The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-01-30
Ne CRUSHES PEANUTS.
Queer MaBin Of n Wan Leads TO His Social
n-trari-m.
From he Philadelphia Inquirer

From the Phiiasslphis Inquirer.
ChicaSo claims TIE distinction OF posses
sing a man with the strangest mania TN
record He is Edward Levine Hollis. and
his fondnsss for hearing peanuts crushed
has ostraciZed him from society, church,
salvation barracks. places OF amusement,
and robbed him Of his intended bride.
Mr.. Hollis. strange 10 say. never tasted
peanut His desire TO hear them crushed.
however has become a passion with him.
and try as he will. he cannot rob himself
OF the ridiculous mania. or passios.
Wherever he goes his pockets bulge out
with peanuts. and Have some peanutsg
is his most frequently uttered sentence.
The Capitol City Club. OF which he was
a member. was invaded and infested with
his peauut-crushing distsmpsr. He al
ways came with his pockets full gave
them out freely. and could not content
himself unless they were crushed in his
presence. The club at first bore it pa
tiently but at last was forced 10 impose a
fine Of p cents for the cracking Of peanut
huils in their rooms. This ire Hollis
gladly paid and went on smashing them,
Then a law was made which threatened
throwing out such members as broke hUlis
in the club rooms, and 10 this Hollis sue
cumbed. as he could not quit it. He was
at one time well known socially, but
after time was ostracized by society al
together on account of this popularity
and next attached himself to the Saliva
ton Army, where he found eager ones "a
crush his peanuts for him.
Everywhere he met the same fate ulti-
mately, and sooner or later was asked u
vacate- At the YaTdly Episcopal Church
ha 10 nj ,
long time the pews were strewn with
peanut hulls, until he was asked TO not
attend services any more.
Mr.. Hollis is fOTJy-two years Of age and
possesses considerable wealth COnse-
quentiy he is not. in a measure. disturbed
by the criticisms heaped upon him be
cause OF his passion. Stranger than the
passion Is the strange manner of acquir-
ing IL. Some years ago Mr.. Hollis con
Quoted Il cracker bakery in PHILADELPHIA
brown crackers SO frequently found or
the table Of the first-class oyster-house:
and cafes.
a Yankee economist from down Eas
happened along one day and suggested
that the crackers of a batch that was 81
| badly burned that il became mere waste
be turned into profit by grinding II int
cracker dust. Packed in prettily labeled
| boxes 1t will sell readily. said the shrewt
Yankee. And so from this suggestion
| cracker dust became q household staple
/ Mr.. Hollis stood by and watched the Yam
| kee develop his suggestion to utilize tn
| waste, and all day long the the crunchin!
| of the stOne-hdrd cracker would ring il
| his ears. Go where he would and try a
| he would at night he says. the sound o
| the crunching of the little brown cracke
| followed him. Money poured in upon hin
| from the sale of cracker dust. and sool
| improved machinery took the place of tn
/ wooden hand roller. But not a sOunt
would it produce. He had found difficult,
| in contenting himself when away from
| the music of the wooden roller at night
| but now that even this was gone Mr.. HOl
| lis craved the sound.
| As a lark some one at the club on
| night suggested that the party atten
the opera from the peanut gallery" an
| the cracker baker Joined the party. The
| took seats amid group Of urchins VIII
| were crunchinS peanuts between yells
| Mr.. Hollis at first started. and when hi
| friends inquired the cause the nervou
cracker baker explained that the nois
! of the peanuts was music to his ears
because it reminded him of the sound 0
the crunching of the little brown crack
| er by the old wooden roller. For severd
| successive nights following Mr.. He'll
was found in the peanut gallery" distrit
| uting peanuts to the urchinS simply tina
| he might hear them crunched. His az
| lions became noticeable and he was Oblig
| ed TO abandon the peanut gallery" an
! take to the peanuts himself. And this h
did with a vengeance.
Mr.. Hollis SAYS he has honestly endeay
| ored to discard the peanut, and that
| the hope of being able to do so he Ia
| worn wooden gloves tied at the wris
but when the nervous passion seized hir
he would take up the peanuts He ha:
he says, locked himself in his room thre
or four miles from any peanut stand an
been unable TO rest a minute until h
could secure a few peanut shells.
| Invitations We're out for his marriag
last Christmas. but the wedding did nc
take place, because Mr.. Hollis was III
able to shake off his desire for crunchin
peanut shells, which was made a cond
ton.