The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-11-09
PASSION FOR PEANUTS
Has Been the Undoing of Mr.,
Levine Hollis.
THAT CRUNCHING SOUND
Made by the Cracking She'll
Is Music to Him.

| Trenton, n. J., Nov s.-An uncontrol-
able, ever-present passion for Smelling
! peanuts has robbed Edwin Levine Hollis
| of bride, drove him from several swell
clubs and ostracised him from society.
he is only permitted to enter the thertres
conditionally, is invited to leave the troll
ley cars, is told that he is not again want
edeat church and is ordered out Of the
Salvation Army barracks. At several
places of amusement he is platly refused
admission under any circumstances, and
the park guards have orders to keep him
away form the monkey cages at the zoo,
and his queer penchant is compelling him
to close his cracker factory. But the ur-
chans love him for his peanuts, ready
shelled," and the news boys follow him for
squares when they see the left-hand pock-
ct of his overcoat bullying out, for they
know that peanut feast is in store for
them.
What makes his friends marvel still the
more at his strange passion is the fact
that Mr.. Hollis declares that he has new
er eaten a peanut in his life and could not
tell what they taste like. Mr.. Hollis
frankly admits that he has tried innum-
cradle schemes and contrivances suggges-
ted by his friends in a vain endeavor to
find a substitute for his unexplainable
passion. But he loves the music produced
by the crunching, cracking and the dull
thud of the peanut shell between his
thumb and fingers, and confesses that he
can find nothing TO take its place. Mr..
Hollis estimates that he shells and gives
away full peck of peanuts every day Of
his life
Mr. Hollis is ~ years of age and pos
sesses considerable wealth. Consequent
ly he is not, in a. measure, disturbed by
the criticisms heaped upon him because
of his passion. Stranger than the pas
sion is the strange manner of acquiring it.
Some years ago Mr.. Hollis conducted a
cracker bakery in Philadelphia. His
factory produced the little hard, brown
crackers so frequently found on the table
of the first-class oyster houses and cafes.
A Yankee economist from down Fest hap
pened along one day and suggested that
the crackers of the batch that was so bad
ly burnt that it became mere waste be-
cause its sale was impossible, might be
turned into profit by grinding 1t into
cracker dust. Packed in prettily labeled
boxes, it will sell readily said the Yankee.
And so from this suggestion cracker-dust
became a household staple. Mr.. Hollis
stood by and watched the Yankee develop
his suggestion to utilize the waste, and
all day long the crunching of the stone
hard crackers would ring in his ears. Go
where he would and try as he might at
night, he says, the sound Of the crunching
of the little brown crackers followed him.
Money poured in on him from the sale Of
cracker-dust, and soon improved machin-
cry took the place OF the wooden hand
roller But not a sound would 1t produce.
He had found difficulty in contenting him
self when away from the wooden roller
at night but now that even this was gone
Mr.. Hollis craved the sound.
AS lark someone at the cub, one night
suggested that the party attend the opera
from the peanut gallery" and the crack
er baker Joined the party. They took
seats among a group Of urchins who were
crunching peanuts between yells. Mr.. Hol
lis at first started, and when his friends
INQUIRED the cause, the nervous cracker
baker explained that the noise of the crun
ching Of the peanuts was music to his
ears. because it reminded him of the
sound of the crunching of the little brown
cracker by the old wooden roller. For sew
eral successive nights following Mr.. Hollis
was found in the r'peanut gallery" and
distributing peanuts to the urchins, Hinp-
" that he might hear them crushed. His
actions became noticeable and he was OBJ
liged to abandon the peanut geallery"
and take to the peanuts himself. And this
he did with a vengeance. -
Have some peanuts, was his query to
every one he met, whether at the club, in
the church. on the street. at the hotel, or
in the cracker bakery. At first the cub
members did not decline the offer be-
cause Mr. Hollis was exceedingly popular,
the church folks took the peanuts because
they liked them, and the friends and ac-
quaintances met on the streets and else
where took the preferred peanuts because
they were ready shelled and toothsome.
But 1t finally reached the point that 70
meet Mr. Hollis was equivalent to eat
ing a pint or so Of peanuts. and as
steady diet some folks object to peanuts.
Wheile the crunching and cracking and
the dull thud was as music to the ears of
Mr. Hollis. the inctssant crunching of the
peanut shell becafe a great annoyance to
the members Of the club. Mr.. Hollis was
a regular nightly visitor at the club. SO
were his peanuts At each visit he found
his way TO tht whist kEom, but not since
the first visit 70 the peanut gallery at
the opera had he taken a hand Of cards
Instead he would place himself behind the
players chair and there would be a con-
slant crunching and cracking of the pea
nut much to the annoyance Of the mem
hers. The steward would also be obliged
to keep by his side, broom in hand. TO
gather the shells. Mr.. Hollis and his pea
nut Smelling became nuisance. At length
the Capital City Club adopted resolutions
fixing a fine Of . cents upon anyone who