready to swear that thii
| Miss Fancher il Q perfectly truthful per
son who has nothing to gain by lying to
| her friends concerning her habits, AND
who would indeed find II very difficult tc
deceive her parents, a. she IL q bed
ridden girl. wholly dependent on those
around her for every service. The fam
lily are wsll.to.do people and have nc
intention Of making . show Of theii
| daughter. To Hammond's doubts are
| public answers. where 10 the motive
for any deception 2" Hammond con
tends that Miss Fanohsr's case 10 n Of
catelepsy In which there Is q strongly
marked tendency to deceive; II is o fea
ture OF the disease. and Miss Fsnchsr'i
friends and parents may DO perfect.
innocent OF any completely In the decep
ton practiced. but that there 10 cunning
deception somewhere Hammond Is con
vincsd; and upon such q question / an
inclined to take Hammond's unprsju
diced opinion in preference to any other
Hammond offered Miss Fancher $1,000
10 she would consent to live for q month
under the care OF certain doctors whom
he would appoint; he also offered hel
another 81. 900 II sho would tell him thu
number Of o bank bill which he carriel
about with him sealed up In an envelope
for II seems that Miss Fancher's friendl
claim for her o power OF second sight
to read unopened letters. see friends ct
distance, etc. Miss Fsncher declinet
the first Of these offers on the grount
that 1t would be distastsful to her 70 b
watched night and day by medical stu
dents for Q month; and she declined thu
second because DR.. Hammond was {
scoffer. and she would have nothing
to do with sooffsrs. Whsrsupon Ham
mond published his well.known littl,
book upon fasting girls. holding up tn,
whole fraternity to ridicule, and citing
many cases in which catalspsy was o.
the bottom OF the wonder. Miss Fanch'
er's friends were indignant and said thai
Hammond was q brute. Among otheri
who took up the cudgel for Miss Fanchsl
was this DR.. Tanner, hailipg from Min
neapolis. Tanner said that Hammond
was no gentleman, and that he would
prove It by fasting forty days. A grea,
deal OF correspondence ensued between
Hammond and Tanner, the former offer.
ing the latter $1,000 II hs would fast
for forty dsysin his (Hammond's) house
under the care OF certain doctors oi
Hammond's choosing. This proposition
Tanner refused. prefsrring to give the
exhibition In Q public place and under
the care Of some doctors OF his own
school. Tanners actions are not those
OF o man suffering any Inconvenience
from hunger. he says that his will
power Ia sufficient to enable him to over.
come the uncomfortable feeling known
as hunger. and that after the frst three
days he was not hungry. The expert.
sncs OF all persons who have had to
undergo long fasts has been contrary to
Tanners. Shipwrscked sailors are very
certain that their sufsrings would not
down." no matter what amount OF
will power was brought into play. Tan.