The San Francisco call., 1896-07-27

is vanquished. His fame as gastronomic
wonder will no longer bear the light of an
X-ray inspection.
George Parsons is telegraph operator,
and good one, but it is not as a iuggler with
electricity that he has won the plaudlts of
the multitude. Parsons "strong holt" is
well-deveIoped appetite and fondness
for eggs. He eats eggs three times a
day-boiled eggs, fried eggs, scrambled
eggs and eggnog; eggs OF the hen, the
duck, the goose, the ostrich or the turtle
anything that wears shell and is not so
stale as to provoke unfavorable comment.
II is said of this gourmand that be has
but one square" meal week, and that
on payday. He has been known to fire.
gently enter a restaurant and call for two
dozen fried eggs. At first the walters
would look at Parsons with tears in their
eyes, but now they are accustomed to his
strange order and are not offended II he
abuses them for failing TO select the
largest fruit OF the fowiy ard. The annihila-
tor of eggs goes into those two dozen as 8
terrier would into q cageful of rats. Oc-
casionally he stops to eat BUN or drink
cup OF coffee.
When the yictuals or his exchequer are
~
and hies away to curb his charging appe-
tite until the next meal hour arrives.
Often after one of these meals-ordinary
to him. but death by torture TO common
mamie mounts a bicycle and rides q
distance of thirty or forty miles into the
country to ''settle his stomach, and the
hens at the end of the route he chooses
are forced to work overtime ior the next
week or two TO regulate the supply and
demand.
Napoleon met his Waterloo; Marc An
tony fell before the wiles OF Cleopatra ;
Mayor Sutro has his Broderick TO contend
with. and George Parsons went up against
too many eggs. He was the victim OF
over-confidence. Having prepared for the
fray by imbiblng sundry potions oi
'ssteamh and disposing OF an order OF pork
and beans. sufficient in itself for street
sweeper. he attempted TO partake of four
dozen fried eggs on wager. 1t was the
error of his life-the Sharkey that ended
his championship.
The match was made in the little Ger.
man restaurant on Geary street, near
Kearny, on Saturday night. Several hours
previously Parsons had dined heartily
The gnawine of hunger led him restau.
rantward once more, and. accompanied Dy
friends. he sat down to partake of a goodly
quantity of pork and beans, with buns
coffee and other accessories. These dis
posed of. and his yearning yet unsated, he
negotiated bet with his companions. The
terms were that he should eat forty eight
fried eggs within thirty minutes, being al
lowed a two minutes, breathing spell! be
tween each dozen. If he succeeded, the
others were to pay for the meal and week.
board for the victor; if he lost, the matter
of settling with the cashier devolyed upor
himself.
-Four dozen OF the largest eggs on hanC
were selected and, without, delay, tn,
gourmet began his task. He was still
6nnprv when the first dozen disappeared
The second twelve faded away as mist be
fore a July sun. As the start was made
on the second half OF the consign ment
those who had wagered their none,
against his appetite wanted to hedge
They appeared grieved and melancholy
ike the hackers OF Ida Sauer at the Ok
Bay District track
Laughing to scorn their talk of compro
mise Parsons started after the third dozen
Seemingly he still was hungry. He ha,
got to the thirty-rhird egg, when suddenl,
his grin died away. Swallowing becam