Telegram-herald., 1890-01-18
PECULIAR SWALL0WERS
FEATs OF PEOPLE wfTrs Amor
Ma THRCATs AID MOUTHS

" cotTs1s Ne All have heard q -
pc who thrust swords down tnsAf
tAroats, swallow pebble stones and eAi
glass. bat nobody believes that they
really ID these things
So writes one who evidently believes
himself t00 sharp g. be imposed upon ty
any q the ordinary OE eKtrsoratil@rs
arts q triekery. Bus there never vas
greater mistake. There are many pe'>-
PIE Who actually perform The fests cru
merated. They ere % be seen n dinie
museums. SIDE shows. and occasionally
ia bar rooms OF on street corners.
"THE IRos THROAT.
The writer once had the pleasure OF
scraping tie Acquaintance Of a SWORD
swal.0wer lie aud ; hairless horse con
stituted the attractions In q small tent
that bad been pitched on the outskirts of
county fair lie called himself "Fe-
Eetsa. the Man with the Iron Throat.
As soon as a dozen people had paid their
dimes and entered the tsnt Feretts would
bring out his sword and pass II around
for examination. There was no decep-
ton about it. twas 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 zip. Feretta
was very deliberate in his moyements-
Assuming posture intended 20 be grace
ful he would throw hack his head, insert
the point of the sword in his mouth, and
gently push il downward until the cross
piece or guard prevented it going any
further. Then he would throw both
frrns behind him for 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withdrawn as carefully as it had been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, bat IF 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 hls caution. he occasionally hurt
himself and was obliged To suspend
sword swallowing for few days But
he had other ways Of entertaining his
patrons. lie 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 lis little tent. This was not a 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, ard must
have found a resting place in his stom-
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 60 numerous
that they find their profession crowded.
! have personally known two Of this
class Of ATTRACTIONS One Of them was
fellow about 20 years Old. who was
ludicrously shy and efIeminate (of the
stage in appearance and manners. His
only robust feature was a magnificent
set of teeth, with which lac bit chunks
out Of lamp chimneys and crunched
them almost into powder with apparent
ease. The other was youngster Of not
more than Il, known as Little Glass
Sam" He was bright boy. and had
amas5ed quite a stock Of knowledge
about people and places, on which he
could talk inteliigently and entertain
iugly. His teeth, too. were white and
sound. and he masticated chunks of
glass and swallowed the fragments with
ncatness and dispatch. lie performed
the feat in private before a committee
OF physicians. 80 were forced 10 admit
the fact, but who were able u advance
no explanation Of how il could be done
without disastrous effects. But no in
judicious results followed. I never knew
a glass eater 20 cut his gums, tongue, or
any portion Of his mouth. They all say
the swallowed glass has q stimulating
effect on those organs by which the sys-
tenn rejects the substances that refuse to
contribute to its nourishmcnt.
The stories OF princelv salaries which
these queer throated and tough stom-
ached people receive are for tic most
part fictitious. Little Glass SAM" be-
ing only boy and small Tor his age.
ought certainly TO have been a drawing
card" in his line Of work. But he was
frequently thrown on the world. and
ready t. do odd jobs Of any sort 70 keep
soul and body together | have known
him within n week to discard the tights
and spanGles Of the variety stage for the
soiled garD Of q stable boy and consider
himself lucky at that
4 peculiar case was that Of William
Dempstor an English juggler. who in
is23 accidentally swallowed q table
knife handle and an. which he vas
thru-ing down his throat. The mishap
vas oc-as.onsd By tae spectators crowd
irg around him and causing the knife to
slip from ris fingers.
Demps-er died iu great agony after
MANY Intellectual attempts 20 relieve
BIN r. s. related tnat . similar casa
occurred in Prussia ia 1855 This "a
ueht was cured br the extraction u tire
knife through au iucIsion made IN hss
side
Is cannot he regarded as great mis-
fortune tlat t1a ssaIiowing business ~
waning ia popularity. E0~ever. there
iurks in mani sin.i taste for the horri-
BE. and there wil probably aivavs -
found tae means % era-ifv it IN some
form cf grotesque ard shocking VIOLA
tian - ns~l-a's comu7-5fi is --.t- LOUIS
q oba- Democrat
fTo<le<t
"Docto- VII you iet ne know ~