The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-01-26
THE CHAf..PlON EATER.
He Lives In Georgia and His Friends VIII
Back Him Against the world.

He Lives In Georgia and His Friends VIII
Back Him Against thu world.
On the plantation of Captain w. II.
Stokes, in Twiggs County, there re-
sides white tenant who promises to
become the champion eater of Georgia
without any opposition. The mans
name is Ebb Floyd, and he is said to be
a short, stout man of thirty years Of
age and of jolly disposition.
Floyd first attracted the atte1tion of
his neighbors at log-rolling. On that
occasion, after finishing the work the
workmen sat down to a supper. and be-
fore them, among other things, were
placed fifteen large potato custards
This dish was a favorite ofFloyd's, and
the fact was known to several of his
friends, who were present at the sup
per. One Of them in banter offered to
bet with Floyd that he could not eat
half the custards at the same meal. and
was very much surprised when his far
mer friend took him up, and agreed to
eat ten Of them without stopping
Piling up the dishes in q circle, he
commenced upon the spread. Five
were soon eaten and then the fun be-
gan with a rush. One after another
disappeared slowly but surely, until
the magic number Of ten came to hand,
and all present were in an uproar.
Strengthening himself out for the fray,
the farmer commenced on the home
stretch. Ten large sweet potato GUS
tards inside of him and five awaiting
the attack presented a ludicrous scene.
1t was agony, but three soon sped away
on their journey to meet their fellows,
and gradually the last OF the fifteen
found itself on the way down to the
depths. He had accomplished the feat,
and the prize offered in the bet was his
and his only.
This was, however, only starter for
Mr.. Floyd, and so, therefore, he chose
Thanksgiving day for another effort,
and again he came out victorious.
This time it was chewing contest,
and sugar cane was the object of his
attention. After day of frolic and
fun, and after indulging in hearty
dinner with turkey and stutfing to his
hearts content, he visited "a house
where he expected to eat supper and
remain all night. This time a crowd
had gathered to see the Twiggs wonder,
and an abundance of good, juicy cane
had been set in the room ready for the
contest. AS preliminary, fourteen
full stocks were chewed before supper,
and then all hands sat down to an old
time Thanksgiving supper, with pos
sum and yams and plenty OF rich gravy.
Finishing supper, the host announced
to his friends that the contest was
ready to be opened, and asked if any
one present wanted to make bets on
the result. A school-teacher in the
crowd suggested that speed trial be
made, and offered to wager that Floyd
could not chew three stalks in ten
minutes. This was accepted, and the
schoolmaster set before him three large,
fine stalks and called time. Two OF
them were disposed Of in five minutes,
and the third one saw its fate in two
more minutes, making the farmer the
winner by three minutes.
This settled the question OF speed,
and then some one offered to bet two to
one that Floyd could not drink quart
OF the juice down without stopping. He
was wiser man in just a minute later,
for catching up jug, Floyd drained it
of three pints of the sweet stuff. Every
one was satisfied and he was the hero
of the hour, when q small hand cane
mill was brought into the room and
twenty stalks were crushed, giving out
three gallons of juice. This was a
startling announcement, and it had the
effect Of making Floyd lion among his
friends, when they were taken aghast
by the statement that he could chow
twenty stalks before he retired and not
feel the resalt. Every one laughed at
him, and all thought him to be jesting
when he laid out twenty OF the largest
stalks of cane near his chair and corr
menced on the work OF grinding cut
the juice with his molarS. One by one
the stalks were taken up and stripped,
chewed and the pieces thrown aside,
and in exactly one hour and fifteen
minutes the little pile was exhausted
and the man was ready to quit and re-
tire from the field.
The news of his feat spread far and
near in his neighborhood. and now he
is the wonder OF the section. His
friends in TwiSg County pit him
against any man in the world for the
championship and prize of $780,
Macon (Ga.) Telegraph.