, 1889-01-19
THE CHAMPION EATER.
He Dcvours Potato Custards and Sugar
Cane by the Carload.

Cane by the Carload.
On the plantation of Capt. w. II.
Stokes, in Twiggs county, there resides
n 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 a short, stout
man of so years of age and of a jolly dis
position.
Floyd first attracted tho attention of
his ncighbors at a log rolling which took
place about n month age. On that occa-
sion, after finishing the work tho work
men sat down to n supper, and before
them, among other things, were placed
fifteen large potato custards. This dish
was a ~favorite of Floyd's, and the fact
was known TO several of his friends, who
were present at the supper. One of them,
in n banter, offered to bet with Floyd
that he could not eat half the custards Mt
the same meal, and was very much sur
prised when his farmer friend took him
up, and agreed 10 cat ten of them with
out stopping.
Piling up the dishes in a circle, he
commenced upon the spread. Five were
soon eaten. and then the fun began with
a rush. One after another disappeared
slowly but surely, until the magic mum
Der Of ten came to hand, and all present
were in an uproar.
pNIhlkllltillllE illllbtl Out lDT lIlC
the farmer commenced on the home
stretch. Ten large sweet potato custards
inside Of him and five awaiting the at
tack presented a ludiCrous scene. 1t
was agony. but three o sped away on
their Journey TO meet their fellows, and
gradually the last of the fifteen found It
self 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 n starter for
Mr.. Floyd, and 80, therefore, he chose a
day for another effort, md again he
came out victorious.
This time it was n chewing contest,
and sugar cane was the object of his at
%tention.
After n day Of frolic and fun, and after
i%ndulging in a hearty dinner, with turkey
and s%tutling 10 his hearts content, he
visited "A house where he expected to eat
supper and remain all night.
This time n crowd had gathered TO sec
tho Twiggs wonder, and an abundance
of good, juicy canc had been set in the
ready for the contest.
As a preliminary, fourteen full stalks
were chewed before supper, and hen all
hands sat down TO an old time Thanks
giving supper, with 'possum and yaIns
and plenty of rich gravy.
Finishing supper, the host announced
to his friends that the contest was ready
to he opened, and asked If any one pres
ent wanted to make bets on the result.
a school teacher in the crowd sug-
gested that n speedy trial be made, and
offered TO wager that Floyd could not
chew three stalks in ten minutes. This
was accepted, and tho schoolmaster set
before him thrco 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 n offered to bet two TO one
that Floyd could not drink n quart of
the juice down without stopping. He
was n wiser man in just n minute later,
for, catching up a jug, Floyd drained it
of three pints of II sweet stuff.
Every n was satisfied and he was the
hero of the hour, when n 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,
n it had the effect of making Floyd u
lion among his friends, when they were
taken aghast by the statement that he
could chew twenty stalks before he re-
tired and not feel the result.
Every one laughed Mt him, and all
thought him to be TESTING when he laid
out twenty of the largest stalks of cane
nea his chair and commenced OF tho
work of grinding out tho juice with his
molars.
One by n tho stalks wero taken up
and stripped. Chewed and the pieces
thrown aside, and in exactly one hour
and fifteen minutes tho little pile was
exhausted md tho man was ready to
quit and retire 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 Twiggs county pit him
against any nan in the world for the
championship and n prize of $780,
Macon CGa.) Telegraph.