Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-03-18
TIL e. CITIZk I'm.
The Clay Eaters.

Yellow clay as a daily food i what
many of the people OF Winston county
Ala. live and thrive on, says the At
lanta Constitution. The county Of
Winston Is in the northwestern portion
of the State and Is sparsely settled, its
population being poor and appearing TO
be eking out mere existence 1t Is
only within the past few Years that the
amount of taxes collected from the en-
tire county amounted TO 81 Until
1888 Winston was forty miles from the
nearest railroad and county court house
twenty miles further Houses of wor-
ship and those for educational purposes
are few and far between 4 majority
of Winston's population live in small
log cabins of the rudest kind and exc
out miserable existence by farming
hunting and fishing
Their farms. or patches as they call
them, are small clearings around their
cabins, and are seldom more than few
acres in extent. Their crap (as they in
variably say consists of corn, peas and
potatoes. and few who are fortunate
enough to own a horse attempt to raise
little cotton. The land is very poor
and as the crops receive little work. the
yield is always small. a few hogs are
raised, but the majority depend on the
country stores for the few strips of ba-
con they eat during the year. Here in
this county, though, the moonshine
stills flourish as the green bay tree. In
almost every cave and on every little
brook among the hills may be found a
still whose undertaker's delight is pro
duced by the soft light Of the moon and
where Uncle Sam fails to get his pull
down Of 90 cents on the gallon. These
people are too far from market to sell
their corn for money, but they can con
vert it into good, straight liquor, carry
it in kegs or jugs to the more thickly
settled neighborhoods a few miles away
and obtain a few dollars in money,
some tobacco, coffee, and snuff for the
women folks Men, women and chill
dren are slaves to the tobacco habit
The women chew, smoke, and dip snuff
but dipping" is generally a Sunday
luxury, as snuff is hard for them to get.
The clay eaten by these people is
found along the banks of the small
mountain stream in inexhaustible guam
titles, and is of dirty white color usu-
ally, sometimes a pale pellow. 1t has a
peculiar oily appearance, and the oil |
keeps it from sticking to the hands or
mouth. When dry it does not crumble |
and few drops of water will soften it |
until it can be rolled into any shape de
sired. The clay is almost without taste |
but evidently possesses some nourish. |
ment, as these people declare they can |
subsist on it for days without any other |
food. They place small piece in the |
mouth and hold it tn ere until it dissol- |
YES and is swallowed in small duanti
ties at a time. The quantity eaten at |
one time varies from lump as large as
a pea for child or beginner to a lump
as large as a mans fist for those who
have eaten it for years These people
eat the clay with ravenous relish, and
the only bad effect seems to be the pecu-
liar appearance it gives the skin Of
those who become addicted to the habit
The skin turn pale so pale in fact as to
give the face the pallor Of death, and
later it turns sickly pale yellow, a
color resembling some Of the clay
eaten. Children who become addicted
10 clay eating grow old. at least in ap
pearance, prematurely, and their faces
lose forever the bright glow of youth
and health. Strange as it may appear,
there is little sickness among the clay
eaters, and they live as long as the av-
erage mankind, this proving that clay
eating is not fatal in its effects.
With the tanacity Of ignorance these
people cling to their filthy habits, tradi-
tons and superstitions; Of modern in
yentions and customs they have never
lreamed, and they would ridicule the
nan who told them the world is round
Perhaps in time they will disappear
with the onward march Of civilization
md enterprise