The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-07-22
ALL KISS UNDER PALM.
Wonderful Plant at the Department
OF Agriculture I'm Wa, hIngton.

Among the wonders Of Washington,
and they are numberiess, there probably
is not to be found today anything more
remarkable than a specimen of plant
life now in the possession of the depart
ment Oh agriculture and basking in the
grateful warmth of one OF the green
houses OF the department OIL the Mall.
This rare and almost priceless curiosity
Is none other than the famous kissing
palm," or as scientifically designated,
the Palmetto osculari," and heretofore
believed by many to exist only as a
myth. That such a belief should OBJ
tain, however, is not ID be wondered at
when the marvellous nature CT the bo-
tanical specimen is considered and its
extreme rarity taken into %account.
The palm derives its name and its
scientific value from its wonderful inlu-
ence over all persons who come within
a given radius Of it. This influence, as
powerful as the strongest maSnet insin-
uating as a perfume, and as subtle as
the very ether, Is exerte1 upon any and
all and finds expression in an irresisti-
BILE impulse to indulge in kissing, and
only by fleeing the presence of the plant
can the influence be thrown Off. Young
men and women staid midle-aged per-
sons, prOSaic married couples and aged
people, while in the presence Of the
palm, have Gun themselves enthusiast
tically, rapturously, ecstatically kissing
their companion of the opposite sex,
and receiving IN return lip imprints
none the less s~accharinely biissful.
Many of these persons, entirely un-
aware of the influence exerted upon
them, have marveled greatly at their
unaccustomed actions Hnen once away
from the nl9nt h1f in many "a GpS has
the power of the palm been such that
they lay found themselves
ously straying back to +tS vicinity, only
10 find themselves enjoying the oscula-
tory delights with the same abandon as
before.
In a number of cases, where there
a been several in the party, a man
or woman Of especially ardent nature
has been known to not cOnfine the lip
tribute to any one member OF the party,
but to favor all of the opposite sex. One
man, it is said, was SO fGr carried away
by the influence as to kiss his mother
in-law, and she, stranger still, returned
the salute with a wild fervor that fairly
took his breath. This, however, is said
to be a most unusual case n the only
one so far recorded locally, and 1t Is
only mentioned now to show the Won
derful power of the oscu-
lari."
Young cOupleS VINO, DeCduSe Ol III
" or diffdence, lave found 1T impossl-
bic to crafty their wish to break away
from the formal Mr." and Miss" in
their remarks addressed to each other,
have suddenly discovered themselves
saving George" and Jessie or
Mary and John" quite naturally,
this during what little time and what
little breath they found themselves pos
sessed of between salutes of an oscula-
tory nature. Among those who nave
been found returning 70 the palm most
frequently and whose visits are longeSt
are couples of this class, and 1t Is salu
the reserve that before stood as q par
rier between them and acted as a mini
MIXING factor in their joys never re-
turns. How many engagements ana
marriages have resulted because OF
proximity to the plant will never De
KNOWN, but thu number De d
goodly one
Married people, who have come iooh
at matters in a less sentimental ana
wore practical light han in their ear
Iier wears, have had recalled the Joys
of courtship and the honeymoon, ana
through this remined OF tnat happ
period. with the lOve-flame allSht once
again. have gone forth from the
warmth of the palm house into the
briqbt sunshine of a better, happier
\ aritaI existence. Those with halr
whitened by the frOsts of many WIN
ters. who have CHANGED near the pidhI'
have found its influence Just as potent
for them. and at least n preach VI
promise suit of the May and December
variety can be directly traced TO the
occult influence of the kissing pam:
Now that the facts are known, IL Is
unite possible that testimony as 10 the
plant will be as EVIDENCE
and if such is done il Will no uoupt re-
suit in bringing out much that VIII De
of intense and OF real Falue
concerning this remarkable inter-
to little known botanical specimen.
The extraordinary character OF the
nalm is only equaled by its scarcity. IL
could almost be said to be extinct were
il not for the fact that at nc time IN
the worlds history has 1t been otner
than very rare, and perhaps today the
nrmber OF kissing palms in growth
is no smaller than for centuries Inc
existence of the plant has long been a
matter of dispute among botanlSts. No
less an authority than Humpoiut ue-
clared il as his belief that the KISSING
Dlantp vas fabulous. Bonpland also
Shared this belief. and INDUCED
in a bitter controversy with Baudlern.
who claimed to hav seen a specimen OF
the palm in the South Sea 1slanos' anu
there to have come n It's influence
10 the extent that he was UNABLE 10
frafn from embracing and KISSING Two
anything put dtIidIo'e
standing near.
The writer. Giraldus Cambrensls,
historian, antiquary, philosopher, theo-
5ogian, and poet, is said TO nave wit
ten a lengthy treatise on the plant, III
which he traced the origin of kissing
to II. According to Cambrensis. the
custom prevailed originally only in a
small island in midocean. due west
from the coast of Peru. Here, IT is
said. under the influence OF the paim'
the Intoxicating delights OF a KISS Were
Iaarne5 nv castavay Europeans. who,
later returning TO their country, car
ried the cusom with them: the spread
thenceforth being rapid and the GUS
tom soon becoming general.
Some authorities, notably De Monket
and Geyer, nave even tried to prove
that from the kissing Of the hand came
as a commitment to the kissing palm"
$1,000 sido hf the