TAHITI “NATURE MAN.”

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3124, 21 January 1911, Page 9

TAHITI “NATURE MAN.”

LIVING THE SIMPLE LIFE. j NO CLOTHES AND NO COOKING. Following is a statement of the life of Mr. E. W. Darling (Nature-man), living at Papeete, Tahiti, Society ' Islands, written:—“l was horn on the prairies in the middle of the United States. My parents moved thence to Southern Canada, where I attended school while living on a fruit farm. At the age of 19 I followed my parents west to Oregon, whore I was a school teacher for some years. I decided to improve my education, so I entered Stanford University, California, but my health broke down," and I returned home. My weight at this time was 901 b. My parents did all they could for me, but I did not improve in health, so I quit taking pills and medicine, and went out on to a “five-acre lot” of wood land which I owned. On this isolated lot I was free to do as I pleased, sc I wore no clothes at all. I saw the squirrels and birds happv eating nuts and berries, and determined to do likewise, I found it delightful to gather mv own food from Nature. Every day i did a liftle woodchopping. After a’ few months I became as brown as the squirrels, and as happy When I returned home my parents were astonished to see the improvement in my health, but town life did not suit me, so I returned to California, and entered the University for another year, after which I proceeded to Los Angeles. I was seeking sunshine and more of it, hut I found that the wet cold spells of January did not agree with me, so then I decamped for the Hawaiian Islands. Here I became a sort of “Nature-missionary,” giving away or selliii" my small tracts. However, I fell out with the authorities, who I fancy, strong'v objected to my radical naturism. I was ordered to leave the island, so I went to San Francisco in the mountainous suburbs for a few months.

I heard of Tahiti, where the natives wore only loin clothes, and lived on nature food, so I determined to go there. On the voyage my supply of fruit and nuts ran out, so I went back to ordinary food, with such an avidity that amazed even the sailors, for I kept up my regular exercising, helping the crew wherever I could lend a hand. Un in the superb mountains of Tahiti I secured 100 acres of land, where I have up to the present planted 1000 cocoanut trees, and 2000 other fruit and nut trees, nutting a large percentage under irrigation. I have dug out- five reservoirs, which serve also as swimming pools. Four or five times a dav I take a dip. Wearing no clothes, doing no cooking, I find it delightful. When I want a feed I just reach np to one of my tree-melons and have a delicious meal. I often work five or six hours with merely a melon or two for refreshment, then at noon I go to my bungalow, and scrape half a cocoanut to eat with a melon and two or three bananas. I find myself strong, and able to do holing, ditch-digging and packing heavy loads under the hot sun on this extremely simple diet. I oat no cooked foods,' condiments, spices, sweets, or acids of any kind. I have no desire whatever for the old diet.

With plenty of good books and tools I am always entertained, though not yet contented, for I wish to form a colony of Nature men, who desire to rest awhile from this elothes-burdened world and food slavery. These men must not be used to tobacco or liquor, which I strongly object to. There is a German nature" man here, who visits me for weeks at a time. He like myself, has eaten nothing but nature food for manv months, and he is always hanny and contented