The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-15
PEOPLE WHO EAT CLAY.
A COMMUNITY IN NORTH CARO-
LIZA LIVING ON EARTH.

ance.
From the NeD York World.
SOLITUDE, AsHE COUNTY, N. c., Nov. so.
in this, the transmont me region of North
Carolina, there is a class of people entirely
unknown to the outside world. The coun-
ties composing the New river plateau, the
only part Of the state drained by the waters
of the Ohio river, are exceedingly rough
and mountainous. They are surrounded.
subdivided and separated by the Blue
Ridge, the Great Smoky, the Rich and
Beech mountains These mountains are
covered with dense growth of pine, oak,
chestnut and the finest timber in America.
The country, owing to its inaccessibility
and mountainous character, is sparsely set
tied along the narrow streams and defiles
which debouche from the PERCEPTIONS noun
tains. Here live the "clay-eaters."
Very few people in the middle, northern
or western states have ever seen one of this
cla,s of degraded humanity Perhaps
there is not one out of thousand persoLs.
who, without the most conclusive evidence,
could be brought TO believe that it was
even possible for human being to exist
upon clay or earth. But such is the case
without doubt. A short time since, cor
respondent of the World stopped over
night at a small hamlet on the south fork of
New river, at the foot of Ore knob. 1t was
in the midst of wilderness of forest, and
most lonesome spot. On the way hither
there were frequently met peculiarly cad
averous, lank, half-alive class of people. That
evening before a generous fire of pine after
primitive meal of corn bread, milk and
wild honey, with dried venison, the CORES
pondent remarked to the host that he had
never met people with - UGH peculiar physi-
ognomy and such unusual appearance
"Them's clay-eaters, stranger, and there's
lots NV 'em bout this neck O. the woods"
said the hest
do you mean to say that such class of
people really existsp
"Well, dom, know if they 'sist or not,
stranger; but them people eat dirt sames
you do veu'sen, an they live on this erik,
lots NV EN-"
Still somewhat skeptical, it was arranged
with the host to proceed tomorrow to the
settlement" referred to. After a hearty
meal in the mornin2, the landlord saddled
two no ses and started up the erik"
After riding about two or three miles, the
70 I'd led to log cabin, the SIX ten of which
was on slip of paper on the saddle. In
front of the house, on stump of fallen
tree, sat fair specimen of the lanky,
ca iaverous people. The andlord rode up
to the object, which sat almost immovable
on the stump, and said:
Jim, here's a stranger from the north
recko", who SAYS he doesn't b'lieve folks kin
eet clay"
'Hoo" said the acknowledged speci-
men. Chem fellers moth thi & they no
bout everything, but they don't. Eet clay !
Course we do, when we kin get nuthin'
better, an that's m st of the time il these
mountings. Come in, stronger, yu're well
h Tie k,-rA ,,,40 alb bod
the ole woman an the chillun. They's all
Nv 'em clay -eeturs. OF course, the yung
uns can't eat clay an nuthin' else; teys
got to git usen to it like US { lie folks, fust."
The "shakedown,n as Jim called his
house, was primitive log cabin. through
the chinks of which the rays of the sun in
summer and the cold winds of winter
entered and played about at will. In the
farthest corners stood two beds, built upon
crotched sticks, while upon the wall hung
the skins Of coons, pos ums, muskrats and
other fur-bearing animals. In the other
end was fireplace in a chimney built of
sticks and lined with mud. A thin, worn
woman, in faded cotton gown, sat by the
side of the fire smoking pipe. while by her
side stood three tow-headed children of per-
haps 9, II and Is years of age. The chill
dren were clad i'll nochi & more than a slip
of dirty cotton goods, bareheaded and bare
footed.
Chow de, stronger % said the woman,
taking her pipe out of her mouth tenn
porarily. The children were too backward,
having, perhaps, never before seen a
stranger from the Moth" to make any
reply to my salutation.
Poll, this hear stranger is from the
Moth, an he un don't b'lieve we uns kin eet
clay. Hoo! them feers hain't Termed it all
yet, hev they, Poll p
Poll sgnlfied her ssent by momentarily
taking her strong-srnelling pipe from her
mouth and laconcaly saying Mary"
"Wal, jim, bev ye eny zee tin clay in the
shanty % asked my landlord.
"Hevn't eny heer jess now" said Jim.
But we kin git some mighty quick. Heer,
Jackw to the 11-year-old boy, "you jess go
to the bank an git sum eetin' clay"
Jack started for the bank" and the
World correspondent followed close behind.
About 100 yards from the ''shakedown'
Jack called halt on the bank of the small
stream, where, STOPPING down, close to the
edge of the water, he drew out with his
hands handful of blush clay. The World
correspondent took some of it and examined
it. 1t was a fatty clay, having an oily
feeling, and was, probably, a substance,
the chemical compound of which was
water, silica and alumni a. firm and COM
pact, slightly tinged with the color of iron.
1t was lnodorous, and rather insipid to the
taste.
Jack returned to the house with the clay,
which Jim took in his hands. After wet
ting it sufficiently to make 1T pliable, he pro-
ceeded to roll, break and mani iulate it
until he had worked it into the consistency
OF soft putty, when he separated it into
boluses of various sizes. Three of the
smaller ones, about the size of a common
marble, he handed t. Jack and told him to
swallow it an show the stronger it's good
to eet."
With little or no effort Jack gulped down
the boluses, while Jim rolled out and swal-
lowed three other boluses about twice the
size Of ose swallowed by the boy.
"Ye see, stronger, we only eat the eetin'
clay when we uns is hungry. Jess now We
uns hev plenty. Thar's a big possum |
a-hangin' on the wall outside yet, an only |
las night we ct whole 'cuon. Games |
plenty jes' now, an we've no call to eat |
clay. When game gifts scarce an there's no |
corn to git, then we uns jis' KUN down to
clayn
How much clay does it take to satisfy
hungry manT'
wal, stronger, gently eat piece big
days."
Doesn't it make you sick to eat all that
earthl'
Mary. Why, stronger, my dad afore
me me ct clay, an I've been usen to it all my
NE an I've never beenssick yet"
After presenting Jim's wife with an
almost bran-new pipe, which she received