Los Angeles herald., 1908-02-03
L0NGB0AT HAS HEAP
LARGE APPETITE
Double Steak and Sixteen Eggs Dis
appear Before Big Indian Run-
ner-other Athletes Have
HUngriness

Frequently stories are printed telling
of the tremendous eating ability of
great athletes-especially the big weight
throwers, who seemed possessed of an
unceasing fire in then midst, the only
quenching for which is food in heavy
consignments. Heretofore we have
been told how Martin Sheridan, the
hero of the Olympia at Athens last
year, consumed dozen or so of lamb
chops at a sitting, with vegetables in
like proportion, and how Dennis Hor-
gan, the big N Y. A. C. shot putter,
gets away with thirty raw eggs for his
breakfast now and then.
Now the runners are beginning to
feed up" strongly, an example being
furnished in the relating of some of
the experience of Tom Longboat, the
great Indian runner, by Fred Vokes,
the veteran handler of athletes en-
ployed by the Seventy-fourth regiment
of Buffalo, Longboat and his Indian
trainer hit Buffalo one snowy morning
last February. The Indian was to run
George Bonhag three mile race at
the Seventy fourth's armory the same
week. When it came lunch time the
Indians looked up Vokes, who always
looked after the needs of athletes who
are guests of the Seventy-fourth in
handsome fashion. After Vokes had
greeted Longboat and received the In
dams salutation "a grunD in return
Vokes said: "Come on, boys, and have
some lunch" Another grunt from the
redskins signified their assent.
Vokes led the way to pretty swell
chophouse Were a lunch was served
for the goodly sum of rs cents. He left
word with the proprietor to serve the
Indians and the Seventy-fourth would
foot the bill. To make the story short,
Vokes returned a day or so later to
settle up with the innkeeper and was
greeted with this:
"Say, Vokes, the next Indian you
bring here l will pay you rs cents If
you will take him away again before
lunch.'
Whats the matter?" inquired the
trainer. What happened?"
why" said the proprietor, that
I.ongboat fellow ate only two beef
steaks and sixteen boiled eggs with
trimmings"
Sure enough the redskin had asked
the waiter for heap big steak" and
after finishini; that and being asked
Anything else?" he said: Sure;
eggs"
How many, sir?" asked the waiter,
bit ruffled. "Oh, about eight" said
Longboat. The eggs went by the
board in Jig time, and once more the
waiter asked: Anything else, sir?"
sure: steak, came from the Stoliu
son of the forest.
| BY this time the waiter was COM
pletely overcome in deadly fear of los
| ing his job, but the appetite of Long
boat waxed strong. Seeing the waiter
was a bit timed, Longboat summoned
| him and asked: 90. ny more eggs?" In
a few minutes the Indians knife had
split tho shells of eight more, and the
feast was over. Is 1t little wonder that
the Indian has such wonderful stay
ing power when he can get away with
such meals and live to tell the tale?
Longboat's appetite once caused
great commotion at one of the swell
hotels in Buffalo, where he was stay
ing prior to one of his big races. The
clerk at the desk began to receive re-
quests from the guests to change their
seats In the dining room. First one,
then four, finally by the dozen. 1t got
to be such nuisance this changing of
seats that the manager of the hotel
started a personal investigation and
found out that everybody wanted seats
around one spot-Longboat's table.
what is so interesting about that
part of the dining room?" asked the
manager of the he'd waiter.
"Why, sir" was the reply. they all
want to see that there Indian eat
Had Longboat stayed at the hotel a
few days longer the management might
have sent out press notices, "Come see
the Indian eat,' for it is declared that
no crowd ever watched Longboat run
with any more interest than those Buff
falo diners saw him stow away his
food.