Morris tribune., 1890-11-05
PECULIAR SWALLOWERS.
FEATs OF PEOPLE WITH ABNoR-
NAL THRoATs AND MOUTHS.

NAL THRoATs AND MOUTHS.
| some Of Them Actually Eat Lamp Chim-
neys, While Others Swallow Swords,
Notwithstanding the sneers Of the slsep-
tical and Uninitiated.
! "Of course, we all have heard of peo-
| pie who thrust swords down their
/ throats, swallow pebble stones and eat
glass; but nobody believes that they
really do these things"
So writes one who evidently believes
himself too sharp to be imposed upon by
any of the ordinary or extraordinary
arts of trickery But there never was o
! greater mistake. There are ,many peo-
pie who actually perform the feats emu.
merated. They are to be seen in dime
museums, side shows, and occasionally
! in bar rooms or on street corners.
''THE IRON THROAT"
The writer once had the pleasure Of
scraping the acquaintance of sword
swallower. He and hairless horse con-
stituted the attractions in small tent
! that had been pitched on the outskirts of
| q county fair. He called himself 'sFe-
retta, the Man with the Iron Throat"
AS soon as a dozen people had paid their
| dimes and entered the tent Feretta would
bring out his sword and pass it around
| for examination. There was no decep-
ton about it. Itwas of steel, about four
teen inches long. an eighth of an inch
thick, half an inch wide at the hilt and
| slightly tapering toward the tip. Feretta
| was very deliberate in his movements
Assuming posture intended to be grace
| full he would throw back his head, insert
the point of the sword in his mouth, and
| gently push it downward until the cross
piece or guard prevented 1t going any
| further. Then he would throw both
arms behind him for a space of four or
five seconds. after which the sword was
withdrawn as carefully as it had been
| swallowed. Then would follow bow,
| and smile which appeared rather
forced.
Feretta said the operation frequently
cost him considerable pain, but of this
he never gave public manifestation. He
also said the utmost care was necessary
| in performing the feat to avoid injury to
| the throat and stomach. Notwithstand-
ing his caution, he occasionally hurt
| himself and was obliged to suspend
sword swallowing for few days. But
he had other ways of entertaining his
patrons. He developed an appetite for
pebble stones, which he turned to ac-
count by swallowing about three every
half hour during the day, to the wonder
and admiration of those who assembled
in his little tent. This was not trick.
The act was done too slowly to admit of
deception. He placed the pebble on his
tongue, permitted it to remain in view
for moment and then closed his mouth.
The pebble reached some destination
within his internal economy, and must
have found a resting place in his stoZn-
ach. He did not pretend that the stones
were digested, but he said they never
gave him any trouble.
GLASS AS FOOD.
Glass eaters have become so numerous
that they find their profession crowded.
/ have personally known two of this
fellow about 90 years old, who was
ludicrously shy and effenninate (of the
stage) in appearance and manners. His
only robust feature was magnificent !
set of teeth, with which he BIT chunks
out of lamp chimneys and crunched
them almost into powder with apparent |
ease. The other was youngster of not |
more than IA, known as Little Glass |
Sam" He was bright boy, and had /
amassed quite 4s-->ack of knowledge |
about people and places, on which he
could talk intelligently and entertain
ingly. His teeth, too, were white and |
sound, and he masticated chunks of |
glass and swallowed the fragments with |
neatness and dispatch. He performed
the feat in private before committee
of physicians, who were forced to admit
the fact, bat who were able to advance
no explanation of how it could be done
without disastrous effects. But no in
judicious results followed. never knew
glass eater to cut his gums, tongue, or
any portion of his mouth. They all say
the swallowed glass has stimulating
effect on those organs by which the sys-
tenn rejects the substances that refuse to
contribute to its nourishment.
The stories of princely salaries which
these queer throated and tough stom-
.ached people receive are for the most
part fictitious. "Little Glass Sam" be-
ing only boy and small for his age,
ought certainly to have been drawing
scard" in his line of work. But he was
frequently thrown on the world, and
ready to do odd jobs of any sort to keep
soul and body together. I have known
him within week to discard the tights
and spangles of the variety stage for the
soiled garb of stable boy.and consider
himself lucky at that.
A peculiar cdse was that Of William
Dempster, an English juggler, who in
1923 accidentally swallowed a table
knife, handle and all, which he was
thrusting down his throat. The mishap
was occasioned by the spectators crowd
ing around him and causing the knife to
slip from his fingers. i
Dempster died in great agony after l
many Intellectual attempts to relieve
him. It is related that similar case !
in Prussia in 1886. This pa
tient was cured by the extraction of the
knife through an incisioil made in his
side.
It cannot be regarded as great mis-
fortune that the swallowing business is
waning in popularity. However, there
turks in mankind taste for the horri-
bic, and there will probably always be
found the means to crafty it in some
form of grotesque and shocking viola :
tion of natures commands. st. Louis !
Hlobe-D Democrat. !
All-fred Tough.
First Small Bcy-We had fire at our 7
house last night I
Second Small Boy--That so7
r. s. B.-Yes. Pa fred sisters beau
ExchanGa-
Da.,<,s.kn Esc.s. ID 49,. IL | 3