The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1889-07-18
CLAY AS A STEADY DIET.
STRANGE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN
NORTH ALABAMA.

sorts or Omens and Signs.
Winston County is in the Northwestern
part OF Alabama, says letter iron
Birmingham to the New York Times, ant
is the most sparsely populated and poor
est county in the State. Until a few
years ago the entire county paid into tn,
State Treasury less than $1,000 per yea
In taxes. Until three years ago 1t wa
thirty-two miles from the nearest rail
road, and the County Court House wa.
sixty miles from railroad station
Churches and schoolhouses We're few and
far between, and the time was, not very
long ago, when there were only foul
postotfices in the entire county.
The writer spent several days in the
county recently and visited tho homes of a
number of poor people who eat clay as
part of their daily food. They live in
small log cabins of the rudest kind and
exc out miserable existence by farming,
hunting and fishing. Their farms, OF
patches, as they call them, are small
clearings around their cabins and are
newer more than few acres in extent.
Their crops consist of corn, peas and
potatoes, and few who are fortunate
enough to own horse attempt to raise a
little cotton. The land is very poor, and
as the crops receive little work the yield
is always very poor. A few hogs are
raised, but the majority depend on the
country stores for the few pounds of meat
they eat during the year. In almost
every cave and on every little brook
among the hills is ''moonshine still, "
and the little crop of corn gathered by
the clay eater is sold to the owner of the
still or converted into "mountain dew" on
shares, They are too far from market
to sell their corn for money, but they can
carry a key of corn whisky to some of the
larger settlements few miles away and
obtain a 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 snuff when they
can obtain it.
The interior of the cabin of clay
eater is rude in the extreme. The cabin is
usually built of small pine logs from which
the bark is sometimes removed. There
are no windows and usually only one
door. In winter the cracks between the
logs are filed with clay or rags and some
times boards are nailed over them on the
outside. In summer these cracks are
opened in order to allow plenty of fresh
air to enter. There are no pictures on
the walls, no ornaments of any kind, and
often no furniture worthy of the name.
If there are bedsteads they are of the
,rudest kind, made by the head of the
family with no other tools than saw
md axe. Usually the cabin is too small
'or beadsteads if the family is large, and
hey sleep on quilts and mattresses spread
IN the floor. The entire family, often
ZEN or more persons, eat and sleep in one
mall room. The cooking is done in one
REPLACE, the utensils consisting of fry
ng pan, a kettle, an oven, and possibly
few pots. Cooking stoves, sewing ma
'hines and all modern conveniences are
Unknown. Many Of these people will not
believe that such things really exist. A few
ircus posters may adorn the walls and
7ou may find patent medicine almanac,
tut books and newspapers are unknown.
None of the family can read Their parents
'efore them could not read; their chill
lren are growing up equally ignorant,
nd the majority of them do not believe
n book learning. If the head of the
amily belongs to the church he probably
.eeps cheap Bible in the house, but
hey never hear it read except when some
raveling minister comes along and stops
or dinner Or perhaps stays all night.
The clay eaten by these people is found
long the banks of the small mountain
treams in inexhaustible quantities. It is
f dirty white color usually; sometimes
pale yellow. 1t has peculiarly oily APP
earance, and this oil keeps it from stick
lg to the hands or mouth. When dry it
oes not crumble and few drops of
alter will easily soften it until it can be
olled into any shape desired. It is al
lost without taste, but must possess
'me nourishment, as these people declare
hey can subsist upon it for days. They
lace small piece in the mouth and hold
there until it gradually dissolves and is
xallowed in small quantities at time.
he quantity eaten at one time varies
ON lump as large as a pea for the child |
beginner to a lump as large as hens
g for those who have eaten it for years. |
The only bad effect of clay eating
'ems to be the peculiar appearance it
ives the skin of those who become ad-
icted to the habit. The skin turns pale,
pale, in fact, as to give the face the
allor of death, and then later on it turns
peculiar pale yellow, color closely re-
mbling some of the clay eaten. Children
no addicted to the habit grow old, at
asst in appearance, prematurely, and
leir faces lose forever the bright glow of
'uth and health. There is little sickness
nong the clay eaters, and they live asi
ng as the average of mankind, SO it is
inclusive that the habit is not fatal in its
fects.
1t may or may not be the result of clay
ting, but these people are as supersti-
ous as the followers Of Voodoo. They
I'VE signs for everything, and almost
orship the moon. Corn Is planted when
@ moon is full, and potatoes are planted
the dark of the moon. They will not
art on journey or begin Job unless
e moon is right, and they foretell storms
ID all kinds of disasters by the appear
ICE OF the moon. If one end of a new
Don is lower than the other 1t will rain
fore the moon changes again, say the
~ eater, but if the new moon is level
ere will be no rain until another change
ours.
The average clay eater has mortal
cad of an owl. The hooting of an owl
any hour, day or night, is an omen of
luck, and if heard at night and
swered by the howl of a dog, it is
IN that one of the family will die soon.
soon as the boot of an owl is heard
air is overturned. If the hooting of an
VI ceases at once it is sign that the
reatened danger has been warded off
time, but if it continues there is
'eping and wailing in the home of the
y eater. The bowling of dog at
rhf ia also on or,,ar &c I'll i,,.l~ IL