Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-09-15


lowed to use. My father
had so much pewter in his home that
GfNe place almost tinkled as you
crossed the threshold. My only sister
has a unique assortment of samplers
10 show for life of industry and
vigilance. Is it any wonder that l in
nerited the collecting habit? asks Percy
Waxnlan in the New York Trib-
une- Then he goes on to tell his
story:
My acQusitive instinct, however,
has taken an entirely different turn.
4 am q collector of tastes. From
early childhood the gustatory novelty
has possessed an inordinate charm for
me l have seemingly ineXhaustible
curiosity where unheard-of edibles
are concerned.
Needless to say, this rather unusual
Eorm of the collecting mania from
wnich suffer has led me into many
queer eating adventures, some of
which have proved most amusing as
well as highly instructive.
AS boy lived in Australia, and it
was there that handled my first gun.
" was presented to me on my twelfth
Birthday. I had to promise to shoot
only for educational purposes or to
obtain food.
Fifteen miles away from the city of
Melbourne is delightfully."- hilly dis
frict known as Diamond creek. | de-
cided that Diamond creek should be
tine scene of my first attack on the
Brute creation.
Gn and out of the gum tree cloiSters
scraped and snooped and lodged,
aplng the heroes of all the hunting
stories [ had ever read. On and on l
painted till at last l saw a strange
looking bird alight on top Of blue
gum. A joyful tremor went through
me
poised my gun. l took aim.
pulled the trigger Bang and oh,
Joy of joys down fell my first game"
To my boys eyes my bird seemed
Che largest, widest and most ferociOus
ching in the world. In reality it was
a little larger than a robin. | looked
at the bird. 1t was quite strange to
me. / had never seen its like before.
The sun was straight overhead.
That meant lunch. The brilliant in
SEPARATION came to me that in obedience
10 my promise l ought to eat my
prey. / cleaned him in the creek as q
boy cleans things and patiently roasted
any quarry. And then | ate him. The
flavor seensed a little disappointing. 1t
did not taste anything like the kind
of game | got at home. 1t tasted al
most queer"
Several days later l again went
shooting, this time accompanied by a
much older boy, who knew lots and
lotS about game and bush lore and
things. To my delight, shortly after
We had plunged into the bush |
brought down another of these gray
birds and proudly came running to
where my companion was, to show him
my prize To my amazed horror he
burst out laughing.
And is that the kind of bird you
ate?" he roared. do you know what
that is?'
mo"
@That is a butcher bird It's one
of the buZZard family"
L don't suppose many of my readers
have ever slipped the delectable thirst
destroyer known as kava. l sincerely
hope not. Its native heath is Samoa
had often read of the celestial in
SEPARATION to be derived from hashish
sake and other exotic liquids, and be
fore landing in Apia | used to wonder
If Robert Louis Stevenson's afflatu!
had ever received any assistance from
Hava.
1t was almost under the shadow o.
StevensOn's own Vailma that my owl
brief, acknowledgements plunge In
10 bowl of kava splashed its wa,
Endelibly into my personal history.
had sneaked off by myself to pa,
a visit to a native hut. There in
cOne-shaped, matched, beehive-llk
abode of smell l was invited to tr,
the famous Samoan drink, a Whitley
gray liquid much befrothed, resem
bling for all the world that which i
found in the humble boiler on Mon
days after the linen has just beef
hung out to dry.
My first sip tasted all right, and
GhInk ! became perhaps little over
confident and increased the preSsur
of my intake too speedily. Five min
uteS after my first sip l was whirlln