410 



RECREATION. 



PROFESSIONAL EATERS. 



Supervisor Wright, of the Indian Ser- 

 vice, gives the following account of one 

 of the most striking customs of the past 

 which is preserved by the Indians on the 

 Devil's Lake Reservation in North Da- 

 kota : 



"From time immemorial the Devil's lake 

 Sioux have adhered to an old custom in 

 regard to the treatment of a guest. Ac- 

 cording to their etiquette, it is the bounden 

 duty of the host to supply his guest with 

 all the food he may desire, and as a rule 

 the apportionment set before the visiting 

 Indian is much in excess of the capacity 

 of a single man. But by the same custom, 

 the guest is obliged to eat all that is placed 

 before him, else he grossly insults his en- 

 tertainer. It was found that this practice 

 would work a hardship, but instead of dis- 

 pensing with the custom, the Indian method 

 of reasoning was applied, and what is 

 known as the professional eater was 

 brought to the front. While the guest is 

 supposed to eat all that is placed before 

 him, it serves the same purpose if his 

 neighbor assists in devouring the bounti- 

 ful repast, the main object being to have 

 the plate clean when the meal is finished. 

 It is not always practicable to depend on a 

 neighbor at table to assist in getting away 

 with a larg^ dinner, and in order to insure 

 the final consumption of the allotted por- 

 tion, visiting Indians call on these profes- 

 sional eaters, whose duty it is to sit beside 

 them through a meal, and eat what the 

 guest leaves. The professional eaters are 

 never looked on in the light of guests, but 

 more as traveling companies with a partic- 

 ular duty to perform. These eaters receive 

 $i to $2,- and even $3, for each meal where 

 they assist. It is stated by the agent at the 

 Devil's Lake Reservation that one of the 

 professional eaters has been known to dis- 

 pose of 17 pounds of beef at a sitting. That 

 they are caoable of eating an almost fabu • 

 lous quantity I myself can testify." 



A party of Chester people had an in- 

 teresting and successful trip to Atlantic 

 City in September. The party consisted of 

 C. E. Tomlinson, Philip and Walter Cass, 

 Edward Guyer, T. Smith and Wm. Lollis. 

 The first fish caught weighed 6 pounds. 

 This was landed by the Cass brothers after 

 a desperate struggle. The second one was 

 a shark, caught by Mr. Tomlinson. Guyer 

 and Cass also hooked 2 large sharks but 

 did not land them. 



W. T., Chester, Pa. 



We were interviewing Mr. Carvel Crisis 

 McFlub, the famous novelist. 



"Does it bother you," we inquired, "to 

 have your wife keep you waiting while 

 she is dressing for the theatre or other 

 place of amusement?" 



"Not at all," replied the great man, cor- 

 dially, "I employ that time in turning out 

 ft complete novel."— Houston Chronicle. N 



A LAMENT FOR THE PAST. 



I wish I had lived in the days gone by 

 When maidens were prim and sedate and 



shy; 

 So modest and true and dutiful, too; 

 When a man wasn't judged by the coin he 



blew ; 

 The Puritan way, not at all like to-day, 

 When everybody's so bloomin' blase. 



I wish I had lived in the good old time, 

 When knighthood and glory were in their 



prime ; 

 When for maidens men fought, for they 



couldn't be bought ; ■ 

 When duels instead of divorces were 



sought ; 

 A more honorable way than we have to-day, 

 When everybody's so bloomin' blase. 



I wish I had lived during Csesar's reign. 



Or when Rameses did — I wouldn't com- 

 plain ; 



There were no millionaires, no trusts, 

 bulls nor bears, 



But art was their hobby, so history declares, 



In that good old day when Caesar held 

 sway ; 



But now everybody's so bloomin' blase. 



I wish I had lived when Methuselah did, 

 When a man at two hundred was merely a 



kid; 

 When they lived easy lives and had dozens 



of wives, 

 And it wasn't bad form if they ate with 



their knives. 

 If you did it to-day folks would call you 



a jay, 

 For everybody's so bloomin' blase. 



I wish I had lived in the primitive ages. 

 When gas bills and rent didn't take a man's 



wages ; 

 And they didn't know style, for it wasn't 



worth while, 

 As they wore but a fig leaf and sometimes 



a smile ; 

 A more simple way than we have to-day, 

 When everybody's so bloomin' blase. 



I wish I had lived in the good old days, 

 Before men lost all their monkey ways ; 

 When they sat in the trees and scratched 



for fleas, 

 And wore no' trousers to bag at the knees, 

 A much better way than we have to-day, 

 When everybody's so bloomin' blase. 



— E. N. Clark, in Life. 



Conductor — Madam, that boy is too large 

 to ride on a half fare ticket. 



Passenger — He wasn't when he got on 

 the train.— N. Y. World. 



