The state herald. (Holyoke, Logan County, Colo.) 1887-1921, 1894-06-22
CLAY IS THEIR DIET.

CLAY is THEIR DIET.
4 STRANGE people, AND THEIR
STRANGE FOOD.
-. -. 49, s''---.,
whole Families Ara Afflicted with tho
Habit. Which t;issi Thorn an Uncarthly
Appsarance-The Kaoiin which They
Chow Said to Contain Arsenic. ,s,..ss..
~,v,raprx. -y,s,nksss &t-'sf.-
Mllledgevtlle In Middle Georgia,
marks y radical change In the soil
and vogeta,tlon from that Of the low
country. Tho clay gives up Its red
hue and takes on o loamy Wilderness,
interspersed with deep. drifting
sand-beds, the sand OF which IL as
fine. soft and white almost as sifted
flour. The stately. long-leai pine
begins to appear and the vegetation
also changes But what is most re-
markable. tho people also change.
Instead OF the rcd-faced sturdy
farmer. buoyant with strength and
health and tolerably well-to-do IRON
the product Of his Farm among the
red hills Of forth Georgia, or the
aenh. long, sallow-faced, snufr-eating
cracker OF the pine barrons of the
lower country, there comes q class
OF people with faces 40 haGsard that
1t would eGhd q shudder through
The very soul Of stranger to look
at them. s.iss.s.., 'r.s, g. s--.
Inquire among tho neighborhood
and you will DO put into possession
OF some curious facts, and your
former shuddcr OF pity will increase
to an ague OF alarm when you learn
that this is the section where are to
BIO found clay eaters, real and genuine.
For the sake OF information II
might DO we'll to state that q native
clay-eAtcr Is 4 native "cracker" Of
tho state that eats clay instead bl
snuff. This dehhltion. however
simple. carries weight with 1t when
1t Is taken into consideration that
these people make regular practice
OF eating at all times, dainty NOR
sells OF kaolin. Chew itP Certainly.
They chew 1t with as much relish as
q tobacco chewer does his quid. but
they swallow 1t with as much relish
as q small boy does green apple.
Whole families arc afflicted with
the habit. from the grandfather to
tho father. Gown to tho skinny little
tot who cries for his share. They
oil eat clay regularly and most
eagerly. ~. s''a. e'.
This aarlous dopraved taste fixes
Upon them In early childhood, and as
they grow older the habit grows
stronger and stronger. until 1t is an
utter imposaibility to break of. 1t
seems to BIO moro powerful and
deadly than tho whisky. opium, NOR.
nbiuc or aay other habit yet known.
vi course heredity has much to do
with it, and the people dwelling In
that particular section transmit the
habit from generation to generation
with singular precision. 49,
There 10 no n,isiakiiig the clay
eating ''crscker. II Like the snuff
consuming variety thoir counten-
ances have distinctly original. and
most unearthly cast. resembling
more deaths head with bono in
its mouth" than anything else. Tho
children have large eyes set deep
into the face, nccentuatcd by high
skinny cheek bones. These eyes
lack lustre and glare with lead
On stupidity. from the cadaverous
hollows Thcn the men and women!
Comrsred with theirs tho coun,en-
ancc Of Egyptian mummies would
look youthful and handsome.
The milky whitcncss OF tho sltin
they have In carly childhood has
changed into a parched brown. which
falls in loose folds about tho face and
neck Deep wrinkles. radiating from
their mouths. spread In every con-
ceivable direction. You can easily
trace them, for they servo as con.
venient aqueducts for tobacco juice.
This clay which they devour is not,
rs is commonly supposed. the rod va
rioty OF Georgia. but n snow-white
variety. with soft and greasy fool,
which crops out In certain localitics,
ana In these spots live the clay-cat.
Ing crackers Of tho state This va
riety Is said TO contain arsenic In
quito large proportions. thus ne
counting for the force OF tho habit
and its effects upon tho system.
These people arc not without a
social instinct. for they hold fcsti-
walls, and upon tho menu clay fig
ures as n prominent dainty. When
family decides to celebrate an event
the neighbors arc invited. and after
several reels arc "trottedn Jumps OF
tho tempting glcbe are handed around
for the necessary rcfrcshment Corn
liquor OF course, is n necessary I'D
junct A clay.eater makes no pre-
tense Mt regular work. They exc
ont an existence In tho winter by tho
sale OF light wood knots In tho town.
and during tho summer the more en-
crgetic pick and sell black and huck-
loberrics. which grow In proiusion
In tho waste places and untitled
fields Some OF them own species
OF dwarf. stuntcd mule. and these.
tackled to nondcscript two wheeled
vehicle, are familiar sights along tho
highway leading to Miiicdgevillc.
At different times efforts havo
been made to better tho condition OF
the clay-caters. Preachers OF cvory
denomination have tried their hand
at turning them from tho error OF
thoir ways and have failed. 1hey
nrs clay eaters still, and they die as
they have lived. In tho deepest
squalor and misery. With all tho
luxurios and enlightenment OF tho
nineteenth century Mt their very
door, living almost on tho suburbs OF
n thriving city, while tho wires
above their heads fash tho happen
ings OF u world, these beings arc liv-
Ing tho lives OF forlorn animals. In