The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-10-14
EATING LIVE FROGS.

inc uueer ApFetits IhaI ENABLES her-
NIT to Make a Living.
Attorney George c. Ingharn, who has
returned from a trip TO the White noun
tains tells a strange story of what he
saw while on tramp" in that cele-
brated part Of New England.
Mr.. Ingham spent two months in the
mountains, and returns with lasting
impression of the beauties of the coun-
try and the simple life Of the New Eng
landers he met. Most of the time of
course he stopped at the hotels for which
the White mountains have become fa-
nous; but the monotony of hotellife was
broken by frequent pedestrian tours to
various points Of interest. 1t was upon
one of these excursions that the lawyer
saw a sight that made his hair stand on
end with aInazement and his face grow
pale with horror. He and small party,
this particular Gay, tramped to the
Crawford notch, distance of perhaps
ten miles The rest of the story is best
told in the words of the attorney, as he
related it to a party Of friends the other
day.
"Well, we were about TO start on the
return trip said he, when somebody
suggested that we 90 to see the hermit.
L had never seen a real live hermit, and,
being curious, agreed to go. The old
mans hut was little out Of the ordi-
nary pathway, but have learned since
that he receives many visits from the
people at the hotels, and as my story
will show, makes a good deal of money
out of them, though what he does with
his cash could not for the life of me
discover.
1--WE found the old fellow sitting in
front of the hut, and after looking at
him for awhile | asked him how he man
aged to live up there ali alone, and how
he earned his daily bread.
"'Eatin' frogs was the astonishing
reply.
Il began to think the old fellow was
quite a humorist, when one of the party
told me that the hermit spoke the truth.
| asked how much he charged to eat
frog, and he replied:
"'One dollar, sir
y could hardly believe my ears, but
o'nat was my alnazement when, after
O-e ~ She party had produced a silver
dollar, the hermit began to fish in a tub
with a wire covering over it for frog.
Finally he got big fellow, and holding
him wiggling and twisting before our
eyes suddenly tossed the slippery thing
down his throat. Ugh, what a sight!
We talked a little while longer to the
hermit, and then gave him another dol
lar, and another frog went down the
straight and narrow lane: and then an
other and another, until six frogs had
been disposed of, and the old man said
he had enough for one meal. Think of
it, swallowing live frogs at 81 head!
This little affair interested me, and l
made some inquiry about the queer little
old man, whose hair and beard were as
white as snow, and who must have seen
pretty near seventy summers. | found
that he was in his youth sailor. About
fifteen years ago he was shipwrecked,
and lived for several years on an unin-
habited island. where he had nothing
but frogs and berries to eat. He was
finally rescued and made his home in
the mountains. where he lived for some
time unobserved. But he was later dis
covered. and his frog eating he turned
to the entertainment of pleasure seekers
and to the art of money making. Chi
Cago News.