The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-03-16
ECCENTRIC IN EATING
Pet Fads and AversiOns as Dis
played at Table.
ODDITIES OF FAMOUS MEN.
Byron'r Dinner OF Mashed Potatoes
and Vinegar and What carae After.
Erasmus Could Not Eat Fish, and It's
Odor Threw Hin Into = Fever.

Most OF as have met some eccentric
diner whose differences from those %
the other guests we're noticeable. And
eccentricity Is an elastic word, which
may be applied, ms will be shown, IN
various directions. Sometimes II is
genuine. yhlm or characteristic
which is inherent. Sometimes II IS the
result OF desire to appear singular
and attract notice. TO this latter mo
tive probably was due Byron's eccen.
trlcity at some dinner tables when, re-
fusing, to everybody's astonishment
the ordinary dishes Of each course. ne
simply mashed potatoes on his plate
and poured vinegar over them, eating
them in silence and drinking only soda
water with them. The chronicler Of
this episode dryly adds that In the
evening Lord Byron went to club
and there had an excellent supper.
such as a commonplace people would
enjoy. The great bard's eccentriclty
at dinner led to various minor ones
initiating it under the idea that It
conferred distinction, even as for
similar reason they copied his turn
down collar and loosely knotted tie
Condiments are among the common.
est Illustrations Of this peculiarity
There Is a very old story nearly
century old. Ia fact-of diner In a
coffee room who ate no mustard, which
so irritated another who held the geu,
eral opinion about It that after offer
ing 1t at intervals to the other ne
jumped mp with the cruet and said,
"ConfouDd it, sir. you shall have mus.
tardw Some few people dislike ealt.
which most deem necessity. Indeed
some years ago letter appeared in
print from a lady who expressed her
opinion that salt was most injurious
and was never, used in her household,
saying. indeed If we remember right.
ly, that even her bread and butter
were homemade TO avoid a 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 repudiate the
mere suggestion OF pepper On the
other hand, cayenne is sometimes eat
en- with everything Edmund Kean In
bis latest years used It is said, to
drink brandy with cayenne IN It. n
beverage which Is mentioned as hav,
Ing been liked also by Peter the
Great when staying at Sayes court
Mint sauce everybody likes with roast
lamb. but some eccentric diners have
It served with every joint. which Is a
peculiar taste. indeed. and one which
would have been n fine theme for
Charles Lamb The eating OF rasp-
berry jam with roast veal is another
popularity, variant of the general
custom Of having red currant jelly
With saddle of mutton, which Is 10.
decd an exquisite combination.
Other strange antipathics for com
monplace edibes are recorded. Thus
Cardan loathed eggs. Neither boiled
nor poached had they for him the
agreeable associations they have for
most Of u.s. The mere sight OF them
made his gorge rise. What would
Charles Lamb have said OF a Han
oyerian gentleman who was distin
! guished for his feats IN hunting, Herr
! Vanghuin. who tainted at the sight Of
roast pig? NJ. Chesne, secretary to
I Francis l., detested that general fa-
vorite, the apple, as the sight OF one
made his nose bleed. The learned
1 Erasmus could never eat fish Indeed,
It is said that its odor even was so in
/ furious to the great Dutchman that IT
/ caused feverish symptoms. On the
I other hand, Quin, the actor. every year
/ IN the latter part OF his life journeyed
TO the west country to eat John Dory
fresh from the sea. The famous
scholar Scallger blnnched even at the
sight OF water crosses.
Very often the unfortunate man who
really is the victim Of internal whlms
is not believed to be so, but privately,
II not aloud. is Characterized as fad
dish, not 10 say impertinent But while
such peculiarlties as these are due ia
the stomach, that imperious organ.
there are others In 'ilaers 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 a
hoSplthDit poafu, as the oiu Woliu
phrase runs. Thus there Is the guest
who IS worrying himself and every
body else about possible drafts. anoth-
er who ostcntatously declines FISH and
soup and limits himself TO the roast
and also has the foolish hut by no
means uncommon idea that It Is IN
wholesome unless dried up 70 an arid
brown. II salt he a thing TO be shUn-
ned by some gastronomcs. others have
the same notion--which they do not
keep 70 themselves as to pepper. 70
matoss are n Dugbear to some. mack
erel TO others. Some eye IN disap
proving silence the others who eat IN
the ordinary manner, they themselves
dining by strict rule with various omis
slons in the courses; also there Is the
diner who experiments. as Il were. on
his food. tasting each mofsel tentative
ly and with dubious delihcratloh as II
he were not sure be were not being
poisoned There are those who arc
fretfni II there Is the least want q
mathematical accuracy Ia laying ilil
table. who are savaee n their special