The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1889-11-02
CLAY THEIR DAILY FOOD,
SUCH is THE DIET OF A CURIOUS
SET OF PEOPLE IN ALABAMA.


A Peculiar Complexion Seemingly the
Only lsad EHcct-;Iots the Clay Eaters
Live and Get Their Daily Clay-one Of
Them Interviewed to Little Purpose.
Those people are clay caters"
The people referred to were group of
men and women of various ages who
had gathered at a country store in Win
ston county, Ala, to barter a few eggs
and chickens for coffee and tobacco.
They were poorly clad, men and women
were barefooted, and three children in
the party were also bareheaded Their
faces were pale and haggard, and in their
eyes was dull. hopeless look, showing
that they were not only denscly ignor-
ant. but without ambition to better their
condition in any way Tie storekccper,
after attending to the wants of these
strange customers, informed the writer
that they belonged to the poorest class
of mountaineers who inhabited that sec
ton, and that white clay was part of
their regular dict.
The writer spent several days in Win
ston county recently and visited the
homes of number of these people who
eat clay as Il part of their daily food.
They live in small log cabins of the rud-
est kind. and exc out miserable exist
ence by farming, hunting and fishing.
Their farms, or patches as they call
them. are small clcarings around their
cabins, and are never more than few
acres in extent. Their crops consist of
corn, peas, potatoes, and a few who are
fortunate enough to own Il horse ATTEMPT
to raise little cotton, The land is very
poor, and rs tho crops receive little work
the yield is always very poor. 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 ABODE OF A CLAY EATER.
Tho intericA of the cabin of Il clay cat.
or is rude in tho extreme. The cabin is
usually built of small pine logs, from
which the bark is sometimes removed
There arc no windows and usually only
one door There are no pictures on the
walls, no ornaments of any kind and
often no furniture worthy of the name.
If there arc bedsteads they are of the
crudest kind, mato by the head of the
family with no other tools than n saw
and an AK. Usually tho cabin is too
small for bcdstcadsif the family is large,
aud they sleep on quilts and mattresses
spread on the floor. The entire family,
often ten or more persons, cat and sleep
in one small room. The cooking is done
in the one fireplace, the utensils consist
ing of a frying pan, kettle, an oven
and possibly few pots. Cooking stoves,
sewing machines and all modern convcn-
fences are unknown.
The clay eaten by these people is found
along the banks of the small mountain
siSeams in ineNhaustiblc quantities. 1t is
OF a dirty white color usually; sometimes
pale yellow. 1t has Il peculiarly oily
appearance, and this oil keeps it from
sticking to the hands or mouth. When
dry it does not crumblc, and few drops
of water will easily soften it until it can be
rolled into any shape desired. It's almost
without taste, but must possess some
nourishment, as these people declare they
can subsist upon it for days. They place
a small piece in the mouth and hold it
there until it gradually dissolves, and is
swallowed in small quantities at q time
The quantity eaten at one time varies
from lump as large as pea for the
child OF beginner to lump as large as
q hens egg for those who have eaten IL
for years.
A CLAY EATER INTERVIEWED.
How did you learn to eat clay2" 1
asked of Il man whose face was almost
the color of the stuff he was eating.
Dunno" he answered. II seen pap
and t'others catin' it, an l got at it,"
"Does tho habit grow until you acquire
taste for the stuff"
"Huh?'
"Can you quit eating clay?"
Dunno; never tried"
''IIas the stuff pleasant tastc:"
"lf 'twant good wouldn't be eatin' it"
and the native drew q second lump from
his pocket and began to eat it with a
relish.
The only bad effect of clay eating seems
to be tho peculiar appearance it gives the
skin of those who become addicted to the
habit. The skin turns pale, SO pale, in
fact, as to give the face the pallor of
death, and then, later on, it turns pc
culiar pale yellow, a color closely re-
sembling some of tho clay eaten. Chill
dren who become addicted to the habit
grow old, at least in appearance, prcma-
turely, and their faces lose forever the
bright glow Of youth and health. There
is little sickness among the clay caters,
and they live rs long as the average of
mankind, SO it is conclusive that the
habit is not fatal in its effects.
1t may or may not be the result of clay
eating, but these people are as supcrsti-
tious as the black followers of a voodoo.
They have signs for everything and al
most worship the moon. Corn is planted
when the moon is full and potatoes are
planted in the dark of the moon. They
will not start on a journey OF begin job
unless the moon is right, and they fore
tell storms and all kinds of disasters by
the appearance of the moon. If one end
of a new moon is lower than the other it
will rain before the moon changes again,
say the clay eaters, but if the moon is
level there will be no rain until another
change occurs.-Macon (Ga.) Telegraph.
A country schoolmistrcss had much
trouble with her pupils, and to avoid it
made her examples placed before them
of an explanatory character or illustra-
tive. The effect was often unexpected.
In going over their usual reading lesson
a Line was chosen by the lady upon which
to test the merits of the scholars The
line read, "And he was man of unlim-
tied credit in business"
"Now, John, can you tell me what is
meant by the word credit when used as
in this lcsson:'
Thus she addressed one of the Stun
bling blocks of the school.
Il dunno. marm," said johnny, look
ing shcepish.