The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1889-10-17

And the invalid, biting into the las
of the toothsome delicacies, said sc
away, my son your father is sick"
CLAY THEIR DAILY FOOD.
SUCH is THE DIET OF A CURIOUS
SET OF PEOPLE IN ALABAMA.
A Peeaiiar Complexion Seemingly the
Only Had Eneot-How the Clay Eaters
Live and Get Their Daily Ciar-One Of
"Those people are clay eaters"
The people referred to were group of
men and women Of various ages who
had gathered at 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 densely ignor-
ant. but without ambition to better their
condition in any way The storekeeper,
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 a part Of
their regular diet.
The writer spent several days in Win
ston county-recently and visited the
homes of number of these people who
eat clay as 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 clearings around their
cabins, and are never more than few
acres in extent. Their crops consist of
corn, peas, potatoes, and few who are
fortunate enough to own horse attempt
to raise little cotton. The land is very
poor, and as the 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, aud most Of them also use snuff
when they can obtain it.
THE ABODE OF A CLAY EATER.
The interior of the cabin of clay eat
er 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. 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
crudest kind, made by the head of the
family with no other tools than saw
and an AK Usually the cabin is too
small for bedsteads if the family is large,
and they sleep on quilts and mattresses
spread on the floor. The entire family,
often ten or more persons, eat and sleep
in one small room. The cooking is done
in the one fireplace, the utensils consist
ing Of frying pan, kettle, an oven
and possibly few pots. Cooking stoves,
sewing machines and all modern conven-
fences are unknown.
The clay eaten by these people is found
along the banks of the small mountain
streams in inexhaustible quantities. It
of dirty white color usually; sometimes
pale yellow. 1t has a peculiarly oily
appearance, and this oil keeps it from
sticking to the hands or mouth. When
dry it does not crumble, and few drops
of water will easily soften it until it can be
rolled into any shape desired. 1t is 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 i,
there until it gradually dissolves, and is
swallowed in small quantities at time
The quantity eaten at one time varies
from lump as large as pea for the
child or beginner to lump as large as
hens egg for those who have eaten il
for years.
A CLAY EATER INTERVIEWED.
"How did you learn to eat clay?"
asked Of man whose face was almost
the color of the stuff he was eating
Dunno" he answered. 81 seen par
and tothers eatin' it, an got at it"
"Does the habit grow until you acquire
q taste for the stuff"
"Huh?"
"Can you quit eating clay?"
Dunno; never tried"
"Has the stuff pleasant taste"
"If 'twant good wouldn't be eatin' it,
and the native drew second lump from
his pocket and began to eat it with 6
relish.
The only bad effect of clay eating seems
to be the peculiar appearance it gives th'
skin Of those who become addicted to tn,
habit The skin turns pale, SO pale, il
fact, as to give the face the pallor o
death, and then, later on, it turns pc
culiar pale yellow, color closely re
sembling some Of the clay eaten. Chill
dren who become addicted to the habi
grow old, at least in appearance, prema
turely, and their faces lose forever tn,
bright glow Of youth and health. There
is little sickness among the clay eaters
and they live as long as the average o
mankind, so it is conclusive that th'
habit is not fatal in its effects.
1t may or may not be the result of ella,
eating, but these people are as supersti
tious as the black followers of voodoo
They have signs for everything and al
most worship the moon. Corn is plante'
when the moon is full and potatoes ar
planted in the dark of the moon. The,
will not start on journey or begin a jol
unless the moon is right, and they fore
tell storms and all kinds of disasters b,
the appearance of the moon. If one enc
of new moon is lower than the other i
will rain before the moon changes again
say the clay eaters. but if the moon i
level there will be no rain until another
change occurs. (Ga.) Telegraph
VERMONT HEARD FROM.
Barre. VT
Two bottles of Apti-Apoplectine Gu
ed me of dizziness and pressure in head.
IL.