Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-09-06
CLAY AS A STEADY DIET.
STRANGE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN
NORTH ALABAMA.
Thcy Eat White Clay From Infi,ncy
anu Like IL, and Believe In All
Sorts0f Omcns and Sisus.


anu Like II, and Bclioyo I'm All
| sof Omcns and Sigus.
Winston County is in the Northwestern
part of Alabama, says letter from
Birmingham to the New York 7Ymn,, and
Is the most spnrscly populated and poor
est county in the State. Until fem
years ago the entire county paid into the
State Treasury less than $1,000 pcr wear
In taxes. Until three years ago it was
thirty-two miles from the nearest rail
road, and the County Court House WAS
sixty miles from railroad station.
Churches and schoolhouscs were few and
lar between, and The time was, not very
long ago, when there were only four
postoliccS in the entire county.
| The writer spent several DAYS in the
county recently and visited the homes of IL
number of poor people who eat clay ns
part of their daily food. They live in
small log cabins of the rudcst kind and
exc out miserable existence by Turning,
hunting and fishing. Their firms, or
patches, ms they call them, are small
clcarngs around their cabins and are
never more than II few acres in extent.
Their crops consist Of corn. peas and
| potntocs, and Il few who are fortunate
enough to own horse attempt to raise n
llitle cotton. The land is very poor, and
MS the crops receive little work the Weld
is always very poor. A few hogs are
raised, bmt the majority depend ON the
country stores for the few pounds OF meat
they cat during the year. In almost
every cave and on every little brook
| ihn hill, j.. 4. y,
and the little crop of corn gathered by
the clay eater is sold 10 the owner of the
still or converted into "mountuin dew on
shares. They are too far from II market
tn sell their corn for money, hut they can
carrya kcg Of corn whisky To some Of the
larger settlements II few miles away and
obtain Il few dollars in money, some to-
bacco, and coffee for it, Men, women,
and children are slaves to the tobacco
habit. The women chew and smoke and
most OF them also use snulr when they
can obtain il.
The interior Of The cnbin Of n clay
eater is rude in the extreme. The cabin is
usually built of small pine logs from which
the bark is sometimes removed. There
nrr no windows and usually only one
door. In winter the cracks between the
logs ARE filled with clay or rags and some
Times boar'is are nailed over them on The
outside In summer these crncks nrc
opened IN order To allow plenty of fresh
air to enter. There nrr no pictures on
the walls, no ornaments Of any kind, and
often M furniture worthy Of the name.
II there nro bcdstcads they ARE Of the
crndcst kind, mndc by the head of the
inmlly with no other tools thnn II saw
and axe. Usually the cabin is too small
for bcadstcnds if the family is large, and
they sleep OH quilts and mattresses spread
on the floor. Tho entire fnmily, often
ten or more persons, eat and sleep in one
small room. The cooking IN done in one
fireplace, tho utensils consisting of n fry
ing pan, kettle, mn oven, and possibly
u few pots. Cooking stoves, sewing mn :
chimes and nil modern convcnionccs nrc
unknown. Many of these people will not
believe that such things really exist few
circus posters may ndorn tho walls and
you mny find n patent medicine almanac,
but books and newspapers are unknown.
None of The family can rcnd. Their parents
before them could not read; their chil-
dren are growing up equally ignorant,
md the majority Of them do not believe
in book learning If the head Of the
family belongs To The church he probably
keeps II cheap Bible in the house, but
they never hear il read except when some
travelling minister comes along and stops
for dinner or perhaps stays all night
The clay eaten by these people s found
along the banks Of the small mountain
streams in inexhaustiblc quantities. It. il
OF dirty white color usually; sometimes
paic yellow. II hns IL peculiarly oilyap-
pcarancc, and this oil keeps il from stick
ing to the hands or mouth. When dry it
does not crumblc and Il few drops of
wntcr will easily soften il until il can bc
rolled into any shape desired. II is nj
most without taste, but must POSSESS
some nourishmcnt, ns these people declare
they can snbsist upon il for days. They
plncc Il small piece in the mouth and hold
it there until it gradually dissolvcs and is
swallowed in small quantities ut time.
| The quantity eaten al one time varies
from II lump us large ms pea for the child
Or beginner to II lump M large as IL hcn,,
egg for those who have eaten il for years.
The only bud effect Of clay cating
seems TO he the peculiar appearance it
| giy-7 the skin of those who become nd =
dictcd to the habit. The skin turns pale.
SO pale, i'll fact, rs to give the face the
pallor Of death, and then later on it turns
peculiar pale yellow, II color closely re-
scmblinS some Of the clay eaten. Children
who addicted TO the habit grow old, ut
least in appearance, prcmaturcly, and
their faces lose forever the bright glow Of
youth and health. There is little sickness
among the clay caters, and they live as
long as the average of mankind, so il is
conclusive that the habit is not fatal in its
effects.
IL may or may not be the result OF clay
eating, but these people are as supersti-
tious rs the followers of Vood0o. They
have signs for everything, and almost
worship the moon. Corn is planted when
the moon is FULL and potatoes are planted
on the dark of the moon. They will not
start on journey or begin II job unless
the moon is right, and they forctcll storms
1