The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-27
THE DIET or THE PLAINS.
Mighty Men Who Throyo on q Regimen
Of Meat and Coffee.
From me Kansos CITY Journal

The Hon. James X. Meade, Kansas pioneer
plainsmau. ex-senator and capitalist. be-
leves that the food best fitted for the human
stomach is bread and meat washed down
with coffee. He points to his own vigor at
the age OF 90 as evidence Of the value Of this
diet, aiieg ing thst he has eaten little else al
his life. and laying particular stress on coffee
as an article OF diet. Writing to an Eastern
friend on this subject. Mr.. Meade says:
In the fall of 1859, !. young man. full OF
life and v!gor and loving hunting and adj
| venture above all else went into the heart
OF the buffalo range in central Kansas and
esta blished a hunting camp known as Meade s
ranch. on the Saline River. where | built
a number of cabins and made Preparations
to stay
Il was fascinated with my new life on the
plains and entered heartily into IL. Carried
away by the excitement Of killing so much
big game. and reaping such q rich harvest.
| exerted myself to the utmost limit from
daylight to dark A an illustration, in
one day killed. skinned and took the tallow
out OF twenty-five buffaioes myself, using q
muzzle loading rifle and butcher knife as
my only tools. and walked five miles goin
and coming from camp
" In my youth cared very l.ttle for veRe-
tables OF any kind and on the plains we had
but three articles OF diet-neat bread (n
form Of aapjack) and coffee: Of which meat
copate rao "f The "s Of meat ake
ate seems almost Incredible.
In September or October OF 50 | shot
large, fat COW elk. and as the weather was
ernl gallons Of fat In little over a week
three Of us ate up the entire animal and made
meal we made napiooks, fried in the tallow.
and drank all the coffee we wanted, usually
two or three cups 70 each person at morning
and evening and also at noon, II we had time
TO cook at noon.
While meat was our. main reliance and
we had no end Of the choicest parts Of buffalo.
elk. antelope turkey. &c. 1t seemed me-
quantities. No matter what extreme phys
icnl labor ] had undergone, nor how com.
n ssex coss S ao ID %s s.b
and spirits at once. all fatigue would pass
away, and in an hour | was ready for more
exertiOn
with our coffee we wanted sugar and
usually had il. III not, the coffee. while not
so delightful. was drunk In the same quantity
Milk we never had on the plains think
in the middle of the day II we had time to
make 10, WAS our average through series
coffee and roasted 1t ourselves In a Dutch
oven as we required it--perhaps weeks
supply at one time and often pounded II In a
tin cup instead Of grl nding It,
so long as we had an abundance OF coffee
there seemed TO be no limit to our physical
endurance. When that was gone we very
large supply, will say here that neither
myself nor any Of the many young men ]
had In my employ at various times used
could buy an excellent article OF whiskey
for 81 per barrel We never took IL With
us on our hunting expeditions. simply be,
as soon have left our rifles at camp as to start
out without coffee.
THE last half OF the winter Of 81 /. spent
al. sl..G OIL
River with two men, Toward spring there
came snow nearly two feet deep on level
Every day with my heavy rlne az pounds
had no horses with us and came to camp
strong, neTvy, vigorous until our coffee gave
out Then my knees grew weak, came
apparently, bo led over the grounds in the
coffee pot several tinrs, and one evening,
coming in sxhanstnd, J ate the entire re
mainder, and zen relieved IN few days we
As an illustration of our gastronomic
possibilities, one summer, after being among
straight meat, bread and coffee, VIZ started
for Ieayenworth, our base OF supplies with
our loads Of hides, fuIs, NC The frst farm
thrifty Dutchman named Warwick lived
We C0mped there and ] went TO the house
and bought bucket Of milk and Gye dozen
per There were five Of "a
A TINT meal We ate the usual supply al
meat. and with our coffee drank the entire
bucket Of milk also ate the tiye dozen rgRs
entire Two Of the men had . quarrel Cnr
cpning the other got more than b. share
Of The eggs,
i have ,ort.nued 10 drink oon,e cor
tinually tD this tllue, frequently drinking
"a quart OF cold coffee at noon. with sugar
gnd cream, ana not eating anything. Us !
DO not seem 10 require anything elsH ! nm
buODg. active, vigorous, nave ~ UausIalIy
strong babe Of ~ months Of agsa eat almost
nothing but glsat, brad and Office Stomach
~ ready foI business VI al TINES