The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1902-10-02
SPELL OF THE KISSING PALM.
So Potent. Says This Account, Ihnt
IL Has Made at Least one NAN
ks. His Mother-ip-Law.

| day anything more Tei1aI hdple '"""
a specimen Of plant life now in the
possession of the department of ag-
ricnlture and basking in the grateful
warmth of one of the greenhouses oil
| the department on the mall. This rare
and almost priceless curiosity, says
the Washington Post, is none other
than the famous kissing palm" or,
scientifically designated, the "Palmet-
to osculari," and heretofore believed
by many TO exist only as myth. That
such "A belief should obtain, however,
is not to be wondered at when the
marvellous nature of the botanical spec
linen is considered and its extreme
rarity taken into account.
| The palm derives its name and its
! scientific value from its wonderful in
! huence over all persons who come
within given radius of it. This in
| hnence, as powerful as the strongest
magnet, insinuatng as perfume, is
cxertcd upon any and all and finds
| expression in an irresistible impulse
| to indulge in kissing, and only by fee
| ing the presence Of the plant can the
| influence he thrown Off. Young men
| and women and middle-aged persons.
| prosaic married couples and aged peo-
| pie. while in the presence of the palm,
| have found themselves enthusiastical-
| ", rapturously, ecstatically kissing
| their companions Of the opposite sex.
Many of these persons, entirely I'M
| aware Of the influence exerted upon
| them, have marveled greatly at their
unaccustO med actions when once away
| from the plant, but in many cases
| the power of the palm has been such
that they have found themselves UNI
consciously straying back TO its vi.
cinity. only to find themselves njoy-
ing the osculatory delights with the
same abandon as before.
In a number Of cases, where there
have been several in the party, man
or woman Of especially ardent nature
has been known to not confne the lip
tribute TO any one member OF the
party. but to favor all the opposite
sex. One man, it is said, was so far
carried away by the influence, as to
kiss his mother-in-law, and she, stran-
ger still returned the salute with
wild fervor that took away his breath.
| This, however. is said TO be n most
| unusual case and the only one so far
recorded locally. aud it is only mem
| toned now to show the wonderful
| power of the Palmetto osculari.
Young couples who, because OF
| q, ,r JiuiInu,n haya f,nuH IL
| impossible to crafty their wish TO
| break away from the formal Mr."
or Miss" in their remarks addressed
! To each other, have suddenly discOy-
cred themselves saying George" and
Jessie" or MARY" and John" quite
naturally, this during what little time
and what little breath they found
themselves possessed of between sa-
| lutes Of an osculatury nature. Among
those who have been found returning
to the pa I'm most frequently and whose
visits are longest are the couples Of
| his class, and it is said the reserve
that stood as "a barrier between them
| and acted rs a minimizing factor in
| their joys never returns. How many
| engagements and marriages have re.
! suited because OF proximity to the
! plant will never be known, but the
number must be goodly one.
Married people who have come to
! look at matters in less sentimental
! light than in their earlier years have
! had recalled the JOY. of eourtship and
! the honeymoon, and through this re
minder Of that happy period, with the
! lovehame alight once again, have gone
! forth from the warmth OF the palm
house into the bright sunshine Of a
better, happier marital existence.
Those with hair whitened by the frosts
Of many winters, who have CHANGED
near the plant. have found its inhu-
ence just as potent for them; and at
least one breach of promise suit of the
May and December variety can be di-
rectly traced to the occult influence
Of the kissing palm" Now that the
! facts are known, it is quite possible
! that testimony as to the plant will be
! introduced as evidence, and il this is
! done il will no doubt result in bring
ing out much that will be Of interest
and Of real scientific value concern
! ing this remarkable and hitherto lit
| tie known botanical specimen.
The extraordinary character OF the
palm is only equaed by it's scarcity.
1t could almost he said to be extinct
were it. not for the fact that at no
time in the worlds history has it been
other than very rare, and perhaps to-
day the number OF kissing palms"
in growth is no smaller than in cen
turtles.
The existence Of the plant has long
been a matter Of dispute among botan-
lists. No less an authority than Hum
boldt declared 1t as his belief that the
kissing plant" was fabulous, Bon
pland also shared this belief, and in
dulged in bitter controversy with
Raudiern, who claimed to have seen
u specimen Of the palm in the South
Sea islands. and there to have come
under lis influence to the extent that
he was unable to refrain from en-
I bTupiup and kissing two nuyt n inc but