The Opelousas courier., 1883-09-15
R EMARKABLE MEN.

Among people VINO nave beconie TO-
markable by their differing from the
ordinary run of humanity, Charles
!Domery, called "The Voracious Pole"
excited great wonder in his day. He
enlisted in the French service, and
was. captured by the English in 1893
and immured in a Liverpool prison.
When in camp, if bread and meat
were scarce he made up the deficiency
by eating four or five pounds of grass
daily. In one year he deyoured and
skinned ia cats, dead and alive.
When very hungry he did not wait to
kill them before eating. He also ate
dogs and rats, and even their entrails
if food was scarce. When the ship
surrendered ON which he vas on board,
finding nothing to eat but a mans leg
that had been shot off, he began to eat
it, when a sailor snatched it from him
and threw it overheard.
In the Liverpool prison, although
double rations were allowed him, he
deYoured everything he could get from
the other prisoners, and would even
swallow their medicines. He daily ate
raw a bullock's liver, three pounds of
candles and several pounds of raw
beef, and all that they would give him
of beer or water. His stomach re-
volted at nothing and retained every
thing. The doctors, wishing to try
how much he could eat in day,
tested him. At 4 in the morning he
broke his fast by eating four pounds of
cows udder raw. During the day,
which was, hot, and his appetite poor,
he consumed in all: cows udder. four
pounds; raw beef, ten pounds; candles,
two pounds. and five bottles of porter.
He restrained his appetite on this test
occasion because the other prisoners
frightened him by telling him the doc
tors were going to experiment upon
him.
The greatest eater that ever lived
existed in the days of old Parr, in the
beginning of 1000. His name was
Nicholas Wood, of the county of
Kent. One Of the writers of the time
says:
He did eat with ease a whole sheep,
and thatraw at one meal at another
time thirty dozen of pigeons. AT Sir
William Sedley's banquet he did eat as
much as would suffice for thirty men.
At lord Watton's, at one meal, he
did eat four score and four rabbits.
On Reqoccasion he deyoure1 eighteen
yards of black pudding. He made an
end of a whole pig atonce, and after it
three tpeeks of damsoDs. At another
time he ate sixpenny loayes, three six
penny veal pies, one pound of butter,
n good big dish of thornback, and
a peck loaf in the space of an hour"
Neither of these men were of ex-
traordinary size. MOI in other respects
were they different from other indi-
viduals.
"Old Boots" was an object of curl
sity in the last century. He was
bo0sblack and servant at an inn in
Rlpon, Yorkshire, and was called
.Old Boots of Ripon.' His nose and
chin were SO long and SO close together
that he could easily hold a piece of
money between them, and visitors
were usually 50 tickled at the oddly
Of the feat that they seldom failed to
witness It'll and customers thronged
from far and near to see "Old Boots"
Peter, the wild boy, was found in
1875, in a forest near Hanover. walk
ing on his hands and feet, climbing
trees like a squirrel-nude, and feed
ing or, grass and moss. With difficulty
he was caught and takento Eel, Han
over. He was undoubtedly a human
being, and was supposed to be about
thirteen years of age, but could not
speak, consequently no information
could be obtained from him as to how
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS wild beasts.
After several times escaping to the
woods, Peter, as they named him, was
taken togEngland and exhibited. He
had hardly any ideas, could scarcely be
induced To wear clothes. and would
not sleep in a bed, but slept crouched
in corner, which led to the suppose
tion that he had always slept in a tree
for security against wild beasts. He
could never be taught to converse,
though he would get out a few words.
George l. gave him a pension. and
placed him with a farmer to live.
Peter was a giant for strength, though
his height was only FIVE feet. He &C
duired many civilized habits, such as
-overweening foadness for liquor. He
was OF d gentle disposition, notwith-
standing the savagery of his early life
but could never be induced to notice
the fair sex. He died at the supposed
age of seyenty-three. How a human
being came thus deserted in the woods
has ever remained d mystery.
The very first living skeleton, and
from whom all subsequent one take
their name, was Claude Sewrat. born
in France in91797. He was tall, and
would have been well shaped had there
been any flesh on him, but every b0ne
In his body could be seen. His arms
were compared to an ivory flute, and
the abdomen seemed to cling to tht
vertebra. He made q fortune by ex.
hibfting himself, and went to his ma,
tive place TO enjoy it, but suddenly OK,
pired soon after his retirement.
The first professional ~corn-cutter Oh
record was named Hardman.
During the reign of William III
London sWarfned with adventurers
from Holland. Among them wa.
Hartman. He called himself 4
chiropodist, and BY the singularity o.
his dress, and the airs and elegance hi
affected soon attracted attention. HI
became patronized by the great, an6
even operated on the toes of the king
himself. He amassed wealth and livel
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