The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1891-10-31
QUEER APPETI1ES.

QUEER APPETI1ES.
A Grocer Who is Gastronomic
Freak.
A very remarkable case of per-
verted and artificial taste is found
in the person of Charles J. Cum
mings, thriving grocer Of West
Philadelphia, who resides at 3545
Fairmount avenue. The queerest
combination of food imaginable
mixtures which would nauseate an
ordinary person are his favorite
dishes. It is not that he likes food
prepared different from the usual
styles, but it is the manner in which
he mixes ordinary dishes which ex-
cites so much wonder, and has given
rise to SO many conjectures and at
tempted explanations. For in
stance, Mr.. Cummings buffers raw
tomatoe, puts salt in his coffee, vim
egar in his milk, gravy in his ice
cream, cream on his melon, and
makes many other combinations to
tickle his palate which are nothing
if not unique. One of his favorite
dishes is rare steak Dreaded with
fruit cake, with a dressing of cur
rant jelly. In winter regular
morning meal of this gentleman is
lettuce chopped fine, with dress
ing of molasses and red pepper.
There are many other unheard-of
dishes which delight his peculiar
palate. but enough have been mem
toned.
This freak of appetite has ex-
cited the curiosity Of Mr.. Cum
mings' friends for many years, and
even the neighbors have INDUCED
in comments as to the cause of such
a striking phenomenon. Hearing
about the case, a reporter visited
Mr.. Cummings at his home yester-
day. The gastronomic freak is a
pleasant man of 40, of ordinary
appearance. He was found in his
comfortable home surrounded by
an interesting family. He told the
following story of the way he ac-
quired his remarkable appetite:
81 don't know that | am more
stubborn than other men," he said
with a smile as he lit fresh cigar,
"but they tell me that I was as per-
verse as Old Nick when a child.
No matter what other people did, l
wanted to do just the opposite, out
of pure cussedness.' And so among
other things I took to mixing my
food into unheard-of dishes. | can
even remember that when began
this thing I did not find it pleasant,
but the devil in me would not let
me back down, and SO l really had
relish for what / ate. Indeed, it
was not long before | became in
different to dishes prepared in the
usual style, and to-day they are
really distasteful to me-"
Mr.. Cummings continued, as if
there was no possibility of any one
doubling his veracity:
"The most curious thing about
this matter is that one of my chill
dren has inherited my acquired
taste, and stranger still that this
child should be my youngest"
Then Mr.. Cummings went out
and brought in pretty child of 4
years.
"This child, sir" said the father,
as he put her on his knee, "has been
a puzzle to a lot of physicians and
Psychologists. They all say that
they never heard of such remark
able case of heredity. You see that
she does not look like me, but is
the image of her mother, and yet
she has inherited from me a taste
which even with me is acquired. l
have not met man yet who can
explain the thing even to his own
satisfaction"
The little girl soon became tired
of the conversation and demanded
her supper.
"And what do you think her sup
per will be? Sliced peaches and
cold bean soup"
AS his auditor looked incredu-
lous, Mr.. Cummings took him into
the nursery, and sure enough there
was little Lily discussing her
peaches and cold soup with the
utmost relish.
All the other children have nor
NAL tastes, and though they have
made some experiments in imita-
ton of their father just for the fun
of the thing, they have not been
tempted to invent any new menus.
-Philadelphia Times.
A New Bullet.
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