The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1894-07-26
Hunting for nm Eden.

4 German named Boeter is at present
travelling in among the South Sea is
lands looking for place where he may
settle down and enjoy life according 70
his own peculiar notions. He proposes
to live on fruit entirely taking no thought
ofthe morrow..what he shall eat, dispensing
altogether with CLOTHES and not drinking
anything. Willie in Honolulu he was
called upon by . reporter for the Pacific
Commercial Advertiser, who found hiih
seated on il cool veranda at the mouse
where be had taken up his temporary res
idence. Tho paper named says:
"Near him was pile of young anu
promising looking cocoanuts, which were
to eer,e as the staple OF the approaching
| poonday meal. Ar. Bocteris a we'll pro-
Dortionel man of medium height, has
clear, fair complexion, and blue eyes lie
wears monstache and beard, with raiil-
er long hair passed back from the lore
head. As officer oftho Dusseldorf Hus-
sars he rose to the rank Of first Lieutenant
before he passed into the reserve three
years ago. Ho had mol, up TO that tlme'
entertained the peculiar views to which
he now adheres with so much fer'or, pu'
has been gradually coming to them since
that time. A tour Of FIVE montil6 III
Egypt did much to change his IDEAS OF
living. He fell into tie practice of eat
ing almost nothing but l,anannas, not De-
cause the cooking in the hotels was not
good, and not from any theory on the sub
ject of Gict.
81 took to them ins,inc,iyely, said the
lieatenant, II am convinced that no
cook can improve on nature. came TO
Honolulu not because my attention had
been called to it by the political troubles,
but because its geographical location
| seemed convenient. The Hawaiian Is
lands, Samoa ard the Society lslands are
supposed 10 havo the finest climate OF any
place in the world. | thought that tie
mild, soft, and balmy climate would make
good fruit, and so came here. If ii does
net suit me shall 60 South. .
Mr.. Boeter said he did not find it warm
in Honolulu at all, but on The contrary he
found the nights almost too cool "but
then" he addsd. "ths skin, Of course, is
made soft by clothing; when that lie left
off the skin hardens. OF course, am op-
posed to clothing. BY ideal is to live &C
cordng to nature. consider it possible
for me to return 10 eounder and healthier
conditions
"Do YOU intend to found community
"Not community exactly. Perhaps
others will come. | would be very glad
if men would Join in with me, ~ only by
living according to nature can they be
happy I want to. live without clothes so
far as nv fellow man will allow me- to
do so.
Mr.. Boetsr then explained that he
could not state just what he would do, AS
he did not know the islands vct. lie
would like to acquire some land, but did
not care for whole island, SO he did not
care for whole island, as he did not
want tc live in such scclusion. He
thou.ht as long as the cite chosen was at
distance from any town, the community
could live in state Of nature without in
reference. Of course there would he
some diGcuty at first, until The novelty
wore off When the skin gets little
brown it will look all right as the bronzed
skin seems 10 look like clothing. In
Egypt persons Sent around perfectly
max ed, and English and American ladies
looked on freely.
Mr. Bocter is completely possessed with
the idea that in the state Of nature Gen
arc perfectly happy and good. Ho sccspts
the picture Of primitive man as sketched
in the Old Testament story, and says he
asks no better paradise than that of Adam
and Eve. He thinks this account is good
history, and cites a passage from the
narrative Of All English traveller who
wrote bundled years ago, and who dos-
crbes the inhabitants Of the Ladronc Is
lands as living in complete ignorance Of
all the world-living on fruits like the
birds beautiful in body and virtuous in
soul, unvsited by disease and fullY happy
If we should strip ourselves of these in
cumhrances of false civilization, these
blood heating meats ard drinks, Mr.. Boo
ter thinks that evil and sorrow would pass
away. Moreover, our lives would be
enormously Heightened so that even tho
$3.50 years of Mcthuselah might be out
numbered.
Mr. Boeter recognizes The fact that
during the incemcnt winters CT his ma
tive land nice WOODEN shirt and even an
overcoat came in very handy. He there
fore sees the hand Of nature pointing all
men to the tropics, and think it mere
folly to live anywhere else. To the OBJ
lection that all men cannot live in the
tropics, and think it mere folly TO live
anywhere else. To the objection that all
men cannot live i'll the tropics he quotes
triumphantlY book of certain Dr.. ?.
Andres, astronomer and vegetarian, who
estimates that if Brazil were rs densely
populated ss Belgium-20O to the square
mile--it would support the entire human