The Evening post. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1888-1889, 1889-01-02
A CHAMPION EATER.
The Gastronomic Feat Performed by
Georgia Wonder.
From fie SdrqDu7b NeipS


From the Sdudnndh Nei0S.
On the plantation iof Captain W. II.
Stokes, in Twiggs County, there resides
a white tenant who promises to become
the champion eater of Georgia without
any opposition. The man S name is Ebb
Floyd and he Is said to be short, stout
man of 30 years of age and of jolly dis
position.
Floyd first attracted the attention of
| his neighbors at log.roling, which
| took place about n month ago. 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 favorite of Floyd's, and the
fact was known to several of his friends,
| who were present at the supper. Ono of
them, in banter, offered to bet with
| Floyd that he could not eat half the GUS
tards at the same meal aud was very
much surprised when the farmer friend
ook him up and agreed to eat ten of
hem without stopping
Piling UP the dishes in circle, he
| commenced upon the spread. Five were
soon eaten, and then the fun began with
II rush One after another disappeared
slowly but surely, until the magic num-
Der 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 him and tlvc awaiting the
attack presented a ludicrous scene. 1t
was agony, but three soon sped away on
their journey to meet their fellows, and
| pradually the last one 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 q chewing contest,
and sugar-cane was the object of his at
tention
After day of froic and fun, and after
indulging in q hearty Thanksgiving din
ner, with turkey and stufiing TO his
hearts content, he visited neighbours
house, where he expected to eat supper
and remain all night.
This time u 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 a preliminary fourteen full stalks
were chewed before supper, and then all
hands sat down to an old-time Thanks
giving supper, with 'possum and yams
and plenty of rich gravy.
Finishing the supper, the host an
nounced 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 sug-
gested that a speed trial be made, and Of
fered to wager that Floyd could not chew
three stalks in ten minutes. This was
accepted, and the schoolmaster set be-
fore 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 "A quart of
r the juice down without stopping He
, was wiser man in just minute later,
/, for, catching up the jug, Floyd drained
it of three pints of the sweet stuff.
Every one was satisfied and he was the
: hero of the hour, when a small hand
cane mill was brought into the room and
twenty stalks ware crushed, giving out
three gallons of Juice.
This was O startling announcement
!, and it had the effect of making Floyd u
u lion among his friends, when they were
: taken aghast by the statement that he
y could chew twenty stalks before he re.
tired and not feel the result.
Every one laughed at him and al
c thought him to be jesting when he laid
e out twenty of the largest stalks of cane
J. near his chair and commenced on tn,
S work of grinding out the juice with his
molars.
One by one the stalks were taken W
and stripped, chewed and the piece
II thrown aside, and in exactly one hou
}. and fifteen minutes the little pile was eX
hausted, and the man was ready to qui
and retire from the field.
The news of his feat spread far anC
n near in his neighborhood, and now he i,
y the wonder of the section.
His friends in Twggs County pit hin
k against any man in the world for tn
IS championship and prize of 500.
J. "Tip" Il In Central Park.