The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-10-17
GETTING 10 FAT.
Statistics Show That the American Figure
is Changing.

| Figures Collected from Htkets Vi
"store clothes" show. says The New
York Journal, that within the last ten
years there has been an average in
crease in the girth OF Americ ans Of one
inch and 3 quarter. II has been neces-
sary to introduce q new size in the
ready-made tailoring business. Waist
coats and trousers are now made TO con-
tain an American with a circumfer-
ence Of AZ IA inches. whereas the
limit in 1889 was 46 inches. That
size, the leading tailOrs then believed,
would never be exceeded.
An increase in ten years Of an inch
and a quarter in the equatorial meas
urements Of the residents Of this coun'
try, If maintained continually at that
ratio, means an increase in 100 years
Of II inches. and in 1000 years OF l25
inches In other words. in the year
, 500 there will be Americans at large
who will be l6 feet arouud
These figures are not official, the an
thropologicsl department not having
brought the calculation to its legiti-
mate conclusion. but anyone with the
slightest knowledge Of mathematics
can verify them for himself
A reasonable reason is given by the
anthropological departmentfor this ad-
ded avoirdup)is. II is said to be due
to the increase consumption Of farina-
ceous foods The dairy lunch counters
which have sprung up 10 thousands
during the past few years are to blame.
They feed the public on things which
20 to make up adispose tissue. The
average citizen few years ago used to
lunch upon a slice Of roasted beef. but
he now takes bowl Of milk full Of
crackers, a saucer Of cOrnstaroh pudd-
ing and hunk Of pie These articles
are exceedingly fsttening
"Our customers are certainly get
ting very much stouter." said the
manager Of q Park Row dairy }anch
when the matter was called to his at
tention. II had never thought OF 1t
before. but now it is mentioned. re
mem ber that the last fifty chairs we
had made we're much wider than any
we have ever ordered before.
"You see. our customers come In
here and help themselves to the dishes
upon the sideboard, subsequently, pay
ing for as many Of them as they like.
They plant themselves in front Of a
counter crowded with cornstarch pudd-
ing and that sort Of thing.
"As this pudding is the cheapest
thing we make, and gives us the most
profit we place more Of il about. The
customer, fading it so easily within
reach. takes it. have no doubt it Is
cornstarch pudding that is making
them so fat The discovery Of the an
thropological department. is entirely In
line with our experience, and the
statement Of the department that Amer
leans eat more farinaceous food than
they used to eat is perfectly correct.
1.-THE favorite food Of New York
bankers for lunch Is crackers, broken
up in milk, and cornstarch pudding.
1t is simply amazing how the corn
starch pudding mania has grown in tht
last few years.
The fact Of the matter is. that
person who wishes to diet himself ant
become thin has no business to live ir
New York and try to eat at restau
: rants Every dish served makes fat
Americans eat more greasy food, mor'
= butter and sweets, than the people O.
= any other country, and the result Il
! that the American is getting to be tn
fattest man on earth.
"A restaurant was started few
: years ago In the Wall street distric
that especially catered to fat men who
/, wished to train down. Nothing wa
served of q fattening character Th'
proprietor knew that every fat mai
would eat adipose.making nourish
I ment If he could get it The only wa.
to make him live up to his good reso
lutions, the proprietor thought was t.
deprive him Of the chance.
: 1.-THE restaurant was hailed with de
d light by large crowd Of 'banting' ia
men. They patrcTized it, One hur
dred ate there on the first day. ninet
n on the second, eighty on the third. an
q so on until finally the place didn, hav
a single customer, and the sheril
A seized it. The logic of the matter
= that any man who wishes to feed Ne'
Workers must feed them on fattenin
!. food or they won't come around.
1.-THE bulletin of the anthropolog
cal department, dealing with the'
"a facts. should be read by every though
/. full fat man in America. II, as 20
"a seem TO think. the government ofticia
# " announces that within thousan
4 years the average American will be
!. feet around, something ought to be dor
10 about it right away. 1t certainly al
2 me with alarm. There is no questiC
that we are sll getting stouter ar
a more indolent.
And there are many more reasol
ID for it besides diet. The invention
Il the elevator tends towards the acc'
/. mutation Of weight. suppose befo
d the elevator assumed It's present ENC
n. ent condition, at least twenty teas
"A fat were walked of by New Yorke
"A every day when they toiled ups'air
These twenty tons Of fat are now pr
served. making totAl Of 800 tons
ID additional fat to be distributed amor
Q, the community every year
y ~ '.Besides that the cars are more CO..