The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-12-13
ECCENTRIC IN EATING
Pet Fads and kversions as Dis
played at Table.
ODDITIES OF FAMOUS MEN.
Byron's Dinner Of Mashed Potatoes
and Vinegar and What Came After.
Erasmus Could Not Eat Fish, and Its
Odor Threw Him Into a Fever.

Odor Threw him Into a Fever.
diner whose differences from those ~
the other guests were noticeable. And
ccccntricity Is an elastic word, which
may bc applied, ns will be shown. IN
various directions. Sometimes 1t Is
genuine, within or characteristic
which Is Inherent Sometimes IL IL the
result Of n desire to appear singular
aud attract notice. To this latter mo.
tive probably was due Byron's ecccn-
trlclty at some dinner tables when. re
fuslng. To everybody's astonishment,
the ordinary dishes Of each course. he
simply mashed potatoes on his plate
and poured vinegar over them, eating
them In silence and drinking only soda
water with them. The chroniclcr OF
this episode dryly adds that In the
evening Lord Byron went to club
and there had an excellent supper.
such rs Il commonplace people would
enjoy The great bard's cccentrlcity
at dinner led to various minor ones
Initiating II under the idea that II
conferred distinction, even as for II
similar reason they copied his turn.
down collar and loosely knottcd tie.
Condiments are among the common
est illustrations Of this peculiarly
There is very old story nearly n
century old, In fact-of n diner In
coffee room who ate no mustard, which
so irritntcd another who held the gen.
eral opinion about II that after offer
ing IL at intervals to the other hc
jumped up with the cruet and said.
"Confound 1t. sir, you shall have mus
tarlw Some few people dislike salt.
which most deem n necessity. Indeed.
some years ago letter appeared ia
print from lady who expressed hcr
opinion that salt was most injurious
and was never used In her household.
saying indeed. II We remember right
ly, that even her bread aud butter
were homemade To avoid particle Of
the mineral being used at her table.
Some people eat salt Instead OF sugar
with puddings, whether from actual
preference or the wish for singularity
seems doubtful, Others repudlatc the
mere suggestion OF pepper. On the
other hand, cayenne Is sometimes ca,.
en- with everything. Edmund Kean In
his latest years used. 1t IL said. To
drink brandy with cayenne Ia it, u
beverage which is mentioned as hav.
Ing been liked also by Peter the
Great when staying at Saye's court
Mint sauce everybody likes with roast
In, - s,.f. "A
II served with every joint which is a
peculiar taste. indeed. and one which
would have been fine theme for
Charles Lamb, The eating Of rasp-
berry jam with roast veal is another
peculiarly. variant OF the general
custom Of having red currant jelly
with saddle of mutton which is in
deed an exquisite combination
Other strange antipathics for com
monplacc cdiblcs are recorded. Thus
'ardan loathcd eggs Neither boiled
nor poaChcd had they for him the
agreeable associations they have for
most OF MS. The mere sight Of them
made his gorge rise. What would
! Charles Lamb have said of a Han
ovcran gentleman who was dlstln
| guishcd for his fcats In hunting. Herr
Nanghun who tainted at the sight OF
/ roast pig NJ Chcsne, secretary tD
| Francis l., detcstcd that general IN
| Noritc, the apple, as the sight OF one
| made his nose bleed The learned
! Erasmus could never eat fish. Indeed.
/ II Is said that Its udur even was so in
/ furious to the great Dutchman that II
| caused lcvcriSh symptoms. ON the
/ other hand, Quin, the actor. every year
In the latter part of his life Iourucycd
To the west country TO eat John Dory
| fresh from the sea. The famous
scholar Scali-cr hlauchcd even at the
sight of water crosses.
Very often the unfortunate man who
really Is the victim Of Internal whims
Is not believed TO be- 50, but privately.
| II not aloud. is characterized rs fad
dish, not 10 say impcrtiucut. But while
such pcculiaritics MS these are due to
the stomach, that impcrious organ.
there are others In diners which ARE
those of prejudice, habit and occasion.
ally the liking for unpopular views.
/ Such diners by no means add TO the
enjoyment Of ordinary people at n
"hospitahlc board as the old world
phrase runs Thus there Is the guest
who is worrying himself and every.
body else about possible drafts. auoth
or who ostcntatiouSly declines fish and
soup aud limits himself to the roast
and also has the foolish but by no
means uncommon idea that II is I'm.
wholesome unless dried mp To an arid
brown, If salt hc thlu. To bc shuu
ned 10y some gastronomcs others have
the same notion which they do aut
Keep 10 themselves 10 pepper To.
matocs are bughcar 10 some. mack
crel 10 others. Some eye in disap.
proving silence the others who eat I'm
the ordinary manner. they themselves
dining 10y strict rule with various omls
sions In the courses also there Is the